1. Good win; let's move on. Playing Davidson in the opener was something Georgetown needed--namely, a win. But the season isn't going to be measured on a win in September against a Pioneer League team, but how the Hoyas compare and compete against teams in the Patriot League. There are things to be learned from Saturday's game, but a better test arrives Saturday in Easton, PA and that's a game to pay attention to.
2. Rushing Defense: A great effort by the Georgetown defense on the lines kept Davidson from the kind of ground game it needs to succeed. Only two first half drives by the Wildcats went beyond four plays and only one drive went more than 46 yards all evening. Rushing defense helped the Hoyas get the ball back and, for the most part, earn an edge in field position.
3. Rushing Offense: The Georgetown ground game did its part (44 carries, 166 yards) but certainly needs to step it up against a more defensively minded team such as Lafayette. Philip Oladeji had a solid opener but it's likely that Lafayette will key on him in the backfield, and Georgetown absolutely needs Wilburn Logan to be a viable option in misdirection and screen pass options. QB Scott Darby (17-58) can run if needs to, but the emphasis needs to be on the backs themselves and not to the merciless quarterback keepers that shot the wheels off this offense in past seasons.
A name you don't see in the rushing charts? Keerome Lawrence. Slot backs don't get a lot of carries by design but I think he can be a legitimate option in some play sets.
4. Time of possession: When GU owns time of posession, they can win games, plain and simple. Saturday's number: a + 3:02 in time of possession.
5. Atmosphere: No one will confuse Davidson with Applalachian State but the college did a fine job in promoting the game to fans and providing pre-game activities. The result? A crowd of 4,733 at Richardson Stadium, almsot 1,000 more than its season average from 2009.
The school introduced a tailgate area and welcomed a local band to play before games--simple but not insignificant ways to show students and the community that this is an event worth attending. Contrast that with Georgetown, where, other than Homecoming, the extent of promotions is flyers in the Leavey Center send a clear message to students and visitors: this is not an event at Georgetown, something to merely walk by while visiting campus. Georgetown has to do a better job with gameday promotions and this is something Hoyas Unlimited is not taking the initiative towards getting done. Yes, I know Hoyas Unlimited is short-staffed and Georgetown will always plead poverty on events that are revenue-neutral, but we've got to aim higher.
Here's a view of the game as seen from Davidson on the game--yes, the highlights are all for the home team but why can't Georgetown put a package like this together and e-mail it out to alumni every Monday?
Around The Patriot League:
- Holy Cross 38, Howard 7: A long bus ride for another loss--Howard has lost 23 of its last 26.
- Bryant 44, Fordham 30: Early mistakes hurt Fordham in a difficult loss.
- Lehigh 28, Drake 14: Engineers start strong, but need a late stop to avert the upset.
- Colgate 30, Monmouth 29: Red Raiders always start slow, so don't place too much in the score.
- Duquesne 17, Bucknell 13: This is always a close game between these two. Home field advantage: Dukes.