NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Marcus Morrast's 25-yard run in the second overtime period lifted Christopher Newport to a 51-48 win over Methodist on Saturday evening at POMOCO Stadium.
 
Morrast's run capped what had been a back-and-forth affair highlighted by outstanding individual performances from each team's quarterback. For MU (2-2, 1-1 USA South) Max Reber finished 35-of-49 for 480 yards and six touchdowns, setting new school records in attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. On the other side, Morrast finished 310 yards on 16-of-31 passing with four touchdowns and an interception, while adding 191 yards on the ground on 26 carries with two more scores, including the game-winner.
 
Also for the Monarchs, Patrick Jacobs tied the school's single-game receiving record with 219 yards, while both he and Anthony Radke tied the school's single-game receiving touchdown mark with three.
 
The game-winning touchdown came after MU had been forced to attempt a 38-yard field goal, which Cody Ausherman converted, on the first possession of the second overtime period that gave MU a short-lived 48-45 lead. On the Captains' (2-2, 2-0 USA South) first play of the second extra session, Morrast broke free and scampered in from 25 yards out.
 
CNU had taken a 45-38 lead in the first OT, but Reber found Radke from three yards out to knot the score back up at 45-45 and force the second OT.
 
In regulation, it was the Captains needing a late score to extend the game. After Methodist took a 38-31 with 5:11 to play on a 35-yard Reber-to-Jacobs connection, CNU used an 11-play drive that covered 65 yards to tie the game at 38-38 on Matt Kerr's three-yard reception from Morrast with 1:25 to play.
 
The Monarchs held a 21-10 lead at the break courtesy of three Reber scoring passes, two to Radke, in the first 30 minutes. Christopher Newport scored the first 14 points of the second half to take a 24-21 lead by the 6:54 mark of the third quarter on Morrast's one-yard run.
 
An Ausherman field goal of 27 yards tied the game at 24-24 just over three minutes later, and early in the final stanza, Jacobs hauled in a 68-yard touchdown pass to put MU on top, 31-24 with 13:09 to play. However, on the very next play from scrimmage, Morrast found Rudy Rudolph open for a 51-yard scoring play that tied the game back up at 31-31.
 
In all, CNU outgained the Monarchs, 617-493, including 307-13 on the ground. Methodist did benefit from a pair of Captain turnovers, while not committing one itself, and MU was good on 10-of-18 third-down conversions.
 
Jacobs finished with 10 receptions in the contest, and Radke had seven catches for 110 yards and the three scores. On the defensive side of the ball, Bryan Bing led the team with 15 tackles, including 1.0 for loss. D.J. Payne had eight tackles, and Marlon Thomas had seven, with 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
 
Christopher Newport saw Daquan Davis supplement Morrast's day on the ground with 77 yards and a touchdown. Rudolph had nine grabs for 214 yards and a touchdown, while Taylor Loudon chipped in four catches for 65 yards and a score.
 
Defensively, CNU was led by Mic Edwards, who had 13 tackles, 2.5 of those for loss. Rahland Gordon had 10 tackles, and Allen Hayes totaled seven tackles with a sack.
 
The Monarchs are off next week before returning to action on Oct. 11 versus Greensboro at 1:00 pm.