SALISBURY, Md. - The No. 7 Salisbury University football program has posted an 8-0 record and 5-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. The Sea Gulls have outscored their opponents this season by 264 points and have had only one one-possession game this year. The road NJAC matchup with the No. 13 Christopher Newport University Captains is set for November 8th. The top-15 showdowns kickoff from TowneBank Stadium in Newport News, Va., is set for 6 p.m.
THE RUNDOWN
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The Series: This is the 24th meeting between the two programs on the gridiron. The Sea Gulls took last year's matchup 42-38 inside Sea Gull Stadium. The last matchup inside Townebank stadium against the Captains finished with a 24-14 CNU win in 2023. The Sea Gulls have won eight of the last 10 meetings and hold a record of 17-6 overall. The first-ever matchup took place in 2001, with Salisbury taking that game 21-6. SU won three of the first five battles between the two programs.
Last Time Out: SU earned a 51-7 Senior Day win over William Paterson.
SyRus McGowan finished with 109 yards passing, with the touchdown going six of nine.
Matthew Sims and
Mike Schutz also completed passes for SU.
Darrell Walter finished 98 yards on just eight carries.
Carter Sollenberger led the Sea Gulls with eight tackles while
Abdul Ouattara posted five tackles with a sack.
Kilo Mack posted two pass breakups with two tackles. The Sea Gull offense posted 543 yards while the SU defense held William Paterson to just 203 yards of offense.
Football – 7th | D3football.com Top 25, Week 9: Salisbury (8-0) ceded two slots in the media rankings, posting 484 points to hold off eighth-ranked UW-River Falls (477) and nip at the heels of sixth-ranked Wartburg (486). SU currently rolls in eighth in the NPI. The Sea Gulls celebrated Senior Day with a 51-7 romp of William Paterson on Saturday. Salisbury continues to dominate the ground game, ranking third in Division III in rushing offense (314.1) while giving up the second-fewest tackles for loss (2.75) of any team in the nation. In one of the most anticipated Division III games of the year, SU will battle 13th-ranked Christopher Newport with first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) up for grabs. Kickoff from TowneBank Stadium in Newport News, Va., is set for 6 p.m.
The Captains: Head coach
Sherman Wood has named seniors
Noah Christenson, Kollin Samaha, Ryan Salvosa, and
Jayson Gary as captains heading into the top 15 matchup with the Christopher Newport Captains. The winner of this game will earn at least a share of the NJAC Conference Title and the automatic bid into the NCAA Division III playoffs.
The Class of the NJAC: Since joining the NJAC in 2015, Salisbury has won 70 games in the conference. The 70 wins stand as the most wins among active teams in the conference. Since joining the NJAC in 2015, Salisbury has won six conference championships, which is the most in the eight years. The Sea Gulls have started the 2025 NJAC campaign 5-0 with wins over TCNJ, Kean, Montclair State, Rowan, and William Paterson.
Mr. 200 Sherman Wood: Salisbury head coach
Sherman Wood ranks in the top-15 of active coaches in wins, regardless of NCAA Division. After earning NJAC and AFCA Region 2 Coach of the year honors, Wood would go on to earn his first AFCA National Coach of the Year honor in his 32nd season as a head coach. In 2024, Wood guided Salisbury to a 12-1 record, the New Jersey Athletic Conference title, and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs. The Sea Gulls recorded their fifth undefeated regular season and sixth quarterfinal appearance. Wood, the all-time wins leader at Salisbury, has a record of 201-80 with the Sea Gulls and an overall record of 219-119-1 when you include his six seasons at Bowie State. Two weeks ago at Rowan earned Coach Wood his 200th Career win at Salisbury University.
Offensive Powerhouse: Ryan Fleetwood is fresh off earning Offensive Coordinator of the Year honors from Hanson ratings last season. Fleetwood led the charge of one of the most prolific offenses in the country for Division III. The Sea Gull offense ranked 5th in total yards for the season, third in yards per play, and third in total touchdowns. Already this season, through six games, the Sea Gull offense is averaging 49 points per game along with 498 yards per game. They also sit at 55 percent on third down conversions, and 80 percent on fourth down conversions. In the redzone, they have scored 37 times out of 43 attempts.
Scouting CNU: CNU scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and held off Montclair State University last Saturday at TowneBank Stadium, 49-42. The Captains recorded three key interceptions in the second half to help hold off the upset-minded Red Hawks. Christopher Newport built a 21-8 first-half lead before Montclair State stormed back and cut the advantage to one at the break, 21-20. The Red Hawks later surged in front, 35-28, midway through the third quarter before the Captains tied the score with just over two minutes to go in the quarter when junior quarterback Connor Barry connected with junior tight end Ethan Barham on a scoring pass, the third of four TD throws for Barry on the day. The Captains conclude their regular-season home schedule, hosting Salisbury University. Both teams are 8-0 overall and tied at 5-0 atop the New Jersey Athletic Conference standings.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 205 conference championships, and have produced 53 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
