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2017 Football Coverage
From HoyaSaxa.com game recaps. Links to other contemporary coverage may be out of date.Game #2: Marist (Sept. 16) After two weeks, the 2017 Georgetown Hoyas look a lot like Georgetown teams of recent vintage--that is to say, not very good. The Hoyas managed just 12 yards in the first quarter against Pioneer League team Marist and 50 yards by halftime, neither of which were enough as the Red Foxes earned its first win against Georgetown in four years, 17-12, while the Hoyas (1-1) scored the fewest points in the series that dates to the 1994 season. After being outscored 35-0 in the first half against Bucknell two weeks prior, the Marist defense was ready for the Hoyas. GU managed all of one yard on its first two offensive series, where RB Carl Thomas managing one yard in four carries. Where GU relied on the run, Marist went to the air on its next series, which saw quarterback Mike White connected on four straight passes to the GU 14 in a crisp eight play drive that reached third down just once. A five yard pass to WR David Shannon put MC on the board with four minutes in the first quarter, than returned to the end zone three minutes later, the results of an interception of a Tim Barnes pass which set up the Red Foxes for a brief five play drive that extended the score to 14-0 late in the first quarter.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The second quarter was a defensive standoff. After a Marist drive that made it to midfield the teams combined for two first down over the next five series, combining for a net 33 yards between them. The Georgetown defense stood tall, with the Red Foxes doing likewise, holding Georgetown without a first down in three straight series to end the first half. Marist ended the half gaining only 151 yards, but easily outpaced a Georgetown offense with 27 plays and just 50 yards. Fifth year senior Tim Barnes was 7 of 17 for 46 yards and an INT by halftime, as the Hoyas crossed midfield just once by intermission.Georgetown held its defense for the first two possessions of the second half, setting up the Hoyas at midfield for their first scoring possession of the game. A pair of 20+ yard passes to Justin Harrell and Michael Dereus brought GU to the Marist 3, whereupon RB Christian Bermudez scored Georgetown's first rushing touchdown of the season. Georgetown was its own worst enemy on the conversion, where a low kick from PK Brad Hurst was blocked, 12-6, changing the course of the comeback. Mike White responded for the Red Foxes by connecting on seven consecutive passes to the GU 25, but the defense held and Marist missed wide right on a 37 yard field goal attempt. Both teams retreated back to defense as the teams combined for a meager 51 yards over the next eight series, with Georgetown holding Marist without a first down for three straight series heading into the middle of the fourth quarter. Georgetown is weak among PL teams at downfield passing and Saturday's game amplofied an ongoing gap in the Hoya offense strategy. Lacking time to find receivers downfield, Barnes fell back on the short out-passes that have done GU little good over the years, and as such the Hoyas took over with 6:34 needing a spark. Facing third down and three at its 45, Barnes rushed 11 yards for a first down and followed it up with a 44 yard pass to Dereus for the score, 14-12. A two point conversion, made necessary from the errant PAT of the third period, also fell short. Georgetown held Marist on its next series, although the Red Foxes were able to connect on two key first downs which extended the series and took valuable time away from the Hoyas. The Red Foxes punted it back to GU with just 1:06 to play, with Georgetown having exhausted its time outs. At a time where GU needed to open things up, it returned to a tentative game plan. An eight yard pass here, a seven yard catch there. Georgetown managed just 18 yards in six plays where, with one second remaining and 56 yards to the game winning play, only one pass was left. A long pass to Dereus? An alley-oop to Hill? No, that wouldn't be Georgetown. Instead, Barnes settled for a 12 yard pass over the middle which rambled down the field for 16 more but far removed from the end zone. According to Marist Sports information, the 14-12 final "the second time in program history the Red Foxes have won a road game against a Patriot League team." The other one was four years earlier...at Georgetown. Following the game, Georgetown sank to 102nd nationally in rushing offense and 115th in third down conversion, completing just 20 percent of its attempts through two games. Attendance was the smallest in two seasons at just 1,112 attending, a troublesome number with the big RFK Stadium game looming two weeks out, with minimal publicity to date. Of more current concern, a trip to Baker Field in upper Manhattan this weekend. Columbia is coming off an upset win over Wagner to begin its 2017 season. The Lions earned its first halftime shutout in eight years in the game and will be seeking its first 2-0 start in 12 years Saturday in the renewal of the Lou Little Cup series. Game statistics:
MARIST GEORGETOWN
First downs 16 12
Rushed-yards 27-58 25-45
Passing yards 236 217
Sacked-yards lost 1-10 4-15
Passes 29-47-0 21-40-1
Punts 10-33.4 10-41.6
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 10-60 5-41
Time of possession 32:03 27:57
Game #3: Columbia (Sept. 23)  Well, the head of the Jack the Bulldog mascot didn't make it to Times Square, but Saturday's Georgetown-Columbia game made a rare appearance on ESPN College Gameday. The popular pre-game show was broadcast this week at Times Square, an unusual departure from its regular stops at college campuses. Given the fact that Georgetown-Columbia was the only scheduled game in New York City today, the panelists picked the game. The results: Former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard didn't know that Georgetown played football, but said he knew about Georgetown from Patrick Ewing and thus chose the Hoyas. Celebrity guest Keegan-Michael Key picked Columbia. Former Indiana coach Lee Corso picked Columbia. Former Ohio State QB Kirk Herbstreit called to the show's resident stats expert, Chris "Bear" Fallica, who advised him to go with Georgetown. As for the game, senior quarterback Tim Barnes suffered a injury late in the first quarter, sending the Hoyas' hopes for this game into yet another tailspin, as Columbia walked over the Hoyas 35-14 at Wien Stadium today in the third installment of the Lou Little Cup game.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Georgetown started off strong in the early moments of the game, driving 47 yards in nine plays to set up Brad Hurst for a 50 yard field goal, which fell short. But after holding the Lions on 4th and one at the GU 35, Barnes led the Hoyas back into Light Blue territory, with a pair of passes keying an eight play drive that drove to the Columbia 26 before stalling and settling for a Hurst field goal attempt from 44 yards. Hurst's second attempt went wide, a pair of opportunities that Georgetown would not get the rest of the afternoon.Following a three and out by the Lions, Georgetown started deep in its own territory late in the first, where on a third and seven, Barnes was popped with a late hit in front of the GU bench. The Hoyas got the penalty yardage, but never recovered on the field. Barnes left the game and was replaced by junior QB Clay Norris, evoking memories of the Hoyas' fall in the 2016 Harvard game after Norris replaced Barnes. While not to the same caliber as the Crimson, Columbia quickly exposed Norris' inexperience, bringing the Hoyas' game to as near a complete stop as has been seen in many years. After the penalty, the Hoyas managed only four yards over the next three downs. On the punt, a fake was ordered for punt team member Khristian Tate, who had been a running back in high school. Tate got off to a slow start on the fake and the Lions contained him four yards short, setting up the Light Blue in Georgetown territory. Senior QB Anders Hill led the Lions on an eight play drive that saw Columbia reach the end zone on an 18 yard pass from Hill to sophomore WR Josh Wainwright, 7-0. Norris' first full drive took the Hoyas to a net of -12 yards, the next series gained just five yards. On the ensuing punt, the Hoyas' special teams had yet another miscue, as the center snap caromed off a blocker and set up the Lions at the GU 25. Hill answered with a four play drive and an 11 yard pass to Wainwright, 14-0. Georgetown's next two drives netted five yards. Hill answered with a methodical eight play drive to wind down the first half, finding Wainwright for his third TD with just seven seconds to halftime, 21-0. Following Barnes' injury, Georgetown finished the half with just six yards on the ground and 24 in the air. The Hoyas needed to make a statement in the third quarter and just didn't get it. Its next two drives netted only six yards, and Columbia put the game away to end the third quarter, an 11 play drive where the Lions scored on the first play of the fourth quarter with a 12 yard run from Chris Schroer, 28-0. With the game out of reach, Georgetown picked up a couple of late scores. Norris got the Hoyas on the board with a six play drive capped by a 56 yard pass to Branden Williams and a two yard pass to RB Carl Thomas for the score, 28-7. The Lions matched the score with a seven play drive of its own, 35-7, then Norris found WR Michael Dereus in a seam that left him alone up the middle, an 83 yard touchdown pass that was the Hoyas' longest pass play in 20 years, 35-14. The late scores were little consolation for a Georgetown team that was outplayed from start to finish. The Hoyas were held to a net of two yards rushing in 22 attempts, and were outgained 347 to 257 overall. One key stat? In the prior two games of the series, Columbia surrendered five turnovers, including four in the narrow 17-14 loss to the Hoyas last fall. In this game, the Lions did not commit any turnovers, and scored on five of its six possessions in the red zone. Georgetown had just one red zone possession all afternoon. The 35 points is the most scored by Columbia in a non-conference game in seven years and marks its first 2-0 start since 2006. Georgetown has now lost 10 of its last 11 dating to the 2016 season. Barnes' injury was not disclosed on the Ivy league broadcast--he was seen with a towel over his head in various views of the GU bench. The degree and duration of his injury will be vital to see if Georgetown can compete over the next two weeks with Ivy opponents more experienced than Columbia, beginning with Harvard next week at RFK Stadium. The Hoyas enter Saturday's game with an all-time record of 6-31-1 (.160) against Ivy schools and 0-3 all time versus Harvard, with Saturday's game the last game in the four game series begun in 2014. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN COLUMBIA
First downs 12 25
Rushed-yards 22-2 44-189
Passing yards 255 158
Sacked-yards lost 2-22 0-0
Passes 17-31-0 20-35-1
Punts 5-45.0 5-44.8
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 8-90 4-45
Time of possession 24:09 35:51
Game #4: Harvard (Sept. 30) "RFK Stadium, the site of Saturday's game, used to host NFL matchups," wrote the Harvard Crimson. "When the Crimson played the Hoyas, only one team looked professional." Such was the media response in Harvard's 41-2 win at RFK Stadium Saturday, an outcome the Boston Globe summed up as follows: "It was the first time Georgetown, located just a few miles west, hosted a football game at RFK Stadium and it may be the last, as the Hoyas were totally outclassed."
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The Crimson excelled in all phases of the game and Georgetown looked like a team still playing in the MAAC. The Hoyas caught a break early in the game when DL Khristian Tate forced a Harvard fumble at midfield, giving the Hoyas excellent field position for its opening drive. In a harbinger of what was to come, the offense gained no yards on three downs and punted it back to Harvard at its nine yard line, where returner Justice Shelton-Mosley raced down the sidelines for a 91 yard punt return, breaking a school record that stood since 1948.
The return took the wind out of the Georgetown-centric crowd, not to return. Nor did it return for the team, either. Over the next four Georgetown possessions, QB Clay Norris committed three turnovers, including an interception and two fumbles, that resulted in 17 more Harvard points, which put the game out of reach as far as Georgetown's ineffective offense was. The second of three turnovers may have sealed the deal. On the first play of the second quarter, with Harvard up 14-0 and driving at the Georgetown 7, DB Blaise Brown intercepted a Harvard pass in the end zone, its second turnover gained of the afternoon. On the ensuing series, Norris threw an incompletion on first down, an incompletion on second down, and on third down, Norris' next pass was picked off by Raishaun McGhee, who took the ball back 23 yards for the score, 21-0. Norris' third turnover came less than two minutes later, whereupon Harvard added a field goal, 24-0. Norris led the Hoyas to just 73 total yards by halftime, where an errant center snap on a Harvard punt that bounced off the old RFK center field wall elicited a Bronx cheer from the crowd and marked Georgetown's only points of the game. The Hoyas' special teams promptly fumbled the ensuing kickoff and set up the Crimson for another easy score, going into the locker room up 31-2, and sending much of the home crowd out the door at halftime. A 13 yard sack of Norris opened the third quarter, where Harvard responded with a field goal, 34-2. As the defense did its part, the offense was impotent, never crossing the Crimson's red zone after halftime. Trailing 41-2, Sgarlata made a long overdue call to the bench for third string QB Gunther Johnson, who led the Hoyas on a 10 play, 45 yard drive that stalled at the Harvard 20 with 1:46 to play. Harvard led in every category--total yards was doubled, 457-201, while the Crimson forced four turnovers that resulted in 24 unanswered points. "I think anytime you win 41-2 on the road, you've got to be pretty happy," said Harvard coach Tim Murphy. "Coaches aren't easy to please, but defensively we played another outstanding game." During its post-game press conference, Georgetown coach Rob Sgarlata noted that "We didn't play well today against a good football team." The four game series ends with Harvard having outscored the Hoyas 151 to 22, and casts a question if Georgetown has become, in the eyes of the Ivy schedulers, a non-competitive opponent. Since a 2003 win over Cornell, GU has lost 22 of its last 26 games against Ivy League teams, including a combined 1-12 versus the trio of schools known as H-Y-P (Harvard, Yale, Princeton), of which the final game in the Princeton series follows next week. The loss marks the 11th loss in the last 12 for Sgarlata, whose offense under assistant coach Mike Neuberger is looking more and more like that of the winless 2009 campaign under former coordinator Jim Miceli. Georgetown is now 117th of 123 teams in red zone offense, 120th in time of possession, 122nd in third down conversions and 123rd in first downs--last in the nation. Game statistics:
HARVARD GEORGETOWN
First downs 26 13
Rushed-yards 37-177 30-46
Passing yards 280 155
Sacked-yards lost 1-5 3-25
Passes 21-40-2 17-34-1
Punts 2-34.0 7-41.3
Fumbles-lost 2-1 4-3
Penalties-yards 5-30 3-25
Time of possession 33:27 26:33
Points off turnovers 24 0
Game #5: Princeton (Oct. 7) After scoring the first 10 points of the game, Georgetown gave up 50 unanswered points to Princeton in a 50-30 finish at Princeton Stadium Saturday. Georgetown as a decided underdog in this game but surprised the announced crowd of 4,466 at Princeton Stadium with a sterling drive to open the first quarter. Quarterback Clay Norris opened with 11 straight pass plays, completing eight of eleven in a drive that gained 71 yards to the Princeton four. With a first and goal, the Hoyas went on the ground, with Alex Valles scoring Georgetown's first touchdown of the game and the first touchdown in the first half all season, 7-0.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
After an exchange of punts, the Hoyas struck again. With the Tigers facing a third and eight at its 31, DL Khristian tate forced a fumble in the Tigers' backfield, setting up the Hoyas inside the Princeton 20. The offense gained no yardage in three attempts but the ensuing field goal gave the Hoyas an unexpected 10-0 lead halfway through the first quarter.
Princeton made its move towards the end of the first quarter. After a pass interference penalty set up the Tigers just short of midfield, QB Chad Kanoff completed three consecutive passes for 53 yards, with a 13 yard pass to WR Jesper Horsted, 10-0. On the next series, Norris was pinned deep in Georgetown territory and a subsequent retreat into the end zone was overwhelmed by the Princeton rushers, earning the Tigers a safety, 10-9. The ensuing punt set up the Tigers at midfield, where Kanoff connected on passes of two passes totalling 46 yards, followed by a one yard run by RB Charlie Volker. With a two point conversion, Princeton ended the first quarter having erased the early Georgetown lead, 17-10. The Hoyas stalled again, with a short punt that set up the Tigers at midfield. Kanoff completed three of four passes in a six play drive, increasing the score to 24-10. The Hoyas helped the Tigers' cause on the next series, as Norris threw his second pick-six interception in as many weeks, extending the score to 30-10. Norris was then benched for sophomore Gunther Johnson, but the defense did little to stop the onslaught. An 11 play, 80 yard drive saw Kanoff complete four passes for 35 yards and a 13 yard run of his own as the Tigers ended the half on a 36-0 run. Georgetown ended the half with 133 yards total offense but only 58 total yards after the opening series. Princeton kept up the scoring after halftime. Held to a punt on its first series, Kanoff returned with a 63 yard pass to WR Steve Carlson, 43-10. And if things couldn't get any worse for the Hoyas, a 73 yard kickoff return by Isaac Ellsworth set up the G-men at the Princeton 19, but the offense lost 10 yards on the series and would settle for a field goal attempt. Brad Hurst's field goal was subsequently blocked and returned to the Georgetown 15. One play later, RB Ryan Quigley put the Tigers up 50-10. With a quarter of the game under his belt, Gunther Johnson began to stabilize the GU offense. He led the Hoyas on a 11 play, 75 yard drive, converting on a fourth and goal at the Princeton seven to get the Hoyas back on the scoreboard, 50-16. After the Georgetown defense held the Tigers at the GU 37, Johnson went back to work with a six play, 62 yard drive, led by a 36 yard pass to Branden Williams that set up a two yard quarterback carry, 50-23. Two plays into Princeton's next series, Khristian Tate forced his second fumble of the game, returning the ball 21 yards for a touchdown, 50-30. Princeton coach Bob Surace ordered the entire first string back into the game, and the Tigers ran out ten of the final 13 minutes of the game. Chad Kanoff finished the game 25 of 29 for 313 yards and four touchdowns, and completed a remarkable 21 of his final 22 passes in moving into second place on the all-time Princeton passing list. For Georgetown the story was Johnson, whose first extended play with the Hoyas saw him complete 13 of 22 passes for 149 yards and add 24 more yards on the ground, the rushing leader for a team which combined for just 40 yards overall. While much of his play was against Princeton's second string, his poise under pressure gives Georgetown some hope that the quarterback position can solidify under him, given the uncertainty of Tim Barnes' return. Georgetown enters Patriot League play Saturday, where they travel to Lehigh. The Engineers (1-5, 1-0 PL) were upset winners over Colgate Saturday and have won a PL-record 16 consecutive games over the Hoyas dating back to 2001. The current Georgetown team has lost nine straight in league play dating to the 2015 season. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN PRINCETON
First downs 15 25
Rushed-yards 22-40 34-129
Passing yards 258 328
Sacked-yards lost 3-21 1-10
Passes 25-42-1 27-33-0
Punts 5-38.4 2-45.5
Fumbles-lost 2-0 2-2
Penalties-yards 7-59 4-41
Time of possession 28:10 31:50
Points off turnovers 10 6
Saturday's 50 consecutive points was the most ever allowed by Georgetown in a game that did not result in a shutout, and the most points allowed since September 28, 2013, a 50-23 loss to Princeton.
Game #6: Lehigh (Oct. 14) Lehigh wide receiver Troy Pelletier caught a team record 16 catches for 197 yards and four touchdowns as Lehigh overwhelmed a struggling Georgetown defense, 54-35, before a smaller than expected crowd of 4,322 at Lehigh's Murray Goodman Stadium Saturday. Georgetown's fifth consecutive loss marked the first time in school history that a Georgetown defense has allowed 50 points in back to back games.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
For the first 15 minutes, both teams stayed within distance of each other. Following a poor kickoff return to open the game, Georgetown punted the ball back to Lehigh after its first possession, where Lehigh QB Brad Mayes was intercepted on the Engineers' first play of the game. But as has been the case throughout recent games, the Hoyas' offense sputtered. Georgetown managed just 26 yards total offense and one first down for the quarter, where QB Clay Norris was 3 for 8 for 14 yards. Lehigh got on the board with an eight play, 63 yard drive, which opened on two passes for 35 yards and a combined 28 yards on five carries from RB Dom Bragalone, whose last five yards gave the Engineers a 7-0 lead. On its next series, Mayes was 5 for 5 in the nine play, 77 yard drive, finding Pelletier with a seven yard pass, 14-0. GU became the first opponent of the season who failed to score in the first quarter against Lehigh. Following a fourth straight three and out, Gunther johnson was called in to relieve Norris at QB, and started off with a ban. On his first play, Norris connected with WR Michael Dereus for an 80 yard completion and the Hoyas' first score, 14-7, with 11:30 to halftime. But this soon became a game that, much like princeton's onslaught a week earlier, where the Georgetown defense did not give the offense enough room to contend. The teams traded touchdowns in its next two series. A six play, 65 yard Lehigh drive found Pelletier open with a 24 yard touchdown pass, 21-7. Johnson answered with a six play, 67 yard drive where he found WR Branden Williams with passes of 23 and 24 yards and where Johnson carried the ball eight yards for the score, 21-14. At this point, Johnson was 5 for 6 for 125 yards coming off the bench. The Engineers began to pull away in its final two drives. A ten play, 75 yard drive effectively balanced Bragalone on the ground (three carries, 19 yards) and pelletier in the air (three receptions, 35 yards) in a drive that reached third down just twice in a span of 3:33. Following a 16 yard pass to Pelletier to the Georgetown 10, he found the receiver two plays later with a seven yard pass, 28-14. The Hoyas went three and out on its next series, but the Engineers blocked the punt from Brad Hurst and took over at the Georgetown 25 with just 1:08 remaining. A pair of passes to Pelletier and freshman WR Jorge Portorreal quickly brought the Engineers into the red zone, where a five yard run Bragalone run gave Lehigh a 34-14 lead at the break. The Engineers put up 363 yards in the first half, and held GU without a single third down conversion in six attempts. Following a Lehigh field goal to open the third quarter, Georgetown caught a special teams break when Isaac Ellsworth returned the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to the Lehigh 22. In a thrilling drive that saw the Hoyas convert on two fourth down conversions, Johnson ran six yards on fourth and goal to bring the Hoyas to 37-21 midway through the third quarter. After the Hoya defense held Lehigh on downs at the GU 12, the Hoyas could do no better than one yard on its next drive, punting the ball back to Lehigh at midfield. On its first play, Mayes found Pelletier with a 48 yard pass, 44-21. Johnson again rallied the offense with a six play, 58 yard drive that saw a serious collision between Johnson and Lehigh LB Nick Thevanayagam, who was cited for targeting but was carried off the field following the play. Following the penalty, Johnson rushed twice for 12 yards and brought the Hoyas to 44-28 to open the fourth quarter. Once again, Lehigh answered the call. A 12 play drive consumed over seven minutes of the fourth quarter, ending at the Georgetown five yard line with a short field goal from PK Ed Mish, 47-28. After Georgetown stalled at its 37 on downs, LU ran more clock time, with six consecutive runs by senior RB Nana Amankwah-Ayeh, as the Engineers crossed the 50 point mark against Georgetown for the first time in 15 years. Johnson responded with a crisp nine play drive that consumed just 1:42 of the fading clock, connecting on four straight passes to the Lehigh 15 and converting another fourth down conversion deep in Lehigh territory. Johnson's third rushing touchdown of the day ended the scoring with four seconds remaining in the game, 54-35. Troy Pelletier's 16 receptions was a single game record, and his 197 yards (which helped set a new Lehigh career yardage record) was the most by a GU opponent since Fordham's Tebucky Jones, Jr. in 2013. Brad Mayes finished 31 for 40 for 384 yards and four touchdowns, with no sacks and a 7 for 12 mark on third down conversions. Gunther Johnson was the best news of a Georgetown offense which is still ineffective in the backfield. Running backs Alex Valles, Carl Thomas, and Isaac Ellsworth combined for just 20 yards, while Johnson rushed 13 times for 71 yards. A Lehigh defense which has been rocked all season allowed 304 yards in the air, but even that was not enough to dertail the outcome as the Engineers outgained the Hoyas 628-395 overall. The most telling statistic was time of possession, where GU's numbers diminished in each succeeding quarter. The Engineers held the ball for 37:15, while the Hoyas saw the ball for just over nine minutes for the entire second half. Following its fifth consecutive loss and its tenth straight to Patriot League teams since the 2015 season, Georgetown returns to Cooper Field for the first time in over a month to host Fordham next week. In the midst of a discouraging 1-6 record in 2017, the Rams have nonetheless won five straight over the Hoyas and 14 of the last 16 games played in the Patriot League era. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN LEHIGH
First downs 18 34
Rushed-yards 21-91 47-244
Passing yards 304 384
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 0-0
Passes 21-41-0 31-41-1
Punts 7-34.9 2-35.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 9-60 5-54
Time of possession 22:45 37:15
Points off turnovers 0 0
Game #7: Fordham (Oct. 21) Even the loss of four of its stars on offense wasn't enough for the Fordham Rams to give up a win over the Georgetown Hoyas. The Rams' 17-9 win before an announced crowd of 2,500 at Cooper Field turned on a special teams blunder that gave Fordham (2-6) the momentum to end a five game losing streak of its own.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Injuries and illness sidelined Fordham quarterback Kevin Anderson, wide receivers Jonathan Lumley and Corey Caddle, and All-American running back Chase Edmonds, who remains eight yards short of the Patriot League career rushing record. In pale of Anderson, Fordham turned to FIU transfer Luke Medlock, who led the Rams on a 13 play drive midway through the first quarter for the Rams' first score. The Rams advanced to the Georgetown 10 before settling for a short field goal, 3-0, and repeated their effort with a resounding 20 play drive that converted on five consecutive third downs that advanced to the GU 14, but led only to a field goal, 6-0. After an exchange of punts, Georgetown caught a break on its next possession of the second quarter. After a three and out series deep in its own territory, a roughing the punter penalty against Georgetown kicker Brad Hurst gave the Hoyas new life at its 33. On the next play, QB Gunther Johnson connected with WR Michael Dereus for 57 yards to the Fordham 10, and two plays later Johnson found WR Max Edwards for the score. The routine extra point to give Georgetown the lead was anything but. Hurst's kick was blocked and alertly retrieved by Fordham CB Jessie Bramble at the Fordham 12. The GU special teams were slow to react and Bramble was down the field, turning an expected Georgetown lead into a two point Fordham advantage, 8-6, one which it carried into halftime. The Hoyas answered the third quarter bell with its best drive of the afternoon, an 11 play, 67 yard drive that saw Johnson complete five of seven passes and drive inside the Fordham red zone until a critical holding penalty helped stall the drive at the Rams' 14. A 27 yard Hurst field goal gave Georgetown its first lead of the game at 9-8. The lead was short lived. The Rams answered with a five play, 75 yard drive where RB Zach Davis rushed for 24 yards and WR Austin Longi caught passes of 41 and 10 yards, the latter a touchdown pass from Medlock. A two point conversion try sailed high, and the Rams took a 14-9 lead. The Hoyas were very much in this game but the remainder of the third quarter settled into a offensive stalemate, and it continued throughout the fourth. Over its next six series, Georgetown combined for 18 plays, six punts and a net of two yards total offense. For the fourth quarter, Georgetown contributed negative one yard in total offense. A field goal early in the fourth quarter extended the Fordham margin to 17-9, but the Georgetown defense was able to contain the Rams to just 22 yards thereafter, including a pair of stops inside the final five minutes that could have given the Hoyas an opportunity to tie the score. The offense simply wasn't there, and Johnson took the blame for the poor performance at the post-game press conference. Johnson, who was 16 of 24 for 191 yards following the opening field goal drive, finished the game with a brutal 1 for 11 for a total of five yards. Johnson missed his last eight passes over the final four series of the game. The Georgetown ground game was equally unimpressive, rushing 21 times for 43 yards and contributing a total of -3 yards in the final six series. For the Rams, Luke Medlock finished the game with a career high 25 of 45 for 258 yards, much of it ending up with Longi, who also set personal career marks with 13 catches and 150 yards in the game. The Rams controlled the ball for over 11 minutes in the fourth quarter and just under 35 minutes overall, converting 9 for 22 on third downs versus just 2 of 14 for the Hoyas. Many streaks continued with this outcome. The win marked Fordham's sixth straight over GU and its 14th in the last 16 Patriot League games between the schools. The loss is Georgetown's sixth consecutive loss of 2017, its 11th consecutive loss in league play dating to 2015 its and 14th loss in its last 15 games dating to the fourth week of the 2016 season. As Georgetown is not favored in any remaining games this season, the team must dig deeper to halt a losing streak which is rapidly approaching the lows of the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Game statistics:
FORDHAM GEORGETOWN
First downs 21 11
Rushed-yards 42-144 21-43
Passing yards 258 203
Sacked-yards lost 4-19 3-22
Passes 25-45-0 18-36-0
Punts 8-37.2 10-44.2
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 9-92 7-74
Time of possession 34:59 25:01
Points off turnovers 0 0
Game #8: Holy Cross (Oct. 28) Despite a hard fought defensive effort, holding Holy Cross to 13 points entering the fourth quarter, the battered offense of the Georgetown Hoyas continued its slide, whereupon the Crusaders scored 11 unanswered points to end its six game losing streak, 24-10, before a Senior Day audience of 9,063 at Worcester's Fitton Field.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Both teams opened with a slow start, but it was Georgetown that made the first move. Taking over at its nine yard line midway through the first quarter, quarterback Gunther Johnson led the Hoyas on a 10 play, 62 yard drive, 50 yards of it in the air, which drove inside the HC 30. The Hoyas attempted two plays with a yard to go and failed on both , turning the ball over on downs. The Crusaders' next series was held back by a penalty, and the ensuing punt was blocked and recovered by Jethro Francois at the HC 3. Two incomplete passes and a backfield fumble did the Hoyas no favor, and Georgetown settled for an early 3-0 lead. Holy Cross scored on each of its three possessions in the second quarter. A 20 yard run on fourth and one highlighted a 14 play drive that led to a one yard touchdown run by RB Gabe Guild, 7-3. A three play, -10 yard drive by the Hoyas set up the Crusaders at midfield, driving to the GU seven before a Kendall Catching sack on third and goal forced HC to settle for a field goal, 10-3. Another GU drive failed late in the second and HC went to work. QB Peter Pujals found WR Martin Dorsey for 32 yards to the GU 20 with under 40 seconds to play. The Crusaders drove to the eight but Pujals was sacked at the 14 with no time outs remaining. Its kick team was able to get on the field and convert the field goal as time expired, 13-3, outgaining the Hoyas 232-57 at intermission. Georgetown's defense continued to step up in this game, holding the Crusaders on downs deep in Georgetown territory early in the third, but the offense simply could not muster any progress. The Hoyas' only touchdown came four series into the second half, where a pair of roughing the passer penalties on Holy Cross advanced the Hoyas into HC territory. Johnson's 14 yard touchdown pass to WR Tommy Jesson, the senior receiver's first TD catch of his career, closed the gap to 13-10 with 2:23 in the third quarter. Much like the Fordham game, the opponents put the game away in the final quarter. The Crusaders answered with a a 10 play, 57 yard drive halted by the Hoyas at the GU seven, where PK Jackson McLarty tacked on HC's third field goal of the afternoon, 16-10. Still in range, the Hoyas could do no better than three and out on its next series, sending a tired defense back on the field with 9:32 remaining. Three straight passes by Pujals advanced the Crusaders into Georgetown territory, followed by four straight calls to the ground game. On a third and six, Pujals found Dorsey at the three, and the defense which stopped the Crusaders all afternoon in close range had nothing remaining to give. Pujals walked in unopposed for the score at the 3:15 mark and converted a two point conversion, 24-10. The team statistics mirror that of Fordham from a week ago. The Georgetown rushing game was again poor. Initial statistics had the Hoyas with zero net yards rushing, but the statistics later corrected this to 10 yards. Johnson was unimpressive for a second week, but the struggle to maintain a healthy offensive line is taking its toll on his ability to find receivers. Johnson finished 17 of 38 for 181 yards but only completed six passes after halftime. For Holy Cross, Pujals was 25 of 38 for 262 yards. HC held a 411-191 advantage in total yards. The win snapped a six game losing streak for the Crusaders and extends Georgetown's streak to seven. Next up: Lafayette, carrying a 2-6 mark under first year coach John Garrett. Game statistics:
HOLY CROSS GEORGETOWN
First downs 23 11
Rushed-yards 47-149 22-10
Passing yards 262 181
Sacked-yards lost 4-24 3-12
Passes 25-38-0 17-38-0
Punts 6-31.7 7-38.3
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-0
Penalties-yards 10-100 8-37
Time of possession 35:09 24:51
Points off turnovers 0 0
Game #9: Lafayette (Nov. 4) In a game that featured more punts than points, Lafayette defeated Georgetown 7-0, the Hoyas' first shutout in a Homecoming game in 25 years and the fewest points scored in the event since 1929, when Georgetown and West Virginia battled to a scoreless tie before 20,000 at Griffith Stadium.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
An announced crowd of 1,750, fewest for a Homecoming game at GU in over 20 years, saw a plodding, ineffective effort from the Hoyas. The Hoyas caught an early break in each of Lafayette's first two possessions. The Leopards drove 43 yards in 11 plays to open the game, but failed on a 42 yard field goal attempt. After a three play, one yard drive by the Hoyas, a 20 yard punt return to the GU 44 set up the Leopards once again, driving to the Hoyas' 26 but also falling short on a 43 yard attempt.Georgetown showed nothing on offense. Two apparent turnovers for Lafayette touchdowns were overturned by penalties, but the Hoyas otherwise managed just three first downs and 44 yards over six first half possessions. A key penalty helped give Lafayette the drive it needed to prevail. Following a 35 yard Georgetown punt to the LC 40, a Georgetown returned was cited with interference, moving the Leopards into Georgetown territory at the 41. On a third and five at the 36, QB Sean O'Malley found WR Will Eisler over the middle for 25 yards, the longest completion of the day and setting up an 11 yard pass to Nick Pearson for the 7-0 lead. Absent those last two plays, the Leopards managed just 108 yards at halftime. A solid defensive effort continued in the second half. The Leopards managed only three first downs in the second half, giving the Hoyas ample opportunity to challenge, but the offense never rose to the occasion. After the defense held LC scoreless following a Gunther Johnson interception at the GU 31, the teams traded punts into the fourth quarter, where georgetown began its best drive of the afternoon, moving into Lafayette territory for the first time in the second half. On a first and 10 at the Lafayette 31, a Johnson pass to the end zone was picked off, his third INT of the game having not thrown an interception to date before this game. After the GU defense held the Leopards to -8 yards on its next drive, the Hoyas returned to Lafayette territory with the same result--Johnson was intercepted in the end zone a second time with just over six minutes remaining. Still another defensive series held the Leopards in check, and Georgetown took over with 3;56 to play. A pair of pass plays brought the Hoyas back into Leopards territory, but a strange series of running plays, including an option call that had already resulted in a fumble earlier in the game, set the Hoyas back. On a fourth and 13 with 2:13 to play, a 15 yard pass from Johnson to WR Michael Dereus was nullified by penalty, and on 4th and 28, the the pass was incomplete along the sidelines. Gunther Johnson had another poor effort at quarterback for the Hoyas, passing 12 for 26 for just 76 yards and four INT's, while leading the anemic Hoya ground game in rushing with 56 yards, Senior RB Alex Valles rushed seven times for a net of four yards. O'Malley led a tepid passing effort for the Leopards, going 17 for 15 for just 101 yards, with 36 of that 101 setting up the only score of the afternoon. Georgetown crossed the fifty yard line just twice all afternoon, once by penalty. Three missed field goals from the Leopards kept GU close, but four interceptions from Johnson, including two in the end zone, never gave GU much chance in a game that many considered the Hoyas' last, best hope to end its eight game losing streak, now tied for the second longest in school history. The two teams combined for just 341 yards all afternoon. Game statistics:
LAFAYETTE GEORGETOWN
First downs 12 12
Rushed-yards 36-65 29-99
Passing yards 101 76
Sacked-yards lost 1-13 3-12
Passes 17-25-0 12-26-4
Punts 6-44.7 7-35.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 5-31 9-81
Time of possession 33:41 26:11
Points off turnovers 0 0
Game #10: Bucknell (Nov. 11) Despite 131 yards rushing from QB Gunther Johnson, the Hoyas failed to cross the Bucknell 30 yard line all afternoon, a 12-0 loss that marked the first back to back shutouts for a Georgetown team since 1976. Georgetown managed 214 yards total offense, but was a combined 2 for 15 on third down and seeing a backfield that, save Johnson, rushed for four yards.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The Bucknell offense was not much better, but took advantage of GU mistakes for a pair of field goals, and put the game out of contention on a 36 yard TD pass with eight seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Bucknell stats were padded by its final drive of the fourth quarter, a 13 play, 58 yard drive that ran nearly seven minutes off the clock. The Hoyas took over with 2:31 to play, where Gunther was sacked on consecutive possessions and threw an incompletion on 4th and 22.Bucknell owned a 12 minute advantage in time of possession, where Georgetown entered the game last in the nation in that statistic. Georgetown's nine game losing streak is the second longest of its history, short of its 11 straight losses in the winless 2009 season. The Hoyas return home for the season finale Saturday versus Colgate. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN BUCKNELL
First downs 8 17
Rushed-yards 25-135 45-171
Passing yards 79 126
Sacked-yards lost 4-26 1-4
Passes 11-29-1 15-27-0
Punts 9-39.3 7-43.7
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 7-44 2-24
Time of possession 24:01 35:59
Points off turnovers 0 3
Game #11: Colgate (Nov. 18) Despite giving up an interception for touchdown on its first play from scrimmage, the Colgate Red Raiders were never challenged as they extended Georgetown's season-ending losing streak to 10 straight, 35-10, at Cooper Field.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Early returns were promising but fleeting. The Hoyas broke its two game scoreless streak when DT Khristian Tate read an opening pass from freshman QB Grant Brenneman and ran it back 29 yards for the score, 7-0. Following a seven play drive where the Hoyas held the ball on downs in Colgate territory, the Hoyas drove inside the Colgate 20 and settled for a 36 yard field goal, 10-0. The 25 yard drive was Georgetown's longest of the day and their last serious scoring opportunity for the remainder of the game. The Red Raiders went back to work. Converting for 15 yards on a 3rd and 11 late in the first quarter, Colgate drove for just under eight minutes on a 13 play, 68 yard drive, with RB James Holland rushing five yards for the score. After a three and out, Colgate punt returner Tyler Castillo returned the ball 52 yards inside the Georgetown 25. The Hoyas appeared to catch a major break when Jelani Williamson picked off Brenneman at the eight yard line, but the interception was waived off by a Georgetown penalty. Three plays later, the Red Raiders were ahead to stay, when Brenneman found WR Thomas Ives with a short pass, 14-10. Two series later, the Hoyas dug themselves a deeper hole. On a third and ten deep in its territory Gunther Johnson threw a wobbly pass that was picked off at the GU 42, giving the Red Raiders time for a five play drive to go up 21-10 at the break. The disparity continued after halftime. Colgate scored on its first two drives of the half, consuming over 12 minutes of the third quarter clock. An Alex Matthews run and Thomas Ives' one handed catch in the corner of the end zone brought the score to 35-10, and two red zone possessions were averted by a fumble recovery at the GU 10 and a missed field goal late in the quarter. Georgetown never got closer than the Colgate 49 yard line since the opening offensive drive of the first half. The statistics are grim for the Georgetown offense. The Hoyas managed six first downs all afternoon, four by halftime, none in the third quarter and two in the fourth quarter. Its time of possession, 16:05, represents one of the lowest ever recorded in the Division I-AA/FCS subdivision. The Hoyas held the ball for just 6:15 in the entire second half, with predictable results. Returning from injury to play in his final collegiate game, QB Tim Barnes was just 8 of 20 for 71 yards. Gunther Johnson continued his season-long slide, passing only 3 for 6 for 29 yards and one interception before a shoulder injury recalled Barnes from the bench. The Hoyas managed only 39 yards on the ground all afternoon, with Isaac Ellsworth accounting for 31 of the 39 yards. GU's 280 yards of punting was twice that of its total yardage, a remarkable number given that Georgetown suffered only one sack for a total loss of -8 yards. Georgetown's 10th consecutive loss is the second longest in school history, trailing only the 12 game streak of the end of the 2008 season and all 11 games in 2009. The Hoyas have posted consecutive 0-6 records in the Patriot League for the first time since the 2008 and 2009 seasons. And with the departure of 27 seniors, a long off-season awaits. Game statistics:
COLGATE GEORGETOWN
First downs 21 6
Rushed-yards 53-241 14-39
Passing yards 137 101
Sacked-yards lost 1-8 1-4
Passes 16-23-1 11-27-1
Punts 1-36.0 6-46.7
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 4-25 5-57
Time of possession 43:55 16:05
Points off turnovers 7 7
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