Some thoughts following Colgate's 28-21 win over Georgetown Saturday:
1. Predictable, Part 1: Looking at these two teams entering this game led few, if anyone to suggest that the 18th meeting between the Hoyas and Red Raiders would go the way 16 other matchups did. Colgate has been a rushing team since the days of Mark van Eeghen, and 2021 Georgetown cannot stop the run. But even as Colgate followed modern form with more passes than rushing attempts, the lack of depth on the Georgetown front line took its toll early, and late.
Colgate scored on each of its first three possessions and that's nearly an insurmountable task for a Georgetown team to overcome. Yes, the Hoyas were never out of it until the end, but you can't spot a team like Colgate 14 points and not be fighting uphill the rest of the way. Georgetown has been outscored 48-9 in its last three games through the first quarter. and the last two games are even more illustrative. GU fell behind Columbia and Colgate 14-0 each, yet combined to outscore them 24-21 and 21-14 thereafter, to no avail.
The Hoyas are traditionally not a comeback team and games like this are evidence of same. Getting to 21-21 at the end of the third quarter was a sign of hope but Colgate's 10- play drive into the fourth quarter, aided by two dumb defensive penalties, put the game away.
Field position never favored the Hoyas. Georgetown did not start a single drive beyond its 35 yard line, while Colgate had all but two start at the 35 or better and each of its last four.
Whether it was Dick Biddle, Dan Hunt, or now Stan Dakosty, Colgate is a tough out for Georgetown and the matchups never seem to favor Georgetown. It's not likely to change, either.
2. Predictable, Part 2: Through four games, the Georgetown running game is right where it has been for years: near the bottom of the rankings: 121st of 123 in yards per game, and 123rd in yards per carry.
This is not a statistic specific to Joshua Stakely or Herman Moultrie, it's a team problem: an offensive line that is not opening holes, a lack of recruiting beyond the undersized, overlooked backs that often find their way to the GU backfield, and a lack of play calling when the rush makes sense and when it does not. None of the two RB's have rushed form more than 12 yards in any carry and combine for just 42 yards a game and 1.8 per carry. Georgetown has averaged more than 5.9 yards per carry in just one game over the past 24 seasons. Opponents scout Georgetown and know this.
Crazy as it might sound, Georgetown is not at the bottom of the PL in rushing, as #122 on the national list is winless Lehigh, with 43.8 yards per game compared to Georgetown's 53.8. But when the Hoyas allow 208 yards to opponents, therein lies the problem. GU;'s next opponent in Holy Cross averages 173 yards a game and 4.8 a carry. Second down and five always beats second and eight.
How does this ever change? It's not easy. Scholarship-caliber running backs do not gravitate to non-scholarship programs, and even those that do aren't looking at the Patriot League. Harvard's Aaron Shamplklin (376 yards) has out-rushed the entire Georgetown stat sheet with one fewer game, and he's not even in the top 20 nationally. In fact, he's the only non-scholarship player in the top 50 in I-AA/FCS among the individual rushing leaders.
Suffice to say, it's a recruiting target. Lots of good backs come out of the local DC area and Georgetown isn't getting them. The 2022 Hoyas return only two RB's from the 2021 roster: junior Joshua Stakely and freshman Naieem Kearney. The staff has a lot of hope in Kearney, but he can't do it alone.
3. This Week In The Patriot League: Georgetown and Holy Cross are both on bye. Both Colgate and Fordham figure to reach .500 this week.
Colgate (2-3) at Brown (0-3), 1:30 pm
Bucknell (1-3) at Lafayette (1-4), 12:30 pm
Lehigh (0-5) at Pennsylvania (1-2), 1:00 pm
Wagner (0-5) at Fordham (2-3), 1:00 pm
