Some post-game thoughts following Marist's 23-21 victory on Sunday:
The End of the Line. There's not any good way to get around it: barring a historic upset of Richmond Saturday (and I'm not calling it), this team either finishes with the second 1-10 record in school history or finishes with its worst, 0-11. Over and above the finger pointing which is sure to follow, these next two weeks marks the end the football careers for 21 seniors who worked harder and expected better.
Sadly, the mistakes that you can stomach in week one were in anything but digestible in week 10: two turnovers inside the Georgetown 30 which led to 14 Marist points, four failed fourth down conversions, another early shutdown of the running game. The hardest lesson from this game is how little progress as a team Georgetown has made over the season, and how such progress is vital to a competitive game Saturday with #1-ranked Richmond.
Houghton's Mark: When Charlie Houghton won PL Rookie of the Year honors in 2006 with a 403 yard season, it seemed only the beginning. Houghton needs 136 yards over his next two games just to match that number, and has not scored a rushing touchdown since the 2007 season.
Some Better Numbers. Scott Darby posted some strong numbers passing in the Marist game for his first start of the season: 31-57 for 289 yards. Outside of the 68 yard pass to Brandon Floyd, he averaged seven yards a pass, which should be a point of emphasis for Georgetown in the off-season. Now that GU has receivers like Floyd and Kenneth Furlough with size and speed, the ofense must provide the ability to leverage their skills downfield.
A Great Return: Lost amidst the 0-9 record is the return from injury from senior LB Chris Rau. Hampered by injury much of the season, Rau returned to action in the Old Dominion game and for Marist led the team in tackles with 11.
Injuries have taken their toll on the senior class, but it has not stopped the heart and desire to do better. As written by Mex Carey over at the Hoya Insider blog: "Before [ODU], Chris hadn't played in a game all season. During the spring game in April, Chris tore a ligament in his leg and he spent the summer, all of preseason and the first seven games this year rehabilitating himself so he could get a chance to be back on the field with his teammates. Chris, who finished eighth in the Patriot League in tackles as a sophomore and junior, is one of our captains and his absence on the field of play was evident. It says a lot about him that in his first two games this year, he led the team in tackles, registering a combined 18 tackles against Old Dominion and Marist."
The biggest enemy on the schedule isn't Richmond or Fordham, it's time. There may be a lot to complain about in two weeks time, but the seniors deserve some support in these next two weeks. They've only won five games in four years, but a sixth would not be soon forgotten.
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