The Lehigh Valley hosts a 12:30 game Saturday for two teams facing off for the Patriot League championship. And then there's Georgetown and Lafayette.
While Fordham and Lehigh face off for the lead in the PL playoff race, the Hoyas and leopards meet at Fisher Stadium with each trying to stay out of the basement. Georgetown has lost four straight entering the game, the Leopards seven straight. If Lafayette coach Frank Tavani is feeling some heat (with the Leopards having lost 15 of its last 17 over the past two seasons), he isn't showing it.
Both teams could use some heat on offense. The Leopards are last in the league in rushing, having relied on RB DeSean Brown (63-237-1) to carry the load. The Leopards have carried for less than 65 yards combined over its last two games, and Tavani will go with senior Drew Reed to get the start. Reed led the Leopards with 58 yards on the ground last week. In the air, lafayette relies on senior QB Drew Reed (125-194-9) to lead the attack. Reed ranks sixth among seven PL starters but has some options at the ready, including WR Matt Mrazek (54-576), who accounts for eight of Reed's nine touchdown passes this season. Also look for Joey Chenoweth, who caught a 65 yard pass in last week's loss at Bucknell, to test the Georgetown secondary. Much like the Hoyas, the Leopards struggle on third down, managing just 2 of 13 conversions last week and 32% overall this season.
The Leopards need to get off to a good start, trailing after the first quarter in four straight games. To do that, they will rely on a defense that has banged up this season and has seen the best of times and the worst of times: it leads the league in passing defense, but is last in rushing defense. Lafayette carries only three senior starters and four returning starters from 2015, and its second string is heavy on underclassmen. Seniors Collin Albershardt and Andy Labudev must control the lines to force Georgetown into the secondary. Over its last three games, Lafayette has given up an average of 54 points per game.
Georgetown's problems begin and end on its offense--a nonexistent running game, two inexperienced quarterbacks, and too many turnovers in recent weeks have all contributed to recent losses. Progress must be seen in the running game--senior RB Alex Valles rushed for an average of 92.5 yards in the Hoyas' first two games, just 26 yards per game since. Third down conversions are down to a league low 22 percent and the Hoyas are last in time of possession, which gives opponents more opportunities for scoring drives. By contrast, Lafayette also struggles on third down (32 percent) and allows opponents 41 percent on third down, most in the league. The team that manages time of possession may be the team that wins the game.
The key to the game may rest with the quarterback. Lafayette has a pair of veteran QB's in Reed and Blake Searfoss which each average over 60 percent completions. The Georgetown defense must put pressure on Reed to force turnovers, where he has given up nine INT's this season. For its part, Clay Norris has thrown five INT's in two games and just one touchdown pass. If he gets time to find receivers, the Hoyas can make progress.
With Lehigh and Fordham behind them, the next three weeks of the 2016 schedule offer winnable outcomes for Georgetown if they can avoid turnovers and play with confidence. A game with Lafayette, to whom the Hoyas have had recent success in PL play, offers a great opportunity to change course and reach a winning record.