2024 Football CoverageFrom HoyaSaxa.com game recaps. Links to other contemporary coverage may be out of date.Game #1: Davidson (Aug. 31)
Four rushing touchdowns led Georgetown to a 46-24 win over Davidson in the 2024 season opener at Cooper Field, its seventh season opening win since 2016.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
"It's great to open the season 1-0 on the Hilltop," said head coach Rob Sgarlata, reflective of a game where Georgetown never trailed but maintained poise on both sides of the ball.Defense was the opening course of the game. Davidson opened the game shaky, with a muffed kickoff return, a fumbled snap at the goal line, and a negative yardage run which forced a safety on the third play of the game, 2-0. After trading field goals midway in the quarter, 5-3, the Hoyas went to work late in the first quarter en route to its first score. Opening at its 34, a 16 yard run from RB Nicholas Dunneman brought the Hoyas to midfield, followed by a pass from QB Danny Lauter to receiver Jimmy Kibble. A 39 yard touchdown run by RB Naieem Kearney was called back by a holding penalty. Two plays later, Kearney scored from 23, 12-3, to close out the first period. The second quarter was dominated on the ground, as neither team could mount a sufficient run defense. The option offense of Davidson, which placed the Wildcats fifth in FCS rushing defense last season, began to gain traction after a 55 yard kick return from Miles Brophy setting up the visitors with a short field. Davidson QB Colton Cleland led the Cats on a six play drive to close to 12-10, but on its next series the Hoyas' Bryce Cox popped through the Davidson line for a 59 yard score, 19-10.
The Wildcats returned the score on a seven play drive on the ground to close to 19-17 at the 8:07 mark. On its next drive, the Hoyas responded with a nine play, 65 yard drive to the Wildcats 10, but the drive stalled when Lauter's touchdown pass to Dunneman was ruled out of bounds. A 27 yard field goal extended the Georgetown lead to 22-17 with 3:40 to halftime. A pair of plays plays that book-ended the first and second half were turning points in the game. In its final drive of the second quarter, the Wildcats drove seven consecutive plays on the ground inside the Georgetown 20, but having used up its time outs earlier in the half, was running out of time. Spiking the ball on first down to stop the clock, Cleland's second yard pass remained in bounds for three yards, forcing a hurried play under with 14 seconds remaining. With no options in the end zone, Cleland found a receiver along the sidelines, but Georgetown's Kolubah Pewee jumped the pass with two seconds to halftime, preserving the lead at the break, 22-17. Opening the second half, Georgetown's Mason Gudger returned the kickoff 78 yards to the Davidson 21, where Kearney took it in on the first play of the third quarter, 29-17. Instead of being up two at the half, Davidson was now down 12.
Mistakes followed the Wildcats in a third quarter where it otherwise dominated time of possession. Cleland led the Wildcats on an eight play drive to the Georgetown 36, but on a third down quarterback keeper, he was stripped of the ball by Quincy Briggs, who took it back for the score, 36-17. The Wildcats returned with a 14 play drive to the Georgetown 32, but missed a field goal.
DAVIDSON GEORGETOWN
First downs 22 20
Rushed-yards 57-245 27-263
Passing yards 121 106
Sacked-yards lost 4-15 0-0
Passes 11-18-0 9-17-0
Punts 2-43.0 1-36.0
Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 8-65 5-40
Time of possession 38:56 21:04
Game #2: Marist (Sep. 7) A sluggish opening gave way to 24 unanswered points after halftime as Georgetown defeated Marist College 31-10, before a season opening crowd of 2,677 at Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie, NY.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The game marked Marist's season opener and the debut of first year coach Mike Willis, formerly of Princeton. It also marked the debut of offensive coordinator Bob Davies, who led a prodigious offense at Division III Carleton (WI), and who surprised many by starting Marist's fourth string quarterback on the depth chart, Monmouth transfer Enzo Arjona.The Hoyas had no game film to prepare for against a new Marist coaching staff, and the unexpected arrival of Arjona further shook up an early game plan that followed the red Foxes into the end zone. A pair of missed defensive tackles and a defensive pass interference call in the red zone aided the Red Foxes in a 14 play drive and an early 7-0 lead. Arjona was 4 for 6 in the drive for 24 yards, while returning RB Carter James rushed for 32 yards and the go-ahead score from two yards out.
Two series later, the Hoyas answered with a ten play drive, keyed by pass plays to Nicholas Dunneman and Jimmy Kibble, setting up a two yard Naieem Kearney run to tie the score, 7-7 early in the second quarter. The teams traded punts for the next four possessions until the Red Foxes inherited a short field with 5:57 to halftime, driving in seven plays to the Georgetown six before the Hoyas forced a field goal, 10-7, the margin at the break. Second half field position drove Georgetown to victory after halftime. It began with a a 52 yard second half kickoff return by Mason Gudger that set up the Hoyas at midfield, converting on a 38 yard field goal to open the third quarter scoring, 10-10. Holding the Red Foxes to 22 total yards over its next two possessions, the red Foxes punted from deep in its own territory and set up the Hoyas at its 48 yard line with 6:00 in the third. A 21 yard pass to Kibble brought Georgetown to the Marist 25, and a 15 yard pass to Cam Pygatt on a third and three at the MNC 18 put the Hoyas in scoring position, completed from three yards out by Kearney, 17-10. Georgetown's defense, much as they had done in the second half a week earlier versus Davidson, began to lock down its opponent. Marist's next drive netted no yardage in four plays and forced a punt to the GU 32 in the final 1:03 of the third. With a run of five for five in the air, QB Danny Lauter connected with a 13 yard pass to Isaiah Grimes for the score, 24-10, with 11:10 to play.
Marist's best drive of the half began with a 35 yard pass from Arjona to WR Jackson Connors-McCarthy to enter Hoya territory, but stalled when David Ealey forced consecutive sacks at midfield, with the Red Foxes punting the ball back to Georgetown with 6:19 to play. The Hoyas looked to run out the clock and settle for a field goal with 2:47 to play when a storm blew in, making a kick infeasible. Instead, the Hoyas stayed on the ground, converting on a fourth and three and scoring on a 17 yard Gudger run two plays later.
Lauter finished 21 of 27 for 199 yards as the Hoyas outgained the Red Foxes 319-210 in total yards. Marist was held to just 7 total yards after halftime before a 43 yard series in the final 1:45 ran out the clock. Entering the second half, "a big kickoff and punt return put us in a great position," said head coach Rob Sgarlata in post-game comments. "We finally started to look like ourselves in the second half and I'm really proud with how we finished the game." The win was Georgetown's fifth consecutive against Marist in a series Georgetown leads 20-5. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN MARIST
First downs 20 14
Rushed-yards 34-120 31-63
Passing yards 199 147
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 3-31
Passes 21-27-0 17-30-0
Punts 5-37.0 8-39.3
Fumbles-lost 0-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 7-75 6-45
Time of possession 32:16 25:56
Game #3: Sacred Heart (Sep. 14) Coming off a promising 2-0 start, Georgetown gave up five turnovers and 27 unanswered points to FCS independent Sacred Heart in a 40-14 rout at Campus Field before an overflow crowd of 4,869 in Fairfield, CT today.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The outcome was largely unexpected. Sacred Heart (2-1) was coming off a 10-3 win over Division II St. Anselm and had only scored two touchdowns all season. Instead, the final is only the second time since 2015 that a Georgetown team gave up 40 or more points to a team outside the Ivy or Patriot leagues; its five turnovers is the most in a game since 2016.The game got off to an awkward start as Mason Gudger was injured on the opening kickoff, one of three Georgetown starters injured in the first five minutes of the game. Three plays into the opening drive, RB Naieem Kearney fumbled at the Georgetown 37, setting up the Pioneers deep in Hoya territory. After converting on a 3rd and six at the GU 21, QB John Michalski ran the ball twice for 13 yards en route to the opening score, 6-0. The remainder of the first quarter saw each team march efficiently to the end zone. Georgetown answered the Sacred Heart score with a nine play, 70 yard drive. QB Danny Lauter was 4-4 in the air during the drive, completing on a 22 yard pass to WR Jimmy Kibble that set up Kearney for a one yard run, 7-6. Sacred Heart answered with an eight play drive and a 49 yard pass from Michalski to WR Kevin McGuire at the GU five, converted two plays later, 13-7. Back came the Hoyas: nine plays, 70 yards, with Lauter again going 4 for 4, with Lauter finding Kibble from six yards to open the second quarter, 14-13. So far, so good. The offensive productivity of the first quarter for Georgetown settled into a run of struggles for much of the second quarter. Neither team could reach first down for four consecutive series, with the Hoyas playing field position and keeping the Pioneers deep in their territory. Georgetown took over at its 27 with 5:29 to halftime. With a 21 yard pass from Lauter to Pygatt, the Hoyas had a first down at the SHU 38 and hit the two minute warning (yes, "warning") with a third and six at the 34. In the oddest call of the afternoon, offensive coordinator Rob Spence replaced Lauter with backup QB Dez Thomas, making the first appearance of his Georgetown career. If the change was to surprise the Pioneers, Sacred Heart would hear none of it, and Thomas was contained with an awkward one yard gain. Back came Lauter, who hurried a fourth down pass over Pygatt's head and turned the ball over on downs with 1:11 left. "We did not perform at a high level today."--Georgetown head coach Rob SgarlataThat alone might have been enough to keep calm and carry on, but on Georgetown's first play from scrimmage. Lauter threw and interception at midfield, returned to the GU 25 with 15 seconds to play. A pass from Michalski to Xavier Leigh split the staggered defense, and were it not for a late tackle from Giancarlo Rufo, Sacred Heart would have had a second SHU touchdown in the final minute. Halted at the four, the Pioneers picked up a field goal at the end of the half, 23-14. Georgetown managed just 49 yards total offense in the second quarter, 40 of these in one drive. Things looked no better to open the third, with three yards in three plays before punting the ball back to SHU with 11:31 in the third. The Pioneers answered with a punishing eight play, 75 yard drive, with a 37 yard run to extend the lead to 30-14. The next three consecutive Georgetown drives ended in turnovers. A Lauter pass to Pygatt was fumbled at the SHU 38, Lauter was intercepted on th next series at the SHU 38, and Pygatt fumbled a second reception at midfield to open the fourth. With the short field, the Pioneers marched 42 yards to the Georgetown 11 for a field goal where officials missed a roughing the kicker penalty, extending the score to 33-14. Georgetown was able to avoid a fourth consecutive turnover on the next series, but a gassed Georgetown defense gave up an 84 yard run midway through the fourth that set up a one yard run, 40-14. Lauter's play after the first quarter was puzzling: he finished 21 of 34 for 190 yards and two interceptions and managed just two pass plays of more than seven yards thereafter, leading the ESPN+ announcers to wonder if he was playing injured. SHU quarterback John Michalski was 16 of 25 for 209 yards and two touchdowns. A win Saturday would have elevated Georgetown to its first 3-0 start since 2016; instead, the outcome in this game raises questions about how prepared this team will be as the schedule ticks upward. Next up: consecutive home games with Brown and Columbia, to which the Hoyas are a combined 1-6 since the 2017 season. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN SACRED HEART
First downs 17 19
Rushed-yards 30-139 42-264
Passing yards 213 209
Sacked-yards lost 1-12 2-8
Return yards 8 0
Passes 24-40-2 16-25-0
Punts 5-42.0 6-39.5
Fumbles-lost 3-3 2-0
Penalties-yards 3-15 11-85
Time of possession 29:42 30:18
Game #4: Brown (Sep. 21)
More second half offensive miscues extended Georgetown to its second consecutive loss in a 26-14 loss to Brown at the 82nd Homecoming Game at Cooper Field.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The Bears made their first visit to the Nation's Capital in 10 years, and did not take long to remind the sold out (but oddly counted) crowd at Cooper Field why they had won five of the six prior meetings with the Hoyas. In its first play of the season, QB Jake Wilcox threw an 87 yard pass to Solomon Miller, 7-0. This was the longest pass play of any kind at a Georgetown home game since the 1997 season.
Brown entered the game following a 2023 season where it was last in the Ivy League in defense, so it didn't take long for the Hoyas to climb its way back into the game. On its succeeding possession, QB Danny Lauter was four for four on a series punctuated by a 30 yard run by RB Naieem Kearney an 18 yard pass to Nicholas Dunneman to the one, and Kearney's fifth touchdown of the season, 7-7. The Hoyas' defense was battered yet again on Brown's second possession. Willcox needed just five plays to travel 69 yards, finding open from 45 yards, 14-7. Willcox ended the quarter 4-5 for 152 yards, with a quarterback rating that was off the charts: 427.4. Willcox's only incompletion came in a strange one-two punch midway in the first, where on the first play of the Georgetown drive, Lauter through an interception at the Hoyas 24. On his next play, Willcox was picked off by DB Quincy Briggs at the Georgetown seven. The teams traded punts over the next three series. After pinning the Hoyas back at its six on a thee play, two yard drive, the Bears took over inside Georgetown territory with 8:50 to halftime, where Willcox led the Bears on a seven play drive that stalled at the GU 6, resulting in a 24 yard field goal, 17-7. Georgetown answered with a 77 yard pass play from Lauter to Cam Pygatt, and Georgetown closed to 17-14.
On its last series of the half, the Bears held the ball for 16 plays to the Georgetown 14 and added a field goal at the close of the half, 20-14. Outside of Pygatt's 77 yard catch, the Hoyas contributed a total of just eight yards in the second quarter. One of the emerging stories of the past two weeks has been the evaporation of the Georgetown offense after halftime, particularly with turnovers. Against Sacred Heart last week, the Hoyas gave up three turnovers that neutered any thoughts of a comeback. This week, the mistakes returned. "At the end of the day we need to take care of the football better and eliminate the explosive plays to have success."--Georgetown head coach Rob SgarlataGeorgetown's next series traveled just eight yards before a punt returned the ball to Brown at its 39 with 5:20 in the third. Eschewing the run, Willcox led the Bears on a ground assault, with runs of 12, 16 and 10 yards into the Georgetown red zone, where on its fourth consecutive run RB Jordan Delucia scored from one yard out. A missed conversion ended the scoring at 26-14, but not the opportunities for Georgetown to mount a comeback. ] While the Georgetown defense held Brown to a single first down and four consecutive punts in the fourth quarter, the Georgetown offense was remarkably ineffective in taking advantage of same. Any chance at a comeback was thwarted in a strange series. With 11 minutes to play, Lauter found Kibble open for a 73 yard score,, but the touchdown were called back when Nicholas Dunneman was tagged with holding a Brown defender inside the ten yard line as Kibble entered the end zone. Moved back to the 25, Lauter was one four and turned the ball over on downs at the Brown 17. The Hoyas' last six offensive possessions finished with three punts and three failed fourth down conversions. Georgetown's defense held the Bears to 27 total yards in the fourth quarter but the offense could not convert. The quarter-by quarter totals told a story of an offense that could take advantage of a consistent Brown defensive game. In the first quarter, Georgetown rushed 13 times for 63 yards, a net of eight yards over the second and third quarters, and a -12 yards in the fourth. While the Georgetown defense had al but shut down Willcox, holding him to 21 yards after halftime, four of Georgetown's eight second half drives netted just 23 yards. Danny Lauter finished the game 27-47 for 343 yards, with three passes accounting for 197 of the total. Lauter had three turnovers and gave up six sacks with an already depleted offensive line. Following his remarkable first quarter, Brown quarterback Jake Wilcox finished a more modest 17 of 23 for 268 yards and a final QB rating of 133.7. Next up for the Hoyas is Columbia, who defeated #18 Lafayette in its opener, 31-20. This was the first win by the Lions over a ranked opponent in 29 years. Game statistics:
BROWN GEORGETOWN
First downs 20 18
Rushed-yards 44-104 28-59
Passing yards 268 343
Sacked-yards lost 4-22 6-32
Passes 17-33-1 27-47-2
Punts 5-43.6 6-49.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 5-1
Penalties-yards 4-40 3-40
Time of possession 23:14 37:46
Game #5: Columbia (Sep. 28)
A pair of touchdown passes from Danny Lauter rallied the Georgetown Hoyas to a 20-17 upset win over Columbia at Cooper Field Saturday.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
The game was a critical one for the Hoyas, entering the game having lost two straight, seven straight against Ivy League teams dating to 2019, and seeking its first home win over any Ivy opponent in eight years. Early returns, before a crowd of 3,359 short on students and heavy on visiting Columbia fans, were not promising.Following an early exchange of punts, the Hoyas began its first sustained drive three minutes into the first quarter. Lauter was four for five in the early stages of the drive, with two passes to receivers Nicholas Dunneman and Jimmy Kibble that advanced from the Georgetown 20 the Columbia 30 before the drive stalled. A field goal attempt by kicker Patrick Ryan was no good, the first of a rough day all around for the senior kicker. The Lions answered back with its top offensive option from at week's win over #19 Lafayette; WR Bryson Canty. An all-Ivy candidate in 2022, Canty lost the final seven games of 2023 to injury and picked up 95 yards on six catches in the Columbia opener versus Lafayette. Reserve quarterback Cole Freeman dialed up Canty three times in the eight play, 67 yard drive, with catches of 10, 28, and a one yarder to th end zone to give the Lions and early 7-0 lead. After two Georgetown series which failed to pick up a first down by the end of the first quarter, Columbia took over at the Georgetown two to open the second. The Lions went to the ground game, rushing on nine of its first ten possessions to advance to the GU 43. On its 11th play of the drive, Freeman went long, finding WR Edan Stagg open from 43 yards for a touchdown, 14-0. Trailing by two touchdowns, the Hoyas were on its collective heels and needed a response, and got it via the arm of Lauter. Advancing to midfield halfway through the second quarer, Lauter found Kibble for 43 yards to the Columbia 11. Three rushing plays narrowed the field to the four, and going for it on fourth down, RB Preston Murray plowed through the center of the Lion line for the score, 14-7. Columbia's response was a harbinger of an exciting second half to come. The Lions drove with relative ease into Georgetown territory and looked to be setting up a scoring drive late in the half. On a first and 10 from the GU 32, Georgetown's Wedner Cadet popped the ball loose from RB Malcolm Terry and it was recovered by Giancarlo Rufo at the 31. Though the Hoyas managed just seven yards on the ensuing drive, a punt to the Columbia with lass than a minute remaining halted any more scoring at the break, 14-7. Turnovers were decisive in this game, perhaps none more so than in Columbia's opening drive of the second half. Driving 60 yards in 10 plays, the Lions faced a third down at the Georgetown 21 when Freeman's pass to the end zone was deflected at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by DB Preston Murray, who returned it to the Columbia 45 before he was tagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the conclusion of the play, giving ten yards back as a result. The defensive stop gave the Hoyas a chance to steady itself, with a 12 play drive over nearly four minutes that stalled at the Columbia 20. A field goal attempt by Ryan was rushed and was punched right. The Georgetown defense had begun to tighten, holding the Lions on a five play, 13 yard drive late in the third. Georgetown answered with a 76 yard drive punctuated by a 33 yard pass to Kibble and a 32 yard pass to Dunneman, the latter of which closed the score to 14-13. But the yips returned to Ryan, who shanked the extra point, the seventh potential point left off the scoreboard as Georgetown entered the fourth down one, 14-13.
Columbia opened the fourth quarter with a grinding 16 play, 82 yard drive, with 11 rushes to advance to the Georgetown 10. The Hoyas got late defensive stops from Zayid Aziz, Patrick Turned and Chigozie Oge-Evans to halt the drive at the five, with Columbia settling for a 17-13 lead with 5:05 to play. Georgetown is not traditionally a late game comeback team, and has been prone to mistakes and turnovers in too many of them over the years. Yet, on this warm September day, Danny Lauter put together one of Georgetown's best drives of recent years. From its 27, a short run was not going to be the answer, so Lauter went to the air: a 21 yard pass to Kibble to midfield, a 20 yard pass to Kibble two plays later brought GU to the Columbia 30. A pair of short pass plays to Dunneman brought the Hoyas to the CU 20. Taking some time off the clock with a four yard Bryce Cox rush, Lauter found Dunneman with pinpoint accuracy in the end zone, 20-17, with 1:10 to play, finishing the drive five for five.
Following the kickoff, the Lions regained the ball at its 25. Gerogetown's defense was peaking, and three plays into the drive, a surging Natalie Frangione forced a bad pass from Freeman that Zeraun Daniel intercepted at midfield, returning to the Columbia 40 with 32 seconds left. The Lions had three timeouts left and used them wisely. Three Georgetown running plays took a mere 12 seconds off the clock, and a short Ryan punt was returned 19 yards to the Columbia 45 before a personal foul on the the return sent Columbia back to its 29 with 20 seconds left. The 15 yards proved pivotal. With its secondary clogging up passing lanes, Freeman was left with a 16 yard pass to stop the clock with four seconds left. A last second heave into the end zone was broken up by Braylon Wise. Lauter finished 25 of 33 for 292 and two touchdowns, but no interceptions after having thrown four in his prior two games. Freeman was 15 of 30 for 211 yards but with three interceptions. Kibble finished with a career best 164 yards on 11 catches, with Dunneman picking up 111 yards on eight receptions. "We had incredible individual performances by Danny Lauter, Jimmy Kibble and Nick Dunneman on offense, and then David Ealey, Cooper Blomstrom and Preston Murray are just three names out of 20 that answered the bell on defense today," said coach Rob Sgarlata in post-game comments. "It was a great team win for our program and I am really proud with how hard they came out and fought through all four quarters against a quality opponent." The ninth and, for now, last game in the current series for the Lou Little Trophy returns the statue to Georgetown, where it will await a future resumption of the series. Columbia led the overall series 5-4, with neither team playing in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Game statistics:
COLUMBIA GEORGETOWN
First downs 21 17
Rushed-yards 37-167 25-53
Passing yards 211 292
Sacked-yards lost 1-4 0-0
Passes 15-30-3 25-33-0
Punts 2-42.5 5-39.2
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 3-30 5-54
Time of possession 31:40 28:20
Game #6: Lafayette (Oct. 12)
The Georgetown Hoyas forced four Lafayette interceptions in earning its first shutout win against any Patriot League opponent, 17-0, before 3,295 at Fisher Field today.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Rushing was an early theme in the game: Georgetown had it, Lafayette did not. Following an exchange of punts to begin the game, RB Bryce Cox rushed for 20 yards and caught a pass for 18 as the Hoyas advanced inside the Leopards' 10 yard line before the drive stalled and Patrick Ryan connected on a 26 yard field goal, 3-0.By contrast were the Leopards, who entered the game leading the PL in total offense, managed only seven yards rushing in its first two possessions, and returned the ball to the Hoyas late in the first quarter. A 33 yard run by Savion Hart brought the Hoyas to midfield, but two plays later, QB Danny Lauter was picked off at the Lafayette 20. The Leopards returned the favor three players later, as QB Dean Denobile was picked off by DB Zeraun Daniel at the Georgetown 20. Both teams played serve and volley through the second quarter. A nine play Georgetown drive ended in a punt, a nine play Lafayette drive ended with consecutive stops at the Georgetown 34 and a turnover on downs. With 8:17 to halftime, the Hoyas began its best drive of the game. Aided by an unusual personal foul where a Lafayette bench player touched an active Danny Lauter pass that was otherwise incomplete, the Hoyas marched to the LC 31, completing a fourth and one and Lauter finding WR Jimmy Kibble two plays later with a catch at the two. A third down run by Hart appeared to have come up short but was ruled a touchdown on video review, giving Georgetown a 10-0 lead at the break. Though the lead was somewhat narrow, Georgetown's running game was strong, in part due to injuries on the Lafayette offensive line. The Hoyas rushed for 94 yards in the first half and its defense held the Leopards to just 37 on the ground and 55 in the air. With its ground game in check, the Leopards would rely on reasserting itself in the air in the second half, and this is where the Hoyas stood tallest. As expected, Denobile went to the air but the Hoyas were adept at breaking up passes: a 25 yard pass broken up by Quincy Briggs, a a 35 yarder broken up by Giancarlo Rufo. Midway through the third, a Denobile pass caromed off the helmet of DB Kolubah Pewee and was picked off by lineman Cooper Blomstrom, who returned it to the Georgetown 24.
One play later, Udechukwu Enyerlbe scored his first collegiate touchdown, untouched from 24 yards en route to a 17-0 lead.
The Leopards looked to respond when Denobile found WR Elijah Steward open from 46 yards to the Georgetown 25, but four consecutive passes to the end zone were broken up by Diandre Harris, two from Braylon Wise, and Preston Murray and the Leopards turned the ball over on downs. With a lead and sensing Lafayette's troubles in the passing game, the Hoyas stuck to the ground for much of the remainder of te game. Of Georgetown's 23 plays over the final 21 minutes of the game, 19 were on the ground. The Hoyas managed only two first downs thereafter but began wear down the clock and thus put more pressure on the Leopards in their remaining series. The usually sure handed Denobile was 0 for 3 in Lafayette's last series of the third, a punt back to midfield; next, the Leopards opened the fourth with a three and out. Three minutes later, frustration continued on a fourth and nine at its 26 when Steward ran a route only six yards and was tackled without gaining a first down. A four play Georgetown drive in Lafayette territory with 9:50 to play could have blown the game open, but with what appeared to be a limping Danny Lauter, coach Rob Sgarlata opted for running down the clock, and with only six yards gained it turned the ball over on downs with 7:29 to play. Denobile completed only six second half passes but four were in the following series, with completions of nine, 16, and 34 yards, driving to the GU 22. On a third and 10, Zeraun Daniel picked off a pass at the goal, his third interception of the day.
Following a three and out and a short punt by the Hoyas at midfield, Denobile was picked off on the first play of Lafayette's last drive of the afternoon by DB David Ealey, and the Hoyas ran out the clock thereafter.
"It was a great day for our defense," said head coach Rob Sgarlata in post-game comments. "They forced four interceptions and our offense had the ball for 40 minutes. That's the kind of effort you need in Patriot League games." Dean Denobile, entering the game completing 70 percent of passes this season was held to a career low 10 of 38 passing with four interceptions. Following two games where Georgetown rushed for 106 yards combined, the Hoyas rushed 49 times for 189 yards, behind 77 yards from Bryce Cox and 56 yards in freshman Savion Hart's debut in the backfield. The 49 rushes in a game was its most since a 54 run effort versus Marist in the 2022 season opener, and surpassed the 48 carries against Bucknell in 2019. The 17-0 shutout is the first such win by Georgetown since its 69-0 meeting with Division III Catholic in 2019, and its first against a Division I opponent since a 7-0 win over Stony Brook in 2006. As for a Patriot League opponent, and a 63 scholarship one at that, it's one of a kind. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN LAFAYETTE
First downs 17 13
Rushed-yards 49-189 24-69
Passing yards 100 167
Sacked-yards lost 0-0 4-18
Passes 12-25-1 10-38-4
Punts 7-38.7 5-39.0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-61 5-45
Time of possession 39:18 20:42
Game #7: Colgate (Oct. 19)
A season high 272 rushing yards paced the Colgate Red Raiders to its second win of its 2024 season, defeating Georgetown 38-28 before 4,059 in Hamilton, NY.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Both teams scored on its opening possession of the first half. Aided by three Colgate penalties, Georgetown drove 75 yards in 11 plays to open the game, with QB Danny Lauter completing three consecutive passes to the end zone, concluded with an 18 yard pass to Jimmy Kibble.When the Red Raiders took over at the 10:23, it was apparent this was not the team that was run over by Holy Cross two weeks earlier. With QB Jake Stearney getting the nod over senior Michael Brescia, Stearney led the Red Raiders on a nine play drive that saw third down just once, with runs of 11 and 32 yards that set up a one yard score to tie the score at 7-7. Following an exchange of punts, Stearney went to the air. Though he threw for only 195 yards on the afternoon, 69 of them came in back to back passes that keyed a brisk four play, 70 yard drive, with a 25 yard pass from Stearney to Brady Hutchinson, 14-7. Georgetown's best drive of the afternoon took place late in the second quarter. Backed up inside its one yard line, the Hoyas went 99 yards in 13 plays, with Lauter completing seven of eight passes and RB Savion Hart rushing for 38 yards on two carries, tying the score with 3:35 to play, 14-14. Holding the Red Raiders at midfield, a late Georgetown drive was cut short with a Lauter interception at the Colgate 32 as time expired for the first half. "All week we were talking about running the football and establishing the run, and the players bought into it. Early on the four or five yard runs turned into 10, 15 yard ones in the second half." --Colgate head coach Stan DakostyThe Hoyas closed the gap at the end of the third quarter. A nine play drive aided by a defensive pass interference call on an apparent Colgate interception kept the drive alive, and three plays later Lauter found Nicholas Dunneman open from 10 yards out, 35-28. Colgate answered right back. Aided by a running into the kicker penalty of some question, the Raiders earned a first down and never looked back in a 10 play run-heavy drive, 35-21. Georgetown answered back with a three play drive and a 52 yard pass to WR Jimmy Kibble, 35-28, with 9:22 to play. A 42 yard field goal extended Colgate's lead to 38-28 with six minutes to play. The Hoyas drove 11 plays to the Colgate five inside two minutes to play, but Lauter was intercepted in the end zone with 1:52 to play. Georgetown's defense held Colgate to a three and out for its only successful stop of the half, whereupon Lauter missed four consecutive passes in a last ditch effort for points. Lauter finished 22 for 36 for 272 yards and four touchdowns, but two interceptions that proved costly. Defensively, Georgetown entered the game ranked first in FCS with 20 sacks this season, but collected just one on the afternoon. Colgate was led by 112 yards on 14 carries by RB Marco Maldonado, as the Red Raiders put up 467 total yards and committed no turnovers, a sharp contrast from the three interceptions Stearney threw against Holy Cross in its 38-7 loss. The win was Colgate's 20th in its 21 prior games with Georgetown. The Hoyas' only win in the series came in Washington on October 22, 2011. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN COLGATE
First downs 26 24
Rushed-yards 29-143 40-272
Passing yards 272 195
Sacked-yards lost 1-8 1-7
Passes 22-36-2 14-23-0
Punts 4-43.0 4-40.3
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 4-34 10-96
Time of possession 29:38 30:22
Game #8: Bucknell (Oct. 26)
A missed Bucknell field goal with 4:36 to play and a fourth down sack with 39 seconds to play preserved a 21-20 Georgetown win over Bucknell this afternoon before 3,579 at Cooper Field.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
For a second consecutive week a Georgetown opponent made a pre-game substitution for a starting quarterback and for a second consecutive week the Hoyas seemed confused by it. For Bucknell, it was the return of Ralph Rucker from an injury that was thought to have kept out of this game, in place of last week's starter, Michael Hardyway. The Hoyas seem lethargic to open the game, as Rucker was three of three in a crisp eight play drive that never saw third down en route to 75 yards gained and a 15 yard Tariq Thomas score, 7-0, less than three minutes into the game.The Hoyas combined for just 42 yards of total offense in the first quarter, capped by a fumble by receiver Nick Dunneman late in the quarter, which the Bison converted in a six play, 58 yard drive. Thomas rushed four times for 57 yards, with a 27 yard run on the second play of the second quarter, 14-0. It was the largest deficit a this point of a game all season.
As adjustments were being made on the Georgetown sideline for Thomas, the Georgetown offense was picking up momentum with a strategy often foreign to the Hoyas: the run game. Running backs Naieem Kearney, Bryce Cox, and Savion Hart combined for 49 yards of a 69 yard drive that advanced the Hoyas to the Bucknell 31 before QB Danny Lauter's pass on fourth down was ruled an incompletion and not a fumble. Having held the Bison without a first down on its next two series, the Hoyas went back to work. Savion Hart opened the Hoyas' next drive with a 28 yard run into Bucknell territory. Three plays later, he shredded the Bucknell defense with a 40 yard touchdown run, 14-7.
Georgetown got the ball back with 2:24 to halftime, utilizing the passing game in a two minute drill. Lauter was five for six in the drive (the incompletion was a spike to stop the clock), keyed by a 24 yard pass on third down to TE Burke Carroll and an 11 yard pass to Dunneman in the corner of the end zone, 14-14, with 14 seconds on the halftime clock.
Momentum was short-lived, however. Kicker Josh Leff's short kicks, designed to avoid Bucknell returner T.J. Cadden, sailed out of bounds. Two plays later, Rucker had completed passes of 21 and 18 yards, allowing PK Matt Schearer a 36 yard field goal as time expired, 17-14. The third quarter belonged to the defense. The Bison managed just two first downs in the entire quarter, while five of the Hoyas' seven first downs in the quarter came on a 12 play, 81 yard drive, with 64 coming on the ground. A pair of Hart runs brought to the Hoyas to the Bucknell one, where Cox went over from one yard out to give GU its first lead of the afternoon at 21-17. The fourth quarter would be significantly more competitive. After holding the Hoyas at midfield to open the fourth, Rucker emboldened the Bison on the next drive. Faking a quarterback keeper on a third down at its 27, Rucker found WR Sam Milligan for 36 yards into Georgetown territory. Consecutive carries by Thomas and a defensive pass interference penalty brought the Bison to the Georgetown nine. A Rucker touchdown run was called back by offensive holding, and a third down pass to WR Josh Gary was dropped in the end zone, leading to a short field goal, 21-20. The Hoyas were then bitten by the turnover bug, as a long pass from Lauter to Kibble was picked off by cornerback Roman Pearson deep in Bucknell territory. The Bison took over with 6:55 to play, as Rucker connected with Josh Gary for 46 yards to the Georgetown 25, now already in field goal range. Thomas was stopped for no gain on the next play, and Rucker then missed an open reeceiver crossing at the Georgetown 16. A strong pass rush forced Rucker to abandon the third down pass play and take what he could on the ground, gaining six yards to the 19 and setting up Shearer for the field goal on fourth down. Shearer, kicking just three for nine this season, sliced his tenth kick to the right of the goal post, and the lead held with 4:31 to play. "Our best football is definitely in front of us."--Head coach Rob SgarlataTwo quick passes brought the Bison to midfield at the one minute mark. Despite earning considerable success with intermediate passing in the middle of the field, Bucknell was out of time outs and offensive coordinator John Bear (a former Georgetown assistant from 2017-2019) was dialing up the long ball. A first down pass from Rucker to the Georgetown 10 was overthrown. A second down pass to the end zone was just short. A third down pass to Nate Anderson at the 13 was broken up by DB Quincy Briggs. On fourth down, Rucker's line collapsed and LB Giancarlo Rufo collapsed upon Rucker, ending the drive with 39 seconds remaining. The story of the game was the Georgetown rushing attack, with 274 yards on 50 carries being the most gained against any Patriot League opponent since Lafayette in 2014. It is also the first game since that 2014 meeting with two Georgetown rushers each over 100 yards: Hart with 112, Cox with 104. Quarterback Danny Lauter finished 13 for 23 for 130 yards. Ralph Rucker's return was generally a positive one for Bucknell: 17 of 29 for 226 yards, but the Bison were just 2 of 12 on third down conversions and RB Tariq Thomas was held to just 43 of his game high 145 yards after halftime. Bucknell is 3-0 this season when scoring 22 of more points, 0-4 when scoring 21 or fewer. Today, they finished with 20. In the end, the missed field goal looms large as the Bison dropped its third straight, and the Hoyas sit alone in second place in the Patriot League entering November. Game statistics:
BUCKNELL GEORGETOWN
First downs 19 24
Rushed-yards 32-142 50-274
Passing yards 226 130
Sacks-yards lost 3-25 0-0
Passes 17-29-0 13-24-1
Punts 7-40.9 6-42.3
Fumbles-lost 2-0 1-1
Penalties-yards 6-75 6-55
Time of possession 22:40 37:20
Game #9: Lehigh (Nov. 2)
The biggest game of Rob Sgarlata's coaching career saw his team turn in one of Georgetown's worst home losses of the past decade.
POST-GAME COVERAGE
Georgetown's hopes to compete for a Patriot League championship in its home finale were eviscerated in a 43-6 loss to Lehigh before 3,799 at Cooper Field Saturday. A scoreless first quarter evaporated as the Engineers put up 24 second quarter points and humbled a Georgetown defense ranked first in the PL in points allowed entering the game.
Entering the game as five point underdogs, a win over Lehigh would earn Georgetown its first winning season since 2011 and earn a seat to meet Holy Cross for the PL championship in three weeks at Cooper Field should the Hoyas beat Fordham on Nov. 16. But after a promising first quarter where defense was the order of the day, the bottom dropped out of the Hoyas in this one, and perhaps the season itself. After holding Lehigh to a three and out on the game's opening possession, Georgetown looked eager to make an early statement. Bryce Cox opened the possession with a 25 yard run through the Lehigh line, and two quick passes from QB Danny Lauter advanced the Hoyas to the Lehigh 35. Following a five yard pass to WR Jimmy Kibble at the Lehigh 26, Georgetown opted to go for it on fourth and one, but lined up in passing formation. A quarterback pitch to Cox was stopped well behind the line of scrimmage. After just one rushing attempt in its opening possession, the Engineers committed to the run in its second. Seven of its next eight plays were on the ground, gaining 33 of the 48 yards of the possession, with the balance coming on a Georgetown penalty. On a 4th and one from the GU 33, QB Dante Perri opted for a short pass that was picked off by DB Zeraun Daniel at the Georgetown 30. The Hoyas followed a similar pattern in its next series, facing a fourth and one at the Lehigh 34. With the kicking accuracy of Patrick Ryan in continuing question, the coaching staff opted for another fourth down play, this time a pass. Lehigh's defense sniffed it out and sacked Lauter for an 11 yard loss. Once again, the Hoya defense held Lehigh to a three and out and opened the second quarter scoreless. Two plays into its first drive of the quarter, Lauter's pass to midfield sailed high and was picked off by LB Nick Pelted, who eluded no fewer than five wayward Georgetown tacklers down the field before a armada of Lehigh defensive tackles rescued him at the 20 and pushed him in the direction of the end zone before he fell short at the one.
An untouched one yard run by backup quarterback Hayden Johnson gave Lehigh the 7-0 lead. The turnover energized the Engineers, holding Georgetown without a yard in its next possession. Taking over at its 42, consecutive runs of 34 and 24 yards shook the Hoyas en route to a 14-0 score. Another three and out, another long Lehigh score, a 57 yard walkaway by freshman RB Jayden Green, 21-0. Lehigh had now scored 21 points in six plays over the course of two minutes, 53 seconds.
Georgetown wasn't dead yet. A 46 yard run by Cox brought the Hoyas to the Lehigh 21 with six minutes to halftime. On a third and three from the LU 14, the Lehigh defense caught Ude Enyerlbe behind the line for a five yard loss. Passing on a third fourth down dry, out came Ryan, who sliced the 36 yard attempt right. Lehigh looked for more late in the half. A 25 yard pass from Johnson to WR Logan Galletta and a 33 yard run by Johnson brought Lehigh to the GU 13. A pair of defensive stops forced a short field goal to end the half, 24-0. Lehigh ended the half with the most second quarter points surrendered by Georgetown since a 2018 game at Colgate. The Hoyas were outgained just 175-134 but had nothing to show for it. Receiving the ball for the second half kickoff, the Hoyas were unprepared for an onside kick executed by the Engineers. While the defense held Lehigh to a three and out, it meant little when Lauter threw a pick-six on GU's first series of the second half, as Jordan Adderley had a open field from 62 yards, 31-0.
Three Lauter incompletions returned the ball to Lehigh midway in the third, driving six plays to the GU 13 and opting for an easy field goal, 34-0. The poor play continued. An exchange of punts set the Hoyas at its 10 yard line with 3:45 in the third. Under heavy pressure, Lauter was called for intentional grounding while standing in his end zone, a safety to increase the lead to 36-0, Georgetown's largest deficit in a game after three quarters since 2008. With Lehigh down to its third string defenders, Lauter led the Hoyas on a 12 play drive which contained eight pass completions against lesser Lehigh talent. As a defensive pass interference penalty extended the drive to the Lehigh five, Lauter found TE Max McCormick for the score, but a two point conversion failed, 36-6. In a day of struggle for kicker Patrick Ryan, his attempt at an onside kick was a one hopper to a waiting Lehigh defender, setting up a short field with 6:32 to play. Consecutive runs of 13, 7, 6 and 20 met with little GU resistance and a 43-6 score. Lauter was finally seated for the Hoyas' last drive, where backup QB Jacob Holtschlag threw just one pass in a four play drive, an interception returned inside the GU 30 but advanced no further as time expired. Lauter was 22-38 for 189 yards, with three sacks, two interceptions and a safety before sitting for the final four minutes. It was his third PL game under 200 yards passing this season, with six interceptions over those four games. Putting aside league standings, the Hoyas could have not played a poorer game at this point of the season. Georgetown rushed for only 73 yards on the afternoon after having tagged Bucknell with 274 yards on the ground a week earlier. Of the 73 yards on the day, two first half carries by Bryce Cox accounted for 71 of them. Six second half possessions, excepting the perfunctory touchdown drive, netted GU a total of 36 total yards. Defensively, Georgetown allowed Lehigh a season's best 310 yards on 41 attempts, at 7.6 yards per carry, and allowed scores in six of seven possessions over a 17 minute period. The win was Lehigh's largest margin of victory in any Patriot League game since a 45-7 win over Georgetown in 2007, and the Engineers extended its mastery over the Hoyas to 21 of its last 23 meetings by an average of more than three touchdowns per game. That Georgetown lost against a talented Lehigh team was not the take away, but how poorly prepared they appeared and how quickly they collapsed defensively. Two games remain in the season but the coaching staff will have to redouble its efforts to prevent a promising season from ending with a three game losing streak. Game statistics:
LEHIGH GEORGETOWN
First downs 15 15
Rushed-yards 41-310 28-73
Passing yards 75 189
Sacked-yards lost 1-3 3-31
Passes 5-14-0 22-38-3
Punts 5-41.2 5-35.4
Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 5-46 4-25
Time of possession 28:54 31:06
Game #10: Fordham (Nov. 16)
A one-win Fordham team routed Georgetown, 31-3, at Joe Moglia Stadium in New York, Georgetown's worst loss of a now-fading 2024 season."Great to get a win, a comfortable win," said Fordham coach Joe Conlin, as the Rams scored a season high 31 points and earned its largest margin of victory against a Patriot League opponent in over two years. Fordham scored on three of its first four possessions of the game and never looked back, out-toughing a Gerogetown team that, like so many of its predecessors, is visbly worn down in November.After holding the Rams on its opening possession, Georgetown took over at its 35, diving nine plays inside the Fordham 36, keyed by a 22 yard pass to WR Jimmy Kibble, but it was his only catch the afternoon. With a lack of faith in its field goal prowess, a fourth and 11 pass ailed wide and the Hoyas turned the ball over on downs. The Rams didn't need much time to respond: plays of 10, 18, and a 41 yard pass to the Georgetown one set up its opening score, 7-0. The Hoyas' secondary already looked tired, and the game was a mere seven minutes old. A 33 yard run by Bryce Cox was a hopeful sign in the Hoyas' next possession, but the drive stalled three plays later. The Rams took the ball 92 yards in 14 plays, converting on three third down conversions, with QB Jack Capaldi completing four passes for 61 of those yards, including a five yard pass with eight seconds in the quarter, 14-0 Consecutive sacks on the next drive sent an already ailing Danny Lauter to the bench for the remainder of the game, where on its next series Capaldi dialed up a 40 yard pass to WR Nodin Tracy to the Georgetown 12. A short field goal followed, 17-0. The Hoyas answered with its best drive of the game behind reserve quarterback Jacob Holtschlag, completing on three for three passing attempts and a 48 yard reception by Cam Pygatt to the Fordham three. The play calling went conservative, Fordham stuffed Georgetown on three straight runs, and a short field goal, 17-3 in a first half that seemed to place the game already out of reach. Fordham has been turnover prone this season and gave up a pair of fumbles in this game, the second of which in its opening possession of the third quarter. A five play drive to the Georgetown 26 was cut short when LB Giancarlo Rufo forced a fumble that was recovered by DL Cooper Blomstrom. The Hoyas drove 11 plays to the Fordham 26 but, like the drive early in the first quarter, stalled with a pair of incompletions in Fordham territory and the Hoyas came up empty again. Capaldi was largely untouched in the passing game. Three passes totaling 61 yards set up the Rams' next score, a nine play 65 yard drive to increase the lead to 24-3 at the end of the third. Holtschlag, who had played in just three series all season before this game, was intercepted on a pair of passes early in the forth, the latter of which ended a drive on the Fordham 14. The series was replayed on ESPN and ABC college football broadcasts as DB Trey Bradford, who came up injured during the runback, lateraled it back to a trailing Alex Kemper for an 86 yard return, 31-3.
Georgetown was beaten across the board in this game, a credit to Fordham shutting down the Hoyas early and sending a message. The Hoyas rushed six times for 50 yards in the first quarter and 24 times for a 24 net yards thereafter,a 2.5 yard average which, excepting Cox' early 33 yard run, would be less than 1.4 yard per carry. Fordham averaged nearly five yards per carry, while Capaldi threw for 222 yards with an average of 18 yards per reception. Jacob Holtschlag finished 19 of 34 for 253 yards with two interceptions. The Hoyas marched five times inside the Fordham 30 and netted three points. Conversely, the Rams marched five times inside the Georgetown 30 and collected 24 points. The 2024 season concludes Saturday at Cooper Field against a Holy Cross team seeking a share of a seventh consecutive Patriot League championship and Georgetown trying to avoid a three game losing streak to end the season. The Hoyas have not won on the final week of the season since a 21-16 victory over Holy Cross at Multi Sport Field in the 2014 finale; it is also the last time the Hoyas have earned a win in this series. Game statistics:
GEORGETOWN FORDHAM
First downs 18 19
Rushed-yards 30-74 36-172
Passing yards 284 222
Sacked-yards lost 2-7 1-12
Passes 22-41-2 12-25-0
Punts 5-35.4 3-42.7
Fumbles-lost 1-0 3-1
Penalties-yards 5-35 7-59
Time of possession 32:20 27:40
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