Home > 2013 Season In Review
Georgetown Football: 2013 Season Recaps
Compiled from HoyaSaxa.com coverage.
Game #1: Wagner (Aug. 31)
That's why it's called halftime.
Halfway through an impressive debut for Isaiah Kempf, the Hoyas' offense was nonexistent in the second half, combining for 33 total yards as the Hoyas gave up 21 straight points in a 28-21 loss to Wagner College in the 2013 season opener.
Georgetown wasted no time in setting an early tone for the game, going through the air to test a young and inexperienced Wagner secondary recovering from the loss of 15 defensive seniors from its 2012 team. Senior QB Isaiah Kempf was 6-8 on his first drive, driving 84 yards in just over four minutes for the Hoyas' first score, 7-0. Georgetown appeared to be set up for a return trip to the scoreboard, as LB Dustin Wharton intercepted a pass on the Seahawks' second offensive play pass, but penalties forced a punt instead.
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Wagner executed its best drive of the half late in the first quarter, relying on the running of Dominique Williams and a TD pass to Duke transfer Tyree Watkins, 7-7. Georgetown answered with a 13 play 70 yard drive, aided by an alert pickup by reserve QB Kyle Nolan, who retrieved allow snap on a field goal attempt and passed for a first down at the two, setting up Joel Kimpela for a two yard run, 14-7. The teams exchanged field position on punt down the stretch in the first half, with the Hoyas getting the better of it. After a Matt MacZura punt pinned the Seahawks at its two, Wagner went three and out and gave the Hoyas a short field at its 48, where GU went seven plays to extend the lead at 21-7 with 1:35 in the half. Georgetown put up 250 yards on offense in the half compared to 116 for Wagner. Isaiah Kempf was 19-27 for 194 yards, while Matt Misley was just 4-9 for Wagner. A 19 yard pass play on third and long opened Wagner's first drive of the second half, advancing the Seahawks to midfield, but the Hoyas held on a fourth and one at the Georgetown 41, only to punt it back. An exchange of punts followed, with Wagner getting the upper hand with a 20 yard punt return to the Georgetown 41 midway in the third. From there, A pass to Tyree Watkins advanced to the 10, whereupon he lateraled it to a trailing Dominque Williams for the score, 21-14. |
10:33 Georgetown time of possession, 1st qtr. 7:04 Georgetown time of possession, 2nd qtr. 5:29 Georgetown time of possession, 3rd qtr. 3:42 Georgetown time of possession, 4th qtr. 56 Wagner rushing plays |
The offense looked lost on every series, none more so than when Isaiah Kempf fired a pick-six at his 20 yard line which tied the score at 21 early in the fourth. On its next possession, the Hoyas were three and out again, giving the ball back to Wagner with just over 10 minutes to play. A 15 play drive wore out the clock and wore out the Georgetown defense, giving Wagner the winning score with 2:49 to play, 28-21. Kempf managed an 11 yard scramble on first down but the Hoyas gave up the ball on downs four plays later.
The Hoyas held a 250-116 advantage in total yards at the half, and were outgained 301-283 at the end. Georgetown managed two first downs after halftime against a Wagner team which lost its top seven tacklers from 2012.
Kempf's numbers tell the story of the game:
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| 1st Qtr. | 2nd Qtr. | 3rd Qtr. | 4th Qtr. |
| 13 for 16 126 yards |
7 for 10 68 yards |
2 for 7 8 yards |
1 for 8 -5 yards |
If head coach Kevin Kelly was upset with the offense's flagging results, he wasn't saying.
""We played a playoff caliber team," Kelly said in a link at GUHoyas.com. "We knew going into the ballgame that [Dominique Williams] was a tough back and that we needed to get two or three guys on him because he wouldn't go down easily.
"But we have a lot of football left. In the first half we did some real good things on offense, some good things on special teams and on defense overall and now we just have to get ready for next week."
Georgetown returns to home games on consecutive weekends with Davidson and Marist. These are the only games of the season where Georgetown is a clear favorite.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN WAGNER
First downs 17 17
Rushed-yards 33-104 56-230
Passing yards 204 106
Sacked-yards lost 2-15 3-16
Passes 24-42-1 12-21-2
Punts 9-37.9 6-38.0
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 5-38 4-25
Time of possession 26:48 33:12
Game #2: Davidson (Sep. 7)
The Georgetown Hoyas pulled away with three touchdowns in the second quarter in a 42-6 win over Davidson at Multi-Sport Field Saturday evening.
Davidson entered the game with a run of poor fortune in season openers, having lost 10 of its last 11, but sought to shake things up in its opening drive. Driving 69 yards in 16 plays, the Wildcats drove to the Georgetown six before the defense held. On the field goal try, junior DT Jordan Richardson blocked the attempt.
Georgetown's opening drive was also foiled late. The Hoyas matched Davidson's drive with a 12 play effort, moving to the Wildcat 20. On an second down, QB Isaiah Kempf was picked off by Davidson's Myles Atkins at the one yard line. For its part, the Wildcats committed the first of three major mistakes in the half, surrendering the ball three plays later with a Rohan Williamson interception that set up the Hoyas for a crisp five play, 27 yard drive that gave Nick Campanella a two yard run for the touchdown, 7-0, his 16th career rushing TD.
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The Wildcats answered with its best drive of the evening, a 14 play, 75 yard effort that drove to the Georgetown five before QB Jonathan Carkhuff found TE Reese Williams for the score. But the kick was blocked again, this time on the extra point, and the Wildcats settled for a 7-6 score, the closest they would come thereafter. Davidson's young defense was tested all evening long. Georgetown responded with a seven play 59 yard drive, with key pass plays from Kempf to Zack Wilke and Jake deCicco that set up Dalen Claytor for a 12 yard run, 14-6. After an exchange of punts that left the Wildcats deep in its own territory, punter Jeff McDaniels could not complete the punt and his pass play was incomplete. The Wildcats offered little thereafter, managing three first downs after the half and settling for punts on each of its second half series. The Wildcats' first punt of the half was, in a word, disastrous. Kicking for the first time in his career, junior Garrett Diehl stood at the Davidson nine and shanked an eight yard kick, handing the Hoyas a two play drive that led Kempf to find TE Daniel Sprotte, 35-6. Punting was the order of the game for much of the remainder of play--the teams exchanged kicks over the next seven series before Georgetown took the air out of the ball with a 13 play, 77 yard drive that took up nearly eight minutes of the fourth quarter. Freshman RB Tyrell Williams rushed seven times for 24 yards in the drive, but it was Kempf's 15 yard run down the line that gave the Hoyas the final score, 42-6. |
2,954 Attendance at MSF; largest crowd at opener since 2005 2.5 Avg. yards per rush, Davidson 4.5 Avg. yards per rush, Georgetown 6 Georgetown drives of less than 2 mins. 3:42 Georgetown time of possession vs. Wagner, 4th qtr. 9:47 Georgetown time of possession vs. Davidson, 4th qtr. |
Kempf finished 16 for 23 for 185 yards, getting his share of short field drives. Joel Kimpela led all Georgetown runners with 69 yards on 13 carries. Defensively, the Hoyas held the weaker Wildcats running game to 76 yards, with no run longer than six yards for the second half.
Game statistics:
DAVIDSON GEORGETOWN
First downs 18 20
Rushed-yards 31-76 42-190
Passing yards 214 185
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 0-0
Passes 22-43-2 16-23-1
Punts 6-31.8 5-42.2
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 6-71 9-85
Time of possession 29:21 30:39
Game #3: Marist (Sep. 14)
On a bad day for the Patriot League, prospects for the 2013 Georgetown Hoyas' season took a decidedly bad turn.
A two touchdown underdog entering the game, a winless Marist College team won its first game at Georgetown in nine tries dating to 1994, scoring 28 unanswered points for a 43-23 win at unfinished Multi-Sport Field. It is the first road win by any Marist team over a team from the Patriot League.
Noticeably absent from the stat sheet was senior LB Dustin Wharton, out of action for only the second time in his career and ending a run of 24 straight appearances in the starting lineup. At the outset, however, a turnover was the issue. On its first play of the game, Georgetown quarterback Isaiah Kempf was intercepted at midfield, setting up the Red Foxes for an eight play, 57 yard drive where senior quarterback Chucky Looney completed two passes totalling 40 yards to WR Armani Martin, who scored the opening touchdown from six yards out. A missed extra point gave Marist am early 6-0 lead.
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A Georgetown three and out returned the Foxes to a short field, advancing 40 yards for a field goal and a 9-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Hoyas looked to be answering early in the second, but Kempf coughed up a fumble at the Marist 25. The Foxes could not advance, and returned the ball shortly thereafter to Georgetown with 12:01 to play. With three straight pass completions, Kempf brought the Hoyas to the Marist nine yard line, where a pair of rushes by Joel Kimpela gave Georgetown the score; however, MacZura's PAT kick sailed wide and the score remained 9-6. Following an exchange of punts, a pair of Kempf passes to Zack Wilke and Jake DeCicco set up Matt MacZura for a 44 yard tying field goal, 9-9. Within the Kelly era, Georgetown teams have at times been susceptible to letdowns at the end of the first half. With 1:07 remaining, Marist took full advantage. Starting at their 16, Looney began to pick apart the Hoyas' defensive set. On consecutive plays, an 18 yard run, an 11 yard pass play, and a 14 yard run got Marist into Georgetown territory with 47 seconds remaining. Following a time out, Looney found Martin for 36 yards to the GU three, and two plays later Looney scrambled for the score with four seconds to halftime, 16-9. The late letdown was a sign of things to come. Marist came out roaring in the second half and Georgetown had no answer. Looney was 3 for 4 for 55 yards and threw a 17 yard score to open the half, 23-9. After Georgetown went three and out, a short punt set up Marist at its 50, where junior RB Emanuel Onakoya burst through the line for a 50 yard score on the first play of the drive, 30-9. The Hoyas advanced to its 40 yard line before RB Nick Campanella fumbled the ball and Looney responded with passes of 33 and 10 yards for a 37-9 score, and what remained of a small MSF crowd of 1,813 was in retreat. Kempf was not done, and began his assault up the list of single game passing records on the next drive. Kempf completed six of eight in a 70 yard drive to open the fourth quarter, capped by an eight yard touchdown pass to Wilke, 37-16. Following a Marist punt, Kempf was back in the air for an eight play, 70 yard drive that closed the lead to 37-23, but with the defense needing a stand to set up a monumental comeback, they simply failed to do so. Looney led Marist on a 12 play, 81 yard drive that drained six minutes off the clock, scoring late to give the Foxes a 43-23 advantage. Georgetown turned the ball over on downs near midfield with under four minutes remaining, and the visitors dutifully ran out the clock. |
43 Most pts allowed in a September non-conf. home game since 2007 (Cornell, 45-7) 398 GU passing yds.; most since 1998 4.5 Avg. GU rush vs. Davidson 1.7 Avg. GU rush vs. Marist 45 Marist rushing yds, first two games combined 230 Marist rushing yds, vs. GU 7 Marist drives of more than 50 yards 7 Marist sacks 0 Georgetown sacks |
Marist's Looney was 17-27 for 275 yards and four touchdowns. Kempf finished 35-52 for 398 yards, 226 of which went to Wilke and DeCicco. The rushing game was not much of a contest, with GU accounting for just 55 yards on the ground while the Red Foxes, averaging just 23.5 yards in its two previous games versus Sacred heart and Bucknell, put up 230 yards. Marist entered the game a combined -5 in turnovers, but did not lose the ball once this evening as GU handed back three to the visitors.
Georgetown begins a two week run with Ivy League opponents with a trip to Brown on Saturday. Brown has won the three prior meetings between the schools, most recently a 37-10 win at the MSF last fall.
Game statistics:
MARIST GEORGETOWN
First downs 25 27
Rushed-yards 48-230 32-55
Passing yards 275 398
Sacked-yards lost 7-43 0-0
Passes 17-27-0 35-52-1
Punts 5-42.6 4-38.5
Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-2
Penalties-yards 9-73 6-48
Time of possession 33:22 26:38
Game #4: Brown (Sep. 21)
Mike Szostak of the Providence Journal summed it up in three words: "That was easy."
A Brown University squad that featured 18 senior starters walked over Georgetown in its season opener before a small crowd of 3,093 at Brown Stadium, 45-7. The Bears scored on five of its first six possessions and Georgetown never threatened.
The Bears served notice on its opening drive, moving 92 yards in nine plays, with QB Patrick Donnelly shredding the GU secondary, completing 5 of 6 passes for 58 yards and the first score of the afternoon on an eight yard pass, 7-0. Georgetown answered with a three and out and a 23 yard punt that set up Brown at midfield, where BU drove seven plays and settled for a 32 yard field goal, 10-0.
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A running subplot of this game was field position. No Georgetown drive started outside its 26 yard line, while nine Brown drives started at its 45 yard line or greater. At the 21, Georgetown went three and out, with a chop block penalty negating a first down. Following the punt, the Bears set up at its 47, moving 53 yards in nine plays for a 17-0 lead , with RB John Spooney accounting for the first of Brown's next three touchdowns. On the ensuing kickoff, Brandon Durham's 91 yard touchdown return was called back for a holding penalty, the Hoyas settled for three and out yet again. A Brown punt pinned the Hoyas at its one yard line on the next GU possession. The Hoyas went three and out for a fourth consecutive series, and the Bears drove with relative ease in a five play, 37 yard drive to go up 24-0 with 10:37 to play until halftime. Georgetown moved the chains with its first two first downs of the game to midfield, but on a 4th and 1 at the Brown 22, the snap sailed past Isaiah Kempf's head and Brown recovered the fumble at midfield, marching eight plays and 45 yards to a 31-0 score. The Bears outgained the Hoyas 293-104 at intermission, with Spooney rushing for 102 yards at halftime, and was rested thereafter. Brown emptied the bench in the third quarter, with the teams trading punts over the next five series before the Bears took advantage of another short field and drove 59 yards in seven plays, 38-0. The Hoyas managed just two first downs on its first five series until Isaiah Kempf was replaced by sophomore Kyle Nolan midway in the fourth quarter. Nolan drove the Hoyas 66 yards in the final series of the game before being shaken up in the final minute. A strange third down play followed where, without a quarterback on the field, RB Nick Campanella took a direct snap for no gain, whereupon Kempf returned for an 14 yard pass to Michael Cimilluca in the corner of the end zone with 28 seconds remaining to break the shutout. |
4.5 Avg. GU rush vs. Davidson 1.7 Avg. GU rush vs. Marist 1.5 Avg. GU rush vs. Brown 10 GU total yds., first four series 190 GU total yds., first four series 7 Brown sacks 0 Georgetown sacks 1-12 Georgetown record vs. Ivy League since 2006 |
Georgetown looked sluggish in the first half as Brown set the pace and Georgetown did not respond. The last minute drive to end the game was the Hoyas' only red zone possession of the game, while Brown scored on six of seven such possessions, despite sitting many of its starters for much of the second half. Following his 393 yard passing effort versus Marist, Isaiah Kempf was 14-33 for just 131 yards. The Georgetown rushing game was contained once again, combining for just 55 yards.
The 38 point deficit is the largest in a non-conference game for Georgetown since a 49-10 loss to Richmond on Nov. 14, 2009.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN BROWN
First downs 17 23
Rushed-yards 37-55 48-268
Passing yards 180 208
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 5-30
Passes 21-44-1 21-29-0
Punts 9-37.1 3-47.0
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 7-47 12-86
Time of possession 24:50 35:10
Game #5: Princeton (Sep. 28)
Defense, injuries, penalties, decisions, whatever, the verdict is the same: this Georgetown team is not very good, and the toughest part of the schedule is around the corner.
Amidst dark clouds over the Nation's Capital, the weather provided a suitable backdrop to a stormy outcome and an uncertain future for the 2013 season, as Princeton routed Georgetown, 50-22, before a sold out if dispirited crowd at the ever-unfinished Multi-Sport Field. The Hoyas simply could not stand up to the pressure of Princeton's motion offense and gave up its most points at home in the Kevin Kelly era (2006-present) and the first time a Georgetown club has allowed 40 more points in three consecutive games since the 2007 season.
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The Hoyas started off with a bad omen, with Georgetown opting to wear their white road jerseys at home Saturday. It's been done once before, also a loss, and no statement was given why the white jerseys were employed. But it didn't take long for the orange-clad Tigers (1-1) to assert its control in the game, opening with a five play, 73 yard drive that Georgetown was powerless to stop. Quarterback Connor Michelsen was 3-3 for 37 yards to drive to the GU 33, where sophomore DiAndre Atwater followed it up with a 28 yard run to the five, where the Tigers scored two players later and surprised the GU coaches with a two point conversion to go up 8-0. After an exchange of punts, the Hoyas answered with a five play, 62 yard drive, but the Georgetown coaches got greedy, taking (and missing on) a two point try, and trailed 8-6. Georgetown caught a break on the next series. An four yard pass play from Michelsen to WR Seth DeValve which appeared to be an incompletion at the 19 yard line was ruled a catch and a fumble, whereupon Cameron Gamble alertly picked up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown. Georgetown again gambled for two and again left points on the table, 12-8. Princeton's offense had plenty of firepower at its disposal. The Tigers answered with a 15 play, 843 yard drive, aided by two Georgetown penalties and a defensive set that failed to pick up a fake punt on 4th and 7 from midfield that netted 16 yards and extended the drive. After three straight series without a first down, Georgetown drove deep into Tiger territory midway in the second quarter and settled for a 23 yard field goal, 22-15. What could have been a seven point deficit at intermission doubled in the final minute, as the Tigers drove 63 yards to score with 0:27 left to go up by 14, 29-15, at the break. The staccato offense seen in the opening drive served Old Nassau well in the final drive of the half, as a 17 yard run by Mills was followed with pass plays of 10 and 20 yards to set up the tigers in the red zone. The 61 yard drive was executed in just 1:08. |
46-24-3 GU all-time record at Homecoming 7-6 Homecoming record since 2001 0-4 Homecoming record vs. Ivy teams 542 Total yardage, Princeton 6.8 Yards per rush, Princeton 176 Rushing yardage, Georgetown 110 Penalty yardage, Georgetown 5-5 Princeton red zone conversion 4:19 Georgetown time of possession, 4th qtr. |
Georgetown was on the ropes at halftime and Princeton sent them down for the count soon thereafter. A listless opening drive went three and out for Georgetown, setting up the Tigers at midfield. The GU defense held after three downs, forcing a Princeton punt, but as the Tigers moved Epperly back into the lineup, the Georgetown staff called a defensive time out on fourth down. Princeton took the gift, opted to go for it, and Epperly ran uncontested on a stunning 53 yard keeper, 36-15.
The Hoyas never recovered. On its next series, a pass from QB Isaiah Kempf was picked off at midfield which led to a three play Tiger drive, 43-15. The score, with just 10:20 in the 3rd period, marked the third straight game of 40 or more points surrendered by Georgetown in a game.
With the bleachers emptying, Kempf took the Hoyas on its best series of the game, a 15 play, 82 yard drive which was capped by a one yard Nick Campanella score, 43-22. Unfortunately, Princeton returned the favor in a methodical 13 play, 77 yard drive to go up 50-22 with 1:10 in the third. The fourth quarter was largely garbage time, with no serious scoring threat thereafter. Princeton coach Bob Surace talked to the GUHoyas.com broadcast after the game, while Coach kelly did not appear for comments.
So where do the coaches start in reviewing this game? Penalties, for one. The Hoyas logged 13 penalties for 110 yards, at least three of which helped lead to Princeton scoring drives. A unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on punt coverage by John Egan late in the fourth was emblematic of a poorly coached effort in this regard. Tackling? Inconsistent and often nonexistent, as two Princeton touchdowns were scored uncontested off the line of scrimmage for a total of 112 yards.
Injuries were well evident. Although linebackers Dustin Wharton and Nick Alfieri returned after two weeks, RB Joel Kimpela was held out, as was CB Stephen Atwater. Wide Receiver Zack Wilke was knocked out with a concussion in the second quarter, and freshman CB Porter Huntley injured his leg and was carried off the field. RB Dalen Claytor was hurt late in the third, while QB Isaiah Kempf was hurt late in the third and was replaced by sophomore Cameron MacPherson, who himself moved up to second string this past week after Kyle Nolan was injured in the loss to Brown.
Nick Campanella led all Georgetown rushers with 88 yards, but the star of the backfield was Princeton quarterback Quinn Epperly, whose first four rushes resulted in four touchdowns, a rare statistic noted by the New York Times in its Sunday editions. The final score marked the first time a Princeton team had topped 50 points in the last 13 seasons.
Georgetown's next opponent is an undefeated Fordham team that has already defeated the likes of Temple and Villanova, and carries enough players on full scholarship to fill its two-deep twice over. Game time is Oct. 12 at 1:00 pm.
Game statistics:
PRINCETON GEORGETOWN
First downs 30 19
Rushed-yards 48-326 40-176
Passing yards 216 167
Sacked-yards lost 1-6 1-4
Passes 23-36-0 19-39-2
Punts 9-34.1 10-39.5
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 7-47 13-110
Time of possession 32:58 27:02
Game #6: Fordham (Oct. 12)
Fifteen minutes was all Fordham needed to dismiss the injury-plagued Georgetown Hoyas, 34-12, before just 1,831 at the unfinished Multi-Sport Field. The undefeated ranked Rams built a 21-0 first quarter lead, and despite some missed opportunities, were never threatened thereafter, as Georgetown (1-5) dropped its fourth straight.
Fordham opened the game crisply, with a nine play 64 yard drive that went to third down just once in the series. Quarterback Michael Nebrich was 4 for 4 in the possession, hitting WR Brian Wetzel with an eight yard pass for the score, 7-0.
The Hoyas' offense showed some early signs of life, advancing to the Fordham 30 before Matt MacZura was unable to connect on a career-best 47 yard field goal. On an exchange of punts, the rams took over at the Georgetown 20, where Nebrich led the Rams on a seven play, 80 yards drive that took just over two minutes. Keyed by a 28 yard pass from Nebrich to WR Tebucky Jones Jr. to the GU 8, Nebrich took it in one play later for the score, whereupon Jordan Richardson blocked the PAT, 13-0.
If there were any doubts about the outcome of the game, Georgetown's next series would settle the score. Three plays into the drive, QB Isaiah Kempf threw into double coverage at the Georgetown 29, where Fordham's Jordan Chapman picked off the pass and went straight down the sideline for the score. Following a two point conversion, the Hoyas were down now 21-0 with 1:14 left in the first period.
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Whether a function of Isaiah Kempf's ongoing hand injury or a desire to shake things up, Kempf was replaced in the lineup in the next series by freshman Tim Barnes, making his collegiate debut as the sixth different Georgetown quarterback to see action in the prior 17 games dating to the 2012 season. Barnes had moved up the depth chart following injuries to Kyle Nolan and Cameron MacPherson, but found his first series completed in a punt back to Fordham early in the second quarter. At this point, the game slowed to a defensive struggle, interrupted only by the Rams, where a 46 yard pass from Nebrich to Jones set up RB Jared Crayton for a 13 yard run, 28-0. The Rams made two more incursions into Georgetown territory, but fumbled the ball at the goal line and missed a short field goal at the end of the quarter to remain 28-0 at the half. The Rams went to intermission out gaining the Hoyas 325-117, with Georgetown gaining just 59 yards after the opening drive. Nebrich ended the half 21-22 for 265 yards. Entering the third quarter, the Rams continued to march into Georgetown territory but with indifferent results. A three and out by Barnes to open the third was answered by Fordham in a 12 play 55 yard drive that drove to the Georgetown 10, but a holding call forced the rams to settle for a field goal, 31-0. An exchange of punts placed the Hoyas near midfield, where Barnes led the Hoyas to the Fordham 32, where MacZura set a personal best with a 49 yard field goal to break the shutout, 31-3. Points aside, this game was already in the books and the remaining series allowed both coaches to rest starters and test newcomers. |
60 Players on full scholarship, Fordham 0 Players on full scholarship, Georgetown 7-0 Fordham record; first since 1930 season 21-22 Fordham passing, first half 8.6 Avg. yards per pass, Fordham 4.1 Avg. yards per pass, Georgetown |
The Rams continued to flex its offense might, but met a spirited Georgetown response. A drive to the Georgetown 19 was stopped by an alert defensive stand, and from an exchange of punts the Rams were pinned at their one yard line early in the fourth. A handoff to RB Carlton Koonce was stuffed by nose guard Jordan Richardson, earning GU a safety, 31-5. The Rams then moved to the Georgetown 10 before settling for a short field goal, 34-5, whereupon Barnes led the Hoyas to 11 play, 71 yards against the Fordham reserves for Georgetown's only touchdown of the day, with a 15 yard pass to WR Michael Cimilluca with 1:36 to play.
While the two teams were comparable on the ground (135-131, Fordham), Nebrich was the clear leader in the air. The All-America candidate finished 35-47 for 405 yards and no interceptions, while Barnes' debut was somewhat more understated: 16-31 for just 124 yards. Tebucky Jones led all receivers with 12 receptions for 182 yards, which outpointed GU's entire passing output for the afternoon (158).
As the outcome was settled early, the score may understate the efforts the Georgetown defense did in preventing Fordham from making this one a rout. The Hoyas held Fordham without a score in the red zone on three of eight possessions. In its prior six games, Fordham had been held without a red zone possession in four of 31 possessions. Dustin Wharton led all tacklers with nine in a team wide effort.
Next up: a road trip to Lehigh, where the Hoyas have not defeated the Engineers in any of its prior six meetings.
Game statistics:
FORDHAM GEORGETOWN
First downs 29 16
Rushed-yards 34-131 42-190
Passing yards 405 158
Sacked-yards lost 2-14 2-16
Passes 35-47-0 20-39-1
Punts 2-44.5 8-42.0
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 8-56 7-53
Time of possession 30:32 29:28
Game #7: Lehigh (Oct. 19)
Don't let the score fool you. It wasn't that close.
The Lehigh Engineers scored on seven of its first eight possessions, and narrowly missed on an eighth, before mailing in the second half in a 45-24 win over Georgetown at Goodman Stadium.
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The Hoyas were overwhelmed at the start, giving up a 48 yard run on the second play of the game by Lehigh's Ross Sherman as the Engineers needed only 1:05 to drive a 7-0 lead. Save for a first down run in its opening series, the Hoyas had nothing offensively to begin the game. Sophomore Kyle Nolan got the start at quarterback coming off injury but was frequently off in his passing, and the Hoyas managed just 18 yards in the first quarter. On Lehigh's second possession, the Engineers drive to the Georgetown 32 and opted to go for it on fourth down, where a likely touchdown pass caromed off a helmet in the Georgetown secondary and turned the ball over on downs. Georgetown went three and out, and Lehigh then responded with a 12 play, 87 yard drive to go up 14-0. Lehigh finished the first quarter outgaining the Hoyas 219-20, and opened the second quarter in similar fashion. Returning a punt to the Georgetown 32, the Engineers needed just five plays to go up 21-0 early in the second. The Hoyas answered with a stronger effort midway through the second, driving to the Lehigh 2 before a key penalty set them back five yards and GU settled for the field goal, 21-3. Defensively, however, the Hoyas were just too small and too low for Lehigh's attack. The Engineers moved at will over its next three possessions, driving 71 yards in five plays, 28-3, a ten play drive that resulted in a 40 yard field goal, 31-3, and a five play, 67 yard drive at the end of the half to go up 38-3 at intermission, the most points a Lehigh team had scored at half since they dropped 49 on the Hoyas in the 2002 season opener. Overall, Lehigh held a 386-123 advantage in total yards at the break. |
66 1st half pts allowed, last 2 games 3 1st half pts scored, last 2 games 380-119 Total yds advantage by Lehigh, first half 250-151 Total yds advantage by GU, second half 9,866 Game attendance |
The second half was largely practice time for Lehigh's second string and it showed. Led by Nick Campanella's three TD's, the Hoyas outgained the Engineers in the second half with the outcome no longer in doubt, scoring early in the third and on two late fourth quarter scores. After an opening drive possession by Lehigh to go up 45-10, the Engineers managed just four first downs for the rest of the game, took its first punt of the game in the fourth quarter, and played out the game.
The loss clinches the seventh losing record in Kevin Kelly's eight seasons on the Hilltop, and the 13th consecutive loss to Lehigh dating to the 2001 season, both school records.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN LEHIGH
First downs 26 26
Rushed-yards 43-229 39-234
Passing yards 140 298
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 1-6
Return yards 0 0
Passes 19-30-0 28-38-0
Punts 6-40.8 2-45.0
Fumbles-lost 2-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 5-40 7-60
Time of possession 28:18 31:42
Game recaps:
Game #8: Colgate (Oct. 26)
Before Georgetown can win the day, it has to win the first half.
With three defensive starters injured, it was a familiar outcome as Colgate scored touchdowns on four of its first five possessions and held on for a 34-14 win Saturday before a crowd of just 1,981 at unfinished Multi-Sport Field.
Defense was at a premium in the first quarter. Colgate moved 78 yards in eight plays to open the game, as a one yard run gave Colgate the touchdown, but an errant kick left the score at 6-0. The Hoyas answered with a five play, 65 yard drive, capped by a 55 yard touchdown pass from Kyle Nolan to Zack Wilke, the longest play of the season and giving Georgetown an early 7-6 lead.
Georgetown announcer Chuck Timanus correctly called the parallel between last year's start between the two teams, where the Hoyas went up 7-6 in Hamilton and got run over thereafter. The Red Raiders continued its mix of run and pass plays to great effect, a seven play, 64 yard drive midway in the first quarter, 13-7. Georgetown looked to match the score on its next series, where QB Kyle Nolan led the Hoyas on a ten play, 71 yard drive to the Colgate 19, but on a third down run, RB Brandon Durham fumbled the ball at the 15 and Colgate took full advantage, driving 85 yards in 12 plays to put the Red Raiders ahead for good, 20-7.
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Georgetown continued to make good progress against the Colgate defense, but stalled at the Colgate 33 on its next series. Each team traded its first punt of the afternoon before the Red raiders took over at its nine yard line, with a 12 play, 91 yard drive that ended with a touchdown in the final minute of the half, 27-7. At the break, Colgate had outgained Georgetown 328-185, with quarterback Gavin McCarney 12-17 for 136 yards. The Hoyas went thee and out on its first two possessions of the third quarter, but caught a break when Matt MacZura's second punt was fumbled by the Red Raiders and recovered by Georgetown's Chad Coleman at the Colgate 46. Over the next six plays, the Hoyas netted just three yards on the drive, hampered by two offensive penalties and a quarterback, and punted the ball back midway in the third. Colgate surrendered its second turnover in as many series, where McCarney was picked off by DB Stephen Atwater at the Colgate 42. Two quick plays by Nolan drove the Hoyas to the Colgate six, where Nolan ran it in on the next play and the Hoyas closed to 27-14 with 2:29 in the third. Opening the fourth quarter, Georgetown held Colgate at midfield, but gave up a 24 yard pass on a 4th and 3, with the Red Raiders driving to the Georgetown four before McCarney added up his third touchdown pass of the game and extended the lead to 34-14 with 12:30 in the fourth quarter. Nolan rallied the Hoyas with a 14 play drive to the Colgate 7, but touchdown passes were broken up in the end zone on consecutive plays to leave the Hoyas without points at the 8:06 mark of the fourth. |
93-10 Combined score at halftime by GU opponents, last three games 6.4 Avg. yards per rush, Colgate 2.7 Avg. yards per rush, Georgetown 6 GU penalties 1 Colgate penalty 4:24 Georgetown time of possession, 4th qtr. |
Note that the Hoyas didn't have an argument, however. Sideline reporter Brian Gardner interviewed a photographer who had a digital image of Wilke in brief possession of the ball on the 4th down play, but the play was ruled otherwise and Colgate took over at its seven, draining out the remaining eight minutes of the game in a methodical 12 play drive that advanced to the Georgetown three before McCarney knelt twice to end the game.
McCarney finished 20-28 for 248 yards passing and the Red Raiders totaled 557 yards overall. Georgetown has now allowed 500 or more yards in four consecutive games.
The loss all eliminates the Hoyas from the Patriot League race with four weeks remaining, though Bucknell did its part for the rest of the league in a stunning 48-10 win over Lehigh, its first win over the Engineers since 1997.
Game statistics:
COLGATE GEORGETOWN
First downs 31 16
Rushed-yards 48-309 20-54
Passing yards 248 257
Sacked-yards lost 1-8 0-0
Passes 20-28-1 23-40-0
Punts 1-13.0 4-42.2
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 1-10 6-50
Time of possession 36:49 23:11
Game #9: Lafayette (Nov. 2)
There are still two games officially left on the 2013 schedule, but not much else.
Penalties, turnovers, and flagging effort led the Georgetown Hoyas to allow four touchdowns over four series in the third quarter, as Lafayette walked over Georgetown, 45-27, a dispiriting Senior Day performance at the unfinished Multi Sport Field. This was a 7-7 game in the final two minutes of the first half, and then sank like a rock.
The loss marks Georgetown's third winless home record since 1990, all within the last seven years.
After a Georgetown punt to open the game, Lafayette drove 10 plays in 75 yards to open the scoring, scoring on a pass play from Drew Reed to Demetrius Dixon on a 4th and 1 at the Georgetown 36 that eluded three tacklers en route to the end zone. Georgetown was less effective over its first two series, but leveraged runs and short passes to drive early in the second, with an 11 play drive that popped when RB Nick Campanella burst through the line of scrimmage and raced 37 yards for the tying score, 7-7.
An exchange of punts returned Lafayette the ball with 5:05 in the half, where the Leopards 85 yard in over 12 plays, aided by two Georgetown penalties in the red zone which led to a two yard score by lafayette RB Ross Scheuerman with 1:08 left in the half, 14-7. Georgetown drove as close as the Lafayette 32 late in the half, but a penalty and sack ended any further scoring threat.
Georgetown committed six penalties in the first half and mistakes continued to follow them in the second. After an exchange of punts to open the third quarter, the Leopards drive was juiced when Georgetown was flagged for a face mask on the second play of the series, a face mask on an out of bounds play. Taking advantage, Reed found Mark Ross on a 40 pass and a 10 yarder to Mike Duncan on consecutive plays, 21-7, a 47 second drive.
A holding penalty set back the Hoyas on its next drive, and QB Kyle Nolan missed a receiver by throwing an interception returned to the Georgetown 39. Lafayette continued to pick at the Georgetown defenses, but an unsportsmanlike conduct call on the Hoyas advanced the ball to the two. On the next play, Reed found WR Pat Creahan alone in the end zone, 28-7. It was the second consecutive scoring drive of five plays or less.
The Georgetown focus just wasn't there. On the next play, Nolan's receiver didn't turn around, giving the Leopards an easy interception at the Georgetown 40. The Leopards drove three plays to the Georgetown four yard line where Reed found Ross in the corner of the end zone, 35-7.
What was left of the fans were then chided by the Lafayette TV announcers as being "ugly" towards the Georgetown coaching staff, but did not elaborate.
With the game out of contention, Georgetown then began to pick up yardage. After a 15 yard Nick Campanella run was waived off by penalty, Nolan found WR Zack Wilke for a 24 yard catch to the Lafayette 10, and two plays later found TE Dan Sprotte for a nine yard score. Kelly opted to bring senior Devon Papendrew in for the PAT, but the kick shanked and bounced off the lower crossbar, 35-13.
With whatever momentum that engendered, Georgetown's special teams then allowed a 99 yard kickoff right up the middle, 42-13. The return was endemic of a game where the Hoyas appeared unfocused for much of the game and worn out against a hungrier Lafayette team.
With still more than 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Nolan led the Hoyas back on a 12 play drive, capped by a four yard pass play to Sprotte for the touchdown. MacZura returned for the PAT and connected thusly, 42-20.
The special teams turned in a poor effort on the next kick, as Lafayette advanced to its 45 yard line. Georgetown gave up a face mask penalty on the first play of the drive, as Lafayette kept it on the ground to run down the clock. A nine play, 50 yard drive advanced to the Georgetown four and cashed in a short 21 yard field goal at the 4:08 mark, 45-20.
A senior-dominant lineup returned for the final Georgetown series of the quarter, with catches from reserves such as Aaron Aiken and Elliot Owusu to advance the Hoyas to midfield. Passes to Sprotte and Dalen Claytor, each seniors, advanced the drive to the Lafayette 16 in the final minute, with a pass tp fellow senior Michael Cimilluca driving to the five. A pass catch to Owusu saved an interception at the two, and with 28 seconds left. Two plays later, Nolan faked out everyone and walked it in, 45-27.
Drew Reed (18-24, 275 yards) threw four touchdowns for the Leopards, Kyle Nolan two for the Hoyas, but penalties (11) and turnovers (3) were endemic of a poor effort all around by Georgetown. The Hoyas actually held a net lead in total yards, but 184 of the 400 yard total came in the fourth quarter with the outcome decided.
Game statistics:
LAFAYETTE GEORGETOWN
First downs 23 24
Rushed-yards 36-88 32-147
Passing yards 275 253
Sacked-yards lost 4-15 4-21
Passes 18-24-0 29-44-3
Punts 3-33.3 3-41.3
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 7-48 11-91
Time of possession 30:02 29:58
Game #10: Bucknell (Nov. 16)
Bucknell's top-rated defense in the Patriot League was as advertised, holding Georgetown to just 22 yards rushing in a 17-7 decision Saturday in Lewisburg, PA.
Both teams started out slowly, trading punts over the first four possessions. Field position began to tip the scales for the Bison, pinning the Hoyas at its five and trading it for a Georgetown punt which set up Bucknell at inside the GU 47 yard line. The Bison drove 11 plays for the opening score, with a six yard pass to WR Josh Brake, 7-0. A 35 yard kick return from Georgetown's Brandon Durham was disallowed by penalty, and Georgetown's ensuing punt was returned by the Bison deep in Georgetown territory, where Bucknell converted on a five play, 27 yard drive, 14-0.
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On the first play of the succeeding drive, Georgetown RB Dalen Claytor lost the ball at the Georgetown 31, setting up the Bison for short field position and a resulting 33 yard field goal, 17-0. A 15 yard punt on Georgetown's next possession was emblematic of a weakened offensive effort throughout the first half, totaling just 67 yards at the break with just 9:25 of possession versus over 20 minutes for the Bison. Georgetown managed just 14 yards rushing on nine carries. The Hoyas began the third quarter with renewed purpose, leveraging a defensive penalty on the Bison to cross the 50 yard line for the first time in the game. The Hoyas drove in 12 plays to the Bucknell 31 before consecutive sacks turned the ball over on downs. The teams traded punts throughout the third quarter and the Bison did not pick up a first down until the four minute mark, as Georgetown's defense was effective controlling the line of scrimmage and getting inside on Bucknell QB Brandon Wesley. |
0.9 Georgetown avg yds. per rush 4:07 Georgetown time of possession, 2nd qtr. 4:55 Georgetown time of possession, 4th qtr. 7:55 Time of final BU possession |
Georgetown got back into Bucknell territory with 9:15 to play, converting on a 4th and 2 to the Bison 38 and picking up a defensive pass interference penalty to the BU 24. Quarterback Kyle Nolan found WR Zack Wilke over the middle with a pass to the Bucknell 2, and the Hoyas converted on a two yard run from Claytor to break the shutout at the eight minute mark, 17-7.
The Bison opted to keep the ball on the ground within its next series, but fell one yard short. In a surprising call, Bucknell coach Joe Susan opted to go for it on 4th and one, deep in his team's own territory. The Bison needed one yard, they got eight, and whatever faint hopes the Hoyas had of a rally simply evaporated. Bucknell ate up the remaining eight minutes of the clock, including converting a 4th and 1 with 1:07 remaining.
The loss was Georgetown's eighth straight, the second longest streak in the school's 139 year football history, surpassed only by Kevin Kelly's winless 0-11 season in 2009. Georgetown ends the season next Saturday at Holy Cross.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN BUCKNELL
First downs 15 17
Rushed-yards 25-22 45-137
Passing yards 149 112
Sacked-yards lost 4-29 5-31
Passes 20-37-0 14-21-0
Punts 6-29.8 5-33.4
Fumbles-lost 1-1 3-0
Penalties-yards 4-25 8-80
Time of possession 23:12 36:48
Game #11: Holy Cross (Nov. 23)
Kyle Nolan's 82 yard quarterback run with 1:57 to play earned Georgetown its most important win of the season, rallying from an early deficit and dominating the second half in a 28-21 upset of Holy Cross at Fitton Field in Worcester, MA. The win ended an eight game losing streak for the Hoyas and earned Georgetown a season ending win for only the second time since the 2002 season.
The Hoyas stumbled at the start, with a fumble by senior RB Nick Campanella on the second play of the game. HC took over in Georgetown territory, driving 42 yards in six plays for the 7-0 lead three minutes into the game. The Hoyas punted the ball back but a Holy Cross returned fumbled the wind-adjusted punt, setting up the Hoyas at the Crusader 26. The offense stalled over the next three downs, but with nothing to lose, Georgetown opted to go on 4th and six at the 22, with sophomore QB Kyle Nolan finding senior TE Dan Sprotte for the first down. Three plays later, sophomore RB Joel Kimpela went six yards for the score, 7-7.
Holy Cross reasserted itself over its next series: a nine play, 71 yard touchdown drive late in the first quarter, aided by a late hit by junior LB Patrick Boyle into the Georgetown bench that extended the Crusaders' drive. GU ended the first quarter on a three and out, and following a defensive interception to stall a Holy Cross drive at the Georgetown 35, the G-men turned in a second three and out. On its next series, however, Nolan took advantage of the wind, with passes to Zack Wilke and Brandon Durham to advance inside the HC 20. A Following a penalty, Nolan found WR Justin Hill with a 29 yard pass to the one yard line, and took it over on the following play, 14-14, with 5:20 to halftime.
The Hoyas held Holy Cross in check over the next three Crusader series, forcing three straight punts. The Hoyas looked to be taking advantage of the wind at its back in its final series of the half, with Nolan completing passes to Wilke and Elliott Owusu to close inside the HC 25, but three offensive penalties pushed the Hoyas back and forced an unwieldy 52 yard attempt from PK Matt MacZura which fell short at the end of the first half.
Georgetown maintained the wind direction entering the third quarter and took early advantage, with Nolan found Wilke in stride with a 49 yard pass to the HC 25. The Hoyas advanced to the Crusader 10, and cashed in for a 29 yard MacZura field goal, 17-14, its first lead in a third quarter since mid-September.
Holy Cross simply could not move against the Hoyas and against the wind, failing to post a first down in its fifth straight series since the second quarter. Georgetown marched 10 plays to the HC 23, and on the 39 yard field goal attempt appeared to be faked and Georgetown lost three yards in the process.
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The third quarter Crusaders continued to be generous to the Hoyas, but the touchdowns did not materialize. On the third play of the next drive, QB Peter Pujals threw a pass that was picked off by DB Cameron Gamble at the HC 44. Seven plays later, the drive stalled at the HC 22, with a 39-yard MacZura field goal extending the count to 20-14. Holy Cross got the wind into the fourth, and on its first play of the quarter picked up its original first down of the second half. The Crusaders picked up three more first downs before WR Kyle Tolouse fumbled a likely touchdown, recovered by DB Garrett Powers at the two. A big drive followed for Georgetown at the 11:15 mark of the 4th, where Nolan led the Hoyas on converting three consecutive third down possessions to keep the clock moving. Another third down followed at the 6:24 mark, where a 15 yard pass from Nolan to Sprotte was invalidated for an illegal receiver downfield. Georgetown punted it back at the 5:59 mark, with HC taking over at its 15. Five plays took the Crusaders across midfield, but a holding call on the Crusaders set the drive back to its 44 with 3:20 to play. With 2:56 to play, HC faced a 3rd and 20, whereupon DT Richard Shankle sacked Pujals at the 36 and forced a punt with 2:15 to play. |
+3 GU advantage, turnovers 33:34 Georgetown time of possession, game 0:18 Time of game-winning GU possession 82 Kyle Nolan TD: longest rushing play since 1984 |
Georgetown took over at its 15. A first down run to Kimpela netted four, and when everyone expected Kimpela to get the carry on second down, Nolan took off untouched down the field for 82 yards, fooling the Patriot League Network cameras and sending the ever-stalwart Hoya fans across Fitton Field to its feet. A two point conversion passed muster, and GU took over, 28-14.
Holy Cross wasted no time to come back, with an eight play drive that advanced to the Georgetown 12 entering the final minute. Pujals threw a touchdown to freshman Jake Wieczorek with :47 left, 28-21, but Georgetown alertly recovered the onsides kick at midfield and ran out the clock.
The stat of the game was rush defense--a Georgetown club that averaged just under 200 rushing yards all season allowed Holy Cross just 59. And as the defense rose, the offense followed suit, giving the class of 2014 a win in their last game for the Blue and Gray and some good feelings for a Georgetown program facing a steeper climb while the rest of the Patriot League moves to 30 scholarships next season.
And just 40 weeks until the season opener.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN HOLY CROSS
First downs 20 19
Rushed-yards 46-212 30-59
Passing yards 227 238
Sacked-yards lost 4-23 2-14
Passes 19-32-0 23-39-2
Punts 5-30.4 6-41.3
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 9-65 6-62
Time of possession 33:34 26:26
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