By Jeremy Stafford — Daily Sports Correspondent

WINCHESTER — In a rivalry game with the Christopher Newport University, the Shenandoah Hornets meant to execute a very simple game plan: Run the ball with Kevin Roberts, control the clock, and frustrate the Christopher Newport rushing attack.

But penalties and turnovers stymied the Shenandoah offense and provided Christopher Newport with spectacular field position. Able to run the ball on a short field, Christopher Newport controlled the football for 39:27 and eventually defeated the Hornets 17-7 on Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium.

"We shot ourselves in the foot from the first whistle to the end of the game," said Roberts, who rushed for 160 yards on 16 carries, including an 81-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. "We felt like we could have won this game but, dumb penalties, we've got to eliminate those."

Shenandoah turned the ball over five times, with perhaps the most costly turnover occurring late in the third quarter, when quarterback Vern Lunsford fumbled the football on the Christopher Newport 11-yard line after a promising 70-yard drive.

The Hornets also committed two personal fouls on the Captains' first possession of the game. The penalties, both of which were called on third downs, extended the drive for the Captains and provided them the opportunity to score the first touchdown of the game; they took full advantage, finding the end zone on a 3-yard rush by Mike Thomas.

"We came out sky-high, and I think that's part of the emotion," said Shenandoah coach Paul Barnes, speaking of the Hornet's early penalties. "It's still unacceptable. You can't have that in this type of game."

And though Roberts had an explosive evening on the ground, Shenandoah as a team only rushed for 181 yards on 26 carries and had trouble sustaining long drives. On the other hand, Tunde Ogen and Thomas led Christopher Newport to 292 yards rushing on a staggering 62 carries. Thomas, after rushing for 56 yards, sprained his knee on a fourth-and-1 early in the second quarter and had to leave the game.

But like any team that prides itself on a dominating power-run game, Christopher Newport had an extremely versatile backup in Ogen, who danced his way around the Shenandoah defensive ends, bulled his way through the tackles, and netted 197 yards and a touchdown.

"We're confident that we can run the ball on any team," Ogen said. "Tonight was basically just a product of doing what we need to do, making our blocks, making our reads, seeing our cuts, and just executing on everything."

Despite giving up so many rushing yards, the Shenandoah defense held strong when it needed to, especially late in the fourth quarter, when it held Christopher Newport to a field goal after Shenandoah botched a punt on its own 31.

"Still, we should have blocked that," said Hornets linebacker CJ Madison, who wasn't satisfied with simply holding the Captains to a field goal. "I feel like if we're put in that position, it's the defense's job to block the field goal."

Dionte Beatty had already blocked a 20-yard field goal attempt by the Captains to end the first half.

Needing to score twice with only 5:53 remaining in the game, Shenandoah spent two possessions in its two-minute offense, but two interceptions thrown by Lunsford ensured that Christopher Newport maintained its lead and the win.

"I've got to start putting points on the board," Lunsford said. "If we don't start scoring, the defense can't win our games for us. We're putting too much on them."