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2023 Football Coverage
From HoyaSaxa.com game recaps. Links to other contemporary coverage may be out of date.
Game #1: Marist (Sep. 2)
Georgetown opened the 2023 season with its first home win since October 19, 2019, a 49-7 win over Marist College at Cooper Field Saturday.
This was the first career start for fifth year senior Tyler Knoop, whose no-huddle offense in the opening possession of the game rattled a veteran Marist defense. The Hoyas saw third down just one in the opening series, connecting on four first downs before RB Joshua Stakely broke through the right side of the Marist defensive line for a 42 yard touchdown and an early lead, 7-0.
Led by junior QB Brock Bagozzi, the Red Foxes mounted a creditable threat on its opening possession, leveraging RB Amin Woods (six carried, 43 yards in the drive) in a 13 play, six minute drive. On a third and goal at the Georgetown three, an end around by RB Tristan Shannon tied the score, 7-7. The series would turn out to be the only highlight of the afternoon for Bagozzi and the Marist offense, which lost its focus throughout the remainder of the game.
Junior RB Naieem Kearney, who has seen limited time due to injury over the past two seasons, led the Hoyas forward in its next series. A 29 yard run by junior transfer Nicholas Dunneman set up Kearney for four consecutive runs in Marist territory, the latter a two yard run to go up, 14-7.
Marist caught a major break when, on a late first quarter, a punt caromed off the foot of Georgetown's Kamren Watkins-Hunter, setting up the Red Foxes in Georgetown territory, but a 41 yard field goal missed and marist was never as close to the end zone again. A 14 play, eight minute drive by Knoop put the game out of reach, converting on a fourth down at the Marist 17 and setting up freshman WR Isaiah Grimes with a 13 yard pass to go up 21-7 at the break.
If there was any further doubt, Marist sealed its fate on its opening drive of the second half, as a Brock Bagozzi pass sailed wide and was intercepted by Zeraun Daniel and returned to the Marist 16. A six play GU drive ended with a ten yard pass from QB Tyler Knoop to Cam Pygatt, 28-7.
Marist had no first downs in the third period and did not enter Georgetown territory thereafter; by contrast, every Georgetown drive of the second half started in Marist territory. The Hoyas scored on three of its final four possessions of the game, with a missed field goal the only miscued drive to close the game.
Tyler Knoop finished 12 for 16 for 107 yards, completing his first nine passes, passing for two touchdowns and rushing for a third. Knoop's offense facilitated a stronger running game, with six runners combining for 294 yards and four touchdowns, led by Stakely's 118 yards.
To say that Marist seemed overmatched may be an understatement. Bagozzi finished the game 11 for 25 for 89 yards, with a long of just 13 yards in the air. The Red Foxes were 5 of 14 on third down, but just 2 conversions after the break. The Marist defense contributed six penalties that extended Georgetown drives, and gave up 6.3 yards per carry for the Hoyas.
The outcome ended a 10 game home losing streak for the Hoyas dating to the 2019 season, an discomforting record for a team which has won just five home games since the 2016 season. The margin of victory, however, is the largest for the Hoyas since a 69 point win versus Division III Catholic University in 2019, and the largest against any Division opponent since 1999. It is also the largest margin in the 24 games between the schools dating to the 1994 season.
That said, Marist is the weakest of Georgetown's 11 opponents this year, and further development is needed against tougher opponents as the season progresses.
Game statistics:
MARIST GEORGETOWN
First downs 12 25
Rushed-yards 28-113 48-294
Passing yards 121 107
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 0-0
Passes 11-25-2 12-16-0
Punts 5-31.0 1-36.5
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 7-57 5-35
Time of possession 26:19 33:41
Game #2: Sacred Heart (Sep. 9)
Over five hours after its kickoff, Saturday's game between Georgetown and Sacred Heart was called with 7:58 to play following a second rain delay, with Georgetown leading 27-10.
The Pioneers, who came within two minutes of defeating Lafayette last week, seemed unprepared at the start of this game, and its lack of offensive consistency was a problem all afternoon. On its opening play of the game, Sacred Heart QB Cade Pribula sailed a long pass high over the head of receiver L.J. Haskett, which was intercepted by Georgetown's Jalen Dugger at the GU 25. A ten play drive ended in a missed field goal for the Hoyas, but set the tone for a poor passing effort all evening for Pribula, who threw for just 25 yards on the afternoon.
Where the Pioneers could not advance in the air, they turned to the ground game, but were largely unsuccessful in getting opportunities for grad transfer Malik Grant. Following a three and out with 8:27 in th quarter, Georgetown QB found WR Jimmy Kibble for a 46 yard pass, 7-0. Grant rushed for 31 yards on SHU's next series, advancing to the GU 25, but the drive stalled and Sacred Heart cashed in a 34 yard field goal, 7-3.
The Hoyas set the tone for the game in the ensuing drive. Following a kickoff return to midfield by senior Tyler Smith, the Hoyas went to work on the ground. Back to back carries by RB Naieem Kearney brought the Hoyas inside the SHU 30, where in an eight play drive that never reached third down, Kearney scored from five yards, 14-3.
Following an exchange of punts, Kearney gave up a fumble at the Georgetown 31, setting up the Pioneers for a two play drive to close to 14-10, but the Hoyas were not seriously threatened thereafter. An eight play drive highlighted by a combined 45 yards rushing by Kearney and RB Joshua Stakely regained the momentum with a Kearney touchdown and a 21-10 lead with 1:18 to halftime. The Pioneers then fumbled its kickoff return, setting up the Hoyas for a short five play drive to the SHU 15 before Georgetown took a 25 yard field goal into the break, 24-10.
Within two minutes of the break, a rain delay with lightning was issued, which consumed nearly two hours of waiting. Georgetown was not alone with such a delay, as four different Patriot League teams had some sort of outage on this Saturday, but the two hour break seemed to take the wind out of both teams. As rain reentered the area, the next six series combined for three first yards and six punts between the two teams.
Field positioned contributed to the only points of the second half. Following a 47 yard punt by GU's Patrick Ryan at the SHU 1, the Pioneers were forced to punt it back to midfield, where Kearney led the Hoyas on a nine play drive to the Pioneers' five, resulting in a 24 yard field goal with 16 seconds in the third quarter, 27-10.
Sacred Heart opened the fourth quarter with another there and out, with the Hoyas taking over with 14:16 to play and staying on the ground as the rain picked up. Eight consecutive rushes brought the Hoyas inside Sacred Heart territory with under eight minutes to play, but the officials called time at the 7:52 mark for another lightning strike. The players returned to the dressing rooms under Cooper Field for another delay, but given the circumstances of the score the game was called soon thereafter.
Joshua Stakely (116 yards) and Naieem Kearney (111 yards) combined for 227 of the Hoyas' 420 total yards on the afternoon, becoming the first pair of Georgetown rushers with more than 100 yards in the same game since Joel Kimpela and Danny Wright rushed for a combined 265 yards in a 21-14 loss to Lafayette in 2014. For his part, Knoop was 12 for r22 for 148 yards, with 52 yards in thee passes to WR Brock Biestek.
Defensively, the Hoyas held SHU back Malik Grant to just 80 yards and the Pioneers had no answers on third down, going one for 10 on third down conversions and earning just one first down of any kind after halftime. Sacred Heart managed just 44 yards in its final five possessions of the game, and had no red zone possessions on the afternoon versus five possessions in the game versus Lafayette.
Amidst a challenging lineup this week for Patriot League schools, GU met the weakest opponent of the seven, but claimed a win nonetheless. A third home game for Georgetown awaits next Saturday versus Division I newcomer Stonehill College. The Skyhawks won its first game of the 2023 season Saturday over Central Connecticut State, 33-30, with a 52 yard field goal as time expired.
Game statistics:
SACRED HEART GEORGETOWN
First downs 8 20
Rushed-yards 26-137 40-272
Passing yards 33 148
Sacked-yards lost 3-24 0-0
Return yards 3 26
Passes 4-14-2 12-22-0
Punts 7-41.3 4-47.5
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 3-20 5-40
Time of possession 16:51 40:14
Game #3: Stonehill (Sep. 16)
Jermaine Corbett rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns as Stonehill College out-worked and out-toughed the Georgetown Hoyas 23-20, before 2,463 at Cooper Field Saturday.
The Hoyas opened up strongly, with QB Tyler Knoop going 4-4 in the drive which stalled at midfield, punting back to the Skyhawks at its 11 yard line. It was apparent from the opening of this drive that the Georgetown defense was ill-prepared for Stonehill RB Jermaine Corbett. Utilizing a rush-dominant offense, Corbett rushed five times for 55 yards in the drive, and a 42 yard pass play from QB Ashur Carraha to Chris Domercant formed the bulk of an 11 play drive which gave Stonehill a 7-0 lead.
An exchange of punts returned the ball to Georgetown in the second quarter, where Knoop led the Hoyas on a 14 play, 97 yard drive, highlighted by a 46 yard Joshua Stakely run into the red zone, and an 11 yard pass to Stakely for the score, 7-7. Stonehill answered right back in an 11 play drive that reached third down just once, taking advantage of a short kickoff that Georgetown's special teams offered all afternoon. The Skyhawks needed only 64 yards and four yard run by Corbett for the score, but the conversion was blocked and Stonehill took a 13-7 lead.
Twice in the game, once in each half, the Hoyas missed on major opportunities. The first of these two came with
5:54 to halftime where, aided by two Stonehill penalties, the Hoyas advanced to the Seahawks 27 yard line, but a holding penalty stalled the drive and Robert Abood missed his third consecutive field goal attempt from outside 30 yards.
A three and out by Stonehill set up Georgetown with 1:13 remaining, where Knoop went 5-5 in the air, capped by a 33 yard pass to WR Jimmy Kibble that set up a four yard touchdown pass to WR Nicholas Dunneman with 18 seconds remaining. A bad snap sent Abood's tying PAT into the ground, and the Hoyas settled for a 13-13 tie at the break.
The Skyhawks returned for the second half and the Hoyas seemed unprepared. On its opening drive, the Hoyas gave up an 11 yard run on a third and four, followed by Carraha connecting on four consecutive pass plays to the GU 29. Georgetown was sufficiently out of sync on the drive that it forced a defensive timeout with Stonehill facing a fourth and two at the GU 11, whereupon Corbett overcame the Hoyas's defense for three yards and a first down. Four plays later, the Skyhawks faced a fourth and goal following a penalty, sent back to the GU 12.
Carraha shredded the secondary with a pass to Domercant in the end zone, as a targeting call was applied to Georgetown DB Kenneth Borders on the play despite no helmet to helmet contact.
With Georgetown's first drive of the second half beginning with under seven minutes in the quarter, Knoop led the Hoyas on an 11 play drive primarily on the ground, led by Stakely and Naieem Kearney. A 19 yard pass by Knoop to Kearney to Stakely tied the score at 20.
Following an exchange of punts, the Skyhawks took over 19 seconds into the fourth quarter, on a 13 play drive that consumed over eight minutes. The Skyhawks converted on three consecutive third downs and advanced to the GU 15 before settling for a 30 yard field goal, 23-20. The Hoyas missed a second game changing opportunity when, with momentum and at midfield, Dunneman fumbled the ball and Stonehill took over with 3:31 to play.
The Skyhawks drove five plays to the GU 28 with under a minute to play, but missed on a 38 yard field goal attempt. Out of time outs, Knoop answered with quick eight play drive, including a 37 yard pass to Brock Biestek to the Stonehill 35. A third down pass play to Biestek was called back on an offensive penalty and GU ended the game with Knoop getting sacked to end the game.
In lieu of pleasantries, both teams had to be separated following the game, according to the ESPN+ announcers, and other Stonehill players were seen celebrating in close range of the stands.
Just 29 total yards separated the teams in this game but Stonehill was 9 for 16 on third down conversions and regularly benefited from poor kickoffs by the Georgetown special teams, with only two Skyhawk drives beginning inside its 20 yard line all afternoon.
Tyler Knoop was 13 for 14 from the field at halftime and ended 19 for 27 for 195 yards. The teams combined for 135 yards in penalties.
Game statistics:
STONEHILL GEORGETOWN
First downs 20 19
Rushed-yards 42-173 35-182
Passing yards 175 195
Sacked-yards lost 1-1 1-6
Passes 15-24-0 19-27-0
Punts 3-47.0 3-44.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 9-85 5-50
Time of possession 32:39 27:21
Game #4: Columbia (Sep. 23)
Three weeks of soft scheduling gave Georgetown Hoyas no favors, as the Columbia Lions dominated in a 30-0 win at Wien Stadium Saturday.
Entering the game fifth nationally in rushing yards (255.7 per game), the Hoyas had nothing in this game, while Columbia, held to just 71 yards in a convincing loss to Lafayette last week, matched that within the first quarter. The run game was in early evidence behind senior RB Joey Giorgi, who led the Lions on a seven play, 40 yard drive to the Georgetown 20 to open the game. A missed field goal held the score at bay, but Columbia had made an early statement and Georgetown's next three drives did not.
Three times in the first quarter Georgetown took the field and combined for a total of (-8) yards. It ended the first quarter outgained 122 to (-18) and Columbia took advantage. After GU's first punt Columbia took over at its 38, rushing five times for 53 yards in a seven play drive that never reached third down, punctuated by a 11 yard run by QB Caden Bell. An extra point which clanked off the goal post was the only special teams error of the afternoon and Columbia led 6-0. Two series later, the Lions drove 78 yards over nearly six minutes, with Bell find Georgi for a 26 yard pass to the Georgetown seven and converting on a fourth and goal from the two yard line for the score, 13-0.
A 22 yard run by junior RB Naieem Kearney was the highlight of an eight play Georgetown drive to midfield, but the Hoyas punted back on this and its remaining possession of the half, the latter of which saw the Lions take over at its 40 following a 30 yard Patrick Ryan punt. A pair of pass plays brought the Lions inside the Georgetown 10 with 1:09 to play, but Columbia settled for the field goal to close out the first half scoring, 16-0. The Hoyas were outgained 231-51 in the first half, combining for 44 passing yards on 4 for 11 completions and a net seven yards.
Despite the first half, Georgetown actually had opportunities to climb back in this game. Three times within the second half Georgetown drove into the Columbia red zone and three times it came up empty.
After holding Columbia on downs on its opening possession, the Hoyas had a short field from which to work with, there minutes into the third quarter. Passing up on the run, Georgetown went to the air, with passes to receivers Jimmy Kibble and Nicholas Dunneman to the Columbia 20, and a Columbia penalty four plays later brought the Hoyas inside the Lions' 10. A quarterback keeper by Tyler Knoop was stuffed after two yards, while end zone passes to Isaiah Grimes and Brock Biestek were dropped. A fourth down pass was broken up in th end zone.
The Lions answered with a 92 yard drive, where a 45 yard pass from Bell to J.J. Jenkins brought the Lions to the GU 32, followed shortly by four straight runs to the end zone, capped by a quarterback end around by Bell for the score, 23-0. The Columbia offense returned 52 seconds later after a there and out by the Hoyas and a 18 yard Ryan punt which set up the Lions
at midfield. A 43 yard pass from bell to a wide open J.J. Jenkins build the lead to 30-0.
Georgetown's final two drives of the game met with nothing to show for the effort. An eight play, 57 yard drive advanced inside the Columbia 10 before three consecutive offensive penalties ended the drive at the Columbia 16. Following a three and out, the Hoyas again marched inside the ten yard line, but a false start on Biestek cost the Hoyas five yards and Columbia held its ground thereafter, and ran out the final 6:08 of the game without further incident.
Tyler Knoop finished the game 16 for 37 for 135 yards, but the Hoyas' run game was totally overwhelmed by the Lions. Georgetown combined for 32 yards on 24 carries, while the Lions had given up 243 yards just a week earlier versus Lafayette. Overall, GU was 3 for 16 on third down and 1 for 4 on 4th down conversions.
The win marks the first shutout for Columbia against a non-conference opponent since it defeated Iona on October 7, 2006 and its first shutout in a home opener since 1998.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN COLUMBIA
First downs 14 24
Rushed-yards 24-32 47-222
Passing yards 135 189
Sacked-yards lost 1-9 0-0
Passes 16-37-0 11-26-0
Punts 7-31.9 3-44.7
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 7-40 7-59
Time of possession 28:21 31:39
Game #5: Fordham (Sep. 30)
A touchdown pass from Georgetown's Tyler Knoop to Brock Biestek with 59 seconds to upset #15 Fordham at the 81st Homecoming Game, 28-24 at Cooper Field.
Fordham entered the game with momentum on and off the field. The Rams had averaged 43 points over its last three games, featuring an offense ranked #16 in Division I-AA/FCS in passing and 19th overall. Its quarterback, New Mexico transfer C.J. Montes, ranked #5 nationally in passing efficiency and led the nation in passing touchdowns with 13. In its five prior meetings in Washington, Fordham averaged 32 points a game in consecutive wins over Georgetown. Following its 44-0 win over Stonehill last week, the Rams were prohibitive favorites in this game based on its its offensive firepower.
The task ahead for Rob Sgarlata and his staff: limit scoring opportunities for Fordham by owning time of possession.
Fordham's first possession provided some clues in this regard. The Georgetown special teams were kind to its guests at the opener, setting up the Rams at its 45 yard line to open the game. The Rams were held to four yards in the opening series and after just 1:09 of possession, punted back to Georgetown at its 24.
After a shaky offensive effort at Columbia, particularly on the ground, this Georgetown offense seemed up to the task. Quarterback Tyler Knoop led the team on a 12 play, 66 yard drive, aided by two Fordham offside penalties which extended the drive on hard counts from Knoop. An 18 yard pass to WR Nicholas Dunneman brought GU to the 12, and two plays later, a 13 yard touchdown toss to WR Isaiah Grimes put GU on the board at the 8:04 mark. A bad snap on the point after try set the score at 6-0.
The Georgetown special teams stumbled yet again, allowing a 48 yard kickoff return to set the Rams in Georgetown territory. Montes needed just five plays for the lead, with a 24 yard pass to WR Garrett Cody, 7-6.
The Hoyas' next two series were promising but unfulfilled. After a 36 yard kickoff return by Cam Pygatt, Georgetown's drive began in Fordham territory or the first and only time of the afternoon. Knoop led the Hoyas on an eight play drive to the Fordham 15, but a run play on 4th and three was stuffed and left the Hoyas without points. On its next series, Dunneman ran for 29 yards in a seven play drive to the Rams' four yard line. Knoop found his lead receiver in check, and threw and interception in the middle of the end zone.
Following a three and out by the Rams, the Hoyas were back in the red zone, and made it count. Successfully leveraging a two-back setup, Georgetown drove to the Fordham 30, where consecutive passes of 13 and 17 yards put the Hoyas in the end zone, the latter on a 13 yard pass from Knoop to RB Joshua Stakely. With some momentum on its side, Georgetown completed a two point conversion and took a 14-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
For one of the nation's top offenses, Fordham's halftime statistics were somewhere between surprising and shocking. The Rams totaled just 39 passing yards and 83 overall, holding the ball just 7:29 and giving up seven penalties, four of which were offsides calls. Its third down efficiency was 0 for 5. Two Georgetown turnovers, the latter of which was a Knoop interception at midfield in the final 1:30 of the half, seemed the only brakes on a Georgetown run which may have otherwise provided a more sizable advantage at the break.
Opening the second half, the Hoyas caught fire. On its third play of the drive from its 30 yard line, RB Naieem Kearney popped into the Fordham secondary and raced for a career best 70 yard touchdown run, 21-7, the highlight of his game high 114 yard rushing effort on the afternoon.
On the first play of Fordham's subsequent drive, RB Julius Loughbridge was leveled in the backfield by LB David Ealey, but a personal foul on the play tacked on 15 yards and ignited the Fordham offense of old. Montes was a solid 3 for 3 in the drive, a six play effort capped by a 22 yard touchdown pass to WR Mekai Felton, 21-14.
Georgetown continued to maintain time of possession in a 12 play drive which accounted for nearly seven minutes in the third quarter. Despite advancing into Fordham territory, a personal foul on Stakely stalled the drive and Knoop could not convert on a fourth down and 11 just outside the Fordham 40. Montes returned to the field and went 4 for 4 in the next series, advancing to the GU 9 at the end of the third quarter. A defensive stop on Loughbridge by Georgetown DL Ibri Harrell and a defensive breakup in the end zone forced the Rams to a short field goal, 21-17, 45 seconds into the final quarter.
With the rushing games becoming less effective in the third quarter, both teams now began to focus on the passing game. Knoop was picked off at the GU 36 with 10:43 to play, but Fordham went three and out and pinned the Hoyas back at its two. The Hoyas followed with its own three and out, punting the ball back to midfield where, with a short field, Montes was back to work, passing 5 for 6 for 44 yards, and found WR Garrett Cody open from seven yards out to take the lead with four minutes to play, 24-21.
The pages of this web site are replete with stories of late game Georgetown drives that collapsed atop them. This one, by contrast, was the kind of drive coaches draw up in the summer, where talent and coaching meets the demands of a diminishing clock, leaving its opponent little time in reply or response.
Georgetown took over at its 26, with two plays to Kearney netting one yard. On third and nine, Knoop completed a short pass to Dunneman, setting up a fourth and four at the GU 32. Finding Asante Das with a short pass, Das broke through for 13 yards and a first down to midfield.
Next, Knoop found WR Jimmy Kibble along the GU sideline for 18 yards to the Fordham 37. On the next pass, Knoop connected with Grimes to the 17, and a roughing the passer penalty on the Fordham defense moved the Hoyas inside the Fordham 10. With Georgetown content to run down the clock, it was Fordham, not GU, that stopped the clock at 1:30 to play, and consecutive runs by Kearney set the Hoyas up for a third and goal at the Fordham four. With the scoreboard dipping under one minute to play, Knoop found Biestek in the shady left corner of Cooper Field's end zone, earning a roar from the appreciative Homecoming crowd and setting up a wild finish with a 28-24 score.
Fordham took over at its 32 with 51 seconds to play. Despite its advantages in speed and agility, Montes preferred the short range passes over shots to the end zone, methodically carrying the Rams to midfield but with time fleeting. On a third and ten with five seconds remaining, Montes looked deep for Cody, but the pass was broken up at the one, and Georgetown secured a hard fought, if improbable win that may have inadvertently closed the door on an at-large bid for the Patriot League if Fordham finishes 2023 as runner-up to Holy Cross, which itself was defeated by Harvard, 38-28.
Tyler Knoop completed all five passes of the final drive en route to a 24 for 35, 216 yard effort, with three TD's and three interceptions. Isaiah Grimes led eight different GU receivers with 68 yards as the Hoyas outgained the Rams 437 to 259 overall and held the ball for 39:27.
Across the field, Montes finished 16 of 34 for 186 yards, his season low. RB Julius Loughbridge was held his lowest output since the season opener with Albany, and WR M.J. Wright, fighting through injuries, had just two catches, also a season low.
"It was a great team win on Homecoming against a very good opponent," said Georgetown head coach Rob Sgarlata in post-game comments. "I was very impressed with how our kids came out and executed the game plan, had a lot of fun doing it, and competed their tails off throughout all four quarters. We went into the week saying that we had to run the ball and stop the run, and I was very impressed with how our offense and defense played.
"This is a great win for our program against a quality opponent and we're looking forward to building on this next week as we get ready to go to Franklin Field and take on UPenn."
The victory is Georgetown's first home win in the Patriot League since 2019, its first win over Fordham since 2018, and its first in any Homecoming game since 2016.
Game statistics:
FORDHAM GEORGETOWN
First downs 17 24
Rushed-yards 22-73 37-221
Passing yards 186 216
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 1-9
Passes 16-34-0 24-35-0
Punts 5-41.0 1-37.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 9-57 5-65
Time of possession 20:33 39:27
Game #6: Pennsylvania (Oct. 7)
The Georgetown Hoyas battled back from a 16 point fourth quarter deficit to Penn but fell in overtime, 42-39, before a meager turnout of 2,250 at 52,265 seat Franklin Field.
At the start of what would become a four hour game due to numerous injury, penalty, and official reviews, field position was the story of the first quarter. While the Quakers progressed but stalled at midfield in its first two drives, Georgetown was twice pinned deep in its territory and managed just three first downs in the first quarter. With 11 seconds remaining in the quarter, Penn quarterback Aidan Sayin lost the ball on a run up the middle, setting up the Hoyas with the Quakers' only turnover of the game, and Georgetown's only possession in Penn territory in regulation.
Opening the second quarter, Georgetown went to the run, gaining 31 yards on five consecutive tries, the last of which was a one yard Knoop run for the score, 7-0. The Quakers answered with a seven play, 65 yard rive, led by a 22 yard pass from Sayin to WR Bruce Myers that put Penn in the red zone, and a touchdown three plays later.
The story of the first half was the Penn offense, which scored on its final four possessions of the first half, taking advantage of poor field position by the Hoyas. On Georgetown's next series, begun at its one, Knoop and the Hoyas could do not better than three and out, whereupon the Quakers returned a short punt to the GU 22 and converted it one play later via a 22 yard pass from Sayin to WR Isaac Shabay, 14-7.
A pair of defensive stands by the Hoyas kept this game from getting out of reach by halftime. After a three and out for the Hoyas, Sayin found WR Malachi Hosley open for 55 yards to the GU 10, but the defense held at the Penn five and forced a field goal, 17-7. Knoop responded with an efficient 10 play drive at the end of the second quarter, with a 10 yard throw to WR Joshua Stakely with 16 seconds to halftime that was otherwise spoiled by a poor PAT kick, 17-13. The spoilage continued when Pen connected on two passes in the ensuing 16 seconds to collect a 47 yards field goal at the break, 20-13.
Three Georgetown series to open the third quarter appeared to put this game out of reach for the Hoyas. On his first drive of the third quarter, a third down pass from Knoop was picked off at the Penn 40. The Quakers were stalled, but the subsequent punt backed up the Hoyas to its one yard line. With starting center Losini Maka injured earlier in the prior series, reserve center Greg Johnson sent the first down snap over Knoop's head and on its way to Weightman Hall, 22-13. On its next series, Knoop was intercepted a second time at midfield, with a return to the GU 31 at the 7:36 mark. A pair of rushes from RB Malachi Hosley blew the game open, 29-13.
The teams traded touchdowns in its next two series. After a pair of interceptions on the third down of the series, Knoop went big on his third try, finding WR Jimmy Kibble from 65 yards out, only to see Sayin return the favor by throwing five of 6 for 55 yards and extending the lead to 36-20 lead in the final minute of the third quarter.
In prior seasons, such a deficit was an early verdict for Georgetown teams. The 2023 Hoyas have been nothing if not resilient and what followed was, even in defeat, a sterling comeback.
Aided a defensive penalty that extended the drive into the fourth quarter, Knoop alternated the run/pass option to success in an eight play, 70 yard drive, with a six yard run by Stakely and a two point pass to Nicholas Dunneman closing the gap to eight, 36-28, with 11:58 to play. The ensuing Penn drive stalled with an offensive holding call, and the Quakers punted back to the Hoyas to its 14 yard line with 8:16 remaining. Much as it did versus Fordham, Georgetown saved the best for last.
While the Hoyas gave no outward signs that it was make or break, its use of the clock in the elements of a windy Franklin Field gave it the air of its last drive of the game. Connecting on a third and nine with a Knoop pass to Kibble at the GU 26, Knoop then found receivers Isaiah Grimes and Cam Pygatt to advance to the Penn 34, and connected with Grimes on a third and five to close to the 16 with 3:11 remaining.
A pair of short runs and a pass breakup in the end zone left the Hoyas facing a fourth and eight at the Penn 14 with 1:36 remaining. On the play, Knoop found Dunneman over the middle, advancing to the one. Two Penn timeouts keep the clock alive, but it was Joshua Stakely that caught the pass to close to 36-34. With the game on the line, Knoop was back in the air, finding Pygatt alone for a stunning second two point conversion of the quarter, which may have never happened before for a Georgetown team.
Owing to a shaky Georgetown special teams effort today, the Quakers were not done. With the sun making its first appearance at Franklin Field, a short kick set up the Quakers at its 30 with 1:17 to play, and a targeting call on Georgetown's Cooper Blogstrom appeared to hand the Quakers a field goal opportunity, only to see the Quakers pick up a holding penalty on the next play, sending them back to the Georgetown 45 After a pass play was broken up at the end zone with 24 seconds remaining. Rather than go long once again, the Penn staff opted to put the wind at its back to maximum effect, bringing out kicker Albert Jang for a 62 yard attempt. Jang, who had kicked a 51 yarder last week to tie the game versus Dartmouth, put a great effort into the air, falling a yard short and just wide.
With 18 seconds a timeout, and th ball at the 45, the Hoyas had a chance to make things interesting, but after a pass to Brock Biestek at the Penn 30 fell short with 0:07 left, a Kearney run to the Penn 40 would not be enough and Knoop was then pressured for a short dump-off pass as regulation time ended.
The Hoyas lost the coin flip and opened overtime on offense, to no effect. With an incompletion and seven yards in losses, Georgetown needed a 49 yard field goal merely to stay in the game. That weight fell on the shoulders of punter Patrick Ryan, who replaced Richard Abood at kicker and not attempted a field goal this season. In a game where it was wise to expect the unexpected, Ryan connected on a career high 49 yard field goal to open the period. In the end, however, Penn went to the ground four times, with Hosley carrying three times and going in with the game winning score from six yards out.
Knoop finished the game 26 for 40 for 272 yards and two touchdowns, but te4h Hoyas could not stop the Quakers when it counted: Penn was 5 for 5 inside the red zone, and 1 for 1 on the coin flip that ultimately decided a very good game.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN PENN
First downs 26 20
Rushed-yards 40-149 25-132
Passing yards 272 268
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 1-2
Passes 26-40-2 26-35-0
Punts 4-37.8 5-41.8
Fumbles-lost 1-0 3-1
Penalties-yards 12-88 8-65
Time of possession 33:54 26:06
Game #7: Lehigh (Oct. 14)
A command performance by fifth year quarterback Tyler Knoop led Georgetown to a 17-7 win at Lehigh Saturday, only the Hoyas' second win versus the Engineers in the Patriot League era and its first road win at Bethlehem since 1917.
The steady rain that covered players and fans at Murray Goodman Stadium placed a premium on execution and efficiency, two traits which have served Knoop well this season. In contrast to two decades of games where Georgetown was knocked out early in these games, an early first quarter drive set the course for a game the Hoyas never trailed.
Following an exchange of punts to open the game before an announced crowd of 2,828 (the smallest recorded crowd to see a Georgetown-Lehigh game at Goodman Stadium), Knoop and the Hoyas went to work. Owning the line of scrimmage, Georgetown advanced 95 yards in 10 plays, completing a pair of passes to receivers Nicholas Dunneman and Cam Pygatt to cross into Lehigh territory at its 37. On a first and 10, Knoop
looked to the air and found WR Jimmy Kibble a step ahead of a Lehigh receiver, converting on a 37 yard pass, 7-0.
Lehigh looked to answer in its next series and struggled to do so. A 36 yard pass from QB Brayten Silbor to WR Connor Kennedy was called back due to a holding penalty, and the Engineers escaped even more trouble when a Geoffrey Jamiel fumble was picked up and returned for a touchdown by Georgetown CB Zeraun Daniel, only to have the call overturned. Two plays later, a Silbor pass to the end zone was tipped and intercepted by Kolubah Pewee and returned to the Georgetown 30.
Knoop had the Hoyas moving again, completing three consecutive passes for 47 yards to the Lehigh 16 to end the first quarter. Georgetown advanced to the seven where, on fourth down, the GU coaching staff opted for yards over points and Knoop slipped in the rainy conditions.
Both teams played a game of field position for much of the second quarter. Lehigh put together its best drive of the half in a 10 play, 68 yard drive that advanced to the Georgetown 23, but three consecutive incompletions from Silbor and a missed field goal attempt at the Georgetown 30 resulted in no points. Georgetown returned the favor, marching ten plays to the Lehigh 16. An all but certain touchdown pass from Knoop to WR Max McCormack was dropped in the end zone, ending a remarkable run of 17 consecutive completions by Knoop to open the game. As Lehigh had done, a field goal attempt from 33 yards sailed right, and the Hoyas took a 7-0 lead into the break, having outgained the Engineers 211-154 through 30 minutes.
Lehigh opened the second half with its best drive of the game, effectively reestablishing its ground game and opening up seams for Silbor in the secondary. A 20 yard pass from Silbor to WR Mason Humphrey began a run of three consecutive completions in the drive, which concluded with a 13 yard pass to WR Eric Johnson to tie the score, 7-7.
After a short Georgetown drive, Patrick Ryan's punt was returned 27 yards to midfield, returning to a pattern of poor special teams by the Hoyas on punt returns. In what was a crushing turn of events for a home team which needed some momentum, Silbor sent a bad pass across the field that was intercepted by Zeraun Daniel at the Hoyas' 32. It was as close as Lehigh would come to the Georgetown red zone for the remainder of the game.
Knoop led the Hoyas on a nine play drive midway in the third, with a 27 yard pass to RB Joshua Stakely and four consecutive rushes to the Lehigh 16. On a third and six, Knoop's pass to Dunneman was inexplicably ruled a yard short of the first down marker, and head coach Rob Sgarlata chose points over a second fourth down excursion. Patrick Ryan's second 33 yard attempt of the game proved successful and with it, a 10-7 lead.
Silbor's passing was inconsistent all afternoon for Lehigh. Silbor was zero for two in the air in a drive at the end of the third quarter and one for three early in the fourth, with a pass completion to the GU turned back on an offensive penalty. Stalled at its 40, the Engineers punted to the Georgetown 40 with 8:03 left, whereupon the Hoyas put together its game clinching drive.
Late fourth quarter drives have been well executed by Knoop in Georgetown's two prior games and this Saturday was no exception. Facing a third and 14 at his 20, Knoop found Kibble for 22 yards. On a second and ten at midfield, Knoop ran untouched for 12 yards and saw 15 more added on a Lehigh face mask penalty.
Georgetown advanced to the Lehigh 30 before the drive stalled, facing a fourth and nine. Between the deteriorating weather conditions and a spotty GU kicking game, offensive coordinator Rob Spence dialed up another shot into the Lehigh secondary, finding WR Brock Biestek open along the sideline at the Lehigh four. Two plays later, a scrum moved Stakely into the end zone, 17-7.
Silbor went one for five from the air in the final Lehigh drive, one which added an air of grim finality about a game of lost opportunities for the Engineers. Seven penalties during the game, including two which extended Georgetown drives, were fatal. Silbor finished 11 of 34 for 205 yards, but just 4 for 16 for 51 yards after halftime. The 457 yards allowed to the Hoyas was the most Lehigh has ever allowed in the series.
The game stings at the core of the proud Lehigh fan base, with a loss to Georgetown akin to a Big East basketball team losing to DePaul. For Lehigh, the game marked its fifth consecutive loss and its seventh consecutive losing season, most in a half century. Games awaiting with Bucknell, Holy Cross and Colgate offer little respite before the season finale with Lafayette.
"I don't think we played particularly well overall," said Lehigh coach Kevin Cahill in post-game remarks. "Too many penalties, especially offensively. Defensively, we have to challenge and be more competitive in some situations."
"It's not a good feel at all."
Across the sidelines, another story. Knoop passed for a career high 332 yards on 26 for 32 passes, with a career high 109 yards in receptions from Nick Dunneman and four receivers with pass plays of 20 or more yards. The Hoyas controlled the ball for 40:21, the most in any game since a 2004 win over VMI and the most against any Patriot League opponent ever.
A two game homestand awaits the Blue and Gray, with a word not often mentioned among Georgetown football teams of the recent and not so recent past:
Momentum.
GEORGETOWN LEHIGH
First downs 24 19
Rushed-yards 45-125 25-132
Passing yards 332 205
Sacked-yards lost 2-18 0-0
Passes 26-32-0 11-34-2
Punts 5-31.8 4-39.2
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 4-40 7-55
Time of possession 40:21 20:59
Game #8: Colgate (Oct. 21)
Despite trailing in nearly every statistic in Saturday's game, the Colgate Red Raiders led in the only one that matters, a 28-18 win over Georgetown before 3,193 at at Cooper Field.
This was a game of two halves in more ways than one. Both teams arrived to this game with momentum, but an early mistake by the Hoyas set the course for what followed. Opening the game, quarterback Tyler Knoop was 3 for 3 in advancing the Hoyas to midfield, but on a third and three at the CU 47 his pass was intercepted by LB Owen Goss and returned largely untouched down the sidelines for the score, 7-0.
Knoop answeRed with a 14 play drive to the Colgate Red zone, but an offensive penalty at the Colgate 14 sent them back 10 yards and the Hoyas settled for a field goal, 7-3. The trade was not a good one, for when Colgate's offense finally made its debut on the field at the 4:12 mark of the first quarter, quarterback Zach Osborne sliced through the Georgetown defense, with consecutive passes of 11, 23, and 19 yards, the latter of which found the end zone from Osborne to WR Chris Gee that ended a five play drive that consumed less than two minutes of clock time but gave the Red Raiders a 14-3 lead.
Following a 51 yard kickoff return by Tiy Reed, Knoop needed just three plays to answer, finding WR Nicholas Dunneman in a 51 yard touchdown pass, but place kicker patrick Ryan shanked the extra point, 14-9. With a 31 yard kickoff return of its own, Osborne led the Red Raiders on a nine play, 62 yard drive to open the second quarter, with RB Winston Moore cutting through the defense for the score and a 21-9 lead.
Back came the Hoyas but back came the field goal: a 12 play Georgetown drive died at the Colgate 17 and the Hoyas settled for three, 21-12. Following Colgate's first and only punt of the first half, Knoop completed consecutive 18 yard passes to Dunneman and Joshua Stakely to put the Hoyas in Colgate territory, driving to the CU 25 before passing up a field goal attempt to try a conversion on fourth down which was broken up by Colgate's Justin Lawrence at the CU 18. Osborne took over with 2:01 to halftime, where a 13 yard pass from Osborne to WR Treyvohn Saunders was magnified by a personal foul on Georgetown DL Mateen Ibirogba which moved the ball to the Georgetown 35. Osborne was sidelined for the remainder of the game following Ibirogba's hit, with Colgate coach Stan Dakosty going to his third string quarterback, sophomore Jake Stearney. Following a defensive holding all, Stearney connected on passes of 10 and 12 yards to the GU 3, where a direct snap to RB Jaedon Henry with 45 seconds left put Colgate up 28-12 at halftime.
Despite owning a time of possession of nearly 22 minutes, Georgetown managed one touchdown, two field goals, a turnover on downs, and a pick-six, and trailed by 16.
In contrast to the fireworks of Colgate's first half, the second was anything but. As third string quarterbacks are wont to do, Stearney was largely ineffective for Colgate for the remainder of the game, as the Georgetown defense closed the gaps that Osborne had successfully exploited and the Red Raiders punted on each of its seven full drives of the half, managing just three first downs. Across the field, Georgetown had four possessions with opportunities to rally back from 16 down as it had done two weeks earlier versus Penn: unfortunately for the Hoyas, they were only able to convert on one of them.
Following its first two punts of the game to open the third quarter, a nine play drive near the end of the third quarter brought the Hoyas into Colgate territory. Following passes to Jimmy Kibble, Dunneman, and Stakely, Knoop brought the Hoyas to the Colgate 14 m minute into the fourth, but rushed a pass to TE Isaiah Grimes which was picked off by Goss in the end zone.
Two series and four minutes later, a short field played to Georgetown's advantage. Connecting on a 27 yard pass to Dunneman at the Colgate 15, the drive stalled and a fourth down pass was broken up in the end zone.
As the Red raiders continued to give up short possessions, the Hoyas had opportunities. Taking possession with 5:52 left, Knoop led the Hoyas on an eight play drive aided by two Colgate penalties which set up a two yard run by Josh Stakely, 28-18; to no surprise, perhaps, a two point conversion was disrupted in the end zone by the Red Raiders.
With 3:13 to play, the Red Raiders went three and out once again, setting up the Hoyas at its 20 yard line with 2:09 to play. Knoop drive the Hoyas to midfield, yet ended the game much as the game began, with an interception at the Colgate 40. This time, the pick was not returned, but the victory was sealed.
Tyler Knoop finished the game 32 for 57 for 353 yards, a personal best and the 11th most yards thrown by a Georgetown quarterback. The three interceptions were important, but did not tell the entire story, as Georgetown's rushing game was contained by Colgate's defense, with just 93 yards on the ground, forcing Knoop's hand. Colgate LB Tyler Flock led the Red Raiders with 12 tackles and five stops.
Sophomore WR Nicholas Dunneman caught 15 passes for 205 yards, fourth best in Georgetown history.
After starting the season 0-4, Colgate earned its its third consecutive win of the season and its 19th win in 20 games versus Georgetown dating to the 2002 season.
Game statistics:
COLGATE GEORGETOWN
First downs 18 30
Rushed-yards 29-87 30-93
Passing yards 151 353
Sacked-yards lost 1-8 4-16
Passes 16-25-0 32-57-3
Punts 8-40.1 3-41.0
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-65 10-95
Time of possession 22:05 37:55
Game #9: Lafayette (Oct. 28)
Injuries and mistakes haunted the Georgetown Hoyas all afternoon in the home finale, losing to #19-ranked Lafayette 35-25.
The game started exceptionally poorly for the Hoyas, where a botched onsides kick set up the Leopards with a short field. Three plays later, Lafayette QB Dean DeNobile found WR Elijah Steward with a 38 yard pass to the Georgetown one, cashed in by RB Jamar Curtis two plays later. In its second series, the Leopards took a short field to the Georgetown 17, but missed a field goal. A third series, also beginning in Georgetown territory, saw Curtis catch one pass for 27 yards and a 20 yard run on the enduing play, putting Lafayette up 14-0 ten minutes into the game.
That the Hoyas weren't blown out by the #19 Leopards at this point was due in no small part to the play of second string QB Danny Lauter, called into action following a continuing injury to Tyler Knoop that elevated Lauter to the start in this game. This was not only Lauter's first start in a Georgetown jersey, it was his first in-game appearance of any kind in two years on the varsity. Georgetown did not make much progress in its first three drives, especially on the ground, but Lauter was 5 for 5 for 29 yards on short passes that suggested a conservative approach to getting him acclimated to the game. After a pair of punts by the Leopards early in the second quarter, Lauter was ready to go to work.
With 12:33 to halftime, Lauter opened a drive at the Lafayette 49, finding WR Nicholas Dunneman for six yards to the 43, and going deep to WR Jimmy Kibble for 43 yards to close to 14-7. The good times were short lived, as Lafayette RB Troy Bruce, in for an injured Jamar Curtis, went 71 yards on the next play from scrimmage, 21-7.
The unfortunate defensive lapse was an outlier in a second quarter where the Hoyas were much better on defense, holding the Leopards to 21 net yards over three possessions. Offensively, Georgetown fell short on two key possessions that proved insufficient to close the deficit.
Down two touchdowns with 10:59 in the second, Lauter was 7 for 9 in a drive that started at its 25 and was aided by a Lafayette penalty that extended the drive and allowed Lauter to go to work. Lauter connected on three consecutive third downs via three pass plays and advanced the Hoyas to the Lafayette four yard line, but a pass play to the end zone was broken up and Georgetown settled for the field goal, 21-10. After DB Rashon Adams picked off a DeNobile pass at the Georgetown 29, a GU celebration penalty was a dagger to a late quarter rally, as Lauter led the Hoyas to midfield but no further as the drive stalled and halftime follows, 21-10. Lauter finished the first half 15 for 120 for 189 yards.
Having no video to adapt to Lauter in the first half, Lafayette defensive coordinator Mike Saint Germain began to make changes in the Leopards' defense which accounted for the difference in the game. In Georgetown's first series of the second half, defensive back Saiku White spied a Lauter pass and returned the interception 42 yards for the score, 28-10.
Following the pick-six to open the third quarter, Lauter went to back to work, finding Kibble for 81 yards to the score, but the Hoyas failed on the conversion and trailed 28-16. On his next series, Lauter was 7 for 9 as Georgetown advanced to the LC 17, but the Leopards held and the Hoyas settled for a field goal, 28-19. On the ensuing GU series, White picked off a second Lauter pass deep in Georgetown territory and set the table for an eight play, 74 yard drive for Lafayette's final touchdown, aided by a pair of Georgetown penalties, 35-19.
Lauter was not done, threading the needle on six consecutive pass plays to the Lafayette 19 before a pair of Naieem Kearney runs brought the Hoyas to he seven yard line. A run by RB Joshua Stakely was stuffed, while two short passes were broken up by the Lafayette defense. This time, head coach Rob Sgarlata opted for a fourth down over a field goal, but DB Taylor Smallwood broke up a pass to Kibble and the Hoyas were shut out. Points would have helped, as lauter was back in business with 4;17 to play, finding Kibble for 40 yards and an eight yard touchdown pass to Dunneman with 2:10 to play. A second two point conversion failed, 35-25, and despite forcing the Leopards to a three and out, with 1:01 to play, it was too little and too late. Lauter was sacked and coughed up the ball with 56 seconds remaining, his third second half turnover against a veteran Lafayette defense that did not otherwise dim a remarkable debut by the sophomore quarterback.
Despite just 36 yards rushing for the game and 94 yards in penalties, the story of this game was Georgetown's quarterback. Lauter set a school record with 428 yards passing, breaking a record set 25 years ago by J.J. Mont in a 34-0 win over Iona in 1998. Jimmy Kibble caught 15 passes for 201 yards, fifth best all time and the first time in school history that Georgetown receivers caught 200 or more yards in passing on consecutive weeks.
Followoing back to back home losses, Georgetown enters the bye week 4-5. Road games at Bucknell and Holy Cross, each with big wins on the road this past weekend, complete the 2023 schedule.
Game statistics:
LAFAYETTE GEORGETOWN
First downs 17 21
Rushed-yards 35-142 23-36
Passing yards 171 428
Sacked-yards lost 2-14 3-18
Passes 12-24-2 35-58-2
Punts 5-35.2 4-40.2
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 6-65 8-94
Time of possession 23:33 36:27
Game #10: Bucknell (Nov. 11)
In one of the epic games of the Patriot League era at Georgetown University, the Hoyas gave up 39 points after halftime but survived into overtime, with a 50-47 win at Bucknell.
This game had enough twists and turns in the first quarter alone than in most games at the Patriot League level. Four hours of back and forth football was less about the exultation of a win than a feeling that one team had survived a gauntlet and one nearly did. But after the first 11 minutes of the first quarter, one would be hard impressed to imagine how far Georgetown had jumped ahead, and how far Bucknell would battle back.
Returning after a one game, two week absence, QB Tyler Knoop led the Hoyas on an efficient nine play, 63 yard drive that saw the Hoyas collect 39 yards on the ground before Knoop found WR Brock Biestek in the corner of the Bucknell end zone from 20 yards out, a five minute drive that set the tone for much of the rest of the game.
The sparse crowd of 1,004 at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium could not have been more surprised as Bucknell's opening drive debuted. On the first play of the drive, QB Ralph Rucker was picked off at the Bucknell 35 by Georgetown LB David Ealey III, setting up the Hoyas for a three play drive that saw Knoop go back to Biestek for 25 yards to the Bucknell one and a Naieem Kearney one yard run for a sudden 14-0 lead.
Following an exchange of punts, the Bison took over at its 10 yard line with 4:48 in the first quarter. Rucker was sacked in the end zone and just managed to get forward progress out of the end zone, but RB Rushawn Baker was stuffed on second down and the Bison gave up a safety at the 4:02 mark, 16-0. Georgetown ended the first quarter outgaining Bucknell 105 to -minus 20.
Turnovers and special teams have been poisonous for the Hoyas all season and each played roles in this game. Off the free kick following the safety Knoop, the Hoyas opened the second quarter marching to the Bucknell 29, but Knoop threw and interception at the Bucknell 19 which appeared to awaken the Bison. A ten play Bucknell drive did not result in points but netted its first positive yards of the game, and began to raise hopes of a comeback.
Following a there and out by the Hoyas, the Bison set up its first scoring drive. Aided by a Georgetown roughing the passer which extended the drive, QB Ralph Rucker drove Bucknell on a 10 play, 64 yard drive and a two point conversion to close the score to 16-8. The Bison were not as successful on its next drive, which saw Rucker intercepted by Kamren Watkins-Hunter at the Bucknell 27, setting up Knoop on a two play drive which ended with a 24 yard pass to Nicholas Dunneman and a 23-8 lead at the break.
A busy first half was a warmup for a third and fourth quarter which resembled a ping-pong match.
Bucknell struck first to open the half: five plays, 65 yards, aided by a Georgetown defensive penalty, with Rucker 3 for 32 and 53 yards, with a one yard Baker run. Just as sudden: an on-side kick, with the rare but not uncommon result that the Bison out-kicked the coverage, and Georgetown's Naiteitei Mose picked up the ball and was untouched to the end zone. A 23-8 halftime score was suddenly 30-15.
The Bison had turned a corner offensively but two key drives of the third quarter were, in hindsight, opportunities lost. On its next series, Rucker and Baker got things going, with an 11 play drive to the Georgetown six. Two short rushes and an incompletion later, the Bison faced fourth and goal at the two, where DB Preston Murray broke up a pass in the end zone and the Hoyas made a seven point stop.
A three play Georgetown drive netted one yard, sending punter Patrick Ryan deep in the end zone for a punt. Ryan's punting has been erratic at best and pitiful at worst--this upcoming punt was of the latter. Unnoticed by the referee, Ryan stepped out of the end zone, but his kick was : a ten yard shank which landed at the Georgetown 13. The Bison advanced to the Georgetown two before Georgetown's Zeraun Daniel popped the ball use and VeRon Garrison made the recovery at is five yard line. Two series inside the Georgetown three, no points.
No less surprising, the next series. Knoop saw a missed defensive assignment and took advantage, finding WR Jimmy Kibble on the fly, and Kibble never looked back- a school record 95 yard touchdown pass to put the Hoyas up 37-15 with 4:41 in the third.
But what followed was a rally of epic proportions.
A short kick set up the Bison at its 40, where Rucker extended the drive with an eight yard pass on fourth and five at the GU 47. Two plays later, Baker popped through the line for a 38 yard touchdown, 37-23. Two series later, Rucker opened the forth quarter with a 65 yard touchdown pass to WR Derrick Anderson, 37-30. Three Georgetown plays totalling 16 seconds resulted in a punt to the Bucknell 42, where the Bison were stopped at midfield, only to have Knoop throw a first down interception over the middle at the 44. Four plays later, Rucker threw a 32 yard touchdown pass and the game was tied, 37-37.
Having lost a 22 point lead, the Georgetown offense was dead in the water and the defense was tired. After a five play, 13 yard drive stalled, Ryan's foot went wide right again, with another 10 yard punt which set up the Bison at the Georgetown 40 with 3:53 to play. Rucker needed only two plays, with a 28 yard pass to Christian Tait to take the lead 44-37 with 3:14 to play. The Bison had scored 29 points in just over 13 minutes and the cheers of the 1,000 fans at Lewisburg sounded like 10,000.
That this game did not end in the ignominy of the worst collapse in Georgetown history, perhaps even worse than squandering a 26 point lead to Holy Cross in a 32-31 loss in 2018, is testament to quarterback Tyler Knoop and a Georgetown offense that wasn't ready to quit. Knoop opened with an incompletion at the GU 31, but found TE Isaiah Grimes at midfield, followed by a 15 yard defensive pass interference call to the Bucknell 35. A 10 yard pass to Biestek followed, followed by a 25 yard strike to Kibble, and the game was tied and sent to overtime.
Georgetown won the coin flip and deferred. After holding Rucker to one yard to open the overtime, Georgetown head coach Rob Sgarlata called a defensive timeout to reset the coverage, and it worked--two Rucker incompletions followed, resulting in a 41 yard field, goal, 47-44.
The Hoyas needed a field goal but would not settle for three. On a third and four at the Bucknell 19, Knoop found Grimes for a critical first down.
On the next play, the GU running game returned, having combined for just 10 yards since the second drive of the game. RB Naieem Kearney squeezed through the Bucknell defensive line for 10 yards to the three, only to lose two on the next play. A dangerous play followed at the five, where Knoop ran the ball up the middle and stretched out the ball to cross the goal line, only to have the ball knocked out of his hands. The play was judged dead at the one, and after a few missed heart beats on the GU bench, GU maintained possession. On the next play, Joshua Stakely took the ball over the left guard into the end zone and concluded an epic battle between the teams.
In Georgetown's third consecutive game of record passing totals, Tyler Knoop threw for 361 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. Jimmy Kibble led all receivers with a career best eight receptions and 179 yards. For his part, Bucknell quarterback Ralph Rucker had a strong game, especially in the second half, finishing 20 for 41, 296 yards, and three touchdowns. Just 10 yards separated the teams in total offense, a number that was not settled until th final drive of the game.
"he Hoyas' defense totaled five sacks for a loss of 32 yards and 13 tackles for a loss of 56 yards," wrote the game recap. "The defense also picked up two interceptions, one forced fumble, six broken up passes and three quarterback pressures."
"I love this group, they totally showed SISU tonight," said Sgarlata. "When we went down seven at the end of the fourth, the kids rallied to tie the game and kept the energy up through overtime. It was in no way a perfect ball game for us but the coaches and kids really stuck together."
"I was surprised at how poorly we handled the first quarter of the football game, but these guys had it in them, and they did great things," said Bucknell coach Dave Cecchini.
"Unfortunately, we just fell one play short."
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN BUCKNELL
First downs 20 24
Rushed-yards 29-61 39-136
Passing yards 361 296
Sacks-yards lost 3-17 5-32
Passes 27-38-2 20-41-2
Punts 7-28.1 4-39.0
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 8-84 3-35
Time of possession 25:49 28:42
Game #11: Holy Cross (Nov. 18)
Matthew Sluka ran for 169 yards as Holy Cross defeated Georgetown in the season finale, 31-10.
Georgetown knew it needed a quick start to stay close to the Crusaders and it did not materialize. A seven play to open the game stalled at midfield, with Holy Cross starting at the Georgetown 12. An 11 play drive, seven on the ground, advanced to the Georgetown four yard line before the defense held and the Crusaders added a short field goal, 3-0.
Another seven play Georgetown drive made it to midfield but no further, setting up HC back at its 12 one more time. A 27 yard run by QB Matthew Sluka and a 50 yard run by RB Tyler Purdy set up the Crusaders at the GU three to open the second quarter, where a there yard keeper by Sluka raised the score to 10-0. The Hoyas answered with a 10 play drive inside the HC 15, but a personal foul on Holy Cross was waived off by the officials and Georgetown took the field goal. On Holy Cross' next derive, Sluka rushed five times to the GU 16 and found WR Jalen Coker alone for the score with 5:49 to halftime, 24-3.
Georgetown's only there and out of the afternoon returned the ball with 4:11 to play, where Sluka went 78 yards in nine plays, reaching third down just once. Sluka ran it in from five yards out with 33 seconds remaining to go up 21-3, part of 125 yards rushing and 198 total yards overall, as HC outgained Georgetown 296 to 122.
Georgetown's only touchdown of the game came in its first series of the third quarter, as pass plays from Tyler Knoop to Jimmy Kibble of 25 and 34 yards capped a there play, 61 yard drive, 21-10. The Crusaders answered with a 10 play, 77 yard drive to lad 31-10 midway through the third quarter.
In a fast moving game due to the rushing totals for Holy Cross, Georgetown had just two drives for the remainder of the game. Each advanced into the Holy Cross red zone, but each were stopped short.
The story of this afternoon was the ground game, with the Crusaders outgaining the Hoyas 340 to 98 on the ground. HC's 7.1 yards per rushing attempt was more than the Georgetown defense could stop.
"This was obviously not the result that we wanted but the only locker room I want to be in today is with our kids," said head coach Rob Sgarlata following the game. "This group has laid the foundation for what is a very bright future for the Hoya football program."
"I can't say enough about the efforts of our seniors and our graduate students. We have incredible people that are great football players and are starting to build the foundation of a championship program. We will regroup from this one when the offseason starts on Monday. Now we are looking forward to the spring 2024 season and getting this team to take the next step."
Georgetown's 5-6 record is its best since the 2019 season.
Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN HOLY CROSS
First downs 19 24
Rushed-yards 25-98 48-340
Passing yards 184 223
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 0-0
Passes 21-33-0 7-14-0
Punts 3-34.0 1-32.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-42 3-37
Time of possession 30:47 29:13
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