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Georgetown Football: 2011 Season Recaps
Compiled from HoyaSaxa.com coverage.

Game #1: Davidson (Sep. 3)

Seven defensive sacks and three touchdowns from sophomore Nick Campanella each led the Georgetown Hoyas to a 40-16 win over Davidson in the 2011 season opener before 2,384 at Multi-Sport Field. The scoring output was Georgetown's most since a 2003 win over Cornell, and the most in a season opener since a 59-14 win over Fairfield in 1996.

Both teams started slowly, as Davidson's new-look aerial attack was limited by the Georgetown defense to short passes over the Wildcats first two possessions. The teams traded field position, and when Davidson was forced to its third punt deep in its end zone, Georgetown got a short field and made the most of it. Aided by a pass interference penalty to the Davidson five yard line, the Hoyas needed just four rushes to cover 34 yards for the opening score, 7-0. Davidson responded with a 11 play, 70 yard drive, also aided by a pass interference penalty into the red zone, to tie the score, 7-7.

A pair of strong kickoff returns from senior Jeremy Moore put the Hoyas at midfield for each of its first two second half possessions, but the first of these drives was three and out and the second appeared to be headed for an early punt when Campanella took off for 15 yards on a 4th and 1 to the Davidson 15. Three more Campanella rushes got the Hoyas to the Davidson 11, where a nine yard pass to Elliot Owusu and a two yard run by Campanella put the Hoyas in the end zone, 27-10. Campanella finished with 82 yards in his first start at running back.

Davidson QB Jonathan Carkhuff rallied the Wildcats midway in the third, completing five straight passes for 60 yards to the Georgetown 18, but the Wildcats' offense stalled a third time in the red zone and Davidson turned the ball over on downs at the 12. The Hoyas went three and out, but Carkhuff's opening pass was picked off by DB David Quintero to the Wildcats' 37. Campanella took over on the drive, with three rushes to the one, whereupon the succeeding carry by Kempf was fumbled into the end zone and recovered by offensive lineman Kevin Sullivan. A second consecutive extra point was missed, 33-10.

"There were those two key points in the game,” said Davidson coach Tripp Merritt, “when we hit on some long balls and got inside their 20. If we’re able to get in the end zone on either or both of those possessions, I think it would have been a different game.”

Both teams traded fumbles on consecutive possessions, and Georgetown caught Davidson lacking on the secondary, where Kempf found freshman Kevin Macari open for a 40 yard pass, 40-10, with 6:52 left. Davidson added a final score late in the quarter against the Georgetown reserves to close the scoring.

This game could have been much closer than the score indicated, and Davidson's inability to close the gap when opportunity presented itself is its lasting memory of the game. The Wildcats managed just a touchdown and a field goal in four red zone possessions, while the Hoyas converted five touchdowns in five attempts from inside the 20.

The debut of the Air Raid offense also begat a mixed outcome. Carkhuff was 36-56 for 364 yards, but Georgetown was able to contain the Davidson receivers in the absence of any rushing game.

"Once you take away the run and you just know they’re passing every time, it gets easy," said LB Jeremy Grasso.

“I felt like it was a whole team effort," said Kempf. "Overall it was just a good team win. Especially for us to just put them away in the second half."

Georgetown remains at home next week for its Patriot League opener under the MSF lights versus Lafayette.

Game statistics:

                            DAVIDSON       GEORGETOWN
First downs                       22               21
Rushed-yards                 19-(-7)           43-206
Passing yards                    364              172
Sacked-yards lost                0-0              0-0
Return yards                       1               72
Passes                       36-56-2          16-24-0
Punts                         5-36.6           5-37.0
Fumbles-lost                     2-2              2-1
Penalties-yards                 8-78            11-96
Time of possession             31:30            28:30

• GUHoyas.com
• DavidsonWildcats.com
• Associated Press
• The HOYA
• Washington Post

Game #2: Lafayette (Sep. 10)

"This week, we match up a lot better. Georgetown's not North Dakota State."--Lafayette coach Frank Tavani, Sep. 7

Well, the Hoyas still aren't North Dakota State. But in week two of the 2011 season, being Georgetown was good enough.

Wide receiver Max Waizenegger caught two touchdown passes as the Hoyas picked up a 14-13 win over Lafayette before 2,435 at Multi-Sport Field. The Hoyas battled back from a sluggish second half to take the lead late in the fourth quarter and picked up a fumble deep in its territory to secure the win.

The Leopards (0-2, 0-1 PL) opened up the game with a strong offense, driving into Georgetown territory in each of its first two possessions and kicking a 36 yard field goal in the first quarter to lead 3-0. Unfortunately for the Leopards, this was about all the offense could muster in the first half, as Lafayette gained a total of two yards over its next four possessions as the Georgetown defense locked down QB Ryan O'Neil, who threw for 343 yards in last year's meeting between the two teams.

For its part, the Hoyas weren't showing much either, punting in its first three possessions before a second quarter series that began at the Lafayette 38 but ending with a missed 48 yard field goal. A trade of punts gave the Hoyas back in Lafayette territory with 1:25 to play but without time outs, as Georgetown had used all three time outs in the first half with defensive substitutions.

Starting at midfield, Lafayette began to punish the Hoyas on the ground, led by RB Vaughn Hebron, and the Leopards went on a 12 play drive which took ten minutes off the clock, keyed by a pair of fourth down conversions that pushed the drive to the Georgetown 14. A pair of Shoop incompletions led the Leopards to settle for a 31 yard field goal and 13-7 lead.

If ever the Hoyas needed a spark with 4:32 remaining in the game, they got it from kick returner Jeremy Moore, who returned the ball to the Georgetown 45 and the offense found a second win. Despite two falls tart penalties in the drive, Kempf got the Hoyas back in gear, with a 22 yard pass to Jeff Burke to advance to the 18, and a 13 yard pass to Waizenegger that gave Georgetown the lead with 3:53 left, 14-13.

Despite starting at its 12, the Leopards moved smartly down the field. A 39 yard pass on a 3rd and 4 appeared to set up the Leopards for big things at the GU 33. Following a sack, Shop found RB Ross Scheuerman at the GU 24, and Lafayette was already in scoring position. With 1:15 left, Scheuerman fumbled the ball at the 28, and was recovered by sophomore Dustin Wharton. It was the first turnover of the season for Lafayette.

Georgetown was able to run all but four seconds off the clock in its final possession, whereupon Shoop's hopes for a game ending touchdown toss was cut short by an Andrew Schaetzke sack to end the game.

Georgetown was outgained 296-269, but the two touchdown drives proved critical. Kempf finished 21-37 for 196 yards, no running back had more than 24 and only two receivers had as many yards. Shoop was 6-12 for 116 yards in a losing effort, O'Neil finished 7-11 for 61 yards.

Game statistics:

                           LAFAYETTE       GEORGETOWN
First downs                       13               12
Rushed-yards                  40-119            24-73
Passing yards                    177              196
Sacked-yards lost               3-17             2-11
Return yards                      29               27
Passes                       13-23-0          21-37-0
Punts                         7-40.9           9-35.8
Fumbles-lost                     1-1              0-0
Penalties-yards                 8-62             5-51
Time of possession             33:59            26:01

Post-game links follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• GoLeopards.com
• Allentown Morning Call
• Allentown Morning Call (2)
• Easton Express Times

Game #3: Yale (Sep. 17)

Georgetown scored touchdowns on each of its first two possessions but stalled early in the second half, as Yale's Patrick Witt threw three touchdowns and ran for a fourth in a penalty-filled 37-27 win before 12,246 at the Yale Bowl Saturday. It was Georgetown's fifth straight road loss dating to the 2010 season, and denied Georgetown its first 3-0 start since the 1999 season, earning Yale its 118th opening game win in 138 years of football.

The early moments of the game bore resemblance to the up and down style seen in last season's 40-35 Yale win. The Bulldogs (1-0) took the opening kickoff 82 yards to the Georgetown 17, where Yale needed only three plays for a four yard touchdown run by Mordecai Cargill, 7-0. The Hoyas answered in rapid response, a nine played drive keyed by 34 yards in rushing for sophomore RB Nick Campanella and a 18 yard halfback pass from WR Jeff Burke to QB Scott Darby to tie the score, 7-7.

As was the case last year, Witt was impressive against the Georgetown defense, going 12-15 for 204 yards in the half and adding to it in Yale's opening drive, completing three passes in a seven yard, 71 drive, 27-20. The Hoyas needed a bounce-back drive in the third but simply did not get it. With Kempf shaken up on the opening series of the quarter, Darby entered the game and threw an interception deep in GU territory, converted by Yale for a field goal, 30-20. A pair of Yale turnovers also went for nought as the Hoyas managed just 25 yards in the next two possessions, including a drive which began at the Yale 45 and managed just five yards in six plays. After a three and out early in the 4th quarter, special teams failed again, allowing returner Gio Christodoulou to return a 35 yard punt 30 yards to the GU 31, where Witt took a 22 yard pass into the red zone and scored on a four yard run, 37-20. darby answered with a 27 yard TD [pass to freshman WR Kevin Macari, 37-27, with its final drive falling short on a 45 yard missed field goal attempt with 1:11 left, with the decision in place.

Witt finished 23-31 for 280 yards, Kempf and Darby combined for 32-50 for 268. Six total yards separated the teams, but where the the Hoyas settled for two field goals at the end of the first half, the Bulldogs opened the second with two touchdowns. Chris Smith led all players with 272 total yards (104 passing, 163 returns).

Georgetown remains on the road next week for Marist, where the Hoyas hope to earn its first win in four tries at Poughkeepsie since the 1999 season.

Game statistics and recaps:

                         GEORGETOWN             YALE
First downs                       26               20
Rushed-yards                  28-125           35-119
Passing yards                    268              280
Sacked-yards lost                0-0             1-11
Return yards                      21               48
Passes                       33-51-1          23-31-1
Punts                         7-36.9           5-36.0
Fumbles-lost                     0-0              1-1
Penalties-yards                 9-84           13-118
Time of possession             27:15            32:45

• GUHoyas.com
• YaleBulldogs.com
• Associated Press

Game #4: Marist (Sep. 24)

With three Marist interceptions converted into successful touchdown drives, Georgetown ended a decade of struggles at Marist with a convincing 52-28 win Saturday over the Red Foxes before 3,028 at Tenney Stadium.

Slow starts were somewhat common in the prior three games in Poughkeepsie, which saw the Hoyas drop three games by a combined eight points. Such was not the case in this one, where the offense opened quickly through the air: a 10 play, 80 yard drive which saw senior QB Scott Darby complete passes of 12, 14, 19, and 39 yards, the latter a touchdown pass to WR Max Waizenegger for the early score, 7-0. Marist followed with a drive to midfield, but suffered the first of its four turnovers when senior DE Andrew Schaetzke sacked quarterback Tommy Reilly and forced a fumble. The Hoyas appeared to be driving for another score on the back of sophomore Nick Campanella, who rushed six times in a 10 play drive which drove to the Marist 3, but Campanella himself was stripped of the ball before he could get into the end zone, and Marist picked up a touchback in the process.

Marist needed a big series to tighten the game to open the third but was felled by the turnover. On a 2nd and 11 at midfield, Reilly was picked off by junior CB Jeremy Moore, who returned the ball 38 yards to the marist 12, setting up Darby for a 12 yard pass to Waizenegger for the score, 35-14. marist's next drive stalled at midfield, but Georgetown was bit by the interception bug as well, as Darby was intercepted deep in Marist territory and the Red Foxes exacted revenge as well, picking up a 75 yard pass play from Reilly to WR Armani Martin, 35-21, part of a career high 162 yards receiving for the sophomore wideout.

Georgetown continued to punish the Marist defense on the ground and in the air. An even mix of running and passing plays saw Georgetown move down the field again, a 10 play drive that took six minutes off the clock and resulted in a 19 yard pass to Jeremiah Kayal, 42-21. It was not until the fourth quarter that Georgetown attempted a punt in the game.

Reilly continued to find air support for Marist, engineering a 10 play 76 yard drive to close to 42-28 to open the fourth. Midway through the period, however, the defense picked off another Reilly pass at midfield, where senior Wayne Heimuli returned an interception to the marist 21 where darby completed another one play touchdown drive, this time a pass to Macari, 49-28, and added a field goal late in the game with the decision out of reach.

Each quarterback was proficient in the air. Scott Darby completed one of the best games of his Georgetown career: 18-22 for 211 yards, while Reilly's 305 yards were tempered by three interceptions, as the Red Foxes are now a -7 in turnover margin this season and have lost three straight. The Hoyas converted on five of six red zone opportunities (Campanella's fumble out of the end zone the only such setback) and its 490 yards of total offense were the most in a game dating back to a 2007 loss at Marist.

Georgetown remains on the road next week versus Bucknell, which is enjoying a 3-1 start as well following its 34-9 upset over Princeton this past Saturday.

Game statistics:

                          GEORGETOWN           MARIST
First downs                       25               16
Rushed-yards                  46-279            30-49
Passing yards                    211              305
Sacked-yards lost                0-0             4-37
Return yards                      94                0
Passes                       18-22-1          22-33-3
Punts                         1-33.0           3-46.7
Fumbles-lost                     1-1              2-1
Penalties-yards                 6-64             7-80
Time of possession             29:38            30:22

• GUHoyas.com
• GoRedFoxes.com
• Associated Press
• The HOYA
• Marist Circle
• Middletown Times Herald Record
• Poughkeepsie Journal
• Washington Post

Game #5: Bucknell (Oct. 1)

A fumble on the second play of the game foretold a listless Georgetown offense in Saturday's 35-18 loss to Bucknell before only 2,132 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium in Lewisburg.

The showdown between two of the Patriot League's three 3-1 team figured to be decided on the turnover, and the decision came early. On the second play of the game, QB Scott Darby lost the ball at the georgetown 28, and was recovered by Bucknell at the 16, setting up a six play drive for the go ahead score, 7-0. The Hoyas appeared to respond better in its second drive, advancing into Bucknell territory midway through the first quarter, but failed to convert on a 4th and one at the Bucknell 40, turning the ball over on downs. It was endemic of a day where Georgetown had no rushing game and allowed Bucknell to dictate its will on offense.

Over its next four possessions, the Hoyas managed just seven net yards, no more painful than a drive in the second which began on the Bucknell 41 and failed to reach first down. None were more than two minutes in duration, sending the defense out in a game right out of the ill-fated 2009 season. As the Hoyas were sinking into the mire of a rainy afternoon in Pennsylvania, Bucknell picked up the pace and scored on three of its four second quarter possessions.

The Bison opened the second quarter completing a 13 play, 64 yard drive to lead 14--0. After an exchange of punts, Bucknell QB Brandon Wesley found WR Frank DeNick on consecutive plays of 14 and 36 yards for a third TD, 21-0. Taking over with 1:27 in the half, the Bison needed 34 seconds to extend the lead to 28-0 with three Wesley passes totalling 57 yards, the latter a 41 yard TD pass to WR Victor Walker.

The teams traded possessions throughout the rest of the game, with few highlights, although Bucknell was able to end a streak of 159 straight passes without an interception for Isaiah Kempf, as he was picked off twice in the quarter. A 58 yard Georgetown drive ended on downs at the Bucknell 32, while three other drives in the quarter netted just 16. Bucknell fared little better in the quarter (28 yard in four possessions), but the outcome was already in hand.

Kempf finished 24-41 for 211 yards, while starter Scott Darby was pulled early, going 3-4 for 13 yards. Georgetown's rushing game turned in its poorest effort since the 2009 season, rushing for a -3 yards and showing little help from an offensive line that was expected to give Bucknell a stiff challenge in the game. This was the third game Bucknell had held an opponent under 100 yards, but its fewest since allowing marist 56 yards in the second week of the season.

Running back Tyler Smith led the Bucknell effort with 114 rushing yards and 223 total yards, personally converting six of the Bison's eight third down conversions in the first half. The Hoyas managed just two third down conversions in each half.

It was the first week of October where a 3-1 Georgetown team began a six game losing streak to otherwise sour the 2010 season. This year's Hoyas will look to avoid a similar trend with its fourth road game in as many weeks, a Oct. 8 game at Wagner, which dropped a 31-7 finish to Cornell Saturday.

Game statistics:

                          GEORGETOWN         BUCKNELL
First downs                       15               18
Rushed-yards                 22-(-3)           50-152
Passing yards                    224              200
Sacked-yards lost               3-19             4-27
Return yards                      21               53
Passes                       27-45-2          11-19-0
Punts                         7-35.0           7-38.3
Fumbles-lost                     2-1              1-1
Penalties-yards                 4-19             3-26
Time of possession             22:05            37:55

• GUHoyas.com
• BucknellBison.com
• Associated Press

Game #6: Wagner (Oct. 8)

Georgetown overcame four fumbles and five turnovers overall in a sloppy 24-10 win before 2,267 at Wagner College Stadium Saturday. The victory matches Georgetown's four wins from last season, but neither team's offense showed much firepower.

The game opened with an exchange of punts...and turnovers. Following two punts to open the game, Georgetown's Jeremy Grasso forced a Wagner fumble at midfield, only to see Georgetown QB Isaiah Kempf fumble back on the Hoyas' first play. Backup quarterback Matt Misley, making his first start for the Seahawks, engineered an 11 play, 44 yard drive that stalled inside the 10, but a field goal gave Wagner the early advantage, 3-0.

The turnover bug bit again for the Hoyas. After a drive which saw sophomore RB Nick Campanella rush four rimes for 27 to get the Hoyas into Wagner territory, Kempf was intercepted at the Wagner 15. The Seahawks' running game was put into check by the Georgetown defense, and the teams traded short yardage drives with consecutive punts over the next three series entering the second quarter.

Kempf answered back with four pass completions in a nine play drive that set up Brett Weiss with a career-best 49 yard field goal, 17-10, but from this point the game ground to a defensive standstill. A 20 yard drive and punt by the Seahawks was the only series over the next nine that gained more than eight yards. Over the next eight series, the teams combined for 30 yards, eight punts, and no first downs.

The game was still too close for comfort at the 6:53 mark of the fourth quarter. After a pair of incompletions at the Georgetown 29, the Hoyas look to be three and out again when Kempf found WR Max Waizenegger open from a busted defensive set, and Waizenegger raced 71 yards for the touchdown, 24-10.

"It was a broken play, Isaiah got flushed out of the pocket and I was just along the sideline," said Waizenegger on the pass play. "They blitzed a lot of people, he rolled out and he threw me the ball and I was able to get to the end zone. What we're taught to do is that the deepest receiver on a broken play just supposed to run down the sideline. I did that and he just found me."

Misley drove Wagner deep into Georgetown territory, but his pass was picked off by DB David Quintero at the Georgetown 3, and the Hoyas ran out the clock thereafter.

"I'm really happy with our defense," said head coach Kevin Kelly. "They bent a little bit, but didn't break and then made a real big play there at the end."

Kempf passed for just 183 yards, 71 of them from the pass to Waizenegger. Dalen Claytor led all Georgetown rushers with 49 yards, but only eight yards came after the first quarter. Wagner's Dominique Williams was held well under his 120 yard per game average, finishing with 25 carries and 67 yards.

Robert McCabe was the defensive star of the game, with 14 tackles.

Game statistics:

                         GEORGETOWN           WAGNER
First downs                      15               16
Rushed-yards                 47-153            33-77
Passing yards                   183              230
Sacked-yards lost              3-17             3-15
Return yards                     94               43
Passes                      12-24-1          23-43-1
Punts                        5-40.2          10-36.4
Fumbles-lost                    5-4              1-1
Penalties-yards                8-85           10-101
Time of possession            26:49            33:11

Game recaps follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• Wagner Seahawks.com
• Staten Island Advance

Game #7: Howard (Oct. 15)

A pair of fourth quarter scores powered the Georgetown Hoyas past Howard, 21-3, in the third Mayor's Cup game. The Georgetown defense was the star, turning in one of the best games seen in recent years as they forced five turnovers and stopped the Bison at nearly every opportunity.

Howard got off to a rough start in the game, throwing an interception to Georgetown's Stephen Atwater on the first play of the game. Two series later, the Hoyas returned the favor, throwing a first down interception, but neither team capitalized and this was the story for most of the first half. Over the first 25 minutes of the half, the game was little more than three and out, with the two teams combining for 10 first downs and 10 punts between them. Each missed a scoring opportunity, including a 27 yard touchdown pass from Georgetown's Isaiah Kempf to Kevin Macari that was negated by a holding penalty, and a missed field goal from the Bison.

Georgetown took its first points to the scoreboard midway in the second quarter. Highlighted by a 20 yard pass play and a 37 yard reverse by WR Zack Wilke, the Hoyas went 70 yards in seven plays for the score, 7-0. The 70 yards in the series was nearly half the Hoyas' total offense for the half, managing just 50 yards passing and 146 yards overall. By contrast, the Hoyas had all but locked down the Bison defensively, holding Howard to just 90 yards by halftime.

"There's no doubt about it, we came out flat,” Howard Coach Gary Harrell told the Washington Post. “I don’t think we came out mentally prepared for this game.”

Howard had no answers in the second half. Its succeeding drive was three and out, and the following drive ended early when QB Greg McGhee was picked off by LB Robert McCabe, who raced down the field and was stopped at the four. The Hoyas scored two plays later, 21-3.

While neither offense turned in spectacular numbers, the game was on third down. Georgetown was 8-20 on third down conversions, but Howard managed only 2-14 on third downs as the Hoyas' front line stopped the Bison when it counted.

"Andrew Schaetzke, in my opinion is the best player in the Patriot League,"s aid head coach kevin kelly in post-game remarks. "He’s a big impact, dynamic football player. A lot of folks have to scheme to block him week in and week out and he still makes big plays for us. Then [Robert] McCabe, it’s his first year playing inside (linebacker) for us. Last year, we had to play him outside because we had some senior linebackers, but kicked him in this year and he’s leading our league in tackles right now and he made a nice play at the end to give us the game.”

The win marked the second win over Howard in three instances of the DC Mayor's Cup, and its five wins is the most in any season since 2002.

The relative obscurity of the game did not go unnoticed for Kelly, who saw the Hoyas play before only 1,891 fans despite a sunny afternoon of 70 degrees The namesake of the cup, the Mayor of washington, did not even attend the game.

“In my opinion this is a game that should be played every year," said Kelly. "I was telling [coach Harrell] before the game, I’d like to get a little more publicity for this game. There is a Mayor’s Cup, maybe get the Mayor involved, but it just makes too much sense, three miles away, especially with economics the way they are with traveling, it’s a home game schedule for us, it took us 15 minutes to get here, so it’s something we should do every year if we can do it.”

Game statistics:

                          GEORGETOWN           HOWARD
First downs                       17               13
Rushed-yards                  53-191           36-126
Passing yards                    105              115
Sacked-yards lost               3-18              1-6
Return yards                      38               10
Passes                       12-24-1          17-31-2
Punts                         8-33.5           8-34.4
Fumbles-lost                     1-1              3-2
Penalties-yards                 7-44            12-92
Time of possession             34:48            25:04

• GUHoyas.com
• Howard-Bison.com
• Associated Press
• Washington Examiner
• Washington Post

Game #8: Colgate (Oct. 22)

On Oct. 22, 1999, Kevin Kelly was a defensive coach at Syracuse, on a bye week after a blistering 62-0 loss to Virginia Tech. Colgate coach Dick Biddle was in the midst of a nine game win streak en route to the Patriot League title and a third straight NCAA playoff berth. Andrew Schaetzke was in 4th grade.

And on that October day, the Georgetown Hoyas earned a 14-3 win over St. Peter's before a meager 750 fans at Cochrane Stadium in Jersey City, NJ. It was the last time Georgetown clinched a winning season...until Saturday.

The best 60 minutes of Hoya football in a generation may have taken 12 years, but it will not be soon forgotten, as Georgetown thoroughly outplayed the Colgate Red Raiders for a rousing 40-17 win before 3,215 at Multi-Sport Field in the 72nd Homecoming Game.

Colgate entered the game with three straight wins and the nation's seventh ranked rushing offense, with a tradition of pounding the Hoyas via the run. Colgate teams had rushed for 300 or more yards on the Georgetown defense three straight times and four of the last five, and if there was a message to be sent, it came early.

On a second and five in its opening series, the Red Raiders looked to consecutive handoffs to Nate Eachus, who gained 244 yards on the Hoyas last season. Georgetown held the All-America candidate to three yards on two carries forcing an early punt. On its third play of the opening drive, Georgetown QB Isaiah Kempf found WR Jamal Davis on a short pass that took off, as Davis eluded three tackles and raced 63 yards down the field for the touchdown, 7-0. Colgate answered quickly, returning the kickoff to midfield and driving 48 yards on six plays, with a two yard Eachus touchdown to the the score, 7-7.

Another sluggish drive followed for Colgate. Eachus was held to one yard, Smith was sacked, and the Red Raiders punted at its 27. Off a high snap, Jeremy Moore blocked the punt, and the Hoyas took over again deep in Colgate territory. Five straight rushes drove the Hoyas to the eight, but Logan was caught behind the line on a wide sweep and the Hoyas settled for Weiss' fourth field goal, 40-10.

With 6:32 to play, and with reserves beginning to get time in the Georgetown defense, the Red Raiders put together a strong 10 play drive, led by reserve RB Zauhn Lewis, with 32 yards over five rushes. Smith returned the Red Raiders to the scoreboard with a 25 yard pass to Chris Looney entering the final minute, 40-17.

As the seconds ticked away to Georgetown's biggest Homecoming win in 14 years or more, there was no rushing the field, no Gatorade toss, no goal posts in danger. Perhaps the fans were simply unaccustomed to the sight of a Georgetown win like this, the largest margin of win in a conference game in its PL history, For the players, it was a win, but not a need to unduly celebrate. For the first time in its conference history, there really is more ahead of them in the last week of October.

"I'm so proud of our players here, especially the guys that have been around here through some tough times," said head coach Kevin Kelly, whose seniors have won as many games in 2011 (six) as they did in the previous three seasons.

Wilburn Logan led all rushers with 73 yards.

"The thing that people don't realize is that Chance Logan, Dalen Claytor and Brandon Durham run a lot heavier than they look, that's what's great about really all three of those guys," said Kelly. "At first contact they're not going down yet. All three of those guys are very, very effective. I think our offensive line did a great job today. In practice a lot we worked on the run. In the last couple of weeks we've sputtered a bit on offense. Today we were balanced, and that's why we sustained drives."

Logan was quick to credit his teammates: "It was especially the front five, they were doing the dirty work blocking downfield, I wasn't being touched until I was five yards down the field. I give it up to the front five, the tight ends, the receivers, Nick Campanella, everyone around me helped me this whole game. The holes were huge, it was a great feeling. It wasn't really me at all, it was the other ten."

The defensive effort on Eachus cannot be understated. Eachus was coming off a three week break due to a concussion, but was more than capable of driving on the Hoyas, as he did last season. Eachus was held to just 38 yards on the afternoon.

"We didn't give Eachus a chance to get going," said Kelly. "If you don't get a bunch of maniacs to the ball, gang-tackling him, he can make some plays. We didn't let him get started, our defensive front seven did a terrific job."

"Our two goals, one was to have a winning season, we got that today," said Kelly, and the second is the Patriot League [title]. We've got six wins. Next week we've got a huge game next week at Holy Cross. We'll have our hands full with that one."

In a week, yes. But for a few days, take a chance to look back at one of the great games in the modern era of the sport on the Hilltop. It was that, and more.

Game statistics:

                             COLGATE       GEORGETOWN
First downs                       13               15
Rushed-yards                  36-121           38-162
Passing yards                    155              133
Sacked-yards lost               2-13              1-0
Return yards                       0              176
Passes                       18-25-3          13-21-0
Punts                         6-33.7           3-36.7
Fumbles-lost                     0-0              0-0
Penalties-yards                6-100             4-49
Time of possession             33:55            25:12

Additional recaps follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• Go Colgate Raiders.com

Game #9: Holy Cross (Oct. 29)

"That's an upset...[but] they've really turned it around down there, over the last year and a half."--CBS College Sports analyst Rich Rodriguez, reporting the second half score of the Georgetown-Holy Cross game

Four hundred miles south of Fitton Field, in the midst of the kickoff weekend of Georgetown's $1.5 billion capital campaign, the word was quietly getting around on cell phones and text messages. "Did you see the score?" they asked. "How much time is left?"

A member of the Medical School alumni board had the official word during the meeting of the Alumni Association's Board of Governors: the Hoyas had not only defeated Holy Cross, but in two weeks would play for the Patriot League championship. Amidst a weekend of surprise announcements, this was a surprise all its own.

However notable Georgetown's 40-17 win over Colgate the week before was, its 19-6 win over Holy Cross before 3,873 snow-covered fans at Fitton Field was probably even more so--Holy Cross had played a tougher schedule, was traditionally tough in cold weather, and entered the game undefeated in the Patriot League. But as turnovers have bedeviled the Crusaders all season, the Halloween weekend would bring back some unwelcome ghosts to the Crusader offense, with five turnovers in the loss.

Seven seconds into the fourth quarter, Georgetown took over deep in its territory and consumed nearly seven minutes of the remaining clock, as senior RB Wilburn Logan converted three first downs as the Hoyas punted at midfield without a score, but with far less time to manage. Holy Cross took over at 8:39 to play, but on a 4th and 2 at its 44, Andrew Schaetzke came up with a big sack that ended the drive at a critical moment of the game. Georgetown took over with 6:00 to play, ran off nearly four minutes of the clock, then broke the game open when Logan took off for 39 yards for the touchdown, 19-0.

Holy Cross wasn't quite done, though. A forty yard kickoff return set up the Crusaders in Georgetown territory, where Taggart moved the team down in less than a minute, avoiding the turnover bug by rushing himself from the GU 9 for the score, but HC failed on the conversion, 19-6. Opting for the onside kick, HC recovered the ball but the ball was recovered one yard short of the ten yard requirement. On the re kick, HC turned the trick again, but its faint hopes were extinguished when Taggart fumbled the ball two plays later and DB Jeremy Moore recovered at the HC 43.

Schaetzke was selected for the Eddie Anderson Award, presented by the Holy Cross Club of Greater Boston during HC's Family Weekend. Schaetzke ended up with seven tackles (three for loss) and two fourth quarter sacks. Overall, the defense stood stall all afternoon, particularly in holding Holy Cross QB Ryan Taggart to just 203 total yards (155 passing, 48 rushing), 140 yards below his average. The Crusaders converted only four third downs in the game compared with eight in its 16-13 win over Bucknell a week before.

Georgetown returns home Saturday to meet Fordham, who were run over by Army in a 55-0 shutout last week. Because Fordham is ineligible in the Patriot League, the game will not count in the standings, but remains essential for the momentum Georgetown needs to maintain as a unlikely showdown with #6-ranked Lehigh now looms over the horizon and has the rest of the Patriot League asking themselves, "Did you see the score?"

Game statistics:

                          GEORGETOWN       HOLY CROSS
First downs                       15               17
Rushed-yards                  50-185           33-145
Passing yards                     55              155
Sacked-yards lost               2-16             2-13
Return yards                       3                0
Passes                        4-15-0          21-34-1
Punts                         7-30.4           2-28.0
Fumbles-lost                     3-1              4-4
Penalties-yards                 4-35             5-47
Time of possession             31:53            28:07

Additional recaps follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• GoHolyCross.com
• Associated Press
• The HOYA
• Washington Post
• Worcester Telegram

Game #10: Fordham (Nov. 5)

"I think we have a class of young men who come from strong football backgrounds. The quality of this class is exciting not only for the coaching staff, but for the future of Georgetown Football."--Kevin Kelly, May 2008

When the Class of 2012 was announced, various Division I-AA observers called it Georgetown's strongest class ever, a mix of highly regarded regional and national recruits that represented Georgetown's best effort to date to rise from the Patriot League cellar. On Sep. 6, 2008, they opened their college careers with a 12-6 win over Howard, but saw only one more win over the next two seasons.

By the time the Hoyas opened the 2010 season with a 20-10 win over Davidson, just 15 of the 32 recruits remained on the team--a measure of injuries and attrition which might have been too much for some teams to overcome. Now, with 13 of the original 32 and five that joined the team in the interim, 18 seniors will be honored Saturday at Multi-Sport Field for a remarkable turnaround in the annals of Georgetown football, and a win over Fordham would mark the school's first undefeated record at home since 1998, and only the second such mark since the 1978 season. For a class that won only six games in its first three seasons, the opportunity to win an eighth game in 2011 is just one measure of how far this group has come, on and off the field.

The thirteen four-year lettermen are listed below:

1. Tim Bayer (B'12) (DB, Cincinnati, OH): Played in 18 games in 2009 and 2010 in the secondary, but has saw reduced action as a senior, with three games and two tackles in 2011. A 2008 and 2010 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
2. Scott Darby (B'12) (QB, Tewksbury, MA): The starter for 11 games in 2010, Darby has platooned with Isaiah Kempf for much of this season, passing for 359 yards and five touchdowns in 2011. A 2009 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
3. Wayne Heimuli (B'12) (DB, Euless, TX): A fearless tackler who lost much of the 2009 season to injury, Heimuli was awarded the Eacobacci Memorial Jersey in 2011. In 34 games, he has contributed 111 solo tackles and 148.5 overall, with two interceptions this season. Heimuli is a team captain this season.
4. Ed Hesselgren (B'12) (OL, San Francisco, CA): The revival of the Georgetown offensive line began with Hesselgren's arrival into the lineup in 2010, where he has started 15 of the last 16 games and 17 overall over three seasons. A 2008, 2009 and 2010 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
5. Jayah Kaisamba (B'12) (DB, Ft. Worth, TX): With 35 starts in his 40 game career, Kaisamba has been an anchor in the Hoyas' defensive secondary, and in 2010 was named the first Georgetown defensive back ever named to the PL's first team. Kaisamba has 146.5 tackles and seven interceptions. For 2011, he has 24.5 tackles and one fumble return.
6. Jeremiah Kayal (B'12) (WR, Wayne, NJ): This Georgetown slot back has played every game over the last three seasons, with 33 catches for 237 yards and one touchdown, and was named a team captain for 2011. A 2009 Patriot League All-Academic selection. A 2009 and 2010 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
7. Wilburn (Chance) Logan (C'12) (RB, Kingston, RI): A four year back who lost the 2009 season to injury, Logan has saved some of his best efforts for recent games, rushing for 151 of his 552 career yards in the last two weeks versus Colgate and Holy Cross. A 2009 and 2010 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
8. Mike McIntyre (C'12) (TE, Portage, MI): Recruited as a defensive end, McIntyre moved to tight end, where he has two catches over 17 games in three seasons at the position. A 2009 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
9. Kyle Miller (B'12) (DB, Plano, TX): Miller saw action in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker and safety, but injuries have sidelined him throughout 2011. For his career, Miller has 23.5 tackles and one interception. A 2008, 2009 and 2010 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
10. David Quintero (C'12) (DB, Miramar, FL): A three sport star in high school, Quintero has been a expert defender in the secondary for four seasons, with 31 straight starts and 40 games overall. with 135 career tackles and four interceptions. A 2010 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
11. Andrew Schaetzke (C'12) (DL, Toledo, OH): In 39 games over four seasons, the 6-4, 245 lb. Schaetzke has established himself as the Hoyas' best defensive lineman since Alex Buzbee. A 2010 Patriot League first team selection, Schaetzke is 2.5 sacks short of the school's career record, and enters Saturday's game ranked 7th in the nation in tackles for loss this season and 10th in sacks. He has played in 39 of 41 possible games over his career, and has started the last 31. A 2008, Patriot League All-Academic selection.
12. Tucker Stafford (C'12) : (QB/P/TE, Greenwich, CT): Considered one of Georgetown's most promising QB prospects since Aley Demarest in 1990, the 6-5 Stafford's career under center was remarkably brief. Entering play in the third game of the 2008 season versus Yale, Stafford opened up with an 11 yard pass play, then injured his throwing hand on the next play and never returned to the position, becoming the team's backup punter before returning to the starting lineup as a tight end in 2011. A 2009 Patriot League All-Academic selection.
13. Nathan Zimmel (B'12) (LB, Allentown, PA): A relentless competitor over three seasons as a backup linebacker, Zimmel became the first special teams contributor ever selected as a team captain. For 2011, Zimmel has eight tackles in eight games this season. A 2010 Patriot League All-Academic selection.

In addition, five seniors joined the team in the intervening years, and will also be honored:

14. David Conway (B'12) (P, Sydney, Australia, 2010,11): Has played a backup role to Matt MacZura as a punter, but has not seen any game action.
15. Alexandre Danis (C'12) (DE, New York, NY, 2011): Walked onto the team this fall, has not seen any game action (not seen in photo above).
16. Dan Lenihan (C'12) (DE, Ridgewood, NJ, 2007,09,11): Having lost two seasons to injury, Lenihan returned to the lineup in 2011, where he had 10 tackles this season before being sidelined by a knee injury.
17. Patrick Ryan (C'12) (WR, Westlake, OH, 2010,11): A transfer from Miami (OH), Ryan has started all 20 games at wide receiver, with 37 catches for 379 yards and one touchdown.
18. Brett Weiss (B'12) (K, Phoenix, MD, 2010,11):
A lacrosse transfer from the University of Maryland, Weiss has been a consistent factor in the Hoyas' improved scoring, with 28-30 PAT's and 11-16 FG's in 2011 and 51-55 PAT's and 18-26 FG's overall.

1. Brandon Basso (DL, New Haven, CT, 2008): One season on roster, no game action listed.
2. Chris Bisanzo (OL, Greenwich, CT, 2008): Two years on roster, with two games as a sophomore before injuries shortened his career.
3. James Brady (QB, Melville, NY, 2008,09): The starting quarterback entering his sophomore season, Brady left the team after being benched in the final two minutes following Georgetown's 28-3 loss to Lafayette in the 2009 home opener. Transferring to New Hampshire later that semester, Brady has played in one game this season for the Wildcats.
4. Marcus Chitman (DL, Mesquite, TX): Played in six games as a sophomore.
5. Jonathan Deardorff (OL, Chadds Ford, PA): Played as a backup lineman over three seasons, did not return to the team in 2011.
6. Mark Faison (DB, Sugar Land, TX, 2008): One season on roster, no game action, left Georgetown in 2009.
7. Drew Herma (WR, Brookfield, WI, 2008,09,10): Three years on roster, no game action listed.
8. Dishon Hughes (WR, Richardson, TX, 2008,09): Led the team as a sophomore with a 15.3 yards per catch average, but left Georgetown after 2009 season.
9. David King (QB, Rockton, IL, 2008,09): One of a record six QB's in the class, King was moved to WR as a freshman and saw action in six games over two seasons.
10. Steven Lang (OL, Leonardo, NJ, 2008,09): Two years on the roster as a backup.
11. Christopher Leon (DL, Centreville, VA, 2008): Played in one game as a freshman, left team after 2008 season.
12. Alexander Matzkin (OL, Tampa, FL, 2008): One season on roster, no game action listed.
13. John O'Leary (QB, Stamford, CT, 2008,09,10): A three year contributor at quarterback and wide receiver, O'Leary left the team this past spring. A article in Stamford, CT noted he is an assistant coach at his former high school, Stamford Catholic.
14. Rick Rattay (DB, Toledo, OH, 2008,09): A two year contributor, he played in seven games over the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
15. Gerard Reilly (DB, Cincinnati, OH, 2008): Did not see action in 2008, joined the men's lacrosse team where he is a three year midfielder.
16. Samir Tejpaul (LB, Duluth, GA, 2008,09): Played in 14 games over two seasons.
17. Keion Wade (RB, East Orange NJ, 2008): A promising back who was second on the team in rushing in 2008, Wade enrolled at Garden City (KS) Community College in 2009 before transferring to St. Francis (PA), where he has rushed for 174 yards in six games for the Red Flash.
18. Tim Waller (LB, Wayne, NJ, 2008,09): Played three games as a sophomore backup.
19. Nick White (QB, Hull, MA): Saw action in one game on special teams as a freshman.

"I have no question that Georgetown is going to be better. I actually picked them to finish second in the league."--Lehigh head coach Andy Coen, August 2, 2011

Continuing to surprise its fans and confound its opponents, the Georgetown Hoyas took one more step on the road to an unlikely berth in the Patriot League championship with a 30-13 win over Fordham, before 2,237 attending Senior Day at Multi-Sport Field. While the game with the Rams did not affect the conference standings, the tone and tenor of the game allowed Georgetown another challenge to overcome heading into its regular season finale with Lehigh, one which will decide the league's champion and its automatic qualifier in the NCAA Division I playoffs.

Fordham wasn't about to quit, and their ability against the Hoya's midrange defense called up another big drive, an 11 play, 57 yard drive that entered the red zone and drove to the GU six. Again the Hoyas held, but Fordham coach Tom Masella opted to go for a first down inside the five instead of a field goal, and the Hoyas held yet again. In its last five possessions, Fordham had run off 43 plays and 277 total yards, and had no points to show for it.

Higgins was 35-53 for 387 yards but Fordham gave up four turnovers which proved crucial amidst a Georgetown offense that had its share of lulls in the game.

“It’s everything we want to do as a senior class," added Darby. "We want to be part of the team that turns things around here. I think it’s big in the Georgetown community. It feels pretty good.”

Game statistics:

                             FORDHAM       GEORGETOWN
First downs                       23               19
Rushed-yards                   26-59           41-177
Passing yards                    387              199
Sacked-yards lost               2-12              0-0
Return yards                       6               91
Passes                       35-53-3          18-30-0
Punts                         2-37.5           4-37.8
Fumbles-lost                     2-1              0-0
Penalties-yards                  1-4             5-25
Time of possession             26:51            33:09

Additional recaps follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• FordhamSports.com
• Associated Press
• Washington Post

Game #10: Fordham (Nov. 12)

Lehigh's Chris Lum threw for 393 yards and the Georgetown offense had little in return as the Engineers clinched its 11th Patriot League championship in a 34-12 win over Georgetown before a smaller than expected crowd of 6,044 at Murray Goodman Stadium.

A championship game is all about making the most of opportunities, and Georgetown simply failed to take advantage when they turned its way. On the third play of the game, Lehigh RB Michael Colvin fumbled the ball at the 36, recovered by Georgetown's Jeremy Moore. A 29 yard pass from QB Isaiah Kempf to WR Max Waizenegger set up the Hoyas at the ten, but the Hoyas could not move the ball closer than the six. On fourth down, a 23 yard field goal by Brett Weiss sliced wide right, ending a streak of nine straight field goals by the senior and sending an chill into the Hoyas' upset hopes.

Georgetown's offense, ineffective in the first half, ground to a halt thereafter. The Hoyas' next four drives gained 17 total yards as Lehigh added an extra touchdown, 34-12, and stood at the Georgetown three when time expired.

Lum finished the day 32-48 for 393 yards, and could have approached 500 had the Engineers not gone to a ground game in the second half. Although the Hoyas held the Lehigh rushers to 124 yards, its pass defense was overwhelmed by the barrage of Lehigh passes in the game. Two Lehigh receivers, Jake Drwal (11-158) and Ryan Spadola (7-131) had more receiving yards (289) than Georgetown had total yards (199).

For its part, the Georgetown offense was never quite there. Kempf passed for 67 yards in the first half and 33 in the first possession of the third quarter. Kempf completed three passes for six yards thereafter until he was replaced by senior Scott Darby, who was 5-14 for 45 yards. The Hoyas were a season-low 2-15 on third down conversions, none after the opening touchdown of the third quarter. The Hoyas' three fumble recoveries, a strong number for any upset minded team, were cancelled out by three interceptions, and the time of possession wore out the defense in key stretches.

With the win, Lehigh (9-1) claimed its tenth Patriot league title since 1993 and back to back titles for the first time since 2000 and 2001. With an 8-3 record, Georgetown remains an at-large playoff candidate, but the relative weakness of the PL leaves little hope of a second league team in the 20 team field.

A deflating end to a great year offers the hope for an even better 2012.

Game statistics:

                          GEORGETOWN           LEHIGH
First downs                       10               25
Rushed-yards                   25-48           34-124
Passing yards                    151              393
Sacked-yards lost               5-18             2-11
Return yards                       1               67
Passes                       15-39-3          32-48-0
Punts                         7-30.0           5-32.8
Fumbles-lost                     1-0              3-2
Penalties-yards                 4-35             9-79
Time of possession             21:49            38:11

Additional recaps follow below.

• GUHoyas.com
• LehighSports.com
• Associated Press
• Allentown Morning Call
• Easton Express-Times
• Lehigh Football Nation