Home > 2014 Season In Review
Georgetown Football: 2014 Season Recaps
Compiled from HoyaSaxa.com coverage.
Game #1: Wagner (Aug. 30)
The Georgetown Hoyas aren't expected to win many games in 2014, and Saturday's season opener confirmed the problems that await this team--a weak offensive line, a defense that can't be on the field all day, and a general lack of impact players that end up at scholarship programs. These were all contributing factors in a 21-3 loss to Wagner at unfinished Multi-Sport Field.
Wagner scored on its first drive of the game, an 80 yard drive to go up early, 7-0. The Seahawks rushed on 11 of 14 plays in the drive, but went to the air with a 20 yard pass from QB Brian Gehring to WR Anthony Carrington for the score.
"The safety just left [Carrington] by himself and when I saw him put his hands up, I knew it was going to be an easy pitch and catch," Gehring told the Staten Island Advance. "I thought our guys controlled things up front, we controlled the line of scrimmage pretty much all game."
Georgetown could not move the ball in its next possession, with a woeful 17 yard kick from new punter Harry McCollum setting up the Seahawks at midfield. Wagner drove 40 yards in six plays, but missed s short field goal.
Following an exchange of punts, Georgetown took over midway in the second quarter at its 18 yard line, where sack on Georgetown QB Kyle Nolan led to a fumble on Georgetown three yard line, putting the Hoyas in deep trouble early in the second. The turnover was averted on the next play when Garrett Powers intercepted a Brian Gehring pass in the Georgetown end zone. Still, the hoyas offense never got on track, having not crossed the 50 yard line until the last play of the half, where Nolan found Justin Hill for 16 yards and Matt Buckman for 20; the latter, with 19 seconds to play, set the Hoyas up for a field goal attempt. A 40 yard attempt from PK Henry Darmstadter sailed wide, but Wagner was found off sides and Darmstadter connected on the second attempt, 7-3, to end the half.
After Georgetown's first drive of the second half went three and out, Wagner began a 15 play, 67 yard drive that put the game out of reach. RB Otis Wright carried seven times, including five consecutive in advance of the score, as the Seahawks reached third down just twice over a seven minute drive, taking th 14-3 lead.
The remainder of the second half was much of the same. Georgetown managed just three first downs after the half, with a porous offensive line giving Nolan little or no chance to gain any meaningful yardage. The Seahawks scored on a nine play, 55 yard drive to open the fourth quarter, 21-3, and the score stayed there.
The Hoyas' offense was suspect entering the game and it ended the game with more questions than answers. Kyle Nolan was inconsistent all day, passing 20 for 41 for just 185 yards. He Nolan missed his first four passes of the second half, and missed his last four. If the rushing game was more productive, Nolan's numbers could be put into context, but the hoyas had no running game, with Joel Kimpela's 10 yards leading all rushers. Wagner entered the season having given up 147 yards a game on the ground, but the Hoyas weren't even close against a Wagner front line that had combined for 86 starts among them.
Next up for the Hoyas, a game at Dayton, its first trip to Ohio since the 1977 season. The schools have not met in football to date.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN WAGNER
First downs 14 21
Rushed-yards 20-19 52-167
Passing yards 185 163
Sacked-yards lost 2-11 2-20
Passes 20-43-0 13-19-1
Punts 7-36.6 4-36.5
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 7-55 10-89
Time of possession 24:17 35:43
Additional links follow below:
Game #2: Dayton (Sep. 6)
Senior running back Connor Kacsor set a Dayton single game rushing record as the Flyers defeated the Georgetown Hoyas 23-14, before a crowd of 3,468 at Welcome Stadium in Dayton, OH.
The Georgetown offense, which struggled in its opener with Wagner, was no more effective in its early moments versus Dayton. A Georgetown three and out set up the Flyers near midfield, where a nine play, 26 yard drive set up Dayton for a 49 yard field goal for the opening score, 3-0. A second Georgetown drive netted just 13 yards, whereupon the Flyers went to the air in a drive interrupted by penalties and forcing a punt at midfield. A third Georgetown drive stalled at midfield, whereupon the Flyers remained in the air and advanced to the Georgetown 14 and settled for a 31 yard field goal to extended the lead to 6-0 early in the second quarter.
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The Hoyas took to the air on its next series, where passes of seven and 33 yards from QB Kyle Nolan to WR Justin Harrell took the Hoyas into Dayton territory at its 38. With a substitution of Daniel Wright for Joel Kimpela, the Hoyas picked up some key yardage, and converted a pair of fourth down plays to keep the drive alive. A pair of Wright carries followed, the final one a one yard drive to put the Hoyas into the lead for the first time this season, 7-6, a 14 play, 69 yard drive that consumed over eight minutes on the clock. Enter Dayton's Connor Kacsor. The senior back had rushed for just 14 yards midway through the second period when the Flyers took over with 3:35 to halftime. On his first carry, 13 yards. A second carry, 11 yards. Following a incompletion, Kacsor took off on a weak side sweep and sprinted 43 yards for the touchdown, and momentum was back with the home team. The Flyers took the 13-7 lead into the break. Dayton went back to Kacsor for rushes of six, 10, and 14 yards to open the third period, but Kacsor's fumble at the Georgetown 30 gave the Hoyas a break. With Kimpela back in the lineup, the Hoyas drove 47 yards in nine plays, and on a fourth and one at the Dayton 23, opted to go for it again. Nolan's pass sailed high and the Flyers took over with Kacsor rushing 31 more yards. Dayton QB Will Bardo leveraged the Flyers' air game in an eight play, 77 yard drive, with a 19 yard pass to WR Branden Johnson for the score and a lead they would not relinquish, 20-7. A three and out followed for Nolan and the Hoyas, whereupon Kacsor continued his assault on the Georgetown defense. On Dayton's first play from scrimmage, Kacsor blasted through the Georgetown line for 49 yards down the field. The Flyers drove to the Georgetown 28 until the Hoyas' Hunter Kiselick broke up a Bardo pass with an interception that kept the game within reach. On its next series, Nolan found receivers Justin Hill and Matthew Buckman across the field to key a six play, 66 yard drive that closed the gap to 20-14 at the start of the fourth. |
14 Yards for Dayton RB Connor Kacsor, 1st qtr. 78 Yards for Dayton RB Connor Kacsor, 2nd qtr. 118 Yards for Dayton RB Connor Kacsor, 3rd qtr. 91 Yards for Dayton RB Connor Kacsor, 4th qtr. 1-7 GU 3rd down conversion, 1st half 2-7 GU 3rd down conversion, 2nd half 3-3 GU 4th down conversion, 1st half 0-3 GU 4th down conversion, 2nd half |
Dayton answered with its best drive of the afternoon--a methodical 14 play, seven minute drive where Kacsor rushed on nine plays for a total of 51 yards. The hoyas held the Flyers at its 13 and Dayton settled for a field goal, 23-14, but had cut the fourth quarter in half. Georgetown took over with 7:04 remaining, but could only move 15 yards over the next two minutes. At its 37, the Hoyas opted to go for it on fourth and five at its 37, but Nolan's pass was again off center and Dayton took over to stay. Handing the ball to Kacsor nine straight times, the Flyers all but ran out the clock, leaving the Hoyas a final opportunity with 1:17 to play that also fell short on downs.
Kyle Nolan was inconsistent much of the game, throwing 19 for 35 for 179 yards, with only four completions of ten yards or more. The offensive line struggled to keep Nolan in the pocket, as many of his misses were hurried passes against an eager Dayton front line. Kimpela led all georgetown rushers with 49 yards, as the Hoyas totaled just 100 yards among five different backs. Kacsor accounted for 301 or Dayton's 317 rushing yards and 34 of its 40 carries. Of his 301 yards, 287 came after the first quarter.
Georgetown continues on the road next week at Marist.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN DAYTON
First downs 15 24
Rushed-yards 29-100 40-317
Passing yards 179 176
Sacked-yards lost 1-7 1-8
Passes 19-35-0 19-33-1
Punts 5-45.6 2-41.0
Fumbles-lost 2-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 7-46 7-84
Time of possession 27:06 32:54
Connor Kacsor's 301 yards set a Dayton school record for rushing yardage and is second in Pioneer League history. It is the first ever 300+ yard rusher by a Georgetown opponent, breaking the record of 272 yards set by Fordham's Chip Kron in 1985.
Kron's effort is no less remarkable. He rushed only 14 times against the Hoyas at a cold and rainy Kehoe Field on October 12, 1985, scoring on touchdown carries of one, 83, one, 84 and 17 yards in Fordham's 56-0 win, the largest margin of defeat by a Georgetown team since the 1905 season.
Game #3: Marist (Sep. 13)
A grueling schedule awaits an undermanned Georgetown football team. But in week three, the Hoyas assured it would not be a winless one.
The Hoyas steered past an ineffective Marist team, 20-7, a team with just one offensive score in the entire 2014 season. While the Hoyas did nothing offensively that would raise concerns from Brown, Colgate, or Harvard over the next three weeks, its defense kept the Red Foxes in check throughout.
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The less said about the first half, the better--it looked more like a MAAC game in 1994 than two teams in 2014. The two teams combined for just 161 yards, combined to go 3 for 18 on third downs, and traded 11 punts between them. An interception by Georgetown's Nick Alfieri set up the Hoyas at the Marist three yard line but the Hoyas' offense simply could not capitalize, settling for a 23 yard field goal late in the first quarter, 3-0. Late in the second, a pair of personal fouls on Marist spurred the Hoyas to drive for 58 of its 116 total yards of the half, but Georgetown's drive stalled at the 11 yard line and the Hoyas settled for another short field goal to end the half, 6-0. The Red Foxes earned just two first downs in its eight first half drives. Georgetown turned in its best drive of the game to open the second half, a 12 play, 65 yard drive that saw QB Kyle Nolan find WR Michael Cimilluca for a 12 yard touchdown, 13-0. The teams traded interceptions on passes deep in its opponents' territory, but the score did not change entering the fourth quarter. Business picked up in the final quarter. On the third play of the fourth quarter, Georgetown linebacker Phil Novacki picked off a Ed Achziger pass and returned it untouched for the score, 20-0. Achziger was then benched for sophomore Anthony Francis with little fanfare, finishing 2-4 for 12 yards. Following a three and out by Georgetown, the Hoyas' special teams were torched when senior Zack Adler returned a punt 91 yards for the score with 8:18 left, the first points scored by a Marist team in 166 minutes, dating to the second play of the 2014 season opener. Any hopes of a Marist comeback were extinguished in the Hoyas' next drive, converting three consecutive third downs and took off six minutes as a five yard run by Kyle Nolan capped a 11 play, 65 yard drive, 27-7. |
166:42 Minutes between scores, Marist (had not scored since first game) 4 Marist turnovers 20 Georgetown points off turnovers +22 Advantage, number of plays, GU 2-10 GU 3rd down conversion, 1st half 7-12 GU 3rd down conversion, 2nd half |
Marist's final drive was emblematic of its game: three and out. The Red Foxes (0-3) had just eight first downs in 14 offensive series, with just 140 yards for the game.
"I told kids we need to play with more of a sense of urgency,” said head coach Rob Sgarlata, earning his first career win Saturday. “Instead of waiting for plays to come to us we need to make them. Play the play you’re in and not the next one and I think that showed up at critical times throughout the second half.”
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN MARIST
First downs 20 8
Rushed-yards 34-94 32-72
Passing yards 194 68
Sacked-yards lost 4-24 1-5
Passes 21-45-1 10-25-3
Punts 7-43.3 10-37.5
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 4-35 7-60
Time of possession 33:37 26:23
Game #4: Brown (Sep. 20)
Joel Kimpela and Daniel Wright combined for 194 yards as Georgetown upset Brown University, 17-3, before a crowd of 2,262 at Multi-Sport Field Saturday.
The early drives of the first quarter foresaw a defensive struggle, as the first series from both schools ended with punts from midfield. The Brown offense, which featured 11 new starters, suffered its share of growing pains, cited for illegal formations in each of its first two possessions. Its offense began to catch fire toward the end of the first period, when a pass lofted from quarterback Marcus Fuller landed in the outstretched arms of WR Alex Vios for 33 yards, part of a seven play, 72 yard drive that saw Fuller connect on five consecutive passes to drive the Bears to the Georgetown five at the end of the first period.
The succeeding plays in the drive were a harbinger for the Bears in this game. With a first and goal at the five, a false start set the Bears back to the ten. On the next play, Fuller rushed inside to the four, but lost the ball at the one, where Georgetown DT Jordan Richardson recovered the fumble and averted an early score that could have sent the Hoyas reeling.
Georgetown went to the air in its next series, advancing to midfield. On its next series, Brown was on the march once again, driving to the Georgetown four before the Hoya defense held yet again, with Brown settling for a short field goal and a 3-0 lead.
Georgetown took just 35 seconds to answer the Brown score. Following a pass completion to the GU 36, QB Kyle Nolan handed off the RB Daniel Wright, who squeezed past the Brown defensive line and swept down the eastern sideline of Multi Sport Field, a 57 yard run that gained Georgetown a lead it would not relinquish, 7-3.
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The Bears mounted a comeback on its next drive, moving to a run oriented pattern. Fuller went to the air with just under five minutes in the half and was picked off by Ettian Scott at the Georgetown 46, which seemed to take the air out of the Brown offensive game plan. Though Georgetown returned the favor with a fumble just 41 seconds later, the Hoyas had Brown's number defensively, and the Bears were not the same team thereafter. Georgetown's defense began to take hold after halftime, forcing Brown on a three and out deep in its own territory. Taking over at its 43, Nolan led the Hoyas on a methodical seven play, 57 yard drive, overcoming a 38 yard pass called back on penalty but staying on track, without reaching third down once in their series. Nolan's 25 yard pass to Jake DeCicco split the Brown defense and gave the Hoyas a 14-3 lead, with DeCicco trying hard not to invoke a celebration penalty as he strode across the end zone. Brown went back to the lofted pass in its next drive of the third quarter, and caught the Hoyas out of position twice, advancing to the Georgetown 36. Again, the defense picked up the intensity, where Ettian Scott came up with big with another interception and new life to the Hoya cause. Georgetown's next series went nowhere, and the defense called up the turnover margin yet again when Dezmond Richardson forced a Brown fumble at the GU 36, recovered by Wardell Crutchfield. It was the fourth turnover surrendered in Georgetown territory, each preventing Brown from the momentum which had been all too common in prior games in this series. Georgetown took over the fourth quarter and thoroughly dominated the Bears thereafter, holding the ball for 12:18 of the final 15 minutes. Nolan began to work the clock on a 12 play drive early in the fourth that consumed nearly seven minutes off the clock. A tipped pass at the Brown eight resulted in a take away that prevented the Hoyas from pulling away, but Brown could still take no advantage, with a Georgetown sack forcing a three and out with 6:53 left in the game. |
131 Total yardage, Brown 2nd qtr. 59 Total yardage, Brown 3rd qtr. 1 Total yardage, Brown 4th qtr. 6.5 Avg. yards per play, Georgetown 12:18 GU time of possession, 4th qtr. 4 Brown turnovers 0 GU points from Brown turnovers 1-9 GU record versus Ivy teams at home |
Georgetown continued to chew up the clock on its next series, but Brown forced a punt with just under five minutes to play. On a fourth and six, Punter Harry McCollum got the green light for a 13 yard bootleg down the sidelines that extended the drive and led to a Henry Darmstadter field goal with 3:24 to play, 17-3. Two sacks ended the Bears' final drive and Georgetown ran out the clock to claim its first ever home win against an Ivy League opponent.
"Looking back on the stats this is one of the most dominant games we've had running the football," said head coach Rob Sgarlata. "We felt confident to call the offensive line's number and let them go and have Jo'el [Kimpela] and Danny [Wright] have great days."
"The offensive line did a great job of pushing and making holes for me and Danny," said Kimpela, who finished for a game high 104 yards. "Danny had a great run and I think we just complement each other and try to make each other better every day."
Penalties and big plays really hurt us," said Brown head coach Phil Estes. "Our fumble at the goal line in the first quarter gave great momentum to Georgetown. As a young team you can't make those mistakes."
Georgetown goes back on the road Saturday, at Colgate.
Game statistics:
BROWN GEORGETOWN
First downs 16 21
Rushed-yards 31-88 38-250
Passing yards 215 177
Sacked-yards lost 2-15 5-33
Passes 19-34-2 18-28-1
Punts 5-43.6 6-49.0
Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-1
Penalties-yards 5-21 5-36
Time of possession 28:20 31:40
More than 200 former players joined to salute five decades of intercollegiate football at O'Donovan Hall Saturday evening.
Welcomed by Gridiron Club president Bruce Simmons (B'69), the event welcomed former coaches, captains, Hall of fame honorees, and members of the 1964 team, introduced by master of ceremonies Dick Williams (C'65). During dinner, a series of reflections were offered by representatives of each decade of the modern era, including Tony Lauinger (C'67), Dr. James Chesley (C'75), Andy Phelan (C'87, L'90), Janne Kouri (C'97) and Michael Ononibaku (B'06), followed by remarks from a parent of two former football players, Peter Cooper.
Awards were presented to retired Gen. George Casey (F'70) as a special recipient of the University's Letterman of Distinction award, while Rory Quirk (C'65, G'71, L'80) received the Gridiron Club award for outstanding volunteer service, which will be hereinafter named in Quirk's honor.
Head coach Rob Sgarlata addressed the audience, receiving hearty applause following the Hoyas' win against Brown that day.
Game #5: Colgate (Sep. 27)
Two blocked punts accounted for nine of Colgate's 19 points in a 19-0 win over Georgetown at Hamilton, NY.
The tone was set early in this game and in familiar fashion. In each of the Hoyas' last six losses to the Red Raiders, it allowed 300 or more rushing yards in the game. Colgate wasted no time in moving in that direction, with runs of 48 and 32 yards in its opening possession, a series which saw the Red Raiders drive to the Georgetown 21 before an Alec May sack and a defensive surge on fourth down stopped the drive.
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The Hoyas' next drive was not encouraging--a snap sailed over kyle Nolan's head and two short rushing plays were of little impact in a three play, -23 yard effort. Pinned back at his five, the Colgate line swarmed into punter Harry McCollum, where Victor Steffen blocked the punt out of the end zone to give Colgate an early 2-0 lead. Georgetown's ensuing punt was returned to midfield, but the defense stood its ground a second time when Garrett Powers intercepted a Jake Melville pass inside the Georgetown 10. The Hoyas answered with its best.. well, let's say longest drive of the afternoon, a ten play drive that took the Blue and Gray up to midfield, but the lack of a deep threat receiver and continual pressure on Kyle Nolan forced the Hoyas back to punt. Colgate's next series was led by junior RB Demetrius Russell. Four carries netted Russell 56 yards as the Red Raiders marched into Georgetown territory for a third time. A third defensive stop followed by the Hoyas, which forced Colgate to turn the ball over on downs at the Georgetown 31. The Hoya offense could not muster a first down, and an exchange of punts followed. |
1.1 Avg. GU rush (yards) 6.8 Avg. Colgate rush 9 GU pts. allowed, special teams 10 GU pts. allowed, defense 10/10/09 Last road shutout (Lehigh 27-0) 1-11 GU record vs. Colgate |
A quick three and out by the Hoyas returned the ball to Colgate with 3:43 left. With seven straight rushes totaling 40 yards, the Red Raiders advanced to the GU 38 with 49 seconds remaining to halftime. On a third and 15, Melville broke through the line and went largely untouched for a 38 yard touchdown run that broke open the game, 16-0. By halftime, the Red Raiders had out rushed the Hoyas 246-2, with a total of just 17 yards for Georgetown its last four possessions of the half.
The third quarter was a stalemate. The Hoyas managed three first downs but with little impact--the Hoyas' closest view of the red zone advanced it to the CU 38 when Nolan was sacked and gave up the ball to Colgate linebacker Vinny Russo. Colgate fared none better, with four drives totaling 27 yards and no first downs. The quarter yielded no points, however, and Colgate's 16-0 lead seemed secure. Colgate added a field goal on a ten play drive early in the fourth quarter but Georgetown could get no closer than the Colgate 47 thereafter.
Colgate QB Jake Melville rushed 14 times for 128 yards, leading all Colgate rushers and mitigating an anemic passing effort, going 4-12 for just 30 yards. The Red Raiders combined to rush 47 times for 319 yards compared to a 31 carry, 35 yard effort by a Georgetown backfield that had little help up front. Of its 16 first downs, 15 were on the ground.
Kyle Nolan finished 15-28 for 128 yards in the air for the Hoyas, but was sacked five times and surrendered one fumble. A 28 yard pass to TE Matthew Buckman was the longest play of the day for the Hoyas, who averaged just 2.7 yards per snap.
The Hoyas return home Saturday to meet Ivy League favorite Harvard at Multi-Sport Field, the first ever visit of the Crimson to Washington and only its second game in its storied history to be played south of the Mason-Dixon line. Game time is 12:00 pm.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN COLGATE
First downs 14 16
Rushed-yards 31-35 47-319
Passing yards 128 30
Sacked-yards lost 1-7 5-48
Passes 15-29-0 4-12-1
Punts 9-31.6 5-41.4
Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-0
Penalties-yards 5-50 9-93
Time of possession 28:32 31:28
Game #6: Harvard (Oct. 4)
"They made holes three and four yards wide."--Harvard RB Andrew Casten on his line's effort versus Georgetown.
As the story goes, we've heard the sons of Harvard tell how Crimson lines could hold them. Now, we've seen it.
Andrew Casten scored four touchdowns as Harvard powered past Georgetown 34-3 at Multi-Sport Field Saturday, an effort which Harvard Magazine called "methodical", an apt description for a game where the Harvard Way--a relentless ground game, an pin-point passing game, and a line that held the Georgetown defensive line without a sack or a takeaway--was more than an inefficient Georgetown team could take.
Casten and QB Scott Hosch were thrust into the lead roles after injuries led coach Tim Murphy to leave both QB Connor Hempel and RB Paul Stanton back in Cambridge for a second straight week. The next in line were up for the task.
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The Crimson began play with a short field, thanks to a 44 yard kickoff return to open the game. Casten rushed for 16 yards and the opening score, 7-0, but it was Hosch that set a tone for the game, completing four of four passes for 50 yards. The Hoyas matched Hosch in the air on its next drive, where Georgetown QB Kyle Nolan picked apart a young Harvard secondary, completing five passes and moving the Hoyas into Harvard territory. Georgetown advanced to the Harvard 19 before settling for a 36 yard field goal, 7-3. The Crimson went to the ground game in its second series, with equal success. From an opening incompletion to begin the drive with eight minutes to play in the first quarter, Harvard rushed for eight of its next nine plays for 79 yards, with Casten accounting for 47 of them, five on a fourth down play that extended the drive, and 22 on the next play as he tore through the Georgetown secondary en route for the score. A failed extra point ended the first quarter at 13-3. This was no walkover, however. Georgetown had its chances to stay close in this game and simply did not execute. On its next series, Georgetown drove 11 plays to the Harvard 36, but on fourth down, a pass from Nolan to WR Justin Hill was dropped. After the Hoyas held Harvard on a big fourth and one at the Georgetown 41, the offense drove to the Harvard 29 and completed what looked to be a key first down, only to be turned back by an offensive penalty. The end result: a 30 yard punt that sent up the Crimson for yet another long, punishing drive. Harvard took over with 4:00 to halftime, and, as has been the case for opponents much of the season, began to wear down the Hoyas just before the break. The Cantabs rushed seven straight times with impunity, advancing to the Georgetown 40. On a third and 1, Casten rushed ten yards for the first down. On the next play, Hosch threw a 24 yard pass to the six, and with 55 seconds to intermission, Casten picked up his third touchdown on a six yard run, 20-3. At the half, Harvard had a 266-129 advantage in total offense despite Georgetown's narrow lead in time of possession. |
4 Touchdowns by Andrew Casten, most by a HU back since 1951 5.6 Avg. Harvard rush 2.7 Avg. Georgetown rush 7.8 Avg. yds. per play, Harvard 3.8 Avg. yds. per play, Georgetown 10.7 Pts. per game (2014) 9 Consecutive quarters without a GU touchdown |
Georgetown's best hope in this game was a opening drive to begin the third quarter. The Hoyas were up for the task. With a collection of Nolan's passing and effective rushing from junior Joel Kimpela, Georgetown began the third with its best drive of the game. In a 15 play drive that nonetheless consumed two of Georgetown's three time outs, the Hoyas advanced to the Harvard 13 yard line for a first down, then presumed to get bottled up on first, drop a pass on second, and take a short pass to the Harvard six on third down. On fourth down, the Crimson defensive line swarmed Nolan and he hurried the pass, and the Hoyas left the field with nothing to show for it.
No good deed goes unpunished, however, and after Casten rolled off 26 yards in the first two plays for the drive, a 39 yard pass from Hosch to WR Anton Firkser was headed to the Georgetown end zone before Georgetown's Garrett Powers stripped Firkser of the ball, which was recovered by Georgetown's Matthew Satchell at the GU 10 and returned to midfield. The offense had yet another shot at redemption, but foundered once again. On a third and nine at midfield, Nolan was sacked for nine yards and the Hoyas were forced to punt. Harvard would not be so generous thereafter, as Hosch opened up with a 43 yard pass to Casten that led a 10 play, 73 yard drive and Casten's fourth touchdown with 1:22 in the third, 27-3.
The Hoyas were largely ineffective on offense thereafter. Harvard chewed up the fourth quarter clock, with a 10 play, 80 yard rive to go up 34-3, and a 12 play, 55 yard drive that was extended practice for its second string. Following its opening drive of the second half, Georgetown managed one first down to end the game.
Georgetown was outgained 558-227, and outrushed 265-74. Kyle Nolan ended the first quarter 5 for 7, and the rest of the game was just 11-26, finishing with just 153 yards under significant pressure. Nolan was sacked twice and had three passes dropped, two in Harvard territory. Hosch ended the game 20 for 25 for 293 yards and was 11 of 13 after halftime.
Defensively, the Hoyas were among the nation's leaders in net turnovers, but forced only one fumble which did not lead to a score. A final sign of Harvard's dominance was in special teams, where the Crimson punted just once.
Game statistics:
HARVARD GEORGETOWN
First downs 26 18
Rushed-yards 47-265 27-74
Passing yards 293 153
Sacked-yards lost 2-23 0-0
Passes 20-25-0 16-33-0
Punts 1-35.0 5-45.2
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0
Penalties-yards 8-75 5-39
Time of possession 31:03 28:57
Additional coverage follows below. Two dailies and a magazine from Boston covered the game, yet the Washington Post could not.
Game #7: Lafayette (Oct. 11)
This one's going to hurt.
Amidst the strongest rushing effort for a Georgetown team in nine years, a 14 point first half lead early in the second quarter, and a four point lead with under five minutes to play, the Hoyas surrendered three touchdowns to RB Ross Scheuerman as the Lafayette Leopards rallied for a 24-21 win before a small crowd of just 3,361 at Fisher Stadium. The Hoyas gave up more penalty yards (115) than rushing yards, yet allowed the Leopards a late drive that sealed the win.
Georgetown's defense served notice from the start, forcing turnovers on each of Lafayette's first two possessions. On its opening drive, a pass from Lafayette QB Blake Searfoss was picked off by Georgetown's Garrett Powers at the Hoyas' 43, where the offense went to work: consecutive 15 yard runs, consecutive passes for 20 more. On the fifth play, QB Kyle Nolan found TE Matthew Buckman for a five yard TD, 7-0.
The Leopards fared no better in their second possession, where Scheuerman fumbled at the Lafayette 29 and returned to the Georgetown 13. An 11 yard pass play to the two set up Georgetown for an imminent score, but a illegal block set the Hoyas back 15 yards and Georgetown's 28 yard field goal attempt was blocked.
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A three and out from Lafayette set up the Hoyas for one of its best drives of the season: a 10 play, 80 yard drive that saw a strong effort from backs Joel Kimpela and Daniel Wright and expert passing from Kyle Nolan. A 21 yard pass to Justin Hill set up the Hoyas at midfield, where 16 yards of carried by Daniel Wright and another seven from Kimpela advanced Gu to the Lafayette 19. On the ensuing play, Kimpela rushed for his first touchdown of the season, 14-0. The Leopards picked up the pace and appeared to catch the Hoyas out of step on its next possession, a team play drive that consumed 2:40 on the second quarter clock. The Leopards converted on two big third downs to keep the drive moving, and it ended with a Scheuerman touchdown, 14-7. Georgetown's ground game remained strong, advancing into Lafayette territory until a pair of personal fouls scuttled the drive and forced a Harry McCollum punt from the Georgetown 39. McCollum's punt forced Lafayette's Jared Roberts back to his 15, where he torched the Hoyas' special teams with an 85 yard return to the Georgetown four. Scheuerman needed just one play for the tying score, 14-all. Despite holding a 296-119 advantage in total yards, the Hoyas had lost its best lead of the game. Lafayette opened the third quarter on the quick count, driving to the Georgetown eight yard line before settling for a 25 yard field goal and its first lead of the game, 17-14. The third quarter devolved into an exchange of punts. Georgetown managed just 10 yards on its next three series, Lafayette just two over its next three. The game picked up early in the fourth, where the Hoyas went to the ground in a nine play, 55 yard drive that ate up nearly five minutes off the clock. After seven plays on the ground, Nolan went to the air on the only third down of the series, finding Justin hill for a six yard touchdown pass with 8:18 to play, 21-17. The Leopards began at its 37, converted on a third and four at its 43, and never looked back in a nine play, 63 yard drive. The Georgetown defense could not stop Searfoss and the Leopards' passing schemes, advancing to the Georgetown five where Scheuerman added his third touchdown, 24-21. |
447 Total yards, GU Most yds. in a loss in PL era (2001-) 1.1 Avg. GU rush vs. Colgate 6.7 Avg. GU rush vs. Lafayette 4-11 GU 3rd down conv. 7-14 LC 3rd down conv. 7 GU penalties of 15 yds. 13 Total yards, GU punt returns 100 Total yards, LC punt returns |
Georgetown went back to the ground in its final drive of the game. A 24 yard run by Wright brought the Hoyas to midfield, but three straight rushes up the middle with Kimpela left the Hoyas with a fourth and one with 2:21 to play. With a dearth of creativity, offensive coordinator Michael Neuberger called Kimpela's number for a fourth straight play and Lafayette shut it down.
Georgetown was able to hold Lafayette over its next three plays but it left the offense with 1:16 and no time outs.Nolan was picked off at the georgetown 30 and the leopards ran out the clock.
Nolan started the game 9-10 for 69 yards but finished 22-30 for only 165.Kimpela rushed for 165 yards, Wright for 106.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN LAFAYETTE
First downs 24 16
Rushed-yards 42-282 40-103
Passing yards 165 147
Sacked-yards lost 3-37 4-10
Passes 22-30-2 17-26-2
Punts 5-40.8 4-39.8
Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-1
Penalties-yards 9-115 7-53
Time of possession 35:11 24:49
Game #8: Bucknell (Oct. 25)
A pair of mistakes, both coming at the end of each half, proved fatal to the Georgetown Hoyas, who dropped its fourth straight game in a 22-17 loss to Bucknell before 2,437 at unfinished Multi-Sport Field Saturday afternoon.
Bucknell (6-1) arrived to this game as one of the Patriot League's better offenses, and showed it within its first drive: a methodical 17 play, 97 yard drive. Running back C.J. Williams figured in 12 of those plays, including five straight rushing attempts, beginning from the Georgetown 14, that led the Bison to the touchdown, 6-0.
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Georgetown answered in a big way. From a second down at its 33, QB Kyle Nolan found TE Matt Buckman cutting across a seam in the Bucknell defense and Buckman was alone for a 67 yard run down the field and the Hoyas' first score, 7-6. The touchdown energized the Georgetown defense, which on the next series which picked off QB R.J. Nitti at midfield. The Bucknell defense forced Nolan into a pair of short yardage passing plays and the Hoyas stalled on the ground at the Bucknell 39, which would be a familiar refrain as the game went on. The Hoyas' first misstep of the game would be a costly one. Early in the second quarter, Bucknell CB Nick O'Brien caught an quick read of a Kyle Nolan pass to the sideline and returned it 26 yards. With the short field, Bucknell drove to the Georgetown three before Ettian Scott broke up a a pass play in the end zone and the Bison settled for a short field, goal, 9-7. The teams exchanged points over its next two series, with a 43 yard kickoff return by Georgetown's daniel Wright setting up the Hoyas for a 34 yard field goal, 10-9, but answered by the Bison with a six play drive with four consecutive handoffs to Williams for the score at the six minute mark, 16-10. |
46-25-3 GU all-time record at Homecoming 7-7 Homecoming record since 2001 6-14 BU 3rd down conv. 5-14 GU 3rd down conv. 36.2 Avg. kickoff return, GU |
In the final minutes of the half, the Hoyas found new life following a fumble recovery at midfield with 1:28 to play. Georgetown advanced to the Bucknell 31 with 25 seconds to play, and on a fourth and seven Nolan hit WR Phil Novacki on an 18 yard completion to the BU 13. A six yard wildcat play from reserve QB Tim Barnes set up the Hoyas at the Bison seven yard line, but on the ensuing play, Nolan found himself under pressure but failed to get rid of the ball, taking a coverage sack with no time outs left. The clock ran out and the Hoyas' only red zone possession of the half disappeared into intermission.
Despite trailing 229-192 in total yards at the half, the Hoyas were very much in this game, despite a third quarter which involved an exchange of punts and neither team advancing to midfield before Nolan led the Hoyas on an eight play, 81 yard drive that reached third down just once. On the opening play of the fourth quarter, Nolan took the ball on the keeper and scored from five yards out, 17-16. The Hoyas held Bucknell in check on its next series, but the Hoyas stayed to the run and were forced to punt deep in its own territory. A 32 yard punt set up the Bison at midfield, and Bucknell went to work--an eight play, 55 yard drive regained the lead at 22-17 with seven minutes to play.
Georgetown needed a spark and got it from Daniel Wright. Wright, who had been effective all afternoon on kick returns, took back the kick to the Georgetown 41. A pair of short passes crossed midfield, but the offense soon stalled. A holding penalty set the Hoyas back 10 yards, Nolan was sacked on second and 13, and on a third and long, a potential game winning throw to Justin Hill was off target. With a net four yards over five plays at midfield, Georgetown punted it back.
With Bucknell's run offense, the only question was whether Georgetown could get the ball back by the end of the game. With 2:52 to play, the defense held on a third and seven at the Bucknell 29, but on fourth down, a confident Bison opted to go for it and RB Matt DelMauro drove straight through the line for 10 yards and another first down. The defense held again, but with only 30 seconds remaining, the ensuing punt would give Georgetown little time to mount the comeback.
In one of the more exciting plays of the season, the punt was blocked, with the ball rolling across Georgetown's end of midfield. While the clock was running, the Hoyas were getting the ball back, but a Georgetown player unnamed in the media and in the game notes channeled former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Leon Lett and attempted to pick up the bouncing ball, quickly losing control and turning the ball over with 17 seconds remaining. The blunder was especially egregious given the circumstances, but it's one of those things coaches teach since junior high school and the Hoyas suffered as a result. Letting the ball rest would have given the Hoyas two, maybe three plays at midfield for a stirring comeback, no sure thing, but a chance. Reaching for a moving ball gave the Hoyas no chance at all.
The statistics were fairly even in this game, with Bucknell holding a slight lead in total yards made possible by a strong ground game, led by C.J. Williams' 136 yard effort. Joel Kimpela led the Hoyas with 70 yards on 12 carries. Kyle Nolan passed for 191 yards on 11 for 26 attempts, but the numbers are deceiving for on offense which still prefers the reliability of short passes. Excepting Buckman's 67 yard TD pass on a broken defensive assignment and a 55 yard pass to Justin Hill late in the third, Nolan averaged just three yards per attempt and less than 10 yards per reception.
Game statistics:
BUCKNELL GEORGETOWN
First downs 20 12
Rushed-yards 43-172 31-104
Passing yards 171 191
Sacked-yards lost 2-9 2-12
Passes 13-24-1 11-20-1
Punts 6-26.3 7-38.9
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 8-77 7-70
Time of possession 35:36 24:24
Additional links follow below:
Game #9: Lehigh (Nov. 1)
Late game mistakes continue to befall the Georgetown Hoyas, who saw their an upset opportunity against Lehigh fall short in a 27-19 loss to the Engineers at Multi-Sport Field.
Georgetown has traditionally struggled on offense in its series with Lehigh, and Saturday's game followed a similar start. A six play opening drive netted just one yard, and it was soon left to the Hoya defense to hold the line. Lehigh's opening drive began at midfield and advanced 51 yards in 10 plays, where a pair of defensive stops at the six yard line from Georgetown's Alec May forced Lehigh to settle for a short field goal, 3-0.
It did not take long to bring the defense back on the field, as Georgetown's Daniel Wright fumbled the ensuing kickoff and set up the visitors at the Georgetown 31. A key conversion on a fourth and two at the GU 23 extended the drive, which was converted three plays later with a 17 yard touchdown pass from Nick Shafnisky to Troy Pelletier, 10-0. By the end of the first quarter, Lehigh owned a 134-11 advantage in total yardage, but the Georgetown defense kept things close.
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Early in the second quarter, the Engineers drove to the Georgetown 15, but a key sack from LB Nick Alfieri forced Lehigh into a 22 yard field goal which sailed wide. On its next series, a 52 yard run by RB Joel Kimpela set up the Hoyas deep in Lehigh territory, but were stopped on a third and one at the Lehigh 17 and settled for a short field goal, 10-3. A similar fate befell Lehigh on its next series, where a 54 yard pass from Shafnisky to Pelletier stiffened the Hoya defense and the drive was left with a short field goal of is own, 13-3. Georgetown has struggled in drives at the end of each half this season, and such was again the case in this game. After Nick Alfieri had forced a Lehigh fumble at midfield, the Hoyas saw went to work with 1;19 remaining. A pair of passes from QB Kyle Nolan to WR Jake DeCicco brought the Hoyas to the Lehigh 20 with 18 seconds, but the next play was inexplicably a run that as snuffed out by the Engineers, forcing Georgetown to call its final time out with 14 seconds remaining. On third down, Nolan hurried a pass incomplete, and the ensuing 33 yard field goal attempt was blocked, an unfortunate end to a drive that could have brought the Hoyas some considerable momentum heading into the break. Lehigh started the third quarter with a bang, opening with a 42 yard pass to WR Chris Ruhl to the GU 35. Five plays later, Lehigh opted to convert a third consecutive fourth down when David Akere intercepted a Shafnisky pass at the Georgetown five. On its next drive, beginning at the Georgetown nine, Lehigh was back in the air, completing six of six passes across a 10 play drive that ended with a 10 yard pass from Shafnisky to RB Rich Sodeke, 20-3. |
28.0 Avg. margin of defeat vs. Lehigh, 2001-present 20.3 Avg. yds. per pass, Lehigh 9.0 Avg. yds. per pass, Georgetown 3-4 LU 4th down conv. 1-3 GU 4th down conv. 1,981 Attendance, season low at MSF |
A six play, 26 yard drive forced the Hoyas into another punt, a 55 yard effort which pinned back the Engineers at its nine. On the first play, the ball sailed over Shafnisky's head and landed out of the end zone, forcing the safety. The hoyas converted on a six play drive led by a 45 yard run by Justin Hill and a one yard touchdown run by Joel Kimpela. Georgetown closed to 20-11, but its PAT was low and blocked much like the second quarter field goal attempt.
Shafnisky wasted little time in reasserting the lehigh offense, finding Pelletier alone for a 69 yard pass to the Georgetown six, whereupon Sodeke closed out the three play drive with a six yard run, 27-11. The Hoyas answered right back, with a pair of passes from Nolan to WR Michael Cimilluca that got the Hoyas into the Lehigh red zone. On a fourth and six from the Lehigh nine, Kyle Nolan took off around the right end and scored the touchdown with 8:49 to play, and converted a two point conversion to DeCicco, 27-19.
Georgetown would hold Lehigh in check over the next two series late in th fourth quarter, but failed to capitalize. Taking over with 5:02 remaining, a first down penalty set GU back to its 13. The Hoyas drove to its 26 and opted to go for it on fourth and two deep in its own territory, but Kimpela never reached the line of scrimmage. Lehigh drove to the GU 19 before Alec may sacked Shafnisky and forced a fumble that set Lehigh back at the 38, forcing a punt than netted just 18 yards.
Georgetown took over with 1:42 to play, but was its own worst enemy. Following a 12 yard pass to Justin Hill, a Kyle Nolan run was brought back on an offensive hold. Three plays later, a 42 yard pass from Nolan to Hill at the Lehigh 30 was also brought back on a holding call, and a fourth and 24 pass with :18 left sailed incomplete. despite giving up 499 yards on the afternoon, the final minute of each half prevented the upset and and end to a 14 game losing streak versus lehigh. With Lehigh's upward scholarship path, another such opportunity may not come around soon.
The long runs from Kimpela and Hill led the Georgetown stat chart, with the Hoyas rushing for 228 yards. Nolan was less effective, finishing 15 of 32 for just 135 yards. Nick Shanifsky had the big game for Lehigh, 17 of 26 for 345 yards, with a game high 187 receiving yards from WR Troy Pelletier in Lehigh's first PL win of the season.
The Hoyas have dropped five straight since its Homecoming win to Brown on Sep. 19, and will take a bye week in advance of its Nov. 15 game at Fordham, where the 8-1 Rams will be a prohibitive favorite.
Game statistics:
LEHIGH GEORGETOWN
First downs 21 21
Rushed-yards 48-154 35-228
Passing yards 345 135
Sacked-yards lost 1-9 2-19
Passes 17-26-1 15-33-0
Punts 2-43.0 5-39.0
Fumbles-lost 2-1 3-1
Penalties-yards 7-90 4-43
Time of possession 34:02 25:58
Additional links follow below:
Prior to 2000, the longest losing streak to any Georgetown opponent was five games, set at the turn of the 20th century to Navy. Since then, losing streaks versus Fordham (eight games), Colgate (eight), and Holy Cross (ten) all passed it by, with the current 0-14 mark versus Lehigh marking the only PL team Georgetown has never defeated since joining the league.
Among other Georgetown team sports, there are only two comparable streaks. The men's basketball team once lost 11 in a row to Connecticut in the late 1990's, while the women's basketball team holds the record for the longest drought against a regular opponent, having lost 28 consecutive games to the UConn women's team over a 20 year period. Of course, most Big East teams fared no better against the perennially powerful Huskies.
Game #10: Fordham (Nov. 15)
To no surprise whatsoever, Georgetown was no match against #8 Fordham in this one, where the full scholarship Rams coasted past the Hoyas 52-7 at Jack Coffey Field and clinched its third Patriot League title in school history. The Rams led 10-0 after one quarter, 24-0 at the half, and 45-0 after three quarters.
The Rams did not take long to establish its leadership in this game. On Fordham's first drive, Michael Nebrich was 3-3 for 23 yards, but it was a 33 yard run off scrimmage from RB Kendell Pearcy to set up a Fordham touchdown with 11:15 in the first quarter, 7-0.
Georgetown opened with a a pair of nice runs by Joel Kimpela to advance to midfield, but no further. A bad punt from kicker Harry McCollum went just eight yards and set up the Rams with a short field, but the Georgetown defense held Fordham to a punt on its next possession and a field goal to open the second quarter, 10-0.
The Georgetown offense was out of sync all afternoon. The Hoyas opened the second quarter as two passes were dropped and the special teams saw a punt returned to midfield. On the third play of the drive, Nebrich injured his knee and left the game, but senior QB Peter Maetzold wasted little time in reserve, with a 34 yard pass to WR Peter Wetzel to set up the next score, 17-0.
Penalties dogged the Hoyas all afternoon. On its best drive of the half, Georgetown's Daniel Wright returned the kickoff 45 yards to midfield, and a 12 yard run by Nolan brought the Hoyas to the Fordham 34 yard line. A pass play to WR Tommy Jesson at the one yard line was called back by an offensive pass interference call. On the next play, Nolan sailed a pass over Justin Harrell, while on 3rd and 20, Justin Hill dropped a likely touchdown pass. On 4th down, Nolan opted for a short pass to Harrell with little hope of a first down, and the play gained four yards, a metaphor for an offense which has lacked timing all season.
After the Hoyas held Fordham to a punt, Nolan threw up a wobbly pass at midfield that was intercepted and set up a four play Fordham drive, led by a 43 yard pass from Maetzold to WR Tebucky Jones, 24-0. Georgetown managed a total of nine yards in its next two drives and remained shut out at the half.
The Hoyas got a break to open the third quarter, with a 48 yard run by Joel Kimpela to the Fordham 23, but its next three plays netted two yards and PK Henry Darmstadter missed a 39 yard field goal attempt. The Rams scored on each of its next three drives: a nine play, 79 yard drive extended by a Georgetown roughing the punter penalty, a five play, 57 yard drive, and an eight play, 80 yard drive featuring a 60 yard pass to WR Sam Ajala. The fourth quarter saw the Hoyas go 80 yards in eight plays to end the shutout, 45-7, but special teams failed them again when a McCollum punt was blocked at its 23 yard line and set up the Rams for a four play drive and the eventual 52-7 outcome, the second most points scored in a series dating to 1890 and the most points allowed by the Hoyas in a game since the 2012 season.
Georgetown QB Kyle Nolan had the worst passing effort of his career, 7 for 25 for 74 yards, with a variety of dropped passes and overthrows as to make the Hoyas' narrow chance in this game otherwise impossible, and was replaced by Matt Barnes in the fourth quarter. For the game, Georgetown had more penalty yards than passing yards.
Each teams suffered injuries to key personnel in the second quarter, with Fordham QB Michael Nebrich appearing to suffer a serious knee injury, while a similar fate may await Georgetown LB Nick Alfieri following his knee injury a few minutes later when he collided with a Georgetown teammate. Both will be evaluated Monday at their respective schools.
GEORGETOWN FORDHAM
First downs 13 23
Rushed-yards 37-171 41-144
Passing yards 80 352
Sacked-yards lost 3-20 2-8
Passes 8-26-1 27-36-0
Punts 9-30.3 5-39.0
Fumbles-lost 1-1 1-0
Penalties-yards 10-94 10-100
Time of possession 29:19 30:41
Additional links follow below:
Game #11: Holy Cross (Nov. 22)
A picture perfect drive to open the fourth quarter piloted Georgetown to a 21-16 upset win over Holy Cross in the 2014 season finale before a small crowd at Multi-Sport Field Saturday. The Hoyas drove 81 yards to open the fourth quarter for the Hoyas' game winning touchdown.
At the outset, it appeared that the Hoyas' offense was ill-equipped to stay close in this game. Georgetown collected one first down and a net of just 25 yards in its first four possessions combined, and relied on the senior-strong defense to keep the visiting Crusaders from an early runaway. HC opened the game with back to back runs that drove it to midfield, but a Matthew Satchell sack of HC QB Peter Pujals led to an early punt. On its next series, the Purple started at midfield and drove to the Georgetown 14, settling for a short field goal and a 3-0 lead.
The Crusaders received another break with field position to end the first quarter, and again, the defense was up to the task. A pair of stops by GU's Hunter Kiselick halted a HC drive at the Georgetown 26, and the ensuing field goal attempt missed wide. The Hoyas' next drive was nonplussed (four plays, two yards, 48 seconds), and the ball returned to HC at its own 12, where Pujals led the Crusaders on a 13 play, 78 yard drive, with all 78 yards coming on the ground, led by 42 yards from RB Gabe Guild and 25 from RB Diquen Walker. With HC knocking on the door, a pass to the end zone was intercepted by GU's John Egan, returning it to the HC 37. But as would be the case for much of this day, Hoya penalties set back the cause, moving the return yardage from the 37 yard line back to its five.
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The Hoyas answered with a drive very similar to that of the Crusaders, but with a different outcome. Georgetown went 95 yards over a 13 play drive which was heavy on the ground game, but on a third and four at the HC 13, QB Kyle Nolan found TE Matt Buckman for the score, 7-3. A quick response followed, with HC driving forty yards in just over a minute to attempt a late field goal, but the defense stood tall once again, this time with Ettian Scott blocking the kick with 0:17 left. The 7-3 halftime score was the fewest points allowed by GU at the half in a Patriot League game dating back to the 2012 season. Pujals' poor performance was exacerbated by a nagging injury, and he was replaced in the third quarter by senior Ryan Laughlin, who rallied the Crusaders with a nine play, 68 yard drive to open the third quarter, capped with a four yard run by Laughlin to regain the lead, 10-7. Georgetown answered the HC score in just three plays of its own, with consecutive passes of 26 and 37 yards to WR Justin Hill that tore open the HC secondary and gave Georgetown a 14-10 lead early in the third. The teams exchanged punts for the the remainder of the quarter. With 14:44 to play, the Hoyas began their best drive of the game, and perhaps the season. Beginning at its 19, Nolan began handing off the ball to RB Joel Kimpela early and often. Over the next 14 plays, Kimpela rushed 11 times, including the last seven, moving the Hoyas 78 yards over a seven minute stretch, earning more first downs (five) in the series than Georgetown had in the entire third quarter (four). On a third and two at the HC three yard line, there was little doubt who would get the call, and Kimpela made the most of it, punching through the HC line for the touchdown, 21-10. With just 7:04 remaining, time was running out for Holy Cross. A quick drive got the Crusaders to midfield, and a 25 yard Laughlin pass advanced HC to the Georgetown 25 with just over five minutes to play. A Ryan Laughlin pass to WR Brendan Flaherty drove HC inside the Georgetown 20, but LB Tyrell Williams forced a fumble at the 17 which Garrett Powers returned 23 yards to the 40 at the 5:02 mark. |
273.9 Avg. total yds. HC QB Peter Pujals, this season 45 Total yards, HC QB Peter Pujals, this game 0 GU turnovers 103 Penalty yds., Georgetown 3-3 LU 4th down conv. 10:28 GU time of possession, 4th qtr. 1,583 Attendance, season low at MSF 18-26 Overall record, class of 2015 |
The Hoyas managed only 15 yards on its next series, but time was its friend, not the yardage. A 10 yard run by Daniel Wright extended the drive on a critical third and eight at the GU 42, and the Hoyas faced a punt with 2:19 to play on a 4th and 13 at the HC 43. Taking a gamble, Georgetown opted for a fake punt to put the game out of reach, but punter Harry McCollum could not elude the oncoming HC rush and the Crusaders took over at its 45.
The Crusaders needed big plays but couldn't find them. Rushes were hard to come by and pass plays were limited to short yardage. Laughlin was able to complete a two yard pass on a 3rd and 2 to cross the Georgetown 45, but the clock was now down to 1:31 and the Crusaders needed two scores to get back in the game. Laughlin missed on four of his next five passes with the clock under one minute, but completed a 10 yard pass on fourth down to extend the drive. Three plays later, facing a fourth down with 32 seconds remaining, he found another 10 yard gain to the GU 22. A Georgetown sack on third and six appeared to put the game on ice, but Georgetown was tagged with an offsides call and the Crusaders kept plugging along, but with precious few seconds to mount a comeback. A short pass by Laughlin was rewarded with an additional GU penalty to advance the ball to the two. On the ensuing play, Laughlin's pass was incomplete. With time running out, Laughlin found WR Tyler Artim in the end zone, but by that point there was no time left on the clock for an extra point, much less an onsides kick attempt, and the Hoyas took home the win.
Holy Cross outgained Georgetown 366-317 but two turnovers and two failed field goal attempts proved its undoing. For the Hoyas, Joel Kimpela rushed for a team high 107 yards, while DL Alec May picked up his 16th sack of the season, setting a new single season record for the team. And despite the growing scholarship gap between the teams, the win marked Georgetown's fourth win in the last five years over Holy Cross, which lost its sixth game of the 2014 season by seven points or less.
The win was Georgetown's first in Patriot League play this season, and 3-8 overall.
HOLY CROSS GEORGETOWN
First downs 27 19
Rushed-yards 46-203 40-153
Passing yards 163 164
Sacked-yards lost 1-5 3-16
Passes 21-38-1 12-21-0
Punts 4-41.0 5-39.2
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 2-20 11-103
Time of possession 30:53 29:07
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