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2016 Football Coverage
From HoyaSaxa.com game recaps. Links to other contemporary coverage may be out of date.Game #2: Davidson (September 10) Two blocked punts and a late defensive stand led the Georgetown Hoyas to its first 2-0 start in four seasons, via a 20-17 win over Marist in Poughkeepsie, NY. Amidst a 49 minute weather delay to open the game, neither team could mount any offensive momentum over the first four combined possessions. Four straight series led to three and out on all four, leading the Marist radio broadcast to label the effort as "unimpressive" on both sides of the ball. Georgetown stepped forward with 10:16 in the quarter, taking over at its 39 and moving on a 11 play drive that advanced to the Marist 10 before the drive stalled and the Hoyas settled for a 28 yard field goal from Henry Darmstadter, 3-0. Marist answered with a six play drive to midfield, whereupon QB Mike White found WR Juston Christian behind DB David Akere for a 50 yard touchdown, 7-3. It was the only pass caught by Christian and only one more was attempted at him for the remainder of the game, but Christian's play came up big early in this one. Georgetown's offense was ineffective for much of the half. QB Tim Barnes was intercepted at midfield and the Red Foxes advanced inside the GU 20. Three straight pass plays were broken up and the Red Foxes took a field goal to extend its lead to 10-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Hoyas managed just one first down in its next two possessions, leaving it to the defense to make its most important stand of the game to date, stopping a nine play, 69 yard drive to the Georgetown 19 with a blocked field goal that would prove important as the game progressed. Following an exchange of punts, Georgetown mounted its next scoring drive, keyed by a 25 yard pass from barnes to WR Justin Harrell to help drive Gu to the marist 7, but the drive stalled and a second short field goal followed, 10-6. Barnes finished 14 for 26 for 113 yards at halftime, as the Hoyas managed just 164 yards in total offense compared to 188 for Marist. Georgetown's best drive of the evening came in the third quarter. After a pair of runs from RB Alex Valles brought the G-men to midfield, Barnes found TE Matt Buckman for 23 yards to the Marist 23. A 13 yard run by Barnes was negated by clipping penalty, but Georgetown eventually drove to the Marist 15, facing a fourth and two. Opting to go for it, sophomore RB Christian Bermudez went though the Marist line for 15 yards and the score, 13-10. The lead was short lived, as an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing kickoff set up the Foxes at midfield, where Marist needed just three plays to retake the lead, 17-13. Georgetown regained the lad early in the fourth, an 11 play drive keyed by three big passes to WR Justin Harrell to extend the drive, none more so than on a fourth and goal from the Marist three. On the play, Barnes found Harrell in the end zone and the Hoyas took the lead, 20-17. An excessive celebration penalty threatened to put the Red Foxes back in business, but georgetown's defense forced a three and out on the next series, getting the ball back in Georgetown's favor with 11:07 remaining. held themselves to thee and out, the Hoyas punted back to the Red Foxes two minutes later, where a 21 yard punt return set up Marist at midfield. A 24 yard pass brought the Red Foxes to field goal range, but for the second time this evening, Georgetown's Hunter Kiselick came up big, blocking a game-tying field goal with 5:51 to play. Each team had one more scoring opportunity. Despite a 13 yard run on fourth down to bring the Hoyas within scoring range, Georgetown saw Henry Darmstadter miss from 32 yards out, whereupon Marist's final possession with 3:13 to play was broken up by DB David Akere at midfield. Barnes finished 23 of 45 for 208 yards and one interception. Marist, which gave up six turnovers in its opening week loss to Bucknell, was turnover-free as QB Mike White was 15 of 36 for 204 yards and two touchdowns. The two blocked field goals loomed large, as well as a defensive shutout pitched by the Georgetown defense: the Red Foxes failed to convert a single third down in 13 attempts. Georgetown is on a two week break with its bye week next Saturday, and will return to campus for an Oct 24 game versus Columbia in the school's 77th Homecoming game. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN MARIST
First downs 19 16
Rushed-yards 43-150 29-91
Passing yards 208 234
Sacked-yards lost 3-14 1-1
Passes 23-45-1 15-36-0
Punts 8-44.5 9-35.7
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 10-85 5-45
Time of possession 35:54 24:06
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online. Game #3: Columbia (September 24) The Georgetown Hoyas moved to 3-0 for the fist time since 1999 in a 17-14 win over Columbia at the 77th Homecoming game this past Saturday at Cooper Field. This was not a game in which Georgetown dominated in any one category; in fact, the Hoyas' second half was one of its weakest in over a decade. As the offense sputtered, the defense and special teams against made the save against a Columbia team which fell behind early and whose game plan was foiled by four turnovers. Georgetown needed a quick start against Columbia, and got it. A 28 yard kickoff return and a run of accurate throwing by senior QB Tim Barnes advanced the Hoyas into Columbia territory in its first series, whereupon Barnes found WR Michael Deraus down the sideline for a 44 yard touchdown pass, 7-0. The drive netted Georgetown 70 yards and was by far the best drive of the game. For the remainder of the game, Georgetown would total just 125 more yards. Columbia (0-2) struggled from the start. On its first series, QB Skyler Mornhinweg was intercepted at midfield, but the Hoyas could go nowhere and kicked it back. The Lions and Hoyas traded punts over its next five possessions of the quarter, but upon Harry McCollum's third punt of the quarter, Columbia returned Josh Wainwright fumbled the catch at halftime, setting up the Hoyas for its second scoring opportunity. A 15 yard pass from Barnes to TE Matt Buckman advanced to the Columbia 33, but the Hoyas could advance no closer than the 30 and collected a field goal on a career-best 47 yard kick from Henry Darmstadter, 10-0. A quarterback change for the Lions met with mixed results. Anders Hill replaced Skyler Mornhinweg late in the first, but on his third series he was picked off by Georgetown's David Akere at the Georgetown 22, ending the Lions' best drive to date. The Georgetown offense went nowhere, and a traded of punts followed. In a game where punts were plentiful on both teams, field position was vital. Following a 22 yard punt return by Alex Valles, the Hoyas needed just 36 yards in three plays to increase the lead to 17-0, as Barnes rushed nine yards for the touchdown. Mornhinweg returned to the lineup and led the Lions on its best drive of the half, a 16 play drive that consumed almost eight minutes of play, with five passes to WR Scooter Hollis that brought Columbia to the Georgetown 16. The Hoyas held thereafter, but Cameron Nizialek's field goal attempt sailed left and the Lions were scoreless at the break, 17-0. A different Columbia team returned after halftime. The Lions returned the kickoff to midfield and focused on the ground game within an 11 play drive, where RB Chris Schroer rushed six times for 34 yards, including an 11 yard run up the middle to close to 17-7. Fir its part, the Georgetown offense had flatlined, gaining a total of -4 yards over its next three series. Both teams relied on punts in the third, but field position was hurting the Hoyas. Georgetown continued to punt to midfield and the Lions continued to push the Hoyas further back on its heels. On its last drive of the third quarter, the Hoyas were pinned to its its one yard line, went three and out, and punted back to midfield. From there, the Lions needed just five plays to close to 17-14 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Georgetown managed just six yards in total offense in the third quarter, and the prevailing mood among those at Cooper Field suggested Georgetown's best hope was merely to run the clock. Another three and out by the Hoyas set up the Lions at midfield with 9:22 to play, where a pair of defensive stops on its backfield forced Columbia into a punting situation at the Georgetown 40. The Hoyas managed a first down on its next series, its first of the half, but could advance no further than its 28, again setting up the Lions for a short field with 5:39 to play. Again the Georgetown defense rose to the occasion, with consecutive tackles for loss that set up a fourth and four at the Georgetown 43, where senior Hunter Kiselick held Schroer to a three yard gain and the Hoyas took over with 3:39 to play. Georgetown's offense needed a first down to put the game away but didn't get it; instead, it forced Columbia to expire its three time outs. Punting from its 38 with 2:55 to play, Wainwright fumbled the return for a second time and it was recovered by Phil Novacki at the Columbia 36. Georgetown still couldn't move the ball but it moved the clock, punting the ball back to Columbia with 14 seconds. An alert special teams play by Georgetown allowed the clock to run an additional nine seconds as the ball settled to the the Columbia 15. With no time outs remaining, a series of laterals netted Columbia just three yards as time expired. Matt Barnes accounted for 153 of Georgetown's 195 yards, much of it in the first half. barnes was 16-30 for 124 yards, with a game high of 44 yards in its opening possession. The backfield was far less productive, as GU's backs combined for 52 yards rushing in 19 carries. Defensively, J'Von Butler led the defense with 11 tackles. Harry McCollum's 14 points was a modern record, four short of the school record set by Joe Meglen in 1934 versus NYU. With the win, Rob Sgarlata is the first head coach to win his first three Homecoming games since Scotty Glacken from 1970 through 1972. Good times can be fleeting, and Sgarlata must now prepare for the Hoyas as prohibitive underdogs at Harvard Friday night. The Crimson have won 30 of its last 32 games since 2014 and have outscored Georgetown 79-3 in its last two games. Kickoff can be seen on ESPN3. Game statistics:
COLUMBIA GEORGETOWN
First downs 20 8
Rushed-yards 42-172 29-71
Passing yards 142 124
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 1-2
Passes 21-36-2 16-30-0
Punts 8-42.1 14-41.1
Fumbles-lost 2-2 1-0
Penalties-yards 6-58 3-37
Time of possession 29:34 30:26
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online.
Game #4: Harvard (Oct. 2) Two early drives powered Harvard past Georgetown, 31-17, before an announced crowd of 7,138 at a cold and rainy Harvard Stadium Friday night. While the outcome was never in doubt, Georgetown overcame a number of obstacles and challenged throughout the game. Senior QB Joe Viviano set the tone in the opening drive. The Crimson saw third down just once in a nine play, 80 yard drive that Viviano was five for six for 61 of those 80 yards, with a 17 yard pass in the corner of the end zone to WR Brian Dunlap to go up 7-0 within there minutes of the start. Georgetown was three and out in its first series, whereupon Harvard marched down the field impunity a second time, where Viviano was 5-5 in an eight play, 70 yard drive, 14-0. Without a running game, Georgetown relied on a short passing game, with mixed results. Its next drive advanced into Harvard territory, but after an exchange of punts, QB Tim Barnes went long, finding Branden Williams down the sideline for a 76 yard touchdown that rallied the cause, 14-7. On the next series, Khristian Tate blocked a Harvard punt at the 20, advancing to the 12 before a critical fourth down situation at the start of the second quarter. Going for a touchdown instead of a field goal, a short pass was broken up on fourth and two. The Crimson responded with a crushing five play drive that featured a 75 yard pass to WR Anthon Firsker that put the game out of reach, 21-7. Georgetown struggled to contain Harvard's defensive effort in its next series, going three and out. The Crimson went to backup QB Tom Stewart in its next series, driving 63 yards in eight plays to the Georgetown eight until Stewart's pass in the end zone was intercepted by Blaise Brown. The series provided one of the worst official's calls in recent memory, as DB J'Von Butler was ejected for targeting despite the fact he neither left his feet not actually hit the helmet of Harvard WR Brian Dunlap. The stadium replay confirmed the lack of malice, but the officials would not overturn the original call. A more serious development followed in Georgetown's next series. On its first play of the series, Barnes was popped out of bounds and sustained a likely shoulder injury, as he did not return for the game. Sophomore Clay Norris made his first appearance in a Georgetown uniform as the Hoyas punted back to Harvard at midfield, where the Crimson drove 48 yards in nine plays and picked up a short field goal with 3:30 remaining, 24-7. A three and out by GU set up the Crimson for another opportunity at the end of the half, where Stewart was again intercepted in the end zone. The halftime numbers were stark: Harvard had 25 first downs to Georgetown's three. Absent the 76 yard pass to Williams, the Hoyas managed just 55 yards. The crimson outgained GU 448-121, consuming nearly 20 minutes of the first half. Georgetown went three and out to begin the second half and Harvard began to move its second team into place for the second half. The teams stayed even and traded possessions throughout the third quarter without scoring, but third string QB Cam Tripp picked up a short field at the start of the fourth quarter and drive forward in a 12 play drive that extended the lead to 31-7. Harvard continued to struggle in the turnover game, and were cut off from the end zone by the Georgetown defense. Hunter Kiselick forced a fumble deep in harvard territory, but Norris was intercepted in the end zone. The Crimson advanced to the Georgetown 28 where Jelani Williamson picked off Tripp's pass at midfield with eight minutes remaining,. Georgetown added a 43 yard field goal from Henry Darmstadter, 31-10, and picked up a late touchdown on a 76 yard run by RB Isaac Ellsworth to close to 31-17. The score, as they say, was not indicative of the outcome, as Harvard's four turnovers limited a further blowout. Norris finished the game 10 of 19 for 45 yards. Outside of Ellsworth's big gain, the running game flat lined for a second game. Alex Valles was held to just 10 yards in the game. Georgetown wraps up its Ivy League tour at home Saturday versus Princeton, which routed Columbia 48-13 the day following Friday's game. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN HARVARD
First downs 9 33
Rushed-yards 21-118 49-177
Passing yards 148 358
Sacked-yards lost 1-1 3-13
Passes 16-35-1 28-43-3
Punts 9-39.1 6-31.3
Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-yards 5-58 10-88
Time of possession 24:17 35:43
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online. Game #5: Princeton (Oct. 8) A back to back 31-17 loss, this week to Princeton, was a much closer game than what the Hoyas offered in the rain at Harvard Stadium last week, but for a second straight week of rainy conditions, the Georgetown offense could not mount the yardage necessary to stay close in this one, and struggled with turnovers at critical points of the game. Early on, the Georgetown defense assumed its primacy--holding the Tigers to a missed field goal opportunity on its opening drive, and then blocking a field goal attempt, whereupon GU's Jelani Williamson returned it 51 yards for the score, 7-0. Princeton answered on a seven play, 69 yard drive, 7-7, but it was again up to the defense to keep the game close. On the Hoyas' next series, a pass from QB Clay Norris to WR Justin Hill advanced to midfield, But Hill fumbled the ball and it was returned by Princeton's James Gales to the Georgetown eight yard line.Williamson came up big yet again, intercepting a pass in the end zone, but the offense could do no better than a three play, -5 yard effort that saw Norris intercepted at the GU 22. Three rushing plays pierced the georgetown line as the Tigers took a 14-7 lead late in the first period. A third Georgetown offensive drive led to its third consecutive turnover, when Norris fumbled the ball at his 34. Princeton responded with a nine play, 34 yard drive to go up 21-7 early in the second. But Georgetown didn't give up, answering with a six play, 75 yard drive keyed by a 13 yard run to the end zone by RB Alex Valles and GU had closed to 21-14. The teams traded the last seven possessions of the half, none going much beyond midfield. Georgetown, which had given up 205 yards in the first quarter to Princeton, held the Tigers to just 33 yards in the second quarter and outgained the Tigers 102-33 during those 15 minutes. Over the last three games, the Hoyas' offense has flatlined after halftime, and fans saw a similar output after halftime. QB Clay Norris, making his first start, was three and out to open the half, setting up the Tigers for a short field in return. Consecutive 22 yard passes from Princeton QB Chad Kanoff to receivers Isaiah Barnes and Jesper Horsted set up RB John Lovett for a one yard score, 28-14. A trade of punts set up GU in good field position with 6:16 in the third, where Norris went to the run game on a 11 play, five minute drive that resulted in a 34 yard Henry Darmstadter field goal, 31-17. Georgetown's fourth quarter was remarkable in its inertia. The Hoyas managed a net -5 yards in two series, and held the ball less than four minutes as Princeton dominated time of possession even as it did not move the ball into scoring position. None of its fourth quarter drives entered the Georgetown red zone, but it controlled the clock and won the game thusly. Sophomore QB Clay Norris was 13-26 for 101 yards in his debut, but GU picked up just 82 yards on the ground and was a combined 1 of 12 in third down conversions. The Tigers outgained the Hoyas 414-188, and 14 different Princeton players caught at least one pass in the game Georgetown moves to Patriot League play next week against Lehigh, which has won four straight and is averaging 50 points a game over its last three games. Those are not promising numbers for a team whose offense has been overwhelmed by its last two opponents and gave up a season high five turnovers in this game. Game statistics:
PRINCETON GEORGETOWN
First downs 23 10
Rushed-yards 52-273 28-82
Passing yards 181 106
Sacked-yards lost 2-15 2-7
Passes 24-47-1 13-26-1
Punts 5-36.4 8-43.2
Fumbles-lost 1-0 5-4
Penalties-yards 5-49 12-99
Time of possession 37:01 22:59
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online. Game #6: Lehigh (Oct. 15) Backup quarterback Brad Mayes through for 247 yards and two touchdowns as Lehigh rolled past Georgetown, 35-3 , before an announced sellout of 2,455 at Cooper Field Saturday. A third straight week of offensive inertia failed to elevate the Hoyas in a game where the Engineers outgained the Hoyas by almost 300 yards. An exchange of punts opened the game, but the powerful Lehigh offense took flight in its second possession. Five plays moved the Engineers crisply to midfield, but it was a 42 yard pass from QB Nick Shanifsky to Gatlin Casey that gave Lehigh its first score, 7-0. Georgetown could not answer in its next possession, as its offensive line was unable to halt a swarming lehigh defense that kept the Hoyas' running game in low gear throughout the afternoon. A five play drive netted Georgetown just 16 yards, and on the ensuing punt, Lehigh drove 62 yards in 10 plays before Georgetown DB J'Von Butler picked off a Shanifsky pass at the Georgetown 15. It was the second interception, so to speak, in the series, as an apparent interception from Shanifsky was waived off when officials considered the quarterback in the grasp of DL Khristian Tate at the Lehigh 11. Georgetown went three and out on its next series, whereupon Shanifsky was injured on the second play in the drive, forcing coach Andy Coen to move to Brad Mayes. He completed 5-5 from the field in an 11 play, 66 yard drive that extended the Engineer lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter. Georgetown QB Clay Norris answered the call in Georgetown's next series, going 6-6 from the field, but a pair of penalties staled the drive at midfield. The Hoyas held the Engineers deep in its territory and picked up favorable field position late in the second quarter, driving to the Lehigh four yard line with 1:54 to play. On a third down, Lehigh forced a two yard loss on a pass play from Norris to WR Justin Hill, and coach Rob Sgarlata opted for a short field goal, 14-3. Lehigh looked to extended the lead late in the half but Georgetown's Hunter Kiselick picked off a pass at the GU 15 to close out lehigh's run at the end of the first half. But the numbers were daunting: Lehigh outgained Georgetown 240-58 at the break, and was halted from two more touchdowns by the GU defense. Something had to give. Either the offense would have to step up or the defense would run out of gas in the second half. Well, of course, it was the latter. Lehigh had three drives in the third quarter and scored touchdowns on each of them. After Georgetown drove top the lehigh 25 and missed on a 43 yard henry Darmstadter field goal attempt, the Engineers answered with a nine play drive, capped by a 36 yard pass from Mayes to Gatlin to the georgetown one yard line, and a one yard Dominic Bragalone score, 21-3. After Georgetown went three and out on its next drive, Mayes found Casey alone for 57 yards, 28-3. The Hoyas drove into negative yardage on its next series, setting up lehigh for a short field and a 12 play, 50 yard drive to go up 35-3 at the start of the fourth quarter. Mayes finished 19 for 26 for 247 yards, with Casey netting six catches for 164 yards, nearly outgaining the entire georgetown team, which combined for just 177 yards for the game. SHanifsky was 7-12 for 101 yards before his injury. GU's numbers were reflective of a team that was overwhelmed in this one. Clay Norris was 15 for 25 for just 79 yards, unable to get the ball down field due to Lehigh's able secondary support and an aggressive defensive line effort. Norris was replaced late in the game by freshman Brock Johnson on a 11 play, 61 yard drive that ended with no time left. Senior RB Alex Valles managed just 21 yards on 11 attempts as the Hoyas combined for just 74 yards on the ground. The three points is Georgetown's fewest in a game versus Lehigh since the winless 2009 season. The loss is Georgetown's 16th consecutive to Lehigh dating to 2010, the second longest current streak in Division I-AA: 32-Grambling State over Prairie View A&M, 1977-2008 23-William & Mary over VMI, 1986-2008 22-Eastern Kentucky over Tennessee Tech, 1976-97 20-Eastern Kentucky over Austin Peay State, 1978-97 20-Pennsylvania over Columbia, 1997-current 18-Western Illinois over Southern Illinois, 1984-2001 18-Eastern Kentucky over Morehead State, 1972-89 17-Princeton over Columbia, 1954-70 16-Lehigh over Georgetown, 2001-current 16-Montana over Montana State, 1986-2001 16-Harvard over Columbia, 1979-94 16-Middle Tennessee over Morehead State, 1951-66 15-Dartmouth over Brown, 1960-74 15-Lehigh over Bucknell, 1998-2012 14-Dartmouth over Columbia, 1984-97 14-Marshall over VMI, 1983-96 14-Appalachian State over East Tennessee, 1982-95 14-Yale over Princeton, 1967-80 Another streak awaits the Hoyas next Saturday in the Bronx versus Fordham, where the Hoyas have dropped 13 straight to the Rams on the road dating to the 1974 season. Fordham has won ten straight Patriot League games at home dating to the 2013 season. Game statistics:
LEHIGH GEORGETOWN
First downs 28 12
Rushed-yards 36-127 29-74
Passing yards 348 103
Sacked-yards lost 2-17 3-18
Passes 27-39-2 17-29-0
Punts 2-49.5 7-44.9
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-90 8-65
Time of possession 30:35 29:25
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online.
Game #7: Fordham (Oct. 22) In 13 prior meetings between the Georgetown Hoyas and the Fordham Rams at Jack Coffey Field, the home team won by an average of 23 points. In 2016, cold and rainy conditions brought the Hoyas as close to a win in the Bronx at any time since the 1974 season, only to see it wither and die in the same elements which kept the Rams at bay. In all, nine turnovers between the teams kept Saturday's game close, but not close enough in Fordham's 17-14 win before an announced crowd of 8,192. The Rams (5-2) faced some hardships of its own entering the game, as QB Kevin Anderson was suspended for the game for undisclosed team rules violations. Second string QB Luke Medlock started the game with a crisp 11 play drive, fueled by 48 yards on the ground from junior Chase Edmonds Jr. and topped by a short pass from medlock to Robbie Cantelli for an early 7-0 lead. The Hoyas went nowhere on its first drive, but on the ensuing punt, J'Von Butler recovered a Fordham fumble at midfield, extending the drive. Unfortunately for the Hoyas, QB Clay Norris threw an interception on the next play, returning momentum to the Rams, where Medlock and Cantelli connected for a 37 yard touchdown pass, 14-0. The sluggish Georgetown offense needed a break and got it on its next series, and got it. On a 10 yard pass from Norris to Branden Williams, Williams got past his defender and was on his way to the end zone, a 59 yard pass that accounted for over 70 percent of the team's total offense by halftime. Whatever the numbers, the Hoyas were back in at 14-7. A pair of defensive moves kept the game on edge. The Rams were three and out on its next possession, but on fourth down, Georgetown's Khristian Tate broke through the line and blocked the punt, setting up the Hoyas at the Fordham 29. Once again, the offense went nowhere, losing 11 yards, and the Hoyas punted deep into Fordham territory. Another Fordham punt followed, and Tate followed suit, with a second consecutive block that brought the Hoyas to the Fordham 10 early in the second. Once again, the offense went dry, failing on third and goal, but a Ram penalty gave the G-men a first down at the one, a mark even Georgetown could reach. Isaac Ellsworth's one yard run and the point after tied the score at 14, but there were more surprises ahead. On the ensuing kickoff, GU's Jake Johnson forced a fumble that was recovered by the Hoyas' Matthew Deal, the third straight possession to turn over to the Hoyas. Three plays later, Norris was intercepted at midfield. After a Fordham three and out, the Hoyas coughed it up again, when punt returner Michael Dereus lost control of a wet football and set up the Rams in Georgetown territory at its 36. The Georgetown defense held over the next three series, as the rams fell short on a field goal attempt and an Jelani Williamson interception in the final minute of the half. Despite just 84 yards at the half and numerous chances to build a lead, a tie score was a remarkable number for the Hoyas. The third quarter was a battle of attrition, as the two tams combined for three first downs and two more turnovers, the first of which was Norris' third and led to his replacement by freshman Brock Johnson. The change didn't do much for Georgetown's woeful offense, as the Rams held the Hoyas to 14 yards over its next three series. A key element of the game was the Georgetown defense keeping Chase Edmonds in check. Since the opening two drives, Edmonds, who broke the Fordham career yardage record in the third quarter, was held to just 26 yards in the interim. But at the start of the fourth quarter, the Rams got behind Edmonds and he delivered. A 10 play, 73 yard drive saw Edmonds rush for 62 of those yards, but on a fourth and goal at the one, he was stopped by Khristian Tate, and the Hoyas would survive yet again, only to turn the ball over at midfield with a Johnson interception returned to the GU 28. From there, the Rams drove 17 yards and picked up a field goal at the 6:08 mark, 17-14. The Georgetown offense was simply not up to the challenge. Three plays netted the Hoyas -17 yards. The defense forced a Fordham punt with 2:05 mark that set up the Hoyas at its four yard line, to end three plays later with Johnson's second interception and a fifth GU turnover. In all, the teams traded nine turnovers. Edmonds finished with 179 yards, as the Rams outgained the Hoyas 285-167. Georgetown managed a -2 rushing yards on 24 carries, the Hoyas' first negative finish on the ground since Oct. 1, 2011. Norris finished 6-15 for 112 yards and three interceptions, Johnson 8-14 for 57 yards and two interceptions Georgetown's futility can be summed up with a 1 for 11 on third down conversions. Having dropped four straight, the Hoyas return to the road Saturday against Lafayette, which has dropped seven straight following a 42-17 loss at Bucknell. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN FORDHAM
First downs 9 15
Rushed-yards 24-(-2) 53-184
Passing yards 169 101
Sacked-yards lost 2-14 6-33
Passes 14-29-5 13-23-1
Punts 8-34.9 7-28.4
Fumbles-lost 4-1 6-3
Penalties-yards 5-50 9-60
Time of possession 26:07 33:53
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online. Game #8: Lafayette (Oct. 29) The Hoyas dropped its fifth straight game, a 17-3 loss to Lafayette before a crowd of 4,878 at Fisher Stadium. This was a matchup of the two weakest offensive sets in the PL, with Georgetown dropping its previous four and Lafayette carrying a seven game losing streak. Both teams played to form to open the game, with a total of 40 yards gained over the team's first five series combined. Lafayette (2-7) caught a break late in the first quarter, when a 37 pass play from QB Drew Reed to WR Joey Chenoweth was aided by a 15 yard roughing the passer penalty on Georgetown's Hunter Kiselick, who was ejected for targeting with a shoulder block into Reed. Georgetown's second defensive ejection of the season was baffling but had to be quickly forgotten, as the Leopards advanced to the Georgetown 14. The drive faltered and the Leopards picked up a 28 yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Two more offensive sets went nowhere, and it was the Hoya defense that once again set up the offense. On a 4th and 15 at midfield, a Lafayette punt was blocked by Georgetown's Khristian Tate, his third punt block of the season. Three straight passes from freshman Brock Johnson brought the Hoyas inside the Lafayette 10 but no further, and a 26 yard field goal tied the score midway through the second, 3-3. Neither team threatened before the half. The Hoyas ended the first half with just one yard rushing and 88 overall. Halftime adjustments by Lafayette proved the difference in the second half. After an exchange of drives to begin the third quarter, Reed and the Leopards began to work on the Georgetown secondary. Five straight completions moved the Leopards from its 20 to the GU one, where Reed carried the ball into the end zone and a 10-3 lead. On the Hoyas' next series, Johnson's pass was intercepted at the GU 32 and returned to the 23, setting up the Leopards for two rushes to the end zone, 17-3. Johnson had performed well in the first half, with 11 for 16 passing. The Leopards shut him down after halftime, as he was just one of seven thereafter. After three straight incompletions following the touchdown, sophomore Clay Norris entered the game but with no more success--just three yards in his next six plays. With the game well out of reach, Norris led the Hoyas on a 52 yard drive at the end of the game that failed to yield points but accounted for nearly a third of the team's yardage statistics. Defensively, the Hoyas held its own, but suffered a major loss in the third quarter when Khristian Tate was helped off the field with the appearance of a knee injury. The staff does not comment on any injuries. Georgetown ended the game with 40 yards rushing and 173 overall. Johnson finished 12 for 23 for 107 yards, Norris 4 for 12 for just 26. Georgetown converted just 3 of 15 third down attempts, two in the final drive. The Leopards, who were averaging 54 points allowed per game in its prior three, held the Hoyas without a touchdown and just one possession that moved inside the 20 yard line. The win was Lafayette's first home win in a Patriot League game since its Oct. 11, 2014 win over the Hoyas, 24-21. Georgetown returns home for its next two games, beginning on Nov. 5 versus Holy Cross (3-6). Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN LAFAYETTE
First downs 11 20
Rushed-yards 26-40 38-149
Passing yards 133 245
Sacked-yards lost 2-17 6-28
Passes 16-35-1 18-28-0
Punts 9-45.8 7-37.0
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 4-40 5-45
Time of possession 25:16 34:44
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online.
Game #9: Holy Cross (Nov. 5) "We are working hard to increase our consistency and production of offense," said head coach Rob Sgarlata following the Georgetown Hoyas' loss to Lafayette. "Defensively we are working to eliminate our opponent's big plays." Both were contributing factors to a painful 21-20 loss to Holy Cross Saturday before a small crowd at unfinished Cooper Field. The Hoyas fell victim to big plays early and offensive woes late. The Crusaders threw for 308 yards in Saturday's game. Four plays accounted for 214 of those 308 yards, and on its first play from scrimmage, QB Geoff Wade went for 46 yards to WR Brendan Flaherty, setting up a eight play, 76 yard drive that saw HC convert on a 4th and one inside the GU 10 and a two yard run by RB Domenic Cozier for the 7-0 lead. What followed was a moment in Georgetown's football annals for years to come: a 100 yard kickoff return by Michael Dereus that helped tie the score 7-7. One yard of the school record set by Peter Clays in 1984, it marked another great effort by a special teams unit that has been strong all season. But after an exchange of punts, HC went back to the air. First down, again, Wade went to Flaherty, again, racing 80 yards to the Georgetown five, setting up a short run and a 14-7 lead. Sophomore QB Clay Norris answered the charge with a eight play, 65 yard drive, relying almost exclusively on short passing and picking up yards on the exchange. On a third and 11 to open the second quarter, the play was for Norris to run instead of pass and the results were utterly predictable. Norris gained just three yards and GU settled for a field goal--Henry Darmstadter's 46 yard effort bounced favorably off the crossbar, marking his 25th field goal of his career, a new school record. Georgetown relied on more of the same on its next series. A third and three called for a Norris run, but HC sniffed it out and forced a punt. On its next series, Wade found WR Jordan Montgomery for 52 yards to the Georgetown five, and Cozier's run of five yards extended the lead to 21-10. The Hoyas answered with a 13 play, 72 yard drive, with no pass play of more than nine yards but three vital third down conversions to a team among the nation's worst in that category. Alex Valles' four yard run closed the score to 21-17 with 2L45 to halftime, and that is how it stayed entering the break. If Georgetown's defense were the goats in the first half, they were the bulls following the break. The Hoyas held the Crusaders to just five downs after halftime and just one of six on third down conversions. Four of HC's six second half drives were a total of six yards or less, and when Henry Darmstadter's 49 yard field goal midway in the third quarter closed the margin to 21-20, the Hoyas have every chance of winning this game. Unfortunately for the 2016 Hoyas, its defense is not its offense. Georgetown had four drives to win the game and each fell short. Its first attempt came at midfield after Ramon Lyons forced a Holy Cross fumble, setting up the hoyas with some of its best field position to date. Norris was 4-4 in the series, but on a third and two, the call from the coaches was another Norris keeper, and it failed, forcing a punt. With 10:01 in the fourth, Georgetown's drive went backward. Alex Valles lost three yards, and a penalty set up as 3rd and 18? The call? A seven yard pass to WR Jimmy McLaughlin, and GU punted. The punt was returned into Georgetown territory, but the defense stuffed the drive (three plays, -2 yards) and a long field goal attempt fell short. The Hoyas took over at its 27 with 6:08 to play. Short passes predominated, as three straight completions to WR Justin Hill brought the Hoyas to midfield. A three yard run by Valles brought the Hoyas a first down in HC territory, but the wheels came off thereafter. Norris fumbled the ball on first down but recovered it for an eight yard loss and threw an interception that was returned to the Georgetown 43. Another strong defensive series (three plays, six yards) forced a HC punt which served an unfortunate result for the Hoyas. The PL Network cameras were not usable for replay, but showed that the punt was downed with a defender in the end zone, but was nonetheless recorded by the official at the one yard line. Georgetown took over with 1:49 to play and no time outs, and the network analyst was dubious that georgetown could execute the drive, given that it had avoided any semblance of passing down the field all day. It proved true. The plays for Norris were pedestrian: the first two pass netted just nine yards. A pass play on fourth and one at the 15 was incomplete, but defensive pass interference was a generous gift by Holy Cross to an opponent running out of time. Norris fell victim to a sack on first down, ran out of bounds to stop the clock on second down, and threw an interception on third down with 0:18 to play. Geoff Wade was 17 for 28 for 308 yards for Holy Cross, but threw for just 44 yards after halftime. Clay Norris played the entire game for Georgetown and was 25 for 37 for 185 yards, but only three of the 25 netted more than nine yards each. Alex Valles carried the ball 12 times for 21 yards, and Norris led all rushers with 40 yards on 16 plays. The loss was Georgetown's sixth straight heading into Senior Day next week versus Bucknell, which has won five of its last six at Washington since the 2004 season. Game statistics:
HOLY CROSS GEORGETOWN
First downs 15 17
Rushed-yards 30-100 30-65
Passing yards 308 185
Sacked-yards lost 1-5 3-17
Passes 17-28-1 25-37-2
Punts 5-37.6 6-38.7
Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-0
Penalties-yards 6-48 8-72
Time of possession 25:15 34:45
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online. Game #10: Bucknell (Nov. 12) Defense was the order of the day as Bucknell defeated Georgetown 21-7 at Cooper Field in the 2016 home finale. A drive at the end of the first half and the opening drive of the second put the game away for the Bison, while the Hoyas's offense remained unable to respond. The Bison opened the game with a strong opening drive, starting at its 33 yard line moving to the Georgetown 17 before the Hoyas' defense held on fourth down. It was the closest Bucknell would get for most of the first of the half, while the Hoyas never crossed midfield in a battle of two of the Patriot League's best defenses. A six play, 24 yard drive opened the Georgetown effort, but in its next five drives of the half it netted a total of just 38 yards. The final Bucknell drive of the half netted the first score of the game. Starting at the Bucknell 33, the Bison executed an eight play, 67 yard drive under reserve quarterback John Chiarolanzio, who had replaced senior R.J. Nitti early in the second. On a second and one at the Georgetown 14, Chiarolanzio took the ball in and gave the Bison a 7-0 lead at the half. Following halftime, Georgetown needed a strong response to answer the Bison's scoring effort and did much of the opposite. On the second play of the third quarter, QB Clay Norris threw a bad pass that intercepted at its 32. From there, the Bison marched 32 yards in eight plays for a 14-0 lead. The teams traded punts over the next three possessions, giving Georgetown favorable terms on its third possession of the quarter, setting up at its 45. Norris, who was just 3 for 10 since the first quarter, was given the green light to go downfield, connecting on consecutive passes to Justin Hill and Jim McLaughlin in a three play, 55 yard drive that closed the gap to 14-7 with 5:02 in the 3rd. Georgetown's defense stood the challenge yet again, stopping the Bison on downs over its next two series. The Hoyas took over with 4:54 to play with a chance to drive to a tying score, but after a three and out, took the unusual step of going for it on a fourth and six at its 40 rather than cede the ball to the Bison late in the game. Norris' pass attempt was not close, and the Bison took over in Georgetown territory, needing just five plays and a 28 yard run from DeFloria to increased the final outcome to 21-7. The Hoyas managed just 180 yards of total offense and never saw the Bucknell red zone. Clay Norris was 17 of 34 for 157 yards, but was intercepted three times and was just 3 of 12 in third down conversions. The Bucknell defense held the GU offense to a season low 20:39 in time of possession. Game statistics:
BUCKNELL GEORGETOWN
First downs 20 9
Rushed-yards 52-186 17-33
Passing yards 109 157
Sacked-yards lost 2-17 1-9
Passes 13-25-0 17-34-3
Punts 6-41.3 7-37.1
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 5-32 5-38
Time of possession 39:14 20:39
Additional links follow below. No local coverage was posted online. Game #11: Colgate (Nov. 19) Coverage of the season final versus Colgate, a 38-10 loss, was not archived. |