Some thoughts following Davidson's 27-20 win over Georgetown:
1. What We Learned: This was a disappointing game in a lot of ways, not merely as a reflection of the score.
For all the pre-season factors which were prepared to send the Hoyas skyward in 2019 (depth, defensive talent, team speed, recruiting), none of these were in evidence at the Davidson game.
Start with the defensive line, which was incapable of understating nor compensating for the Davidson run game. Granted, the Wildcats' motion option isn't a common strategy but after 30 or 40 carries it's no longer new. Actually, it was 75 carries, with a grand total of two tackles for loss. However you define it, this was a major step backward for a nationally ranked defense such as Georgetown.
Davidson controlled the game from start to finish and were it not for an unusual run of three consecutive turnovers in as many series might have run away (no pun intended) with the game. Davidson controlled the ball for over 40 minutes in the game, 10 of 17 (58%) on third down and 5 of 6 (83%) on fourth down--compare that to Georgetown's 2018 season totals of 32% and 36%, respectively.
We learned that the Georgetown offense still isn't very good. Granted, you can't do a lot with less than 20 minutes on the field, but the 20 minutes weren't much to remember. Against a Davidson defense that gave up over 40 points a game last season and didn't allow fewer than 35 points all last season in the Pioneer League, the Hoyas got one offensive drive and a pair of short fields off turnovers. The Georgetown run game managed 89 yards and four first downs. Georgetown's 234 yards total offense was just 23 yards more than an undermanned Bucknell offense could grind out versus Temple in a 56-12 walkover.
This wasn't a late game spoiler. Lehigh lost to St. Francis on a missed field goal on the last play of the game. Fordham lost to Central Connecticut on a CCSU field goal with no time remaining. Georgetown gave up touchdowns on drives of 15, 12 and 19 plays to open the game. No spoiler, but a little stinky.
2. What We Did Not Learn: The defense will get better. But what about the offense?
Gunther Johnson finished as the sixth of seven PL quarterbacks in 2018 and Saturday's game was evidence that the Hoyas may have reached his peak skills. He doesn't have the line strength which forces him in to run situations--he'll get them early in games, but is usually shut down by the late second quarter and onward. While not altogether tall (6-1), he tende to throw a lot of passes low to receivers, as if he is compensating for the crown of college fields, which on turf fields don't exist as they once did. He doesn't have time to throw deep and while he usually gets one long pass (Saturday's being a 51 catch and run by Joshua Tomas), the other stats are remarkably understated. Take out that pass and Johnson was 10 for 18 for 83 yards against a pass defense ranked 117th in 2018, giving up an average of 275 yards a game against the likes of Brevard, Chowan, Guilford, and eight Pioneer teams. Johnson has thrown under 100 yards in five of the last six games.
Georgetown has receivers that can run the long patterns but aren't getting the time to do so. Johnson is forced to rely on the dump-off pass when he has no pocket time. If the O-line can't protect Johnson better, all the Michael Dereuses and Joshua Tomases on the depth chart won't matter.
And above it all, the running game looked remarkably unchanged. If the Hoyas can't run on Davidson, who can they run against?
3. What To Look For, Week Two: Over the years, it's best not to read too much into the annual game with Marist--there are years where the Hoyas have dominated and struggled the rest of the year, while in 2018 the Hoyas fell late and still managed a productive season.
But Georgetown doesn't want to stare at 0-2 with the schedule they have ahead of them. Marist enters the game ranked ahead of Davidson in the pioneer pre-season poll, and take advantage of a recruiting option that the PL stubbornly refuses to do--redshirting. The Red Foxes will feature 22 redshirt freshmen, 18 redshirt sophomores, 30 redshirt juniors and six redshirt seniors--that's 76 redshirts on a roster of 107.
Saturday's game won't settle that issue, but Georgetown has to settle it on the field. The Hoyas haven't allowed more than two touchdowns in a game in any of the last five games in the series and given the state of the 2019 offense so far, that's a good number to repeat this week.
Look for a more consistent effort on both sides of the ball Saturday.
