2008 Football Coverage

 

From HoyaSaxa.com game recaps. Links to other contemporary coverage may be out of date.

Game #1: Howard (Sept. 7)

The Georgetown defense forced three second half fumbles as the Hoyas upset Howard University 12-7 in the inaugural D.C. Cup, before 6,085 at Greene Stadium on Sunday.

The Hoyas started off slowly, with a fumble on the opening kickoff and a three and out on its first full possession. The Greene Stadium crowd saw the Bison (0-1) move swiftly down the field in its second possession, a seven play, 53 yard drive that gave Howard the early 7-0 lead. For its part, the Hoyas' offense was still focused on running plays by sophomore QB Keerome Lawrence or gains by junior RB Charlie Houghton, held to just 30 yards on the afternoon. The teams traded punts into the second quarter until Georgetown LB Paul Sant'Ambrogio picked off a pass from Howard quarterback Floyd Haigler at midfield, followed by a 15 yard penalty against the Bison that set up the Hoyas at the Howard 38.

Moving to a platoon setup at quarterback between Lawrence and freshman QB James Brady, the Hoyas found new life and drove to the Bison two, but settled for a 19 yard field goal to close to 7-3. After holding the Bison on its next series, Georgetown drove on a seven play drive into scoring territory, but PK Casey Dobyns' field goal hit the crossbar and was no good, as the teams settled for 7-3 at the half.

The halftime score was significant and somewhat surprising. Though Georgetown was 1-8 on third down conversions and had only 134 total yards, its defense had begun to contain Flaigler and the favored Bison. Following the interception which set up the Georgetown score, Howard managed only two first downs the remainder of the half. It was the fewest points allowed by a Georgetown team at halftime since the second game of the 2006 season, a 7-0 game versus Stony Brook which marked Kevin Kelly's first win as Georgetown head coach.

The second half opened with promise for the Hoyas. Howard opened the third by driving inside Georgetown territory, but fumbled at the Georgetown 40, giving the Hoyas an opportunity near midfield, but they went three and out. Each team traded three and out punts until midway in the third, when a second Howard fumble put Georgetown in business at the Bison 35. The drive went backwards, and Georgetown turned the ball over on downs.

Nonetheless, the defense was up to the task at hand, holding Howard to three and out on its next series, only to see the Hoyas fumble at midfield. Back on the field, the defense held the Bison on downs at the Georgetown 30 and the Hoyas saw a window of opportunity.

74-29
Opening day record for Georgetown over 103 seasons.

3-3
Georgetown's win-loss record versus I-AA scholarship teams since 2002.

7-44
Georgetown's record since 2001 in games scoring 20 or fewer points.

12-7
Georgetown's record since 2001 in games decided by 10 or fewer points.

3-16
Georgetown 3rd down conversions.

20
Number of games since Georgetown held an opponent under 10 points.

After nearly three quarters of the plodding run offense which had been thoroughly contained by the larger Howard defenders, Brady helped open the offense. At the start of the fourth quarter, Brady surprised the Greene Stadium crowd by finding WR Kenny Mitchell down the field for 37 yards. Three plays later, Brady connected with Mitchell for 31 more, and the Hoyas led 9-7 after the extra point was blocked.

Howard still only needed a field goal to regain the lead, and seemed less urgent as the time might indicate. The Bison drove into Georgetown territory, but a key third down sack by DL Ataefiok Etukeren forced the Bison to punt the ball away with 9:22 in the fourth.

Following the punt, Brady and Lawrence led the Hoyas on an eight play, 80 yard drive that consumed nearly six minutes of clock time, helped by a defensive penalty on 4th down which extended the drive. Georgetown drove to the Howard 12, where a 30 yard Dobyns field goal gave the Hoyas a slightly more comfortable 12-7 lead with under four minutes to play.

The opportunistic Hoyas nearly socked away the game for good when it recovered the kickoff, as a Howard returner was late to the live ball at the Bison 24. Three plays later, however, Dobyns missed a 40 yard field goal that gave the Bison had one late hope at the 1:32 mark. A 35 yard pass from Flaigler rallied the home crowd and drove the Bison to midfield, but on a third down with 46 seconds to go, Flaigler fumbled the ball before setting his arm to throw, and the Hoyas recovered to put the game out of reach.

The teams played evenly all afternoon. Both schools had identical 15:00 times of possession at halftime and by game's end, Howard had only a two second (30:01-29:59) advantage on the clock. The Bison outgained the Hoyas 281-233, led by Arlandus Hood's nine catches for 114 yards.

Brady's debut was promising, throwing 12-20 for 131 yards. Lawrence's passing was limited (1-6, 6 yards), but he led the team with 38 yards on the ground. On the offensive side of the ball, freshmen Chancellor Logan, Keion Wade, and John O'Leary saw action, although a jersey change led the Howard TV announcers to erroneously report that O'Leary was in at quarterback when it was, in fact, Lawrence.

The drive back home was brief (30 blocks) but well worth it.

"I'm happy for these young men," said head coach Kevin Kelly in post-game comments. "They worked extremely hard in the off season, it was a long preseason and we had a one-day delay. They just kept scratching and clawing. It could have gone either way, but we're extremely happy."

"It just helps us show D.C. that Georgetown does have a good team that can play a little football," senior Kenny Mitchell told the Washington Post. "I get those questions all the time, my whole career, and so it's just very special to finally show people."

Game statistics:


                   GEORGETOWN           HOWARD
First downs                11               15
Rushed-yards            40-96            41-98
Passing yards             137              183
Sacked-yards lost        1-10             4-24
Return yards               40                7
Passes                13-26-0          17-30-1
Punts                  6-36.3           6-32.2
Fumbles-lost              3-2              3-3
Penalties-yards          7-45             7-61
Time of possession       29:59           30:01
Additional links follow below.

 

Game #2: Lafayette (Sept. 13)

After a week of hope and renewed confidence after a season opening win over Howard, Georgetown's offense returned to familiar ways in a 24-6 loss at Lafayette Saturday before 10,134 at Fisher Stadium.

The storyline of the game played out as too many Georgetown games have done over the last few years, right from the start, as Lafayette opened the game with a 10 play, 71 yard drive for the quick score, 7-0. Georgetown's offense made it to its 39 in the Hoyas' opening series, but the defense began to tighten on Lafayette's attack, forcing a punt late in the quarter. Georgetown did little in return, advancing 12 yards before punting. In the first quarter, every rushing play was made by quarterbacks Keerome Lawrence or James Brady.

In the second quarter, the Leopards marched 64 yards in 12 plays, nine on the ground. The drive stalled at the Georgetown 13, where Lafayette dropped the snap on a field goal attempt. The teams exchanged punts before the Hoyas mounted its best drive of the game, a 68 yard drive capped by a 20 yard Lawrence run to the Lafayette 12 on a fourth down and two. The Hoyas could go no further on the next three plays, while casey Dobyns' field goal attempt from 29 yards was blocked.

Once again the defense did its job and the offense did not. Georgetown locked down the Leopards deep in its territory, and on the ensuing possession Georgetown took over at the LC 40. On a second and seven from the lafayette 37, Brady was intercepted by Lafayette's Neil Goldsmith, who returned the ball 37 yards to set the Leopards up at the Georgetown 30, from which they connected on a field goal to close out the half 10-0. The Hoyas were outgained 149-98 for the half.

Much as they were at halftime against Howard, Georgetown remained close on the scoreboard at the half, but needed an early statement. Georgetown advanced just five yards in its first series, while the Leopards marched to the Georgetown 13 before the defense held RB Maurice White on a fourth and one.

With Lawrence at the helm, Georgetown looked to make its move thereafter, a nine play, 52 yard drive that saw Lawrence go 4 for 4 in the air. But at the Lafayette 37, Georgetown opted to go with a pair of keepers by Lawrence, which turned the ball over on downs at the 37.

1
Rushing attempts by Charlie Houghton.

17
Rushing yards by all Georgetown RB's in the game.

2.7
Average yards per GU rush.

3.9
Average yards per Lafayette rush.

9:54
Time of possession advantage for Lafayette.

After a number of inspired defensive stands by the Hoyas, Lafayette began to wear down the defense. A 33 yard pass to the Georgetown 13 led the Leopards in a nine play, 66 yard drive to lead 17-0 late in the third quarter. Georgetown went three and out, but the defense held again on Lafayette's next series.

With Brady at QB for the fourth quarter, Georgetown began to move the ball through the air. A 53 yard pass to Colin Meador keyed a 5 for 6, 90 yard passing effort from Brady, ended with a two yard Lawrence run to close to 17-6, as Georgetown missed an extra point for the second time in as many attempts this season.

After the teams exchanged punts with the outcome in hand, Lafayette drove to the GU one in the final minute of play, but instead of taking a knee to run out the clock, Lafayette coach Frank Tavani called time out, then sent in a running play for a meaningless and unnecessary touchdown, 24-6.

The Hoyas were outgained 373-278, with 90 of its yards came in the only scoring series of the game. The Georgetown QB's combined for 206 passing and 53 rushing yards. For Lafayette, Maurice White was held to half of the 212 yards he gained against Marist, but the Leopards still managed 51 rushing attempts for 198 yards. The Leopards had six red zone chances versus only two for Georgetown, and scored on four of them.

Game statistics:


                  GEORGETOWN        LAFAYETTE
First downs               13               23
Rushed-yards           26-70           51-198
Passing yards            206              175
Sacked-yards lost        0-0             4-25
Return yards               0               43
Passes               21-40-1          14-24-0
Punts                 6-36.7           5-38.8
Fumbles-lost             3-0              2-1
Penalties-yards         6-40             4-30
Time of possession     25:03            34:57
Additional links follow below.

 

Game #3: Yale (Sept. 20)

A 61 yard pass on the Bulldogs' opening play heralded a day long aerial attack that overwhelmed the smaller Hoyas, 47-7, before 12,771 at the Yale Bowl Saturday.

The Hoyas opened up play behind hometown star Keerome Lawrence, who brought a large and exuberant cheering section to the game. Georgetown's first three plays netted 27 yards, but Yale's defense tightened and forced a punt. On the Bulldogs' first series, quarterback Ryan Fodor found receiver Jordan Forney alone down the sideline for 61 yards to the Georgetown 24, and two plays later Fodor went back to Forney for 21 yards and a touchdown, 7-0.

It appears Yale anticipated the Georgetown strategy all in stride. "We had that planned all week," said Fodor. "They had a lot of trouble with that [61 yard play], especially coming out of the bootleg. You know they were going to be prepared to stop Mike [McLeod] first and foremost."

Another Georgetown punt followed, whereupon Yale went on a 12 play drive that reached third down just twice, effectively opening up holes against the smaller Georgetown line and working the sidelines where another New Haven product, cornerback Enico Jones, was patrolling. The Hoyas held at the 20 thanks to a Nick Parrish sack of Fodor, and the Elis settled for a field goal, 10-0.

A three and out marked the third of six Georgetown punts in the first half, one which landed at midfield and gave Yale another short field to advance. A new quarterback arrived in Brook Hart, who stuck a dagger right back in the secondary by hitting Forney with a 41 yard pass to the Georgetown 13. Thanks to a offensive penalty and a couple of defensive stops, Yale could not advance the ball and missed on a short field goal. But after another three and out by the inert Georgetown offense, Yale set up at midfield and executed a hard fought 12 play drive, nine by the run, which increased the score to 17-0 with 1:40 to play.

136
Receiving yards by Yale WR Jordan Forney in the game.

6:46
Time of possession advantage for Yale, 2nd qtr.

1
Possessions in red zone by Georgetown.

8
Possessions in red zone by Yale.

If the The Hoyas had thoughts about running out the clock, the play calling showed none of it. A sack on QB James Brady and two pass incompletions advanced the clock all of 40 seconds, and a 27 yard Casey Dobyns punt gave Yale yet another look at putting points on the board with 56 seconds to play. A nine play, 52 yard drive drove to the GU 12, where the Bulldogs settled for a field goal and a 20-0 halftime lead. For the half, Georgetown gave up 295 yards versus only 65 offensive yards, 28 on its first series.

The second half continued to put GU in a hole from which it could not recover. Yale enjoyed over 25 yards, on average, in starting field position, and good Yale punting often socked Georgetown deep in its territory, forcing punts that gave Yale excellent midfield position. Yale's first series was stopped at midfield, punting to the Georgetown 3, where the Hoyas went three and out and punted for the seventh straight series. Yale took the punt at midfield and drove to the 13, only to see Nick Umar force a fumble for the Hoya defense. The Hoyas took over with 6:41 to play and drove to midfield, where Lawrence was intercepted by Steve Santoro, who raced down to the 13. On the first play, Hart found Forney for the score, 27-0. Lawrence's heartbreak returned in short order. On first down at the 40, Lawrence was picked off by Adam Money, who went uncontested for 60 yards to score. Lawrence was benched thereafter, with Yale having gone up 33-0 in just 16 seconds.

Yale had gone deep into the bench in the third, allowing the Hoyas to make some movement. James Brady led the hoyas on its best series of the game, a six play 60 yard drive that was capped by a 26 yard pass to Kenny Mitchell, 33-7. Mitchell, who injured his shoulder in the second quarter and was seen on the bench without a jersey entering the third, nonetheless returned to action and collected 154 total yards in the game.

Brady's success was short-lived, however. After a 71 yard Yale punt early in the fourth, Brady was picked off at the Georgetown 20 and Yale returned it to the Georgetown 5, only to fumble it away. Georgetown could no better than three and out, and a 29 yard punt gave Yale a short field for a two play drive, capped by McLeod's game high 21 yard run, 40-7. Yet another three and out midway in the fourth set up yale for a seven play, 75 yard drive, 47-7.

Reserve QB Tucker Stafford entered the game with 4:44 to play, and the 6-5 freshman looked strong in three plays before injuring his hand and leaving the game. back in the game, Brady led the Hoyas to the Yale 10, only its second red zone appearance of the day, but the Yale defense held in the final minute.

Yale's passing numbers were impressive: Hart was 14-18 for 176, Fodor 10-15 for 185. For the Hoyas, Brady was 15-25, Lawrence 4-6. McLeod led all Yale rushers with 78 yards but this was a day for the passing game.

After three weeks the Georgetown running game is, well, non-existent. Lawrence led all rushers with 10 carries and 18 yards, with the leading RB being Keion Wade's four yards on five carries. Charlie Houghton had no carries in the game

No less discouraging for the Hoyas is not that the margin of victory could have been even severe. Six more series went into scoring range, resulting in two field goals, two fumbles inside the 10, and a short missed field goal.

Yale enjoyed nearly seven minutes on time of possession, outgaining Georgetown 498-230. The 498 yards is the most allowed by the Hoyas in almost a year, dating to the Holy Cross game. For its part, Holy Cross put up 476 yards on Ivy champ Harvard on Friday night, losing late 25-24. HC arrives in Washington this week seeking its ninth straight win over Georgetown in as many games.

Game statistics:


                  GEORGETOWN             YALE
First downs               13               24
Rushed-yards           31-46           39-137
Passing yards            184              361
Sacked-yards lost       3-23              1-7
Return yards              10              112
Passes               20-32-3          24-34-0
Punts                 9-29.8             3-52
Fumbles-lost             1-0              3-2
Penalties-yards         3-39             6-54
Time of possession     26:38            33:22
Additional links follow below.

 

Game #4: Holy Cross (Sept. 27)

In its home opener, Georgetown had no answers as Holy Cross took a 38-14 win before 2,233 at Multi-Sport Field Saturday. it was the third straight loss in as many games, among which Georgetown's offense has scored just twice in its last 41 possessions.

It also marked the third straight game where an opponent scored on its opening possession, which came for Holy Cross (1-2) a little sooner than anticipated. Two plays into its own opening drive, Georgetown's James Brady was picked off at the Hoya 23, where Holy Cross converted in a six play drive, 7-0. The Hoyas went three and out on its next series, whereupon the Crusaders returned to the end zone in a 12 play, 89 yard drive that ate up almost seven minutes of the first quarter, 14-0.

After a strong kick return to midfield, Georgetown could not advance the drive, losing four yards on a fourth and two at the Holy Cross 46. The Crusaders were stopped near midfield, but pinned the Hoyas deep in its end for the Hoyas' next series, where Brady was intercepted at the GU 25 only to see Georgetown recover a fumble that prevented a likely third touchdown. The gift was short in duration, as Georgetown punted three plays later.

Holy Cross looked to be returning to the end zone on its next series, driving to the GU 10. On a third and six, HC quarterback was picked off by Georgetown LB Nick Parrish, who raced unopposed down the east sidelines en route to a 97 yard touchdown, one yard short of the school record. After holding the Crusaders to a punt on its next series, Georgetown looked to have gained momentum when QB Keerome Lawrence found WR Kenny Mitchell open at the Crusaders' 15 yard line, with a tie score in plain view. Two plays later, the Hoyas lost the ball back to Holy Cross. The Crusaders effectively closed out the game with a six play, 65 yard drive, led by passes of 24 and 34 yards to go up 21-7. A late field goal gave the Crusaders a 24-7 count at the half.

Holy Cross opened the second half with the ball and went right back to work. Rushes of nine, 12, six and 17 yards shredded the Georgetown defense, setting up Randolph for a 11 yard pass to increase the lead to 31-7. With the Crusaders' defense beginning to add reserves, Brady led the Hoyas on a 12 play, 53 yard drive, advancing inside the HC 20 but failing on downs. Much as it did in the first quarter, the Crusaders then went on a grinding 14 play, 7:53 drive, needing only one third down en route before Georgetown stopped the attack at its 32 to open the fourth quarter.

86
Offensive plays for Holy Cross, 31 more than Georgetown

-1
Yards rushed by Georgetown RB's

9:08
Time of possession for Georgetown, 2nd half

2
Possessions in red zone by Georgetown

6
Possessions in red zone by Holy Cross

Where the defense held, the offense could take little advantage. A 16 yard pass from Brady to RB Keion Wade brought the Hoyas to midfield, only to see Brady fire his third INT of the afternoon at the Holy Cross 24. Two plays later, Randolph was picked off again by Parrish, who raced 24 yards for the score, 31-14. parrish became the 23rd player in I-AA history to post two interceptions for touchdowns in a single game.

Inexplicably, the Georgetown coaches called for an onside kick down 17, the failure of which set up Holy Cross at midfield. The Crusaders ended only four plays to set up Randolph for his third TD of the afternoon, 38-14. Georgetown's final two drives of the game ended at midfield, turned over on downs.

For a third week, Georgetown's running game stayed on the playbook and did not see the field. Despite playing in only 13 plays, QB Keerome Lawrence led the team in rushing with 4 carries and 27 yards. Its running back corps of Mychal Harrison and Keion Wade combined for seven carries for minus-1 yard. Wade,a freshman, led the team with 49 yards passing while freshman LB Wayne Heimuli led the team in tackles for a seconds straight week, with seven in the home opener.

The statistics reinforce a consistently poor performance. For a team built on the rushing game, georgetown gained just one first down by rushing all afternoon. As a team, it gave up five turnovers, averaged less than 29 net yards per punt, and gave up 473 total yards in offense by Holy Cross. The Hoyas were 2-11 on third downs and 1-4 on fourth.

A quick check of the Web Saturday night cited only one NCAA Division I game in the last 20 years that exceeded Holy Cross' 40:32 time of possession, the 1993 Alamo Bowl between California and Iowa. By any measurement, it is another sign that Georgetown's offensive execution continues to be left behind by its competitive peers.

"We are going to have to evaluate everything," said coach Kevin Kelly in post-game comments. "I didn't have them ready to play, and we will have to look at the program from top to bottom and then we will go over it this week."

If not, fans should expect more of the same at Colgate's Homecoming game next week.

Game statistics:


                 HOLY CROSS       GEORGETOWN
First downs              26               10
Rushed-yards         46-193            15-32
Passing yards           280              167
Sacked-yards lost      2-10              0-0
Return yards             25              149
Passes              25-40-2          20-40-4
Punts                  3-46           4-32.3
Fumbles-lost            2-1              2-1
Penalties-yards        8-85             9-60
Time of possession    40:32            19:28
Additional links follow below.

 

Game #5: Colgate (Oct. 4)

The game with Colgate was cancelled due to an outbreak of norovirus on the Georgetown campus the preceding week. The Patriot League voted 7-0 that the game will not be rescheduled. "It was agreed that the game will be listed as an unplayed game in the League standings and overall school records for the 2008 season," reads the release.

 

Game #6: Pennsylvania (Oct. 11)

The Pennsylvania Quakers returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and never looked back in a 27-7 win over Georgetown before an sold out crowd at the 69th Homecoming Game Saturday.

Georgetown's special teams suffered mightily at the start. Penn's Chris Wynn took the opening kickoff 88 yards with relative ease, giving the Red and Blue a 7-0 lead. One first down and five plays later, Georgetown punted back to the Quakers, who converted a 46 yard pass play to set up a 36 yard field goal with 9:01 to play, 10-0. With Georgetown ranked 116th in the nation on total scoring, ten points may have been all the Quakers needed.

Georgetown's next drive stalled at midfield, forcing a punt to the Penn 16. UP quarterback Robert Irvin began to go to work on the Georgetown pass defense, going 3-3 for 54 yards in a drive that advanced to the GU 26, whereupon on a 3rd and 6 Irvin connected on a 16 yard pass to the four, setting up a third Penn score, 17-0, early in the second quarter.

Georgetown's best drive of the half was emblematic of its efforts Saturday. The Hoyas' drive had stalled at midfield, when the Hoyas ran a fake punt that sent reserve RB Dean Duchak down the field to the Quakers' 28. A 13 yard pass to Colin Meador and an eight yard gain by RB Keion Wade advanced the Hoyas to the Quakers' eight, but QB Keerome Lawrence fumbled the snap and turned it over on the five.

The trams traded punts through the end of the half. Penn outgained Georgetown 172-108 and forced the Hoyas into three punts and a fumble for its first half efforts.

Georgetown opened the second half with a nine play drive that entered Penn territory, only to turn the ball over on downs. Penn responded with a ten play drive that was stopped by the Georgetown defense, leading to a 37 yard field goal, 20-0.

The teams traded punts midway through the quarter, until Lawrence was picked of at the Georgetown 23, setting up a three play Penn drive to lead 27-0. Lawrence led the Hoyas back on an eight play 57 yard drive, but the Hoyas again stalled late in the drive and turned the ball over on downs at the Pennsylvania 10 without points. After Travis Mack forced a Penn fumble at the Quakers' 27 early in the fourth, Georgetown took one more step into the Penn red zone, where Lawrence found RB Chancellor Logan for five yards on a fourth and five at the Penn eight, and two plays later found Meador for the touchdown, 27-7.

After a short lived Penn drive late in the game, Georgetown's last drive was marred by a fumble deep in its territory, whereupon Penn dutifully ran out the clock instead of tacking on a meaningless score.

As opposed to many previous Ivy games where Georgetown was hopelessly outsized and outmatched, such was not the case Saturday. Georgetown outrushed Penn 168-102, had 62 offensive plays compared to Penn's 61, and forced two sacks while not yielding one.

9
Consecutive losses to Ivy opponents after 2003 win versus Cornell

4
Consecutive games opponent has scored on its first possession of game

0
Number of points scored in 1st quarter by Georgetown this season

23%
Georgetown third down conversion (3-13)

53%
Penn third down conversion (8-15)

For all the number-crunching, however, Georgetown was never in this one, a result of mistakes in execution which cost the Hoyas scores in red zone possessions. Penn scored in four of five possessions inside the 20, Georgetown 1 of 3.

Quarterback Keerome Lawrence accounted for 155 of Georgetown's 229 yards of total offense, passing for 57 yards and rushing for 98 more. Excepting Duchak's fake punt, the rest of the team rushed for just 45 yards on 16 carries, and were frequent targets of the Penn defensive line. Penn was led by freshman running back Matt Hamscher, who took over for the injured Mike DiMaggio to rush 21 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.

"There are obviously mistakes we have to correct. I told them we have to stop that," said coach Kevin Kelly in post-game comments. "We will watch the film on Monday and get ready for Bucknell."

Game statistics:


                      PENN       GEORGETOWN
First downs             15               14
Rushed-yards        35-112           40-168
Passing yards          176               61
Sacked-yards lost     2-15              0-0
Return yards            10               17
Passes             16-26-0          11-22-1
Punts               4-39.8           5-31.8
Fumbles-lost           2-1              4-2
Penalties-yards       3-19             4-16
Time of possession   32:12            27:48
Additional links follow below.

 

Game #7: Bucknell (Oct. 18)

An early defensive lapse and a pair of second half fumbles on consecutive series allowed Bucknell to escape Washington with a 27-24 win at Multi-Sport Field Saturday. Were it not for the aforementioned plays, Georgetown stood ready and able to capture its first PL win of the season.

Georgetown has been particularly poor in stopping opponents early, none moreso than when Penn ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown last week. Against Bucknell, it didn't take one play, but two. After an eight yard run to open play, RB Andrew Lair went right down the sideline in a 58 yard touchdown run, 7-0.

To its credit, however, the Hoyas did not back down. For the first time this season, Georgetown answered the early score, thanks in part to a 28 yard rush by Keion Wade and a 39 yard run by Keerome Lawrence to tie the score, 7-7. The six play, 82 yard drive was the first points scored all season in the first quarter.

Defense settled in for both teams as the next five series between the opponents were traded by punts. Early in the second, the Hoyas took over at its 33, where QB James Brady opened the drive by finding WR Rick Cosgrove for 33 yards. The Hoyas drove to the Bucknell 15 and settled for a 32 yard field goal by Jose-Pablo Buerba, 10-7. Another first: the first lead in the first half all season.

Georgetown's defense continued to bend but not break, stalling a Bucknell drive at the Georgetown 37 and forcing the Bison into its fourth consecutive punt. Brady led the Hoyas on a 7 play, 80 yard drive keyed by Lawrence's second rushing touchdown, this time from 37 yards, 17-7.

A very short kickoff set up the Bison at its 42 yard line with with 2:34 in the half and Bucknell repaid the favor. Focusing on the passing attack which had distinguished its offense in past weeks. QB Marcello Trigg went to the air seven of his next eight plays, marching to the Georgetown 8 in just over a minute and a half. With 40 seconds to go, the defense could not hold Trigg from an eight yard run up the middle, 17-14.

Georgetown may have played its best half of the season, outgaining Bucknell 245-184 without a turnover. The Bucknell coaching staff made some visible second half adjustments to tighten up its pass defense, but the Hoyas did not take advantage of the change. After a pair of scoring drives in the second quarter, the offense failed to catch flight in the third, with two early punts to set the tone. Starting at its 21, Bucknell went to the ground, rushing in seven of its next nine plays which advanced to the Georgetown 25. After a pair of runs, Bucknell went back to the air, finding WR Rob Pasternak over the middle, 20-17.

Needing a strong drive to right the ship, the Hoyas soon sank their own hopes. On the second play of the succeeding drive, at its own 15, a shuttle pass from Brady to RB Keion Wade was judged a fumble and Bucknell recovered, scoring three plays later, 27-17. On its next drive, following a 67 yard kickoff return by Kenny Mitchell, the Hoyas again fumbled two plays into the drive at the Bison 19. The two fumbles may have cost the Hoyas a swing of up to 14 points in the game.

Georgetown picked up a touchdown late in the 4th, a 10 play, 66 yard drive, and when the defense held Bucknell at midfield, the Hoyas had some hopes of a late rally. Taking over at its 24 with 1:59 to play, three penalties kept the Hoyas a step behind, leaving the drive to stall at midfield.

8
Consecutive home losses since 2007 season

5
Consecutive games opponent has scored on its first possession of game

7
Number of points scored in 1st quarter by Georgetown this season

47%
Georgetown third down conversion (7-15)

56%
Bucknell third down conversion (9-16)

The hopes of the first half evaporated for Georgetown, managing just 125 yards in the second half, 66 of it on one series. Bucknell had more than five minutes advantage in time of possession, going 5 of 8 in third down conversions. For Georgetown, Keerome Lawrence finished with 111 total yards, variously playing as a quarterback and running back on the afternoon. Colin Meador's 5 catches for 78 yards was a career high, and the Hoyas as a whole outgained the Bison 364-346 on the afternoon, the most total yards for a Georgetown team this season. But with two Bucknell touchdowns coming from Georgetown miscues, the Hoyas have no one but themselves in diagnosing the cause of this one.

Next week, Georgetown faces its toughest road opponent in many years, as the #9-ranked Richmond Spiders welcome GU to its Homecoming game. The Spiders defeated Massachusetts 30-15 this week.

Game statistics:


                   BUCKNELL       GEORGETOWN
First downs              19               17
Rushed-yards         47-219           30-164
Passing yards           137              200
Sacked-yards lost       1-9              1-4
Return yards              2                5
Passes              13-22-0          22-35-0
Punts                7-34.9           4-34.5
Fumbles-lost            1-0              3-2
Penalties-yards        6-40             3-15
Time of possession    32:45            27:15
Additional links follow below.

 

Game #8: Richmond (Oct. 25)

It was no secret that Georgetown entered Saturday's game at Richmond as an underdog: if Georgetown could execute its game plan, it need not hang its head against the #9-ranked Spiders. Instead, a series of mistakes enveloped the Hoyas, in a 48-0 loss before 5,168 at UR (City) Stadium.

From its first possession, mistakes would soon be the order of the day. Georgetown opened with a two yard pass play; ironically, GU would have only one pass of greater distance all afternoon. But on second down, QB James Brady was picked off deep in Georgetown territory and Richmond returned the pick to the GU four yard line. The Spiders converted in two plays, 7-0, becoming the sixth consecutive opponent to score on its first possession this season. Georgetown's record in such situations? 0-6.

For the rest of the half, Georgetown managed nothing on offense, netting 19 yards in its next six series. The first of these managed -5 yards, forcing a punt. The Spiders drove into GU territory but a penalty set back the drive and the Richmond settled for a 41 yard field goal attempt that missed. After a three and out by the Hoyas, UR moved swiftly down the field, but coughed up a likely TD at the Hoyas' seven yard line. The Hoyas managed three yards in its next series, setting up the Spiders for another short field. A seven play drive followed, giving UR a 17-0 lead early in the second period.

A three play Georgetown drive netted nine yards. Richmond responded with a drive inside the Georgetown ten, but a nice defensive stop forced a 25 yard field goal, 17-0. Again, Georgetown's offense showed no signs of life, punting it back to Richmond, where Georgetown's Chudi Obianwu picked off a pass at midfield to give the offense hope. Georgetown's best field position of the half, however, resulted a three play, two yard drive.

As many opponents have successfully done this season, good coaching strategy cost the Hoyas points at half's end. For the Spiders, it was a simple strategy the Hoyas could not counter: run, run, run. Eleven plays, eleven rushes, knocking over five minutes off the clock and netting a three yard John Vaughan run to go up 24-0 at the half. The Spiders had outgained the Hoyas 279-20.

Georgetown's First 10 Drives

2 plays, 0:56, turnover
3 plays, 1:28, punt
3 plays, 1:33, punt
3 plays, 2:01, punt
3 plays, 1:41, punt
3 plays, 1:07, punt
3 plays, 1:36, punt
1 play, 0:27, end half
1 play, 0:13, turnover
1 play, 0:11, turnover

8
8 yards passing, fewest by Georgetown since 1976 and fewest allowed by Richmond since 1973.

88
88 total yards, fewest by Georgetown since 1985 and fewest allowed by Richmond since 1955.

4
GU turnovers, leading to 24 Richmond points.

Halftime is about adjustments, but any such optimism was short lived. As Richmond worked the clock to end the half, they did so to begin the second--a seven play, four minute drive to go up 31-0. And in what might go down as the worst consecutive plays by the Georgetown offense in memory, Georgetown QB Keerome Lawrence fumbled the ball on the first play of the drive at the Hoyas' 22, setting up a four play Richmond drive, 38-0.

In came James Brady in place of Lawrence, who promptly suffered the exact same fate, a fumble at his 23 that set up the Spiders for a short field goal, 41-0. By its third play of the half, Georgetown had already surrendered 17 points. Georgetown's first down with 4:43 to play was its first of the afternoon.

UR emptied its bench, and fans made their way to the exits. At this point, the Richmond radio announcers actually gave up its play by play coverage and spent the rest of the game interviewing former players about their plans for UR's Homecoming weekend, adding a measure of insult to injury.

With the two-deep safely secured on the Spiders' bench, Georgetown managed a nine play, 37 yard drive from Lawrence that drove to the Richmond 25, but on a 4th and 1, a pass play lost a yard. The Georgetown defense came up big again, forcing a fumble at the Richmond 30, but the offense could do no better than six yards in four plays, turning the ball again over on downs with 8:14 to play.

More poor execution followed. Off a punt by the Spiders at the GU 10, the Hoyas fumbled on first down for the third time in the half, setting up an easy UR score, 48-0.

The #9-ranked Spiders dominated the stat sheet, outrushing the Hoyas 300-80, a 12:00 advantage in time of possession, and an averaging starting field position at midfield, with seven of its drives starting on the Georgetown side of the field. Josh Vaughan led all Richmond rushers with 24 carries and 157 yards, while Georgetown's Philip Oladeji, who had one rushing attempt to date prior to Saturday, rushed eight times for 35 yards to lead the Hoyas.

Game statistics:


                GEORGETOWN         RICHMOND
First downs              4               22
Rushed-yards         38-80           54-300
Passing yards            8              127
Sacked-yards lost     2-16              0-0
Return yards             0               30
Passes              4-11-1           8-17-1
Punts               7-32.6           2-46.5
Fumbles-lost           4-3              2-2
Penalties-yards       4-25             7-50
Time of possession   24:00            36:00
Additional links follow below.

 

Game #9: Lehigh (Nov. 1)

Despite holding a lead for the first time in eight games against the Lehigh Engineers, Georgetown gave up four unanswered touchdowns in a 33-13 loss at Multi-Sport Field Saturday.

Lehigh started out crisply, aided by a 42 yard kickoff return, to score in its opening possession, the seventh straight week Georgetown defense has allowed an opening score. The Engineers drove 54 yards on 11 plays, including a 16 yard pass conversion on 4th and nine at the Georgetown 22. On a third and goal, Lehigh quarterback found WR Mike Fitzgerald for a seven yard pass, 7-0.

In a season where the first quarter was a no-man's land for the Georgetown offense, QB Keerome Lawrence awoke the Hoya offense. He led the G-men on a nine play, 60-yard drive to tie the score, despite losing a 35 yard pass play to penalty. Lawrence's 21 yard pass play to WR Kenny Mitchell tied the score, 7-7.

On the first play of Lehigh's next series, LB Chris Rau picked off Clark's pass at midfield. Lawrence drove eight plays, led by a 16 yard pass to RB Keion Wade and a two yard Wade run into the end zone for the touchdown, 13-7, with 2:43 left in the first quarter. It was the first time in three years that Georgetown had scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, and the first time Georgetown had ever led Lehigh in a Patriot League game.

13
First quarter points, most since 2005.

4:56
Georgetown time of possession, second quarter.

1-3
Georgetown red zone conversions.

3-3
Lehigh red zone conversions.

Soon the Engineers answered the bell, Georgetown did not. Off a Lehigh punt early in the second quarter, Georgetown's offensive play calling stalled. The Hoyas managed only 14 yards in the second quarter, going three and out each time. After Lehigh took over at midfield, the Engineers drove 51 yards in nine plays to tie the score with 8:38 left, 13-13, and scored yet another late quarter drive, via a 28 yard pas from Clark to Brian Ruyak, 20-13.

It took one play in the second half to help put this one away. On Georgetown's opening play of the third quarter, QB Keerome Lawrence threw a pass intercepted by Lehigh's Al Pierce at the Georgetown 37, who returned it for the score, 26-13. After teams exchanged punts, Georgetown stalled at the Lehigh 23, and the Engineers drove 11 plays and 79 yards to go up 33-13. Two more Georgetown drives died in enemy territory, with one falling via a fumble at the Lehigh 40 and a second that drove to the Lehigh 16, pushed back by a Georgetown personal foul call at the Lehigh six.

Georgetown actually outgained Lehigh in this one 330-326, but the missed opportunities were again too much to overcome. Keion Wade rushed for 69 yards to lead all Georgetown runners. Keerome Lawrence was 11-23 for 106 yards passing.

Game statistics:


                      LEHIGH       GEORGETOWN
First downs               18               18
Rushed-yards          36-127           40-170
Passing yards            199              160
Sacked-yards lost        1-8             2-16
Return yards              32               -3
Passes               21-30-1          14-29-2
Punts                 4-34.8             4-36
Fumbles-lost             1-0              2-1
Penalties-yards         6-44             3-25
Time of possession     31:39            28:21

Additional links follow below.

 

Game #10: Marist (Nov. 8)

Georgetown maneuvered past Marist, 13-12 Saturday, ending a seven game losing streak and a nine game home losing streak overall. But if Marist had not committed a host of mistakes, the streaks might still be in effect.

Georgetown started off promising against the 3-7 Red Foxes, holding Marist out of the end zone in its first possession, as opposed to each of the prior seven GU opponents that had scored in their first possession. The Red Foxes committed its first blunder when Marist punter Kevin Pauly's first kick shanked off his foot, resulting in a rare zero yard punt and setting up Georgetown at the Marist 33. Seven plays later, quarterback Keerome Lawrence found WR Collin Meador for the score, 7-0.

Marist got back into the game on the strength of running back Bo Ehikioya, who rushed eight times in an 11 play Marist drive, accounting for 48 of the 68 yards to the score. The Red Foxes rushed in 10 of 11 plays and probably wished they'd rushed for two more--Pauly's PAT missed and the Hoyas led 7-6.

After Georgetown went three and out early in the second, Marist returned to the run, running 13 times in a grinding 14 play series, with eight carries by Ehikioya. On a 3rd and 11 at the Georgetown 40, the Hoyas keyed on Ehikioya, but receiver Will Brown went wild on a 34 yard reverse, setting up a second Ehikioya touchdown two plays later. But for the third time in as many series, Pauly's foot cost the Red Foxes, as his PAT was low and blocked by Georgetown's Jayah Kaisamba, 12-7.

Georgetown has developed a habit this season of a gift-wrapped turnover to its opponents, and it appeared the present was delivered early when Lawrence fumbled on the first play of the Hoyas' next drive at its 26. But the Georgetown defense rose to the occasion, and stopped Ehikioya on a 4th and 1 at the Georgetown 15. The play changed the course of the game, as Marist began to push the pass at the expense of Ehikioya, who carried the ball only four more times the rest of the game.

Lawrence led the Hoyas on its best drive of the game to date, completing 5 of 6 passes in a 12 play, 77 yard drive. Georgetown drove to the Marist seven before a sack and a fumble stalled the drive and a Jose Pablo Buerba field goal narrowed the count to 12-10 at halftime.

To open the third, Marist again missed a great opportunity. Georgetown's first drive of the quarter stalled its its 44, and on the resulting punt, returner James LaMacchia returned the punt 75 yards for a touchdown, only to be called back when Marist's Kevin Fitzpatrick lined up offside. On the ensuing drive, the Red Foxes could drive to the Georgetown 46 before punting it back to the Georgetown 12, where the Hoyas began to eat up the clock much as Marist had done earlier. A 16 play drive netted a second Buerba field goal, 13-12, noted by the Georgetown announcers as a 10 point swing in the outcome.

9/7/07
Last win before Saturday, versus Howard.

11/14/06
Last home win before Saturday, versus Marist.

1,164
Smallest home crowd since 2003 game vs. Davidson

8:49
Georgetown's first half time of possession.

21:33
Georgetown's second half time of possession.

3:54
Marist's fourth quarter time of possession.

5-14
Georgetown's third down conversion rate.

8-12
Marist's third down conversion rate.

The teams traded punts early in the 4th. The Red Foxes opened a drive with a 21 yard rush by Ehikioya, but opted to go back in the air, when QB Chris Debowski's long pass was picked off by Kaisamba at the Georgetown 20. The Hoyas answered with a 12 play, 51 yard drive that stalled at the Marist 26 without points, but it took six minutes off the clock and left Marist with 2:32 seconds to make the comeback. Three plays later, Debowski's pass was picked off by Nick Umar at the Marist 24, ending the Red Foxes' last serious drive.

No one will accuse Marist of being at the same competitive footing as a Yale or Richmond, but the improvement in the Hoyas' offensive numbers was worthy of comment. Sophomore Philip Oladeji, called into service with numerous injuries in the Georgetown backfield, became the first GU running back to reach 100 yards in a game since last season. Keerome Lawrence was 11-17 for 119 yards, without an interception. The Hoyas still have troubles on third down, however. Georgetown entered November averaging just 28% conversion on third down, and connected on just 5 of 14 opportunities today.

Still, a Marist fan couldn't help but wonder what might have been. Any combination of avoiding the bad punt, two missed PAT's and a touchdown called back on an offsides call could have given Marist the win, but for at least once this season, the Hoyas played well enough to win. Close finishes are nothing new in the series: the home team has won five straight, each by less than ten points or less.

The pre-game ceremonies honored 14 seniors upon their last home game, ten of which saw time in the game. Statistics follow below.

Game statistics:


                     MARIST       GEORGETOWN
First downs              18               17
Rushed-yards         41-200           47-186
Passing yards            86              119
Sacked-yards lost       1-5              1-8
Return yards              0               19
Passes               8-18-2          11-17-0
Punts                  3-24           3-46.3
Fumbles-lost            1-0              3-1
Penalties-yards        3-34             7-71
Time of possession    24:38            35:22

Additional links follow below.

 

Game #11: Fordham (Nov. 15)

It's not often a 17-0 college football game is called a "rout" by the Associated Press. In the case of Georgetown at Fordham, the description was accurate.

In one of the poorest offensive efforts of the season, Georgetown proved to be no match for an equally winless PL club in Fordham, which ended the Hoyas' 2008 season in a 17-0 win before a small crowd of 2,758 at Fordham's Jack Coffey Field. The shutout loss was the fourth in Kevin Kelly's three seasons as coach and the second in three weeks.

The Rams made no secret of its intent in this game--they would run, run, and run until Georgetown stopped them. As such, they ran a very long time. The Rams opened the game with six consecutive handoffs to RB Xavier Martin for 33 yards, part of a 186 yard day for the Fordham back who became the sixth player in that school's august football history to reach 1,000 yards in a single season. Fordham drove deep in Georgetown territory but failed on a series of pass plays to drive the ball into the red zone, whereupon the defense held at its 31.

As has been the case so often this season, a great defensive stand was met with a punchless offense. On its first series, Georgetown went three and out.

Fordham again drive down the field. Five more Martin rushes advanced the ball to the Georgetown 21, where the defense held strongly again, forcing the Rams to release the ball on downs at the edge of the red zone. A second opportunity to establish momentum for the Hoyas was squandered, when Keerome Lawrence was intercepted at the GU 39.

For a third time, the Rams marched deep in Georgetown territory, and on a second and five at the Georgetown 9, Chudi Obianwu recovered a Fordham fumble that staved off a potentially third touchdown drive.

How was the defense rewarded? Three and out.

As if to test fate once more, Fordham was stopped on downs for a third time in four series, a defensive stand as good as any this season. The offense took over at its 33, completed its first first down of the half, and then promptly went three and out.

After a Casey Dobyns punt, the Rams began it its 22 and began its longest drive of the day. Martin rushed eight times in a 16 play drive that saw Georgetown hold three times inside the 10, including a pair of plays at the goal line. On fourth and goal at the one, Martin reached the end zone, 7-0.

Next Georgetown series: three and out.

From its next series, Fordham took over with 2:32 in the half and drove to the GU 17, where the defense held again. The Rams opted for points over yardage, with a 35 yard Adam Danko field goal to lead 10-0 with 40 seconds left.

With 33 seconds and two time outs remaining, Georgetown took over at its 30 yard line. Whatever confidence the staff had left in its offense, it showed in the first down call: taking a knee to end the half, one which saw the Hoyas outgained 252-31, with 16 first downs to Georgetown's one. Three weeks ago against Richmond, the Hoyas were outgained 279-20, but that was a top 10 opponent and this was an 0-4 Patriot team.

Georgetown opened the half continuing the quarterback shuffle between Keerome Lawrence and John Darby with little outward success. Both teams traded punts before the Hoyas began on its 19 with 11:16 to play. On the first play of the drive, Lawrence was intercepted at the GU 30, whereupon the Rams scored three plays later, 17-0. Lawrence finished the day 0-3 for no yards and two interceptions, and Darby played QB the rest of the game.

There was still a game after this, but it was mostly a series of punts--eight straight series ended in kicks between the teams into the fourth quarter, where the Hoyas embarked on a series that accounted for nearly 40 percent of the team's offense in the game. A 13 yard run by Kenny Mitchell keyed a eight play drive that drove to the Ram 25, the first time Georgetown had crossed the 50 all day. On a key third and ten at the Fordham 25, Darby was sacked for seven yards, and on 4th and 17 Darby threw a seven yard pass. A final Georgetown series went four plays before turning the ball over on downs at its 38.

The Hoyas managed only 99 total yards on the day, the 12th lowest total in the modern era. Philip Oladeji led all Georgetown rushers with 28 yards, 20 on one play. Scott Darby finished 12-27 for 70 yards.

Fordham's Xavier Martin, who rushed for 144 yards in the first half alone, ended with 40 carries for 186 yards while QB John Skelton was 19-33 for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Fordham outgained Georgetown 391-99, with 93 plays to Georgetown's 47. Fordham's 42:04 time of possession was not only an opponent record against Georgetown, it may approach an NCAA record.

Georgetown finishes the 2008 season 2-8 and winless in the Patriot League (0-5) for the second time in three seasons. Over the last three years, Georgetown is 1-16 in PL play.

Game statistics:


                 GEORGETOWN          FORDHAM
First downs               7               23
Rushed-yards          17-29           60-247
Passing yards            70              144
Sacked-yards lost      3-19             2-12
Return yards             16               34
Passes              12-30-2          19-33-0
Punts                9-38.6           6-39.5
Fumbles-lost            0-0              2-1
Penalties-yards         0-0            7-103
Time of possession    17:56            42:04

Additional links follow below.