"We realize what kind of team we were playing today. If you're going to start something, you might as well as start at the top and that's where Lehigh is right now."--Bob Benson in the Allentown Morning Call

The size and depth of #11 ranked Lehigh powered the Engineers past Georgetown, 41-14, in the Patriot League debut for the Hoyas. Despite the loss, and more tough competition around the corner, the game gave Hoyas fans a glimpse of some exciting times to come.

Lehigh made its statement early, returning the opening kickoff 50 yards to the Georgetown 41, and scoring three plays later. The Hoyas made a nice comeback, advancing to the Lehigh 19, but QB Sean Peterson's pass was intercepted in the end zone. Lehigh answered with a field goal to lead 10-0, and held Georgetown to frequent punts in the first half, extending the lead to 24-0 in the second. A fourth TD in the half was narrowly was avoided when DB Byron Anderson stripped the ball from Lehigh's Josh Snyder at the one yard line, following a 62 yard pass completion headed straight to the end zone. However, the Hoyas offense stalled, and Lehigh took the punt and drove for a 35 yard field goal, which sailed wide.

With 3:35 to play, Peterson took the Hoyas on a 82 yard drive, culminating in an exciting TD pass from Peterson to Craig Agnello with no time outs and :02 remaining in the half.

The two teams traded field position in the the third quarter, with Dave Wilson scoring on a 1 yard run to increase the lead to 31-7 with 3:46 in the third. Following a field goal to lead 34-7, Lehigh took advantage of Georgetown's special teams to block a Dave Paulus punt at the Georgetown 18. Despite holding the Engineers in a goal line stand, Lehigh pushed through on fourth and goal to lead 41-7.

The Hoyas completed the last score, with Peterson finding sophomore Luke McArdle on a 38 yard touchdown strike with 5:28 to play. Overall, Peterson finished the game 23-33 for 288 yards.

"There was still a positive attitude on the sideline and on the offensive side of the ball," Peterson said in the Washington Post link below. "It was good to score late in the game. That shows we still had a lot of pride."

Game coverage can be found at the following links:

• Official Georgetown Site
• Official Lehigh Site
• Washington Post
• Allentown Morning Call
• The HOYA
• Georgetown Voice
• Easton Express-Times
• Official Patriot League Site

To no one's surprise, Lehigh's size and depth dominated the statistics. Georgetown had an edge in time of possession, but Lehigh's passing tended to restrict its time of possession. Here's a review of the statistics from the game:

How did Georgetown do with our three keys to this game? Not well...

• "Stay competitive." Lehigh scored in the first 1:40 of the game and put the game out of reach with two TD's in the first five minutes of the second quarter.
• "Establish a running game." Georgetown managed one net yard rushing in the first half, employing two halfbacks and no fullback.
• "Special teams." The most glaring weakness of the game. The long Lehigh kickoff return to start the game, three key penalties, five net return yards, and a blocked punt were noticeable setbacks for this unit.

Game #2: Holy Cross (September 8)

"We're not sitting here like this is some monumental jump. We felt if we played well, we were going to win this game."--Bob Benson, in the Washington Post

A 20 point second quarter pushed Holy Cross ahead of Georgetown in the Crusaders' season opener, 33-7, at Fitton Field Saturday.

The two teams were scoreless in the first quarter, but the Crusaders connected on a 38 yard screen pass to advance into the Georgetown red zone and post the first score. Following an interception later in the quarter, the Crusaders' Brian Hall tossed an 11 yard TD pass, and later ran one in to build the halftime lead to 20-0.

The Hoyas responded early in the third, moving well but ultimately stalling on a drive that saw a rare miss from place kicker Marc Samuel. With 4:55 to play in the third quarter, the G-men hit the end zone on a drive capped by a 10 yard run by RB Dawon Dicks. At 20-7, Georgetown was still within reach, but field position allowed Holy Cross to move forward with drives late in the third quarter and midway in the 4th quarter to close out the scoring.

The Hoyas' running game continues to post poor numbers against Patriot defenses. The running game woes are part of a continuing pattern in the last four games against PL opponents:

• 34 carries, 13 yards vs. Fordham (2000)
• 30 carries, 45 yards vs. Bucknell (2000)
• 29 carries, 31 yards vs. Lehigh (2001)
• 30 carries, 38 yards vs. Holy Cross (2001)

"You can call it [growing pains] if you like," said QB Sean Peterson in the Washington Post link below. "There's some teams we might struggle against, but I think we can beat anybody on our schedule. We've just got to come to play and perform every week."

Some stats from the game:

How did Georgetown do with our three keys to this game?

• "Secondary help": The secondary was improved from last week but bore the brunt of 230 yards in the air.
• "Defensive pressure": Two sacks, but time of possession wore down the defense.
• "Time of possession": The Hoyas held the ball for only 27:57.

Additional game coverage follows below:

• Official Georgetown Site
• Official Holy Cross Site
• Washington Post
• Boston Globe
• Boston Herald
• Worcester Telegram & Gazette
• Official Patriot League Site

Game #3: Fordham (September 29)

"We got out-coached, out-played, out-manned in every aspect of the game." --Georgetown Coach Bob Benson, in the Washington Post

A 31 point second quarter helped Fordham run over Georgetown 48-13 in the Bronx Saturday, before a Homecoming crowd of 6,425 at Jack Coffey Field. It was Georgetown's first game in three weeks, but the break was of little use in Georgetown's fifth straight road loss dating back to the 2000 season.

Fordham scored on its first four possessions and Georgetown's defense offered little resistance. Fordham QB Mark Carney threw for 313 yards in the first half and 368 overall, with his five TD passes a new Fordham record. Receiver Javarus Dudley picked up 180 yards receiving in the first half and 188 overall, also a record. The Hoya defense, giving up an average of 360 yards allowed entering the game, will slide further down the national list after surrendering 571 yards Saturday.

Fordham led 38-7 at the half, spotted the Hoyas a third quarter TD, and then added 10 points in the fourth.

Here is the stat sheet from the game. Fordham's offense was basically benched for much of the second half, keeping the stats much closer than the game's final score.

Here are post-game links to the coverage:

• GUHoyas.com
• Patriot League Official Site
• The HOYA
• Washington Post
• Newsday

Game #4: Duquesne (October 6)

"The linemen promised me they would block it, so I said I would run it back. I knew I had to fulfill my end of the promise."--Byron Anderson in the Washington Post

Georgetown's defense forced seven turnovers and a blocked extra point, but it almost wasn't enough as the Hoyas held on for a 15-13 win at the 63rd Homecoming Game Saturday.

Duquesne started off with a 86 yard TD pass, shredding the Hoyas' pass defense. Georgetown responded with a sustained drive, capped off by a 15 yard Aaron Brown TD reception. The teams traded possessions and Duquesne began a string of three straight possessions with turnovers. However, the Hoyas could only come up with two field goals and two other drives ended on a change of possession on fourth down. Georgetown led at the half, 13-7.

Both teams followed predictable offenses in the third, with little success. Duquesne went to Donte Small at nearly every rushing opportunity (32 rushes, 173 yards), while Georgetown's John Sims (21-57) was contained throughout much of the half. The Hoyas' offense went nowhere, with only seven first downs all game, most in the first half.

Defense saved the Hoyas throughout the game. The Hoyas stopped two goal line drives by the Dukes and saved their best moment for late in the game. After holding the Dukes at the Georgetown 8 with 4:43 to play, Hoya QB Sean Peterson was intercepted at the four yard line and the Dukes pulled even at 13-13. The crucial extra point was blocked and returned the length of the field by defensive back Byron Anderson for an improbable 15-13 GU lead.

After a failed onside kick, Georgetown ran the clock down to 2:14 to play, whereupon Peterson fumbled and Duquesne stood at the GU 39 with 2:14 to play, needing only a field goal to win. Once again, the "D" shut the Dukes down, allowing Georgetown to escape with the win.

"I'm not sure the better team won today, but Georgetown played smart, you've got to give them that," said Duquesne coach Greg Gattuso to the Washington Post, as the Dukes suffered back to back losses for the first time in two years.

"We started 0-3, and all of a sudden people are getting on us," said Coach Benson in the Post. "That's why this win was so important."

Here are the stats from the game:

Post-game coverage can be found at the links below:

• GUHoyas.com
• Washington Post
• Duquesne Athletics Site
• Pittsburgh Post Gazette
• Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Game #5: Davidson (October 13)

This game was not archived through HoyaSaxa.com. For a recap, please see this article from The HOYA.

Game #6: Bucknell (October 20)

The Bucknell Bison scored on each of its first four possessions, rolling past Georgetown 34-0 before a Homecoming crowd at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium.

The Bucknell radio team remarked at the start that Georgetown looked out of sync, and it showed. On the opening play of the game, QB Sean Peterson was intercepted and the Bison (5-1) returned it for a touchdown. Bucknell QB Todd Weinrich opened by completing his first ten passes, leading to three more Bison scores in the period and a 27-0 first quarter lead.

Georgetown answered in the second quarter with a drive to the Bucknell 29, but Marc Samuel missed on a 50 yard field goal. The Bison responded with a 53 yard TD run to extend the lead to 34-0. The home team's first punt did not come until the late moments of the second quarter, leaving little to the imagination in the second half. The Hoyas drove to the BU nine yard line, but turned the ball over on downs. All three Georgetown quarterbacks saw action, but failed to prevent Georgetown's first offensive shutout since the 1997 regular season finale versus Fordham.

Georgetown's poor running game suffered mightily Saturday. The Hoyas managed 28 net yards rushing; without 33 yards from reserve QB Dave Paulus, the Hoyas would otherwise have finished with -5 yards on 23 attempts.

The defense gave up 528 yards for the afternoon. Here's another number that reinforces the Hoyas' early troubles in league play: in four PL games, the Georgetown defense is giving up an first half average of 29 points per game.

Here are the stats from the game:

Post-game coverage can be found at the links below:

• The HOYA
• GUHoyas.com
• Official Bucknell Site
• Associated Press
• Washington Post

Game #7: Marist (October 27)

Marist Recap: The road-weary Georgetown Hoyas spotted winless Marist College 21 points in the first half, then took an eight point lead, only to fall in overtime 38-35 Saturday in Poughkeepsie, NY.

A team which had scored two touchdowns over its last four games, Marist opened the game with three TD's, shredding a Georgetown run defense throughout the afternoon. Marist's defense was porous as well, allowing QB Sean Peterson to engineer a pair of drives that closed the count to 27-14 at the half.

The Hoyas roared out of the gate with three touchdowns, thanks to three Marist turnovers which turned into points. The 27-14 deficit was turned into a 35-27 lead late in the third, but the Hoyas failed to capitalize on other opportunities throughout the game. As drives stalled, the ever-reliable Marc Samuel failed on four free throw attempts in three quarters; for his career he had only missed six of 36.

The Red Foxes picked off Peterson in the fourth and drove for a touchdown, then converted a two point conversion to tie the score with under six minutes to play. At the end of the fourth quarter, the Hoyas stood at Marist's 16 with a 33 yard field goal attempt to win the Game. Samuel's attempt, his fifth, sailed right.

In the overtime, the Hoyas had the first possession, but effectively ended the hopes for a win when Peterson was intercepted at the Marist 16. All the Red Foxes needed was a field goal, which they converted from 33 yards--the same distance that Samuel could not. With the win, not only Marist won their first game of the season, but its first ever against Georgetown and their first win ever against a Patriot League opponent. The Red Foxes collected a season high 488 yards of total offense, including 60 carries for 389 yards (6.5 yards per carry).

The defensive line did not record a single sack. In its three home games, the Hoyas collected 11 sacks, in its four road games, only three.

But if there is one indicator which sums up the frustration of the 2001 season, it is rushing yards: against Marist, Georgetown managed only 15 yards (0.5 yards per carry). GU enters the final three games of the 2001 season with a total of 535 yards; its per game average of 76 yards ranks the Hoyas' running game 120th of 123 Division I-AA schools.

Yes, better days are ahead, but it doesn't make this one any easier to understand.

Here are the stats from the game:

Post-game coverage can be found at the links below:

• GUHoyas.com
• Official Marist Site
• The HOYA
• Associated Press
• Washington Post

Game #8: San Diego (November 3)

Despite building a two touchdown lead on the road, nothing is easy for the 2001 Georgetown Hoyas.

Still, few Hoya fans will complain following a wild last minute drive that led to a touchdown pass from Sean Peterson to Trenton Hillier with under seven seconds to play to defeat San Diego 24-21 at USD Torero Stadium Saturday night.

San Diego opened the first quarter with a long drive before the Hoyas capitalized on a San Diego fumble at its 15 yard line. An aggressive offense led the Hoyas down the field, but failed to connect. Following a interception and a subsequent blocked punt, the Hoyas finally connected where QB Sean Peterson found WR Trenton Hillier on a TD pass to open the scoring. On the next series, the defense intercepted a pass from USD's Eric Rasmussen at the 34. A 15 yard run by RB John Sims extended the lead to 14-0.

The Toreros' first score came midway in the second quarter. A Georgetown drive stalled at the San Diego 37, but a three yard shank off the foot of punter David Paulus gave San Diego favorable field position. USD turned the opportunity into a score from RB Kenny Villalobos. On the next series, Georgetown drove to the USD 12 and settled for a 33 yard field goal by Marc Samuel with three minutes to play.

The Hoya defense held San Diego on its next series, whereupon Sean Peterson fumbled the ball at the 30 and gave USD the ball. On San Diego's first play, Rasmussen threw an interception at the 11 with under a minute to play. The Hoyas could do nothing on its series, and the defense closed out the half with a sack on Rasmussen.

Much of Georgetown's offense in the first half was the result of generous turnovers, but in the second half the rushing offense reverted to a form befitting the 120th ranked rushing offense in the nation. The Hoyas failed to connect on a single first down for 28 minutes of the second half, yet still had chances to win the game in the fourth quarter.

As both teams traded punts, a 15 yard Georgetown penalty off a David Paulus punt gave San Diego a drive starting at the Georgetown 31, where Villalobos promptly scored on a 31 yard run. Penalties and poor running kept the Hoyas inside their 30 throughout the third, giving San Diego generous field position throughout the third quarter. A drive starting at the Georgetown 47 towards the end of the third saw the Toreros punish the Georgetown run defense, where Rasmussen scored on a one yard run with 13:22 in the fourth.

After another three-and-out by the Hoyas, San Diego looked to keep the ball on the ground, but Villalobos fumbled the ball at its 36 with nine minutes to play. With its best field position of the game, the Hoyas only managed two yards in three plays and punted the ball. The Hoyas got the ball back at the USD 46 with 4:44 to play and proceeded to go backwards. Two plays netted -22 yards, and after a time out, the Hoyas gave up an 11 yard sack and punted once again. Until the last minutes of the game, Georgetown had eight net yards of total offense in the second half.

The defense never gave up. The Hoyas held USD to a 3rd and 4 with 2:12 left, and held Rasmussen short of the down marker. On the punt, sophomore Kyle Shenton deflected the punt and Georgetown caught yet another break at the San Diego 45 with 1:59 to play. With 1:16 to play Kurt Bennett drove to the 26. Peterson missed an open Bennett in the end zone two plays later. On 3rd and 3 from the 19, RB Dawon Dicks drove to the 16 and picked up the first down with :39 to play.

Georgetown's last timeout was used with 23 seconds after a pass to Bennett at the 10. A pass to McArdle went to the three with 16 seconds to play. With 12 seconds to play, Peterson found Trenton Hillier in the corner of the end zone with 6 seconds to play. San Diego's last chance was a hook-and-ladder play, which drove forty yards to the Georgetown 35 before being stopped.

Lots of hard hitting, a little woofing, but a measure of respect between the teams and their fans was there. Georgetown still has an open date to start next season, and if USD can return the favor and visit Kehoe Field, it would be a great season opener. Until then, well done Hoyas...beat Lafayette!

Here is the box score from tonight's game:

Post game links can be found at the following:

• The HOYA
• Associated Press
• San Diego Union Tribune

Game #9: Lafayette (November 10)

For the fifth straight time, a Patriot League opponent took it out on the Hoyas' inexperience, holding the meager Hoya rushing game to minus 24 yards in a 37-17 Lafayette win at Kehoe Field Saturday. While rushing yards do include sacks (of which Lafayette registered eight), the Hoyas running backs nonetheless combined for a 17 carry, 30 yard effort. For the season, the Hoyas are the only team in Division I football averaging less than two yards a carry.

The Leopards (2-7, 1-5 PL) opened the game with a 10 play, 79 yard drive on the game's opening possession to lead 7-0. The Hoyas responded by driving to the one yard line, but three runs lost five yards and the Hoyas settled for a 7-3 score. A six play, 75 yard drive ensued for Lafayette, building the lead to 14-3. In five Patriot league games, the Hoyas have now been outscored 38-13.

Georgetown (3-6, 0-5 PL) got its first touchdown with 9:12 to play in the half, capped by a screen pass to RB John Sims that went for 67 yards to the LC 5 yard line. A pass to WR Luke McArdle closed the count to 14-10, but after each team traded punts Lafayette went on a 80 yard, seven play drive to lead 21-10, then drove to the Hoya eight on the last series of the half, taking a 22 yard field goal to lead 24-10 at intermission.

The Hoya rushing game, which toiled for minus-11 yards at the half, sank even deeper in the second. Georgetown went three-and-out on its first three possessions of the third, while Lafayette increased the lead to 30-10. With 13:03 to play, the Hoyas drove to the Leopards' 10, then its rushing game failed again and the Hoyas turned the ball over on downs. Two series later Lafayette increased the lead to 37-10, and the Hoyas added a late touchdown from QB Sean Peterson to freshmen TE Ryan Franken.

Lafayette controlled the time of possession throughout, and with it the statistics. Joe McCourt led the Leopards with 184 yards on 23 carries, while WR John Weyrauch collected 122 yards on seven receptions. The Hoyas managed no sacks

Sean Peterson continues to play well in spite of daunting odds--no team can win solely in the air. The Hoyas outgained the Leopards in passing 301-208, but it was not enough by any measure. The statistics of the Hoyas' running woes are astounding. In its last four games, the Hoyas are averaging 16 yards a game, and are now at 568 yards for the season. By comparison, four individual PL rushers each have more than 568 yards this season.

"If it could happen overnight, everybody would be doing it, " Coach Benson told the Washington Post. "[The upgrade to the Patriot League] is a good move for us. We're still going to get it done."

Game recaps:

• Washington Post
• Patriot League Site
• Easton Express Times
• GUHoyas.com
• Lafayette Official Site

Here is the box score from today's game:

Extensive pre- and post-game coverage can be found on the Lafayette web site's Gameday Central page, including audio and video links. Campus coverage may be found later this week on the pages of The HOYA and The Lafayette.

Game #10: Towson (November 17)

A series of miscues and lost opportunities sank the 2001 Georgetown Hoyas in its season finale, losing to Towson 27-9. For a season that began with promise in an strong effort against an exceptional Lehigh team, its last three losses are deflating for the short term, but must be used as motivation for improvement into next season.

The Hoyas started strong, holding Towson (3-7) three-and-out in its first possession. Georgetown drove to the Towson 11 yard line, only to stall on the ground. Marc Samuel's field goal was blocked by Towson's Darnell (Sporty) Evans.

Towson drove the length of the field on the next possession, scoring on an eight yard run. On the next possession, Peterson was intercepted and Towson's Evans ran it back 51 yards for the score. A 10 yard touchdown run by running back Matt Romeo (101 first half yards, 158 yards overall, a career high) gave the Tigers a 20-0 lead. The Hoyas drove twice more into the opponent's red zone, netting an interception in the back of the end zone and a 23 yard field goal to trail 20-3 at half.

In the third, the Hoyas' passing game continued to pick at the Towson secondary. Driving to the Towson 30, Peterson fumbled the ball and Towson's Evans ran it back 70 yards for the score. Peterson was benched, whereupon junior David Paulus led the Hoyas to a score early in the fourth but saw the Hoyas stall yet again deep in Towson territory. With a second and goal at the one yard line, the Hoyas lost three yards on three consecutive plays and turned the ball over on downs.

The win ended a five game losing streak for Towson, who was without five starters injured the week before against Fordham. Georgetown ends its inaugural Patriot League season winless in conference play.

Here is the box score:

Links for post-game coverage:

• Associated Press
• Washington Post
• Baltimore Sun
• The HOYA