Week 8 Thoughts
Some thoughts following Lafayette 's
17-3 win over Georgetown :
1. The More Things Change...Yes, the column missed a couple
of weeks, but frankly, there wasn't much to say that wasn't said before: the
defense was superb, the special teams
promising, too many penalties, and the offense is just not there.
Repeating that every week doesn't solve very much.
Yet, Saturday's loss was troubling not in its sameness but
in its contrast. This was not Georgetown
fighting uphill versus Harvard or Princeton ,
nor to a Lehigh team headed to the I-AA playoffs or even a Fordham team that
will host a game at Yankee Stadium next week. This was a loss, and a convincing
one at that, to a Lafayette
team that had lost 17 of its past 19 games, was giving up 54 points a game over
its last three weeks, and hadn't won a home game against a Patriot League
opponent in two years. This was the Lafayette
team that the Hoyas beat 38-7 last fall for its largest margin of victory in its
15 year PL history.
And this year? One yard rushing at halftime. One possession
inside the opponent 20, made possible from special teams. A run of four
consecutive second half possessions that garnered a total of six yards....all
this against the worst defense, statistically speaking, in the conference.
So what gives? It is strictly the lack of scholarships? It plays a factor, but non-scholarship
football hasn't stopped Georgetown
from a defense that earns respect among its opponents. And I can't lay this at
the feet of three quarterbacks with little or no prior college experience. Injuries
don't help, either.
- Passing Yardage: 107th of 122 schools
- Passing Efficiency: 115th of 122
- Rushing Yardage: 115th of 122
- Total Offense: 120th of 122
- First Downs: 120th of 122
- Third Down Conversions: 120th of 122
- Yards Per Completion: 122nd of 122
Unless Georgetown is playing the two teams consistently
below them on those lists, which they do not (Robert Morris, Savannah State) they're in a position of real trouble on offense. The team has scored 20 points combined in
three weeks, and hasn't scored more than 20 points in any game to teams not named Davidson.
Do the math.
At some point Georgetown has to invest in an OC. That
doesn't mean Coach Neuberger can't or shouldn't do the job, but defense and
special teams can't win games on its own. Lacking scholarships, the road to a
winning season is as narrow for Georgetown
as for any team in Division I-AA.
"This place should have a good football program,” Coach
Sgarlata told the Georgetown Voice in 2015. "We’re excellent at everything
that we do. This whole place is built on being the best you can be at what
you’re doing. There’s no reason why this football program shouldn’t be the same
thing.”
The offense is essential to getting there, and 120th place isn't a winning number.
The offense is essential to getting there, and 120th place isn't a winning number.
2. Meet the Crusaders: Up at Holy Cross, the web site is all
about promoting Holy Cross' game at Fordham in two weeks--it's a big deal
playing at Yankee Stadium, sure, but it's also a reflection that there's
nothing big about Georgetown that you can sell to the home towners .
The Crusaders lost its starting quarterback midway through
the season and have struggled through the toughest part of the schedule, a
46-14 loss to Lehigh and a 26-8 loss last week at Lehigh. Much like Lafayette , HC fans are
not happy with the performance of head coach Tom Gilmore, whose record through
13 seasons stands at 69-75. The Crusaders at 3-6, Gilmore's fourth losing
season in his last five years at Mt. St.
Despite an offensive line that averages over 300 pounds, HC has not been able to get a consistent run game, relying instead on a passing game ranked third in the PL at just under 240 yards a game. Its defense ranks only 6th but
"Like us, Georgetown has had injuries at some key
spots, but they have shown the ability move the ball well and play great
defense,” said Holy Cross head coach Tom Gilmore at its midweek release. “We
need to get back on track in practice and execute much better this week in
order to earn a victory.”
Neither team can afford to finish 3-8 this season. Georgetown is trending in
that direction, while a loss Saturday could lead HC in the same direction. It
might be as simple as the first team to 21 points wins, which doesn't give Georgetown fans a rally
cry.
3. Whatever Happened To... While reviewing Mike Neuberger's
bio on GUHoyas.com, I came across this note:
"In 2012 with the Hoyas, Neuberger’s wide receivers averaged 12.11
yards per catch and accounted for seven touchdowns, while helping develop Kevin
Macari into a Second Team All-Patriot League selection."
Remember Kevin Macari? A promising recruit from New Canaan ,
Connecticut that didn't get a scholarship
offer, he turned down a preferred walk-on at Miami
to play at Georgetown .
Macari's football dreams ended abruptly at Delaware . His junior year was lost to
injury. As a senior, he played in two games, and did not catch a pass in
either. A major in Community Leadership at UD, Macari returned
home to New Canaan for a job as an assistant
football coach in 2015, but did not return to the staff following a June 2016 stop for drug possession.
A college football career is fleeting, but life after
football can't be ignored.
