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Georgetown Football: 2006 Season Recaps
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Game #1: Holy Cross (Sept. 2)

They'll be a better team by November, but the 2006 Hoyas looked a lot like the tired Hoyas of 2005 in a 26-13 loss to Holy Cross Saturday at the Yard, the seventh consecutive loss to Holy Cross in as many years.

Holy Cross entered Saturday's game not knowing what to think of Georgetown's new offensive strategy, and the Hoyas took advantage of the situation by posting two quick first downs in its first series following a HC punt. The Crusaders made some quick adjustments and shut down the Hoyas near midfield, the first of six consecutive series ending with a punt in the first half for Georgetown.

The first quarter ended scoreless, marking the 12th consecutive game Georgetown had failed to score in the first period. Holy Cross broke the scoring drought on a 13 play, 80 yard drive midway in the second quarter, 7-0. Overall though, the Georgetown defense was holding HC in check, forcing five punts in the Crusaders' first six series. However, showing no ability to advance the ball, the Hoyas punted to HC late in the quarter, who took over at the Georgetown 44 with 1:08 left. At this point, Georgetown's defense began to weaken, setting HC up inside the 10 with seconds left in the half. The game turned when reserve QB Brian McSherry found receiver Matt Fanning with a 10 yard TD pass with two seconds left, which put the game largely out of reach. A blocked extra point gave Holy Cross a 13-0 halftime lead.

First half reviews of the new offense were not good. The Hoyas' option produced only 23 yards rushing and trailed Holy Cross 12-2 in first downs. Each of the GU first downs came on the opening drive, and Georgetown went a total of 24 consecutive plays without a first down.

The formula for losses in 2005 usually involved weak rushing, mental mistakes and a tiring defense, the second of which was seen all day. Penalties, timing problems and just plain miscues hurt the Hoyas. Defensively, it was a dropped interception by DB Brian Tandy that would have tied the score in the second quarter. Offensively, it was a fumble by RB Charlie Houghton on the fourth play from scrimmage that set HC up at the Georgetown 37, where they added a field goal, 16-0.

The fumble came at a time when the Georgetown offense was about to awaken from its first half slumber. Sophomore QB Ben Hostetler led the G-men on its best drive of the day, a 12 play, 65 yard drive that got the Hoyas in the end zone with 6:20 left in the third. A two point conversion failed, 16-6.

The third element in the formula, a tired defense, was in evidence following a grueling 19 play, 80 yard drive that took 6:30 and saw HC convert five consecutive third down situations before the GU defense held at the nine, forcing a field goal, 19-6. Four plays later, Hostetler threw an interception at midfield and the defense could not recover, as the Crusaders marched on an 11 play, 55 yard drive for its final score, 26-6. During this stretch, the defense was on the field for 11:05 of a 13:47 stretch, or 30 of 34 plays.

With the game out of reach, Hostetler led the Hoyas on a late drive to narrow the score, 26-13, but the Hoyas failed on an onside kick. From the late second quarter to the final minute of the fourth, HC scored on four consecutive possessions, a total of 44 plays in four drives.

Statistically, the two schools appear closer than it was. HC had 21 more plays than Georgetown, and converted all five red zone opportunities, compared to just two for Georgetown. The two turnovers and HC's ball control offense were too much to handle, but the offense provided GU no opportunity to build a lead. Expectations of bigger rushing numbers with the option failed to materialize, as Georgetown managed just 80 yards on the ground, 28 yards than in last season's game with Holy Cross.

"Right now, the situation is this, and you tend to see the most improvement from the first game to the second," said Coach Kelly. Now we know where we're at and what we have and we're going to go out there and try to win our next game."

Game statistics:



                  HOLY CROSS       GEORGETOWN
First downs               23               11
Rushed-yards           33-95            23-80
Passing yards            260              168
Sacked-yards lost       3-18              0-0
Return yards               7                2
Passes               26-45-0          20-34-1
Punts                 5-33.6           6-34.2
Fumbles-lost             1-0              3-1
Penalties-yards         9-59             9-80
Time of possession     32:09            27:51

Additional links follow below.

Game #2: Stony Brook (Sept. 9)

The Georgetown defense stopped Stony Brook on three big possessions in a narrow 7-0 Hoya win before a undersized crowd of 1,950 at the Yard (aka Multi-Sport Field) Saturday.

Stony Brook opened the game in a hurry, completing its first three passes and advancing as close as the Georgetown 28, but an offensive pass interference stalled the Seawolves at midfield and forced a punt, the first of six straight drives where the teams exchanged punts. Georgetown ended the first quarter scoreless for the 13th consecutive game, but had kept Stony Brook scoreless as well.

Georgetown's first big break came from a SBU fumble at its 44, but the Hoyas could move no closer than the 26, where Jasper Ihezie fumbled the ball on a 4th and 7. The Hoyas held the Seawolves to -2 yards on the next series, and off a 17 yard punt return by Brian Tandy, Georgetown received the ball a at midfield, where QB Ben Hostetler found Ihezie open at the six, setting up a TD pass to Sidney Baker, 7-0.

With a change of quarterbacks to start the third quarter, Stony Brook mounted another deep drive. An eight play, 46 yard drive helped lead the Seawolves into GU territory, but two SBU penalties hurt the drive and the GU defense held on a 4th down at the Georgetown 22. Both teams traded punts until SBU got another big opportunity from a Hostetler interception at midfield. After a SBU holding penalty to open the series, QB Drew Garrett's pass was intercepted by Nick Umar, bringing the Hoyas back to the SBU 41, but the drive stalled out on 4th and 8 and the SBU 26.

Turnovers continued to bite both teams to start the quarter, as each team fumbled in consecutive series. Georgetown looked to run clock with 6:34 in the game, but went three and out and punted the ball back with 4:45 to play. Stony Brook looked to drvve again, and again penalties set them back, with the Hoya defense forcing an intentional grounding penalty that set Stony Brook on its heels. The Seawolves advanced to the GU 24, but stalled on fourth down once again, turning the ball back to the Hoyas with 2:53 to play.

As was the case all day, the offense couldn't maintain a drive, punting the ball back to SBU with 1:02 left. The defense closed out the deal, forcing a pair of missed passes before forcing a QB sack on a fourth and 3 to close it out.

For the Hoyas, Ben Hostetler was 18-30 for 144 yards, and rushed for 23 more, accounting for 177 of the team's 230 yards. Both teams were otherwise dominated by their defensive units--the offenses were a combined 8 for 29 on third down and 1 of 6 on 4th down. A key to the game was penalties, with SBU picking up 89 yards in penalties to the Hoyas' 49. Penalties hurt SBU on any of three drives which could have led to points. For Georgetown, it's the fewest points scored in a win since 1981, but for his first win as a head coach, Kevin Kelly will take it just the same.

Georgetown goes on the road for the next three weeks, beginning at Brown Saturday.

Game statistics:



                   STONY BROOK       GEORGETOWN
First downs                 13                8
Rushed-yards            32-114            28-86
Passing yards              190              144
Sacked-yards lost         2-15              1-8
Return yards                18               22
Passes                 19-31-1          18-30-1
Punts                   8-34.4           7-39.9
Fumbles-lost               1-1              3-1
Penalties-yards           9-89             6-49
Time of possession       29:20            29:24

Additional links follow below. None of the three Washington dailies sent reporters to the game.

Game #3: Brown (Sept. 16)

Brown University scored five unanswered touchdowns to roar past Georgetown, 34-21, before a smaller than expected 4,656 at Brown Stadium. The win marked the Bears' ninth straight win dating to the 2005 season.

The Bears looked sluggish in the early moments, as the Hoya defense forced a three and out on its first exchange, which Georgetown converted with an eight play, 80 yard drive. A 38 yard pass play from Ben Hostetler to Kenny Mitchell earned the score --this was the first points scored in the first quarter for Georgetown since the last game of the 2004 season. On its next possession, Brown drove to the Georgetown three, but an Alex Buzbee stop on fourth and goal gave the Hoyas another boost. The good feelings were short lived when the offense stalled deep in its own territory, punting back to the Bears at midfield.

With a minute to play in the first period, the slumbering Bears ended their off-season hibernation and went to work.

Brown took only seven plays on its tying drive, capped by a three yard run by Brandon Markey. After a Georgetown punt pinned BU at its 10, Brown marched 90 yards in 11 plays, reaching third down just once. A blocked extra point kept the lead at six, 13-7.

A 13-7 lead would have been great at halftime when Georgetown regained the ball with 4:24 to play but it could not run the clock, kicking back to Brown with 3:01 to play. The Bears completed four of five passes to get to midfield, but a 17 yard pass play and a personal foul on Georgetown's Darren Alberti set the table at the 15 yard line, where Brown QB Joe DiGiacomo found Colin Cloherty for a touchdown with :22 to play, 20-7.

The Hoyas started poorly in the third. On GU's third play of the half Ben Hostetler was intercepted at the Georgetown 35, and seven plays later Brown stuck it in the end zone again, 27-7. Georgetown went three and out deep in its own territory, setting up Brown at the GU 27. One play later, Brown was now up 34-7 with 8:20 in the 3rd. Of the five touchdown drives, four were completed within 2:44 or less.

Georgetown picked up two scores in the fourth quarter with the game well out of reach. Matt Bassuener came off the bench and led both drives, with passes to Sidney Baker and Kenny Mitchell to narrow the margin of defeat to 13. At no time was Brown in danger of a letdown, even as they recovered a late onsides kick.

Georgetown's old mistakes returned to the stat sheet: the Hoyas rushed 25 times for only 58 yards compared to 45 rushes and 207 yards for Brown. The G-men were four of 13 on third down conversions, but with only one first down in its last nine. And the most glaring statistic is field position--in the second half, the average Georgetown start was at its 18 yard line. Brown started, on average, at its 50 yard line.

Matt Bassuener and Brent Craft played especially well for the Hoyas on offense. Bassuener was 17-21 for 154 yards, while Craft led all receivers with six catches for 56 yards. Defensively, Chris Paulus set a personal best with 14 tackles in the game.

Georgetown returns to the Ivy league Saturday against Columbia, whose 37-7 win over Fordham marked the largest margin of victory in a Lion opener since 1972. With Saturday's game, head coach Norries Wilson will attempt to become the first Columbia coach to start 2-0 in his career at Morningside Heights since the 1929-30 seasons.

The last Columbia coach to go 2-0? Former Georgetown coach Lou Little.

Game statistics:



                 GEORGETOWN            BROWN
First downs              17               24
Rushed-yards          25-58           45-207
Passing yards           234              224
Sacked-yards lost       2-7             2-12
Return yards              4               52
Passes              23-33-1          16-25-0
Punts                6-38.2           2-54.5
Fumbles-lost            0-0              0-0
Penalties-yards        6-47             6-55
Time of possession    29:18            30:42

Additional links follow below. The three Washington dailies did not send reporters to the game.

Game #4: Columbia (Sept. 23)

Three turnovers, ten penalties, and a crucial goal line stand cost the Hoyas a memorable comeback win along the Spuyten Duyvil; instead, Columbia held on for a 23-21 win at Baker Field.

The Lions, fresh off a 37-7 win over Fordham, opened the game with ease on an 11 play, 69 yard drive. Aided by a defensive penalty on 3rd and 10 which kept the drive alive at midfield, the Lions executed an end around play by receiver Tim Powlin that went 34 yards for the score, 7-0.

Giving up an opening touchdown was just what the Hoyas didn't need, given the team's propensity for getting behind in games. No less palatable was giving up the ball by turnover, which saw Georgetown turn the ball on three of its first four possessions. On its first offensive play, Ben Hostetler threw an interception at midfield, but the defense forced Columbia to punt. After an exchange of punts, the Hoyas opened a drive at midfield, where Hostetler was one and out again, getting picked off by Columbia's Eugene Edwards at the 45, returning it to the Georgetown eight. A three play drive saw Columbia QB Craig Hormann find Adrian Demko cutting across the end zone for the score, 14-0.

Georgetown was able to move against Columbia on the ground, and advanced to midfield where Hostetler was rung up again, this time when Adam Brekke picked off a pass at the Columbia 23, where Columbia drove the ball to set up a 45 yard Jon Rocholl field goal, 17-0. Hostetler's stats were poor all around: 3 for 8 for 29 yards, with three interceptions.

Reserve QB Matt Bassuener was again called into service and turned in another strong game. Led by freshman RB Charlie Houghton, Georgetown advanced to the Columbia seven. Two rushes for no gain by Emir Davis and a two yard loss forced the Hoyas into a consolation field goal, but Eric Bjonerud's kick bounded off the goal post, and halftime soon followed.

The Hoyas went three and out to start the second half, while Columbia was on the move again. Four Georgetown penalties, including two on third down conversions, propelled the Lions down the field again, where a 12 play drive ended in a 41 yard Rocholl field goal, 20-0. The windy, dreary New York day seemed a fitting backdrop for the Hoyas' offensive hopes, but that was about to change.

Bassuener and the Hoyas opened its drive at its 34. Mixing up the passing and running plays, Georgetown drive as close as the Columbia 32, where the drive stalled out again. With nothing to lose, Bassuener took off running on a 4th and 13 at the 32, gaining 15 and setting up the Hoyas for a 15 yard pass to Brent Craft in the end zone, 20-7, and the Hoyas had caught fire.

The Lions were held to three and out, and Bassuener went to work again. He was three for three passing on a seven play, 66 yard drive that put the Hoyas back in the game early in the fourth, 20-14. And following a Lion fumble on the fourth play of its next drive, the Hoyas had the ball yet again.

Bassuener had the Lions on their heels--a 17 yard run here, a 14 yard pass play there. On third and four from the Columbia seven, he found Charlie Curtis at the two. A first down play gained no appreciable yardage, but on second down Bassuener found Curtis alone in the end zone. His pass was on the money but Curtis dropped the ball, and a collective groan went up from the west side of the stadium. Bassuener was sacked on third down, forcing a field goal, but a bobbled snap from center Dan Matheny led to Bassuener's sack at the 15. Two yards and five fingers from a memorable comeback, the Hoyas ended the series with no points at all.

Columbia took over with 6:31 to play in the game and its offense was revived. A 35 yard pass play and runs of 17 and 15 yards seemed to break the spirit of the Georgetown defense, but the Hoyas regrouped and held the Lions with a goal line stand in the final three minutes. Halted at the seven, the Lions turned to Rocholl for the insurance field goal, 23-14. The importance was soon in evidence in the final moments of the game, as Bassuener went four for four in the two minute offense, finding Craft with a 10 yard pass to close to 23-21 with nine seconds to play. The onsides kick failed, and the game ended thereafter.

Bassuener was the offensive star of the game, finishing 17 of 22 for 177 yards and 52 yards rushing. Erik Carter had a career high 51 yards on the ground, while Houghton was impressive in his 35 yards during the initial scoring drive, his only rushes of the game. Emir Davis continued to struggle, with 24 yards on 10 carries; the Hoyas' leading back now has only 81 yards in four games. Chris Paulus turned in another impressive defensive game, with 11 tackles.

Where was the key play? Was it the defense out of place on Columbia's first drive, the ten penalties, the dropped touchdown pass, or the two errant field goal attempts, either of which could have would have been the margin of victory?

Of course, it was all of these. The 2006 Hoyas are simply too inexperienced to give up scoring opportunities, and while the team stands to be a better one in November than it stands today, fans can't lose hope if this team is staring at 1-5 in two weeks.

Georgetown stays on the road Saturday in Hamilton, NY against Colgate before returning home against Lehigh. Both games figure to be difficult assignments: the Red Raiders and Engineers are a combined 9-0 against the Hoyas in the Patriot League era, with all but one of those wins having been by a margin of 21 points or more.

The Columbia game was an opportunity lost, but it ought to be a lesson learned.

Game statistics:


                  GEORGETOWN         COLUMBIA
First downs               26               15
Rushed-yards          36-177           35-145
Passing yards            206              158
Sacked-yards lost       2-10              1-3
Return yards              25               63
Passes               21-30-3          14-25-0
Punts                   2-41             4-42
Fumbles-lost             3-0              1-1
Penalties-yards        10-77             5-41
Time of possession     28:32            31:28

Additional links follow below. For a third week, the three Washington dailies did not send reporters to the game.

Game #5: Colgate (Sept. 30)

The number "13" has a special place in Colgate lore, but the "13" proved to be Georgetown's undoing Saturday.

Five turnovers, bringing Georgetown's total to 13 in its five games, provided Colgate all it needed in a 31-14 win before a small Homecoming crowd of 3,031 in Hamilton, NY.

As many teams have done this season, Colgate moved quickly on the Hoya defense, scoring on the opening possession, 7-0. The Hoyas opened with a crisp drive into Colgate territory, but could advance no further than the Red Raiders' 31, where QB Matt Bassuener suffered a ten yard sack on fourth down. In Georgetown's second series, Erik Carter fumbled on the Hoyas' 24, setting up Colgate for a three play drive and a 14-0 lead. The first quarter ended 14-0, marking the 15th game in the last 16 where the Hoyas have failed to score in the opening period.

Bassuener got the Hoyas going in its first drive of the second period, driving deep into Colgate territory. On a 4th and 15, Bassuener connected with Charlie Houghton for 19 yards, followed three plays later by a three yard TD pass to narrow the score to 14-7. Colgate answered with a late second quarter drive that stalled at the Georgetown six and concluded with a field goal, 17-7.

At the opening of the third quarter, the Hoyas were still in it, but turnovers proved their undoing once again. Bassuener drove the Hoyas to the Red Raider 31, but Brent Craft fumbled the ball and Georgetown was tagged with a personal foul upon the turnover. Colgate took full advantage from midfield, where RB Jordan Scott rushed for 39 of the drive's 54 yards, including a 29 yard sprint to put the game on ice, 24-7. Scott finished with 169 yards on 29 carries.

After holding Colgate on its next series, the Hoyas forced a punt, whereupon kick returner Brian Tandy lost the ball on the return. Colgate again took advantage, scoring on a brief two play drive, 31-7. Of the Red Raiders' 31 points, 21 of them were off Georgetown turnovers.

The Hoyas' final score came off a fumble by Colgate QB Mike Saraceno late in the fourth quarter. QB Ben Hostetler entered the game and connected with RB Emir Davis on a seven yard pass with 1:16 to play.

Georgetown's offensive woes continued in this game. The Hoyas gained only 75 yards rushing, but only seven of those yards came from its running backs. Matt Bassuener led the team in rushing with 11 carries for 32 yards, and was 14-25 for 160 yards in his first career start. For Colgate, Saraceno was 10-12 for 131 yards and two TD's, but the Red Raiders did their best work on the ground, with a 224-75 edge on the G-men. Colgate held a 10:20 edge in time of possession and held the ball for nearly 19 minutes of the half, negating any serious efforts for Georgetown to make a game of it.

The game was broadcast through the Colgate regional TV network and broadcast back to Washington DC residents through the MASN cable network. The game will be rebroadcast Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm, which can be found nationally via channel 626 on DirecTV.

The Hoyas end its longest road swing since 2001 at 0-3, and return home to meet Lehigh Saturday at 1:00 at the Yard.

Game statistics:


                   GEORGETOWN          COLGATE
First downs                16               18
Rushed-yards            28-75           52-224
Passing yards             211              131
Sacked-yards lost        1-11              1-7
Return yards               20               17
Passes                17-30-1          10-13-0
Punts                    4-40           6-43.3
Fumbles-lost              6-4              3-1
Penalties-yards          5-35             7-53
Time of possession      24:50            35:10

Additional links follow below. For a fourth week, the three Washington dailies did not send reporters to the game.

Game #6: Lehigh (Oct. 7)

Three turnovers exposed the Georgetown Hoyas once again, spoiling what was a fine defensive effort and opening up the floodgates in a 28-3 Lehigh win Saturday.

After a poor Georgetown punt to open the game, Lehigh responded with a seven play, 45 drive for the opening TD, 7-0, with 9:12 in the 1st. Georgetown responded with its best drive of the half, a 14 play drive that advanced to the Lehigh 22, ending with a 39 yard field goal from freshman David Corak with :39 in the first, 7-3.

The teams traded punts well into the second quarter, until Georgetown QB Matt Bassuener was intercepted at the Lehigh 36. Led by QB Sedale Threatt, the Engineers moved into scoring position, but coughed up a fumble at the GU 11 with 1:46 in the half. Whether due to conservative play calling or a better understanding of Georgetown's talent at that point of the field, coach Kelly opted for three running plays, none of which advanced the ball and forced a punt back to Lehigh with under a minute to play. A poor Georgetown punt and a fair Lehigh return set the Engineers up at the Georgetown 27, where Lehigh scored with 13 seconds remaining in the half following a pass from Threatt to WR Frank Travato.

The game turned late in the third quarter when a strong Georgetown drive advanced to the Lehigh 11, with hopes that a touchdown could bring the G-men within four. Instead, Erik Carter fumbled at the eight. The Engineers turned up the offense with a nine play drive, aided by passes of 36 and 27 yards to get the score, 21-3. On Georgetown's next series, Bassuener was picked off at midfield, with the Brown and White needing only three plays for the score, 28-3.

Bassuener was benched late in the fourth, as the frustration at the quarterback position continues. Ben Hostetler appeared in the last drive, but the Hoyas turned the ball over on downs with 6:43 to play, whereupon Lehigh dutifully ran out the clock.

Game statistics:


                    LEHIGH       GEORGETOWN
First downs             20                9
Rushed-yards        44-178           32-116
Passing yards          158               88
Sacked-yards lost     2-17              0-0
Return yards            62               19
Passes             14-20-0          12-22-2
Punts               6-39.5           6-40.2
Fumbles-lost           1-1              2-1
Penalties-yards      10-82             6-38
Time of possession   32:53            27:07

Game links follow below.

Game #7: Bucknell (Oct. 14)

Three different quarterbacks could not resuscitate another inconsistent Georgetown offensive effort, as three turnovers were all Bucknell needed in a 17-7 win at the unfinished Multi-Sport Field Saturday.

Both teams traded punts to open the first quarter. The Hoyas were backed up to its seven yard line in its second series, leading to a punt that gave Bucknell (4-3) possession at midfield, whereupon the Bison drove to the 11 and settled for a 28 yard field goal, 3-0. The Hoyas ended the first quarter scoreless for the 17th time in its last 18 games.

Turnovers have failed the Hoyas all season, so it was of little surprise that it would do so again. On the second play of its first second quarter drive, the handoff from QB Ben Hostetler to Charlie Houghton was fumbled, upon which the Bison needed four plays for the score, 10-0.

Coach Kelly pulled Hostetler for Nick Cangelosi, making his first start of the season. Cangelosi went three and out on consecutive series before Hostetler returned in the last two minutes of the half, where Hostetler was picked off with 0:45 to play. Hampered by a penalty, Bucknell ran out the first half. For the half, Bucknell owned a 171-74 edge in offense, holding the GU option to 26 yards and limiting the Hoyas to just 11:41 of clock time. GU was 1 of 5 on third downs.

Yet another quarterback saw action to open the second half, as Matt Bassuener led the Hoyas in the first series, a three and out. Bassuener's second series also went three and out, as a second shank from punter Christopher MacGriff gave BU a midfield start midway in the quarter. The Bison couldn't advance, but pinned the G-men back at its six. In came Cangelosi, with a 12 yard running play to RB Robert Lane. Bassuener then relieved Cangelosi and advanced the Hoyas in their best drive to date at its 49, but opted to punt, its seventh in nine possessions.

Bucknell advanced to midfield to open the fourth, but were stopped by the Georgetown defense for its fifth consecutive punt, pinning the Hoyas back at the seven with 12:34 to play. A third down pass to Brent Craft brought Georgetown to its 42, extending the drive. As Georgetown crossed the 50 and advanced into Bucknell territory, whereupon Bassuener coughed up the ball at the Bucknell 32. Bucknell advanced the ball into GU territory as the Hoyas' defense began to simply wear out. Twelve plays and six first downs later, Bucknell converted with a four yard run, 17-0.

Bassuener opened the final drive, where Georgetown teams have picked up plenty of stats late in games with the outcome decided. Georgetown drove as deep as the Bucknell 16 with 1:02 left. A personal foul on the defense moved the ball to the five with 0:54 left. A pass to Brent Craft advanced the ball to the three with 34 seconds left, and a run to Craft went nowhere on the succeeding third down play. On fourth down, Bassuener found Charlie Curtis for the score, 17-7. The late drive accounted for 84 of Georgetown's 269 yards of total offense all afternoon.

Game statistics:


                 BUCKNELL       GEORGETOWN
First downs            17               15
Rushed-yards       51-210           25-108
Passing yards         118              161
Sacked-yards lost     0-0              0-0
Return yards           23                3
Passes             8-20-0          26-35-1
Punts                7-32           7-30.1
Fumbles-lost          0-0              3-2
Penalties-yards      6-56             3-25
Time of possession  33:32            26:28

Additional links follow below.

Game #8: Charleston Southern (Oct. 28)

Charleston Southern set a school record with its eighth win of the season, a 24-10 win over Georgetown Saturday before 3,597 at Buccaneer Field in North Charleston, SC.

Georgetown's start was promising, a nine play drive punctuated by four pass plays that brought the Hoyas into Charleston territory early, but running plays stalled the drive and the Hoyas punted the ball to the CSU three. After five straight rushes, quarterback Collin Drafts found a mismatch in the secondary and completed a 45 yard pass to the GU 15, a follow-up pass to the four, and engineered a four yard run by CSU running back Kenny Harper for the score, 7-0.

The Hoyas answered with a 22 yard pass play and a series of rushes by RB Charlie Houghton which brought the ball to the CSU 30. Facing a fourth and one at the Buccaneer 21, RB Matt Burgner was stuffed at the line, as GU turned the ball over on downs.

On the next play, Alex Buzbee picked off a pass at the CSU 15, and Hoyas were back in business. Georgetown drove to the three but failed to capitalize again, settling for a 20 yard field goal, 7-3. The Buccaneers took the ball on its next series and rocked the Hoyas' defense with two pass plays totalling 50 yards, setting up a 33 yard CSU field goal to extend the lead to 10-3. Georgetown's last scoring threat of the half took them into CSU territory late in the half, but on a fourth and one at the Charleston 40, Emir Davis lost two yards.

Georgetown opened the second half by holding the Bucs, and on the ensuing series Bassuener drove to the CSU 33. The drive stalled again, and the coaching staff chose not to try another fourth down play, and kicked it back to Charleston, whereupon the Bucs promptly answered with a three play, 56 yard drive to put the game out of reach, 17-3.

The Hoyas closed the gap to 17-10 on a 16 play, 91 yard drive, but again, the defense gave up another quick score. Charleston drove 70 yards in six plays, 24-10. The final two series for Georgetown ended in interceptions, adding two more turnovers to a season high of 23.

Matt Bassuener was 19 of 24 for 168 yards, much of it coming in the fourth quarter. Charlie Houghton led the Hoyas with 79 yards rushing on 19 carries.

The loss, its sixth in as many games, drops Georgetown to 1-7 for the first time since the 1976 season. The winless streak ties a school record for consecutive losses set in the 1905 and 1923 seasons.

Game statistics:



                  GEORGETOWN    CHARLESTON S.
First downs               18               20
Rushed-yards          43-163           35-151
Passing yards            168              229
Sacked-yards lost        1-6             2-12
Return yards              72               47
Passes               19-24-2          13-17-1
Punts                 2-28.5           3-34.0
Fumbles-lost             2-0              1-0
Penalties-yards         5-39             8-42
Time of possession     32:26            27:34

Additional links follow below.

Game #9: Marist (Nov. 4)

Ten yards of offense in the first quarter. Sixty nine yards at the half. Trailing to Marist team who had been outscored 88-9 by Patriot League teams this year, and whose three wins came against opponents with a combined record of 4-20.

For a half, it appeared Georgetown was en route to one of the worst losses in recent history. But Homecoming always seems to give Georgetown a second chance.

At game's end, Georgetown defeated Marist 24-21 at the 67th Homecoming Game, before 2,164 at The Yard (aka Multi Sport Field/Facility). The 24-21 final is the same score as last season's Homecoming win over Fordham, a game where Georgetown fell behind early and worked their way back into contention.

Marist (3-7) opened the game by a brief drive that punted the ball deep in GU territory, where the Hoyas went three and out and punted to midfield. The Red Foxes took advantage with a 10 play 54 yards drive, with QB Steven McGrath going 5-5 on the drive, setting up a four yard run for the score, 7-0. Georgetown's second drive approached midfield, but QB Matt Bassuener fumbled at the 47, the team's tenth fumble lost this season. Georgetown appeared to catch a break with Brian Tandy's interception of a McGrath pass at the GU 37, but the offense went three and out to end the first quarter scoreless for the 18th time in the last 20 games.

On its next drive, Marist went to the run, with O'Neil Anderson rushing 11 times for 63 yards, shredding the GU run defense. Anderson highlighted a 14 play, 84 yard drive to give Marist a 14-0 lead. Those fans that had already not begun to walk back to the tailgate saw a key turning point soon thereafter. The Marist kick went in for a touchback, but the Red Foxes were called offsides and a re-kick was in order. On the ensuing kickoff, junior Kenny Mitchell awoke the MSF crowd with a 68 yard runback to the Marist 19, giving the Hoyas new life. The Hoyas needed three plays to get the score, a 14 yard pass from Bassuener to RB Charlie Houghton, 14-7.

Marist appeared to be in business once again on its next drive, but a long pass was intercepted by Kevin Chrepski at the Georgetown three yard line, saving a major momentum turn at the half. Still, the Hoyas had a lot of work to do.

Georgetown opened the second half with a crisp drive that drove deep into Marist territory, but stalled at the Marist nine. A field goal closed the gap to 14-10, but Marist answered right back with a nine play drive, 21-10. The Hoyas marched back down the field, but Bassuener fumbled the ball at the Marist six, costing the G-men points when they needed them. At the end of three quarters, the Red Foxes stood within view of only its second win against a Patriot League team in 13 tries.

The Red Foxes could not move the ball following the turnover, punting the ball back to Georgetown at midfield. A long run by Houghton and a 14 yard TD pass to Brent Cooper closed the score to 21-16, where the two point conversion failed. After Marist was held on its next drive, Georgetown took over with 9:39 to play and built a season-best 17 play drive, converting on three third down opportunities and going for it on fourth and two from the Marist five which drive the ball to the two. Following a seven yard sack on second and goal, Bassuener recovered by finding RB Erik Carter in the end zone, 22-21. A two point conversion was good, and Georgetown led for the first time, 24-21.

With 1:46 to play, the Red Foxes went to work. Four straight passes brought Marist to its 46, but McGrath's fifth pass was picked off by Brian Tandy at the Georgetown 30, sealing the game. The win marked the seventh straight Homecoming win and 12 of its last 14 in the Division I-AA era.

"It feels great, especially senior year knowing that it's my last game here, said senior Brian Tandy in post-game comments. "There were a lot of people here, my family was here, and it was great to be here with the guys for this win.�

Matt Bassuener recovered from the two fumbles to throw 17-22 for 141 yards and three TD's. His Marist counterpart, Steven McGrath, was 19-27 for 232 yards, but his three interceptions proved costly.

"In our meetings this morning, we had talked about that in games you're going to have adversity and how you handle that adversity determines whether you win or lose. Today, I think they learned that lesson," said Kelly. "We didn't panic. We had plenty of time left. They made the plays on defense and we made the stops when we had to make them. On offense, we knew we could move the football. I think they felt that and had confidence in that. It's a credit to the guys that they didn't tank at that point. They could've said, �Here we go again,' but to me that's a milestone we overcame today. We didn't panic and we knew we could win a football game with some adversity.�

Game statistics:



                     MARIST       GEORGETOWN
First downs              19               15
Rushed-yards          33-95           35-168
Passing yards           232              141
Sacked-yards lost       2-6              1-7
Return yards              7               28
Passes              19-27-3          17-22-0
Punts                  3-39           2-39.5
Fumbles-lost            0-0              2-2
Penalties-yards        5-25             5-33
Time of possession    29:46            30:14

Additional links follow below.

Game #10: Lafayette (Nov. 11)

Three Lafayette players set records as the Leopards dominated Georgetown 45-14 at Fisher Stadium Saturday. The game was Georgetown's ninth straight loss on the road and its seventh straight loss in league play dating to the 2005 season.

The inconsistency of the Hoyas to play at a high level exposed its pass defense and special teams to easy picking by the Leopards, who scored on its first five possessions and planted a season high 511 yards on the Hoyas, the most surrendered by Georgetown since the 2003 season.

Georgetown opened with a three and out, punting the ball to midfield. The Leopards only needed four plays for the score, as RB Jonathan Hurt rushed 12 yards for the score, 7-0. The hoyas answered back with a 10 play, 71 yard drive, led by eight straight rushes for the score. However, whatever momentum was gained by the scoring drive disappeared moments later, when Shaun Adair shredded the Georgetown kick return team with a 90 yard return for the score, 14-7.

The Hoyas went three and out again, and Lafayette marched for a third score. The drive went eight plays for 64 yards, distributed between pass and run, with Hurt gaining his second TD, 21-7.

Georgetown looked in serious trouble, but on the second play of the drive, RB Charlie Houghton caught a pass from QB Matt Bassuener and took off down the field, an 81 yard score that may be one of the few highlights of a long and difficult season, 21-14. Once again, Lafayette drove down the field with seeming ease. Stopped at the Georgetown 15, a field goal attempt was wide right, but in a questionable call,l kicker Rick Ziska fell onto GU blocker Darren Alberti and Georgetown's defense was as tagged for roughing the kicker. On the ensuing play, Hurt streaked into the end zone for his third TD and the Hoyas were socked again 28-14.

Georgetown's last run in the half could have been a difference maker. After Lafayette added a filed goal, the succeeding GU drive was stopped on a fourth down at the Lafayette 28. On the change in possession, he GU defense picked off Joe Maurer's pass at the LC 20, setting up a great scoring opportunity. On second down, Bassuener was picked off at the goal line, ending the run and with it, the Hoyas' scoring for the day.

The second half offered relatively little excitement, as the Lafayette TV announcers spent as much time relaying scores from the Colgate-Holy Cross game than the game at hand. The Leopards picked up touchdowns in the third and fourth quarter with their first team before calling in the reserves late in the game. The Hoyas drove into the red zone at the start of the fourth, but Bassuener was again picked off deep in Lafayette teritory.

For Lafayette, QB Brad Maurer was 12-19 for a career high 305 yards, with 274 of those yards going to Joe Ort, who set a school record for receiving yards. RB Jonathan Hurt rushed for four touchdowns as the Leopards (5-5) scored on each its first five possessions and had only two punts all afternoon.

Bassuener finished 12-20 for 152 yards, but over half that total came from the one pass to Houghton. Bassuener and Houghton accounted for 37 of 42 Georgetown's rushing attempts.

With the win, Lafayette has forgotten the Hoyas for another year, as they can clinch the PL title and a bid in the NCAA playoffs with a win over Lehigh next week. On other side of the ledger, the Hoyas conclude a disappointing season next week at Fordham, where the two Jesuit schools are a combined 4-16, 0-10 in Patriot League play.

Game statistics:


                  GEORGETOWN        LAFAYETTE
First downs               14               21
Rushed-yards          42-130           36-206
Passing yards            152              305
Sacked-yards lost        1-5              1-1
Return yards               5               33
Passes               12-20-2          12-19-1
Punts                   6-38           2-35.5
Fumbles-lost             1-0              1-0
Penalties-yards         3-24             4-35
Time of possession     32:53            27:07

Post-game links follow below. No local links are posted as the Washington dailies no longer send reporters to Georgetown games.

Game #11: Fordham (Nov. 18)

Losing an halftime lead for the the first time in seven years, Georgetown ended the 2006 season winless in the Patriot League with a 38-30 loss to a fellow 2-8 Fordham team in the Bronx, NY Saturday.

On the second play of the game, Fordham QB John Skelton fumbled the ball at his 27 yard line, giving Georgetown its first scoring opportunity. Four plays later, QB Matt Bassuener found RB Charlie Houghton with a 16 yard pass, 7-0. On its next series, Fordham ran right through the Georgetown defense in a 12 play, 76 yard drive. The Rams converted a 3rd and 15 and the Georgetown 24 to set up a four yard TD run by RB Larry Dortch to the the score 7-7.

Both teams traded punts, where the Hoyas pushed the ball into the Fordham red zone, helped by two Fordham personal fouls on consecutive plays. Georgetown pushed the ball to the one where Bassuener fumbled on the four, giving over the ball.

Georgetown benefited a second time from Fordham penalties, as a personal foul set up the Hoyas at the Ram 18, where Bassuener found Mitchell for the score, 14-7. Fordham then fumbled the kickoff, but Georgetown could not take advantage and handed the ball back on downs at the Fordham 35. From there, the Rams drove 59 yards on 12 plays, but Skelton was sacked on third and goal and settled for the field goal, 14-10.

The Hoyas again found themselves on a fourth and one at midfield with 3:00 left in the half, and not wanting to hand the ball back to Fordham late in the half, went for fourth down again and convert the yardage to the Fordham 33. The drive appeared to stall, but on a 3rd and 13 Bassuener found WR Brent Craft for 28 yards to the five, where Matt Burgner scored on the next series, 21-10.

In the third quarter, Bassuener threw an interception on the third play of the half, setting up Fordham at the Georgetown 38. The Rams converted on a 3rd and 13 to advance to the five, scoring on five yard pass, 21-17. After losing 18 yards on its next series, a ragged Georgetown offense punted to the Fordham 46, giving the Rams an easy eight play, 54 yard drive for the score, 24-21.

In the fourth, Kenny Mitchell returned the ball to midfield, but the offense stalled and Bassuener was left with a 4th and 15, throwing to Brent Craft at the one. Two plays later, Bassuener found Craft in the end zone, but the Hoyas fumbled the point after, 31-27.

Both teams traded punts, and early in the fourth Georgetown drove to midfield, where Charlie Houghton fumbled at midfield. Three plays later, Fordham connected for the score 38-27. The Hoyas drove to the Fordham seven, a penalty nullified a touchdown and GU settled for a FG, 38-30. The Hoya defense forced a punt with 3:20 left, but on a 4th and 13 threw for eight, turning the ball over on downs.

The loss was Georgetown's eighth straight PL loss dating to 2005 and its tenth straight on the road. Nonetheless, Georgetown could return as many as 15 starters for the 2007 season. The one thing it lacked more than anything this season --experience-- comes only with time.

Game Statistics:


                   GEORGETOWN          FORDHAM
First downs                22               20
Rushed-yards           35-105           48-135
Passing yards             275              288
Sacked-yards lost        3-25             2-13
Return yards               10               12
Passes                22-38-1          14-24-0
Punts                  3-31.7           4-41.8
Fumbles-lost              2-2              4-2
Penalties-yards          4-30            9-104
Time of possession      24:00            36:00

Game recaps are limited. Neither the New York nor Washington papers covered the game.