Saturday's game with Lehigh marks the onset of a three game stretch that could be among the most important of the Kevin Kelly era at Georgetown. Despite being humbled by injuries, Georgetown an opportunity to take--and make--a stand to turn another unfulfilled season into one of some hope and promise for 2009. To do so, however, the Hoyas have to overcome what has sadly become one of the most one-sided rivalries in Division I-AA.
On September 1, 2001, Lehigh welcomed Georgetown to the Patriot League with a 41-14 win at Kehoe Field. Unfortunately, the two teams have not been much closer since, with seven straight Lehigh wins at an average margin of victory now exceeding 26 points per game. Although the 2008 Engineers come into Multi-Sport Field with a 2-5 mark, throw that mark out the window. Lehigh still has the toolset that can drive the young and battle-weary Hoyas right into the ground.
Lehigh has lost three games by a field goal or less, hampered by a poor pass defense and inconsistent results at quarterback, where quarterback J.B. Clark threw for only 166 yards against Holy Cross last week. But against another winless PL team in Fordham, Clark threw for nearly 300 yards in a 45-24 win. Buoyed by an offensive line that has no one smaller than 6-3 and 285, Clark will get time that opponents like Harvard and Villanova did not afford him. Put another way, when a Georgetown defensive line averaging 245 lbs. meets a Lehigh offensive line averaging 292, expect Clark to go to work.
The Engineer running game largely revolves around tailback Matt McGowan, with three straight 100 yard games and eyeing a fourth. McGowan rushed for 128 yards against the Hoyas last year; in fact, a Lehigh rusher has topped 100 on the Hoyas in each of the last three games between the schools. McGowan had 21 of the 23 backfield rushes other than from Clark last week versus Holy Cross, so the Hoyas will know where to focus on.
Lehigh has been proficient in the air game, but Lehigh fans are concerned that WR Sekou Yansane (36-506-3) may not be available for Saturday's game. Although he is still listed on the depth chart, expect tight end Mike Fitzgerald (29-407-6) picks up the slack.
Defensively, Lehigh is a mirror image between the run and the pass. The Engineers' rush defense is as good as Georgetown may see all year, holding opponents to an average of 2.5 yards per carry and 84 yards a game overall. Lehigh's 3-4 offense could present problems for a Georgetown run game which has ground to a halt in recent weeks, but look for linebackers Tim Diamond and Matt Cohen to tighten Lehigh's tackling efforts if Georgetown opts to go wide on offensive sets.
The passing game has been Lehigh's Achilles heel to date, but this too may not be a bonus for the Hoyas. Some of its higher numbers are the result of allowing pass-strong teams like Harvard and Holy Cross to each pass for more than 300 yards in the air. In its last two games against Lehigh, Georgetown has passed for 88 and 51 yards, respectively.
It's sign of the ever-changing Georgetown rosters of late that of Georgetown's 148 total yards against Lehigh in 2007, not a single player with yardage in the game is expected to start Saturday. In fact, of the offensive players on last week's starting lineup, only three started last season against Lehigh, one of which (receiver Colin Meador) was a lineman at the time. By contrast, the defense has returning experience in games like this, but therein lies the problem that haunts this team--a good Georgetown defense is no match for a young and inexperienced offense.
Tactically, look for QB James Brady to put the ball in the air as much as he can, but Brady must avoid the turnovers which shipwrecked his game last week against the Spiders. The Hoyas' season low 11 yards passing is not likely to be repeated, but Georgetown may need a 300 yard passing game of its own to remain competitive, something it has done only once in Kevin Kelly's 29 game tenure to date.
Some keys to the game:
- The Early Knockout. This series has been dominated by Lehigh putting games away early, often as a result of Georgetown turnovers deep in its territory. Georgetown can't win games unless it starts winning the 1st quarter, where it has been outscored 52-7 this season and 257-29 since 2006.
- Get To 100 Yards. Lehigh figures to lock down the running game, but the Hoyas can't give up on it. A minimum 100 yard rushing effort, while not astounding, needs to be a goal in this game.
- Jayah Kaisamba. The promising freshman corner back may face a severe test from Lehigh's receiver corps Saturday, but could help regain momentum with an interception or two.
It's no secret that the Lehigh fan base (and likely a Lehigh player or two) doesn't take Georgetown seriously given the disparity between the two teams. At some point, sooner rather than later, Georgetown has to show a little more fight in these games to turn around the psyche of the program. The problem with doing so against Lehigh is size and speed, two factors which Georgetown does not match up well against. But without better execution and a little more grit, Georgetown figures to be in the Engineers' rear view mirror yet again.
