Week 11 Thoughts

 

Some thoughts following Bucknell's 24-21 win over Georgetown on Saturday.

1. Short and To The Point: Georgetown, its coaches, and its players can do better. A season's worth of platitudes about learning from mistakes and being ready to play went out the window in the fourth quarter of that game. Absent serious injury, you don't give up an 11 point lead with ten minutes in the fourth quarter to a one win team.

Especially if you're a two win team.

There are some serious and growing questions about this team heading into 2023. The soft bigotry of low expectations makes a winning season out of the realm of possibility, but is Georgetown as an institution no better than one win a year south of Poughkeepsie, NY? 

The less said for now, the better, but this team has lost seven consecutive games settled by three points or less dating to the 2016 season. That won't be a problem this week, I'm afraid.

2. GSR, FGR, and WTH: Another NCAA statistic was published today, the 2022 Graduation Success Rate; which, in true NCAA double-speak, isn't about graduation and isn't even about 2022.

As defined in a  PL release, "the graduation rates are the most recent recorded graduating class that started school in 2015," which means not the class of 2022, but the graduating class of 2019. Did it take three years to compile that data?

Also, according to the release, The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate. The federal rate counts any student who leaves a school as an academic failure, whether they enroll at another school. The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere." This allows Georgetown men's basketball to claim a 100% on the GSR while its federal rate hovers at 50 percent, and the actual graduation rates are even less. 

For those still following this, here are the PL football rates:

When it comes to GSR, it's "first in war, first in peace, first in the Patriot League." 

3. Around the PL: Last week's games brought little interest with the title race previously concluded.

Lehigh 36, Colgate 33: A surprise of sorts, given that Lehigh hasn't scored more than 28 points all season and Colgate gave up its most to any PL team this season, even Holy Cross. Lehigh travels to Lafayette for the season ender while Colgate seeks to avoid its worst finish since 1995 at Fordham.

Holy Cross 36, Bryant 29: Another surprise of sorts, given how close this game was; then again, the Northeast Conference is better than the PL thinks they are. Don't expect a repeat of this defensive performance against Georgetown on Saturday.

Fordham 45, Lafayette 10: Not a surprise. Tim DeMorat finished 32-of-45 passes for 482 yards and four touchdowns as the Rams continue to make their case for an at-large bid. Were it any other conference, they'd be in, but because it's the PL, it's probably 60-40 in their favor.

The league standings entering week 12. Barring something unusual, Georgetown is guaranteed a last place finish.

1. Holy Cross (10-0, 5-0 PL)

2. Fordham (8-2, 4-1)

3. Lafayette (3-7, 2-3)

4. Lehigh (3-7, 2-3)

5. Colgate (3-7, 2-3)

6. Bucknell (2-8, 2-4)

7. Georgetown (2-8, 1-4)

Week 10 Thoughts

Some thoughts following St. Francis' 38-24 win over Georgetown Saturday:

1. 36.7. That's the points per game allowed by Georgetown this season, most since 2007. You're not going to win games giving up that many points in a game, which is what happened Saturday. Despite an early 14-0 lead, the Hoyas could not manage its defensive sets, the offense turned the ball over on consecutive drives to open the second half (where the Hoyas are being outscored for the season 106-51), and the defense is allowing over 50 percent of third downs and an ungainly 64 percent of fourth downs to continue  drives. On the contrary, Georgetown was 1 of 6 Saturday.

By the first week of November, this cake is baked. The defense is not getting any better. It may hold its own versus Bucknell but will be battered and beaten by Holy Cross for as long as they want to before bringing in the reserves. For a program which used to shine on defense, the lack of experience in 2022 was a major factor, and perhaps, maybe, enough return in 2023 to reestablish the defense as more credible. This season has been a grind in every sense of the word. 

2. 118. That's Georgetown's ranking among 123 schools in rushing, a now common occurrence on annual statistics.  Georgetown has rushed for fewer yards as a team (762)  than Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka (769). Some of this is due to a pass-first offense, but a lot of it is due to Georgetown's deficiencies in recruiting impact players in the Patriot League. Undersized backs with undersized lines are not a formula for  offensive consistency, and while Pierce Holley has done great work at quarterback, it obscures how thin the rushing game could be for Georgetown in 2023 without some significant recruiting or transfer support. 

Of the bottom six teams in rushing, Georgetown is the only one of the six with more than one win this season. The bottom five (Presbyterian, Western Illinois, VMI, Wagner, and Robert Morris) are a combined 3-43.

3. Joshua Tomas. This has not been an era for great stars at Georgetown, but let's recognize and salute the efforts of Joshua Tomas entering the final two games of his college career. 

As noted from the GUHoyas.com game recap: " Tomas had a stellar afternoon, making seven catches for a personal-best 180 yards and two touchdowns. His 180 receiving yards are the most in a game since Cameron Crayton put up 190 on Columbia in 2021. The GU wide receiver set the single-season record for receptions with 79, surpassing Chris Murphy's mark of 74.  The Illinois native also set the all-time Hoya record for most career receptions in Blue & Gray with 207, smashing the previous mark held by Murphy as well (205)."

(I'm not sure 207 "smashes" 205, but you get the point.)

" I've been saying it all season, Joshua Tomas is the best receiver in the league and maybe at [the FCS]  level," said head coach Rob Sgarlata. "It was great to see his body of work credited with the records that he broke today."

Tomas enters the Bucknell game 25 yards ahead of Fordham's Fotis Kokosioulis for the national lead in receiving yards. Two more strong games offers Tomas a legitimate bid for All-America honors, with the last Georgetown receiver to do so being Chris Murphy in 1991.

4. Around The PL:

Holy Cross 42, Lehigh 14: The Crusaders are ascendant. the Engineers are not. This week: Holy Cross seeks its 10th straight versus Bryant (3-6) at Fitton Field, while Lehigh hosts Colgate.

Lafayette 21, Colgate 16: An important win for the Leopards as the John Troxell era takes hold at College Hill. Lafayette led 21-10 at the half and held the Red raiders to three punts in four second half drives. This week: While Colgate travels to Lehigh, Lafayette travels to Fordham. 

Week 9 Thoughts

Some thoughts following Georgetown's 30-20 win over Lafayette:

1. Having Their Number: Perhaps it's just preparation. Perhaps it's more likely for two teams who have not had a winning season between themselves in over a decade to be closely matched. Either way, Georgetown's win Saturday was a welcome if brief  respite against the relentlessly uphill climb which the University seems unwilling to fix. 

As noted here recently, the win-loss numbers against Patriot League teams are grim. In the last 10 years, however, a pattern is evident between Georgetown and Lafayette, (and to some extent, Bucknell), and everyone else. Since 2012, here are Georgetown's win-loss records by PL opponent:

Bucknell: 4-5

Colgate: 0-10

Fordham 1-9

Holy Cross: 2-7

Lafayette: 5-5

Lehigh: 1-9

Put another way, with a win over Bucknell in two weeks, GU would be an even 10-10 against either Lafayette or Bucknell, and a combined 4-35 versus everyone else.

What was (or is) Georgetown's secret against Lafayette? In these 10 games, three patterns follow:

1. Close, low scoring games: The "Rule of 22" is a knockout punch to Georgetown teams when the opponent can score 22 or more points, but it's a number rarely seen in the series. Georgetown's 30 points were the most scored by any team since 2015.  The Leopards have scored more than 24 points against the Hoyas just once since 2010, as compared to five such scores before 2010. 

2. Defensive control: Unlike games against Fordham or Colgate where the Hoyas cannot control the line of scrimmage, these two teams are very comparable across the lines, which helps to keep both teams in contention.

3. Key plays: Rob Sgarlata calls them "criticals" , those four or five plays that can change a game. Saturday, Georgetown connected on four of them:

1. 1st Quarter: Lafayette tries a fake punt after gaining five yards on a Georgetown offsides: Georgetown holds the Leopards and scores its first touchdown on the succeeding drive. 

2. 2nd Quarter: Score one for the Leopards for the sack and fumble recovery that led to the Leopards'  late second quarter score and a reversal of momentum entering the second half.

3. 3rd Quarter: Georgetown picks up the big turnover when Wedner Cadet gets ahead of Ah-Shaun Davis' flanker pass. This ends the Leopards' run that closed to 17-14 and sets up a Georgetown touchdown.

4. 4th quarter: Defensive Lapse: The Hoyas had been waiting to work the Lafayette secondary and it come with a flash with Jimmy Kibble's 46 yard touchdown pass, extending the lead.

5. Defensive Stop. A late two point conversion attempt would have closed the Georgetown lead to eight, but the Hoyas held and Lafayette never mounted a comeback.

2. Attendance Check. Announced attendance at Saturday's game was 3,473. This image from the broadcast begs to differ.

3. Around the PL: No one will long remember Georgetown-Lafayette, but they will remember Fordham-Holy Cross.

Holy Cross 53, Fordham 52: The game was for the nominative league championship and it delivered, with the Crusaders falling behind but tying the score in regulation on a strange official's call where a personal foul penalty was called to have taken place after  the touchdown had been caught. Fordham fans can be forgiven if that didn't reek of a homer call.

In the overtime, Tim, DeMorat needed one play to give the Rams the lead, then answered by the Crusaders. HC coach Bob Chesney opted to go for two, then pulled a reverse out of his playbook for the win--shades of Boise State taking out Oklahoma with the Statue of Liberty play from years gone by. Here's the winning play:

Chesney's star is ascendant. The Crusaders fans should enjoy it  before he gets a call from a larger program.  Holy Cross plays Lehigh this weekend, Fordham gets Bucknell. Both should be big wins for the league leaders.

Colgate 13, Bucknell 7:  For all the fireworks in Worcester, the Red Raiders got past a sleepy Bucknell outfit before just 1,164 in Lewisburg. The Bison now average less than ten points a game heading into a game with the high-powered Fordham offense, while Colgate continues its upward trajectory hosting Lafayette.

Week 8 Thoughts, After The Bye

Some thoughts following Colgate's 34-24 win over Georgetown this past Saturday:

1. A Milestone: Yes, a milestone, and not an encouraging one. Saturday's loss was the 100th loss in Patriot League play for Georgetown since 2001, which gets even less encouraging in comparison to the record at large: 24-100. 

Some numbers behind the 100:

1. The distribution across schools is fairly even. Putting aside two losses to exiting member Towson in 2001 and 2003, the records are as follows:

Bucknell: 7-13
Lafayette: 7-13
Holy Cross: 4-16
Fordham: 3-18
Colgate: 1-18
Lehigh: 1-20
(It does no one any good when GU's combined records against three of these opponents is 5-56.)

2. The average margin of defeat over these 100 games is 19 points. Twenty games have been decided by less than a touchdown, 20 games by four touchdowns or more. In the 24 wins, nine have been by less than a touchdown and one by four touchdowns or more

3. Of 40 Eastern schools who have played in the I-AA/FCS subdivision continuously since 2001, Georgetown and Cornell have the fewest winning seasons, just one each.

Two decades ago, Bob Benson warned everyone that would listen that it was going to be an uphill climb, but even the optimist in Benson would not have predicted how long it would take. Yes, it took Fordham 12 years, we thought at the time, but surely it wouldn't take Georgetown  that long, right? Benson won five PL games in five seasons. Kevin Kelly won ten in eight seasons, four of which was in the 2011 season alone. Rob Sgarlata stands at just nine.

Much time and digital ink has been spent on these pages discussing the whys of what got Georgetown to this place.  Institutionally, there's no good direction on where to improve things. If it were just the coaching, that's an easier call, but it's not. Better player recruiting and development is a given, bit how do you accomplish this against the PL admissions firewall? Scheduling remains parochial at best: while Lafayette will play Duke next fall, Georgetown likely welcomes that old friend, Marist, and we wonder why interest remains so low.

Georgetown has parallels elsewhere in college football: Vanderbilt is certainly one of them. It has never won an SEC championship, plays in the smallest stadium in the conference, has a overall conference winning record of .257, and is 1-28 in SEC play since the 2018 season. What it has that Georgetown does not is a TV contract for the ages: between 2025 and 2035, Vanderbilt will receive up to $1 billion in rights fees, and that buys a lot of sorrows.

But for all its sorrows, Vanderbilt doesn't compete like it's 2001 and neither should Georgetown. How do we invest in a future and not just pay for the present? Otherwise, it's more of the same.

2. Colgate, Redux: The Hoyas came as close to Collages as might be expected Saturday, but the defensive lapses continue unabated. Giving up six consecutive scoring drives is unacceptable no matter the defensive coordinator, the team captains or whoever is on the field. 

One statistic, as much as any, tells the story of the 2022 Georgetown Hoyas:  it is rated last in FCS (123rd) in third down conversions allowed, 56.8 percent. That keeps a lot of drives going, and leads to a lot of points. Colgate converted 10 third down drives last week and most led to scores. 

The losing streak has obscured some solid play by the offense, particularly in the passing game. Pierce Holley is 14th nationally in passing yards and Joshua Tomas is ninth in receiving yards. Post-season individual honors are rare for 1-6 teams, and both may be overlooked when all is said and done. But we shouldn't.

3. Around the PL: It's still two good teams and five weaker ones in the league, and those two collide Saturday in Worcester for, barring something completely unexpected, the PL championship.  Last week's games didn't change this trajectory a bit.

Bucknell 19, Lehigh 17: A late field goal ended a 13 game losing streak for the Bison, while the Tom Gilmore era at Bethlehem continues to grow darker. The Bison get a resurgent Colgate team this week, with three of its final four at home. Lehigh gets the buy and faces Holy Cross in two weeks. At present,  Lehigh's only win is the 21-19 win at Georgetown.

Holy Cross 24, Lafayette 21: A good game for both teams, and a view into the rapidly improving Leopards under John Troxell. HC needed a pair of late plays, including a score with 4:00 left, to hang on. A trap game? No, just the kind of good, strong test on the road the Crusaders will need to close out the season unbeaten, with  all eyes, at least those outside Easton and Lewisburg, to meet the mighty offense of Fordham.

Week 6 Thoughts

 

Some thoughts following Penn's 59-28 win over Georgetown Saturday:

1. Anchor(ed) Down: Say what you will about the defense, and we will, but a team which does not successfully run the ball is a team that does not win. 

Enter the 115th ranked Georgetown Hoyas, featuring a senior and a fifth year graduate student, with 82 yards per game. Excepting the Marist game, that number drops to just 54.2 yards a game, which would rank 122nd of 123 teams. This is not a knock on the players in the backfield, because by year four or five they're doing their best work, or an offensive line which is comprised of one junior, three seniors, and a fifth year. Not an underclassmen to be found. And what does it say about 2023 when the one returning member of the depth chart, current junior Shane Stewart, has just 48 yards this season?

This is a recruiting problem, though not a new one.  Georgetown hasn't had an impact RB in years and has only had one 1,000 yard rusher in school history. Runners are hard to come by at Georgetown, more so when you're competing against six scholarship teams. Since 2005, only one GU player is even in the top 10 in school records for carries or yards in a season, and Joel Kimpela's 5.2 yard average in 2014 would be a full yard per carry better than any of this year's totals. The Hoyas had higher hopes for sophomore Naieem Kearney, but he hasn't seen action this season. Mason Gudger's two kickoff returns brought the Hoyas as much publicity as they've received all season, but at 5-9, 175, he has three yards on two carries and may be better suited for kickoffs than the trenches. And after Stewart, that's it for the bench. Impact positions like rushing are in demand, and Georgetown is not a destination.

The Hoyas' next two opponents each rank in the top third in FCS rushing defense, so expect more of the same.

2. Defensively Challenged: Followers of FCS football could be forgiven for seeing Fordham put up 59 on the Hoyas, well, they seem to put up that many on everyone. Few could have guessed a Penn team averaging a more modest 20.0 a game to torch the Georgetown defense a week later. The Quakers averaged 97 yards a game on the ground entering the game and picked up 187; an average of 227 yards in the air prior to Saturday netted 274.

Field position was important: in its first ten possessions, Penn started, on average,. at the Georgetown 48. That doesn't excuse the fact that, with just eight first downs after halftime, Penn scored five consecutive touchdowns, and only two drives were more than seven plays. 

The defense isn't very good, and that's concerning for the second half of the season with more traditional offenses like Colgate and Lafayette that will grind on the Hoyas defensively. Georgetown has given up an average of 51 points a game versus its last four opponents.

Yes, more scoring by the Hoyas would have helped--its second half points all came from Gudger's kickoffs, but would it have mattered? Without focused defense play up front, it's more of the same.

3. Remember That Name: This item from the Penn media notes, one reported on the ESPN+ broadcast:  WR Malone Howley's father "played basketball at Georgetown from 1985-89." 

Really, four years? Did someone check this?

Well, let's do so: his father Chris Howley graduated from Georgetown with a BSBA in 1989. But if he played basketball, it was at Yates. He's mentioned four times in the HOYA over four years, but each for intramural ball. "Point guard Tim Fording should rack up assists as he dishes off to forwards Ed Grefenstette, Chris Howley and football QB Matt Zebrowski," it wrote in 1986, and none of those ever saw the floor at Capital Centre.

In 1988, Howley scored seven first half points as  his team made it to the finals of the Early Bird Basketball Tournament at Yates, for what it's worth. But he wasn't on the varsity, period. Malone's grandfather Dan Howley (B'65) also was a Hoya, and he didn't play basketball either.

Chris Howley's professional bio does not mention such experiences, and let's assume someone at Penn's sports information office made a mistake. But if you're playing at Georgetown of all places, it might be worth a quick fact check before you say it on the air.

4. Around The PL: At the halfway point, all signs point to the Holy Cross-Fordham game on October 29 as the league title game, while the other five schools are a combined 5-23.

Fordham 40, Lehigh 28: The Engineers gave it a run but Tim DeMorat was just too good: 26-for-37 for 499 yards and four touchdowns. This week: Fordham hosts Stony Brook (0-5), Lehigh is at Cornell (2-2).

Princeton 23, Lafayette 2: The last time the Leopards were held to two points in a game was 1975, and it probably felt like the 1970's on Saturday. The Leopards had a total of   yards at halftime, 206 yards for the game, but never crossed the Tigers' 20. This week: The Leopards are off this week.

Holy Cross 57, Bucknell 0: It could have been worse. The Crusaders outagained the Bison 511-160, rushed 50 times for 314 yards, and collected turnovers on three of Bucknell's final five possessions. Bucknell allowed scores on each of HC's first eight possessions. This week: Holy Cross is off , while the winless Bison travel to Yale.

Week 5 Thoughts

Some thoughts following Fordham's 59-38 win over Georgetown Saturday:

1. Looking Back: The final was not unexpected. Yes, the early first quarter lead by the Hoyas proved surprising, but Fordham is a good team and good teams adjust. Unfortunately, Georgetown did not.

The Hoyas were likely to get points on the Rams' defense, because, well, everyone has this season. Fordham is weak in the middle of its secondary and Georgetown picked at this all game. The Hoyas' 38 points was the most it has scored against any PL opponent in 11 years, but it was never going to be enough against a Fordham team averaging a nation's best 51.8. 

That's a direct result of Fordham QB Tim DeMorat, who is going to be playing pro football next season. DeMorat has the size and temperament to be a very effective player at the next level because he reads the field of play very well and mixes up his targets. Six different receivers shared 21 completions last week, and if the idea of 21 receptions for 348 yards scares you a little, it should.

Strange as it sounds, the game wasn't won in the air but on the ground. Fordham outgained Georgetown 277-82, and it was even more pronounced when you review it on a quarter by quarter basis:

Fordham:

1st quarter: 19 yards

2nd quarter: 138 yards

3rd quarter: 51 yards

4th quarter: 74 yards

Georgetown:

1st quarter: 45 yards

2nd quarter: 2 yards

3rd quarter: 10 yards

4th quarter: 15 yards

Fordham entered the game allowing 187.5 yards a game and Georgetown got 82. The Hoyas' lack of rushing production has been a two decades long story in the PL and GU now averages 63.7 yards per game in its last four. 

2. Looking Ahead: Those rushing numbers will be challenging again on Saturday, as Penn arrives to Cooper Field holding opponents to just 2.4 yards a carry and 79.0 yards per game. Its September 24 game with Lafayette is as close a comparison as we can see to a PL team right now: the Quakers held the Leopards to one net yard rushing and a -50 in sacks and tackles for loss.

Penn (3-0) is off to its best start since its undefeated season of 2003, and that starts with defense. The Quakers rank second nationally in total defense, fifth in rushing, and eighth in passing. It's the best unit that Penn defensive coordinator (and former Georgetown coach) Bob Benson has had in his seven seasons at Franklin Field and it's a tall order for a Georgetown rushing offense that has gone backwards since its easy win over Marist.

3. Scholarship Blues: For reasons explained in depth on these pages, Georgetown's lack of scholarship support from the University is a direct factor in its annual records. But how have other PL teams fared since scholarships were introduced to the league? Here are the numbers in league play since 2014:

Colgate 32-13

Fordham 30-16

Holy Cross 28-17

Lehigh 26-20

Lafayette 18-28

Bucknell 16-30

Georgetown 9-35

If that's not bad enough, how about the last four seasons:

Holy Cross 13-1

Fordham 9-7

Lehigh 9-7

Colgate 8-7

Lafayette 7-9

Bucknell 5-11

Georgetown 2-12

4. Around The PL: Four games this week, with decided favorites in each.

Monmouth 35, Lehigh 7: The seat warms for Tom Gilmore as the Engineers (1-4) were taken out early and never recovered. Fewer than 3,000 at Goodman Stadium was not a good sign, either. This week: A home game with Fordham (4-1) does not look promising.

Cornell 34, Colgate 31: An upset of sorts given how the Big Red have trended in recent seasons. Cornell scored the final ten points of the game, including a field goal with 1:55 remaining to earn the win, sending the Red Raiders to 1-4. This week: idle.

Holy Cross 30, Harvard 21: The Crusaders (5-0) earned its first win in Cambridge in 19 years behind 300 passing yards and 63 rushing yards from Matthew Sluka. The Crimson were held to just seven points after halftime. This week: home versus Bucknell.

Lafayette 24, Bucknell 14: Just 1,370 in Lewisburg for this one, where  the Leopards'  A.T. Ntantang shut down the Bison (0-5) with an 80- yard interception returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. This week : Lafayette (2-3) hosts undefeated Princeton, while winless Bucknell, averaging 10.2 points per game, must play Holy Cross at its annual Polar Park game. 

Week 4 Thoughts

Some thoughts following Columbia's 42-6 win over Georgetown:

1. Momentum.  Putting aside the final score of Saturday's game with Columbia, those of us who have followed this series have noticed something in every season: the Columbia talent gets better every year. Al Bagnoli will go into the College Football Hall of Fame for his nine Ivy championships at Pennsylvania, but his work at Columbia may be some of his best coaching yet.

From 1951 to 2015, Columbia posted a total of four winning seasons in football. Four. To put this in comparison, even with 13 seasons for not playing at Georgetown, the Hoyas managed 22 winning seasons in that same period. If the Lions split their remaining games this season, Bagnoli will have posted winning seasons in four of his last five. He's done it in spite of the headwinds that have bedeviled Lion football for generations: the facilities 100 blocks from campus, the indifference and insouciance of its student body, and seven fellow schools who recruit against Columbia the same way the SEC recruits against Vanderbilt: "there's no winning there."

So many coaches have walked across Baker Field, and later went headlong into a brick wall: Aldo Donelli, Frank Navarro, Bill Campbell, Bob Naso, Jim Garrett, Larry McElreavy, Ray Tellier, Bob Shoop, Norries Wilson, Pete Mangurian. From 1979 to 1991, Columbia won a total of nine games.  When Bagnoli took over in 2015, the Light Blue was a combined 4-36 in the prior four. 

Columbia isn't Fordham, and it's not even Harvard. Saturday's game with Princeton will say a lot about where Columbia fits in the 2022 race; while picked sixth, the degree to how their defense will mature will say a lot if they can move up the ranks. 

Georgetown won the first two games in this nine game series versus Columbia and Columbia has won four of the next five. Those four have all come under Al Bagnoli, and that's no accident.

The players notice it, too.

"We have so many dudes that can get it done. I think me adding another is just adding more versatility to the offense,” said WR Bryson Canty. "Already in the first few games, we’ve improved so much from last year, because I remember last year we struggled to put up points sometimes."

At 69, this is likely Bagnoli's last job as a head coach. More than most, he has left a legacy to his successor and to Columbia University as a whole: if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

2. Lessons From Week Four. When an opponent is 14 of 18 on third  down conversions, trouble follows, no matter if the opponent is Columbia or Clemson. Following a missed field goal midway in the first quarter, the Lions scored on seven of seven of its final eight possessions. 

This starts on the ground, where Georgetown is allowing 4.5 yards per play. That's leaving a third and one, on average. The defensive line is not getting the penetration and this gives an opposing offense that most valuable of resources: time. It's a toxic combination when the Hoyas face Fordham on Saturday, given the skill of its passing offense. The Rams have more passing touchdowns in 2022 (22) than Georgetown has in total this season (nine) .

Georgetown hasn't given up on the run (32 carries per game) but if there was a week to do so, this may be it. The Rams are allowing 374 yards per game in the air, which is more than Georgetown averages overall (347.3), so it brings a question following rushing struggles with Monmouth and Columbia: do you just make this a passing contest? 

Tempting as it may be, Georgetown doesn't win that argument. The Rams have not scored fewer than 48 points in four games this season, while the last Division I school that the Hoyas scored 48 points on was Marist...in 2011.  Georgetown has never scored 48 points in a Patriot League game.

Time of possession is the only way, perhaps, for Georgetown to stay close with Fordham. That starts on the ground and it ends on the defensive line. Both need a spark this week.

3. Around the  Patriot League: Week four saw the continuing distance between the top two and the bottom five.

Ohio 59, Fordham 52: It didn't take long before the artillery started flying: 1,332 yards and ten passing touchdowns later, Ohio overcame a 49-38 deficit and two fourth quarter fumbles to prevail, 59-52. The Rams' defense continues to have serious questions, but its offense is without peer. This week: vs. Georgetown (1-3).

Holy Cross 35, Colgate 10: In its first serious test of the season, the Crusaders overcame a 10-7 deficit to Colgate before a convincing 35-10 win over the Red Raiders at Fitton Field. The first of two challenges to an undefeated season for the Purple comes Saturday, where they seek its first win in Cambridge since 2000. This week: Holy Cross at Harvard (2-0), Colgate vs. Cornell (1-1)

Princeton 29, Lehigh 17: A competitive game through the third quarter, three Lehigh turnovers turned the corner for Princeton. Still a lot of questions for the Engineers, but this game was won they will look back upon as an opportunity lost.   This week: vs. Monmouth (2-2)

Penn 12, Lafayette 0: The Leopards struggled on the ground, with one net yard against the stronger Quaker defense. Lafayette was stopped in its only red zone possession of the game, and that was enough. A battle of attrition follows Saturday at winless Bucknell (0-3), who was off this past week.

Week 3 Thoughts

Some thoughts following Monmouth's 45-6 win over Georgetown last week:

1. No Surprises. Monmouth is the third toughest opponent on the 2022 schedule, so any frustrations posted last week in a loss to Lehigh aren't as applicable. The Hawks have one of the best offenses to date in the FCS entering this game and played to form. Monmouth scored on three of the first four possessions of the game and did not punt after halftime. A total of 466 yards in 33:23 of time of possession are good numbers for a team that will likely finish near the bottom of the Colonial Athletic Association this fall in their move up from the Big South, but it's still a few yards ahead of anything the PL has to offer, with the possible exception of Holy Cross.

The Monmouth defense, which had give up 52 points to Fordham the week prior, did its part. The Hoyas were held to three first downs in the second half, which is more about Monmouth's adjustments than any poor play by the Hoyas on offense. A case could be made for offensive coordinator  Rob Spence to be more aggressive when playing from behind, but for what the Hawks did on defense, the Georgetown offense did what it was expected to do.

Defensively, the Hoyas have issues and we'll be seeing more of these rise to the surface as the season progresses. The Hawks had seven drives of six plays or more and converted five of them into touchdowns. Just four tackles were credited to members of the Hoyas'  defensive line. Two weeks removed from Tim DeMorat and Fordham, the defense needs to come together.

2. FloSports, We Hardly Knew Ye. An admitted fan of the PL on Stadium in prior years, the move to ESPN+ comes with a cost but it is still a good product. However, a quote of $29.99 to watch this game on FloSports wasn't flying, and since I'm far removed from the cable networks of the Delaware Valley showing the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia, I caught it on Monmouth's college radio station.

An alumnus of college radio myself, I'm tolerant of college broadcasters as a rule, mindful that there's no rehearsal and no spotters. While the facilities at Kessler Stadium are light years ahead of the days when we ran a 500 foot telephone cord from the Yates lobby up to Kehoe Field to broadcast games, it's still walking a tightrope. But, in hindsight, the WMCX announcers had their issues.

Years from now, I hope they keep a tape of the games they did, if not to enjoy the calls but the little things that seemed professional at the time that will be amusing in later years, such as the outro where the announcer would pause after each score and say "This is WMCX, 88.9 FM, Monmouth University's (pause for effect...) COLLEGE RADIO STATION!"

One issue was knowing exactly who and where their opponent was. In introducing Monmouth offensive OL Will Argo, the play by play announcer (who I won't mention specifically) noted to the audience that "he's from Georgetown," later suggesting that the Hoyas were from Argo's hometown of Georgetown, Delaware. His analyst, when asked in the second quarter what a "Hoya" was, suggested it was "a coyote or something."

Describing Georgetown to the audience was also interesting. "Georgetown? It's partially a law school, you know," said the lead announcer. "It's called a baby Ivy." He then added that next week's opponent, Villanova, "is an actual law school." 

The more you know...

3. First Quarter Stats: We're three weeks intro a 12 week season, so it's a good time to see where the Hoyas fare nationally. It's better than you might think:

Points Per Game: 64th nationally (3rd in the PL)

Points Allowed: 26th (3rd)

Rushing Offense: 67th (3rd)

Passing Offense:  45th (3rd)

Total Offense: 54th (3rd)

Rushing Defense: 43rd (3rd)

Passing Defense:  34th (1st)

Total Defense: 26th (1st)

Net Turnovers: 41st (3rd)

A 2-1 mark heading into this next quartile of games would have been optimal, but it's 1-2. Earning a 2-1 mark over the next three weeks takes the Hoyas into some rare air, at least for this program: a .500 record at the break. That climb starts Saturday.

3. Around the  Patriot League: Another good week for PL teams in week three.

Central Michigan 41, Bucknell 0: The Bison get the bye this week after a game that was close at the half.  Trailing 7-0 at the break, Bucknell gave up five consecutive touchdown drives to open the second half.

Richmond 30, Lehigh 6: Any era of good feeling for Tom Gilmore following the Georgetown win was short lived, as the Spiders went ahead 20-0 and never looked back.  Lehigh was outgained 423-203 and mounted only one red zone penetration for the afternoon. This week: at Princeton (1-0)

Penn 26, Colgate 14: A crowd of only 4,678 at Franklin Field saw the Penn defense lock down the red Raiders, holding Colgate to 43 yards on the ground and 192 yards overall. Penn QB Aidan Sayin was 31 of 44 for 289 yards and two touchdowns in the game. A tall defensive order awaits Saturday in Peter Sluka. This week: hosts Holy Cross (3-0)

Holy Cross 38, Yale 14: A season's best 13,847 at Fitton Field saw the Crusaders continue to march forward. Sluka passed for 249 yards while HC put up 571 yards on the Elis. Saturday's game is one of two games remaining where  the Crusaders could trip up en route to the PL title, but are favored to get past Colgate in this one,. Next game: at Colgate (1-2)

William & Mary 34, Lafayette 7: Another rough afternoon on the ground for the Leopards, netting 47 yards on 37 attempts as the Tribe scored the final 27 points of the game for the win. Next week: at Penn (1-0)

Fordham 48, Albany 45: The Rams are nothing if not exciting, as Tim DeMorat threw for 464 yards and still needed a fourth quarter defensive stop with 2:11 to play.  Next week: at Ohio (1-2)

Week 2 Thoughts

 

Nebraska. Texas A&M. Notre Dame.

Saturday's college football results were replete with mind-numbing, misplaced efforts by nationally prominent teams and coaches which frankly should do better. And while no one else was adding Georgetown to that list, maybe they should have.

Saturday's home opener with Lehigh should have been a celebration of better times ahead for the Hoyas, with a half-stadium that had been presumed, predicted, promised,  and otherwise prayed for across three generations of Georgetown coaches. "Give us a facility and we can turn this around," they told us.

Since 2021, Georgetown has played five games in The House That Peter Cooper Built, and it has lost all five. Saturday, with the Cooper family and dozens of football alumni in the stands, it had three significant opportunities in this game and failed on all three.  And  that's on the coaching staff for a series of plays in a game that Georgetown gave away as much as Lehigh won.

 1. Missed Opportunities. Early returns were discouraging. On Georgetown's second drive of the game, the Hoyas moved 60 yards in six plays, setting up at the Lehigh two. What got them there? Passing. Pierce Holley was 3-3 in that drive, with 55 yards in the air.

 First and goal at the two, shotgun draw, no gain.

Second and goal at the two, shotgun draw, no gain.  

Third down, a one yard pass with two to go. Fourth and one, fall start, and Georgetown settles for three.

Fast forward to the opening Georgetown drive of the third quarter after the Engineers score on three consecutive possessions. Holley leads the Hoyas on eight plays to the Lehigh 14. First down, with Lehigh on its heels? Shotgun draw.

Offensive coordinator Rob Spence continues to dial up the short pass instead of the end zone. With some of the best receivers  GU has had in a decade, Holley gets two short passes to the eight yard line, but passed on points. Georgetown hasn't met a fourth down  it didn't like, and decided that yet another short pass was the answer. It wasn't then, and it isn't now.

So why not do it again? Late in the third, start at the 20, drive 60 yards to the Lehigh 20. Three straight shotgun draws and Georgetown turns it over on downs. 

If the Hoyas pick up a field goal on either series, the late game drive is the winning drive. Instead, it merely sets Georgetown up for yet another crushing defeat when Holley, arguably the slowest rushing quarterback in the conference, and having connected on seven of eight passes to score, tries to run for the tying conversion.

"Georgetown is not a well-coached team," wrote a Lehigh fan on a message board following the game. "The Sgarlata does so much with so little narrative has thankfully finally fallen by the wayside. His teams do not play smart, fundamental football and his in-game decision making is awful. Georgetown outplayed Lehigh last night but made far more mistakes."

2. Words Matter. Some post game quotes:

"We did not execute and play at the level we needed to, and that's my fault. As the head football coach, that's your job to have your guys read the play and put them in position to make plays and let them do it. At the end of the day, that's on us. I thought our players, there was--nobody tried to make a mistake today. Nobody was trying to do it on purpose. We have to do a better job of coaching them and getting the fundamentals right. That's coaching on our part, and that's what we have to do as a staff and all the things we have to do... Had opportunities, but got to coach it better. That's on me."

"I don’t know if that’s a reason why or a lack of execution.  But it starts with me.  It starts with me as a head coach and looking at myself and saying, what do I have to do to help this football team and really look at everything we’re doing, because the performance isn’t where we need it to be."

Except neither of those were quotes from Rob Sgarlata, but two of the coaches at the top of the page; namely, Jimbo Fisher and Marcus Freeman, after their own discouraging late game losses. For the record, here's Sgarlata's quote:

"We did a nice job of staying in the game and creating some explosive plays tonight. I'm really proud of our guys for the way they trusted and relied on each other to make some plays and to get that last drive. Any time you get the chance to tie the game up late, it's super exciting. We're an extremely talented team that plays hard, that made some mental errors and Lehigh took advantage."

Enthusiasm aside, Coach, this was not the quote for a game like this. This is a program which is not that good, is going to get knocked around a lot this season, and yet this was a game for the taking... against arguably the weakest Lehigh team since the 1960s's. Poor play calling, poor late game decisions and poor execution are all clues to yet another loss for the Patriot's least distinguished team.

"Tonight was a very characteristic, one-score Patriot League game," Sgarlata  added.

 In Patriot League games of seven points of less since 2014, Georgetown is 3-15.

 2. Attendance? Blue. At opening of what is now Cooper Field in 2005, the Hoyas drew 3,500 against Brown. At its reopening Saturday night, just 2,107, or less than 500 more than showed up at the soccer game that afternoon. On a night where Georgetown officials discouraged the Lehigh marching band from coming to Washington, there were plenty of seats to be had. Yet again.

For those of us who bemoaned the loss of visitor seating and a still-undersized stadium compared to our peers, however you define them If Georgetown even can't fill what it has, how will it ever need more?

Three questions:

1. With nearly 6,000 students on campus or within there blocks of same, how many were  invited to attend by social media or e-mail, and how many attended?

2. With nearly 50,000 alumni within one hour of the campus, how many were  invited to attend by social media or e-mail, and how many attended?

3. How many tickets were sold in advance?

Ten years ago, the season opener drew just 2,147 and Georgetown has done little to promote football in the interim. Should we be surprised?

3. Around the  Patriot League: A solid week for PL teams in week two.

 Holy Cross 37, Buffalo 31: Yes, the last play of the game made the ESPN highlight package, but the Crusaders were strong throughout. QB Matthew Sluka picked up 396 yards in total offense and threw for three touchdowns. A Homecoming crowd Saturday at Fitton Field versus Yale will draw better than 2,107. Next game: vs. Yale (0-0)

Fordham 52, Monmouth 49: QB Tim DeMorat throws for 452 yards and six touchdowns, and even that wasn't enough to be comfortable until the end. The Rams must improve its defense or else, no matter what DeMorat can do. As for Monmouth, Saturday's home game with the Hoyas looks promising. This week: at Albany (0-2)

Colgate 21, Maine 18: Following an expected loss at Stanford, the Red Raiders stood tall on defense, holding Maine to 6 for 18 on third down conversion and earning its first win over the Black Bears in 23 years. This week: at Penn (0-0)

Temple 30, Lafayette 14:  A solid effort from the Leopards, despite just 110 yards of total offense. Three Temple fumbles kept it close. An announced crowd of 18,430 saw this one, but looked about 3,000 on TV. This week: vs. William & Mary (2-0)

VMI 24, Bucknell 14: More of the same for the Bison, whose offense continues to struggle to gain yardage: 61 yards at the half, 183 overall. Three VMI turnovers kept it close, but not that close. This week: at Central Michigan (0-2)

Week 1 Thoughts

 

Some thoughts following Georgetown's 43-12 win over Marist:

1. Rice, Texas, and Marist: In the midst of one of his greatest speeches, John F. Kennedy inserted a handwritten note in his speech at Rice University in 1962  when calling the nation's will for the space race: " "But why, some say, the moon?" Kennedy said. "Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?...why does Rice play Texas?"

Well, the obvious answer is that they played in the same conference, and did for the next 33 years which saw Texas win 31 of those 33. Texas, with a student body roughly 20 times that of is opponent, has won all 14 meetings since. But by 2022, Texas isn't playing Rice for anything but a win before one of its largest alumni bases. When a bigger opponent comes along, Texas may play someone else (this Saturday's game with Alabama counts in that regard), but at this point, it's a win.

So after 23 years since they last played together in the MAAC, why does Georgetown play Marist? 

Most years, it's a win, as was the case Saturday in a 43-12 finish that could have been  worse. Yes, the coaches are friends, yes, it's a game in New York, albeit with little alumni turnout. Georgetown probably isn't getting any calls from Villanova or Towson for a season opener (and certainly not Stanford), so when you need to fill a schedule, you fill it. 

And yes, it's a win. Rob Sgarlata has only 24 wins since 2014, and six have been against Marist. But what it has also become is a barometer of future performance. In the last eight seasons where Georgetown defeated Marist, the Hoyas were a combined 37-51 (.420) those seasons. Not a great number anywhere but inside McDonough Gym, but definitely better to the last five losses in this series, where Georgetown finished a combined 7-47 (.129). Georgetown's 43-12 win does not set off any alarms, but as noted in the Pre-Game Report, it's not always a sign of progress, either.

2. What We Learned: With the plethora of college games available on TV, cable, and streaming this weekend, Saturday's game stated the obvious that Georgetown isn't very fast off the ball compared to many larger schools. 

Some of it is Pierce Holley, who is not a mobile passer. Some of it is the running backs, who do not get acceleration off the line. These two factors were not surprising. What was surprising was the lack of attack in the air. Georgetown has three very good receivers against a Pioneer-level secondary, and yet GU managed just 176 passing yards, averaging less than nine yards per catch.

Cameron Crayton, Joshua Tomas, and Asante Das need to go long and test some secondaries this season. They are certainly capable of more than passes along the line.

The defense looked good, a point of concern with newcomers in the secondary, but to be fair, Marist was in no shape to  really test the Hoyas deep--the 43 yard touchdown play by the Red Foxes was an anomaly in this game, but could be a harbinger of things to come against more talented quarterbacks. For now, a good step forward.

3. Around the  Patriot League: Scores from the other games this week looked a lot like these teams looked last season:

Holy Cross 31, Merrimack 17: The Crusaders were surprised by the Warriors last season after an emotional win at Connecticut. No such surprise this week, but for a third year Division I team, Merrimack is on the right track.  For HC, Matthew Sluka opened with 345 yards of all-purpose offense: 242 in the air, 102 on the ground. The road to the PL title runs through Worcester until further notice. This week: at Buffalo (0-1)

Fordham 48, Wagner 31: Tim DeMorat passed for 386 yards but the Rams still needed a fourth quarter rally to get past a Wagner team that had lost 13 straight entering this game.  The defense has to pick it up over the next few weeks to give DeMorat support. This week: at Monmouth (0-1)

Villanova 45, Lehigh 17: The Wildcats went up 24-0 early and never looked back. Saturday's game with the Hoyas may be a must-win for the Engineers given what lies ahead of them on the schedule. This week: at Georgetown (1-0)

Lafayette 6, Sacred Heart 0: Not a game for the archives. The Leopards had just 113 yards total offense but forced 10 punts and stopped the Pioneers on the goal line on the last play of the game. This week: at Temple (0-1)

Towson 14, Bucknell 13: A missed extra point in overtime was the difference in this game, as each team combined for just one touchdown in regulation. This week: at VMI (0-1)

Stanford 41, Colgate 13: 118 yards by E.J. Smith, son of NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, paced the Cardinal past the Red Raiders before just 26,826 at Stanford Stadium. Expectations for a Colgate win were zero, but the Red Raiders acquitted themselves to form--evenly matched on the ground but outmatched in the air, as Stanford outgained Colgate 497-218 and wrote them a six figure check for the privilege. This week: at Maine (0-1)

The 4-3 finish for the Patriot League in week one was its best since the 2016 season opener.

2022 Football Preview: The Patriot League

For a league whose publicity team has ground to a halt, little is heard about the Patriot League amidst other FCS conferences in 2022. The continued decline of the league obscures one of its best stories in a generation as the season awaits. With that, here is a 2022 preview of the league:

1. Holy Cross (10-3, 6-0 in 2021)

The Crusaders stand on the precipice of an unprecedented fourth consecutive PL title, calling to mind the halcyon days of Holy Cross football under Mark Duffner from 1986 to 1991, when HC was 60-5-1 with five Top 10 finishes and the #1 ranking in the subdivision at the end of the 1987. 

Bob Chesney's fourth full recruiting class gives HC a level of depth unmatched in other PL teams, and returning 17 players from last year's team gives the Crusaders a clear path to a fourth title.

The Crusaders dominated the ground game in 2021 and will continue to do so. Junior QB Matthew Sluka rushed for more touchdowns (14) than the entire Georgetown team (13) in 2021, and is ably aided by senior RB Peter Oliver, who led the league in rushing. Four returnees on the offensive line will clear the way, and seven of the first team pre-season all-PL selections hail from the Crusaders.

Holy Cross will be charged to step up defensively, despite having finished 2021 ranked #1 in the nation in total defense. Five of its seven all-PL selections from 2021 return, led by all-American Jacob Dobbs, but need to get its defensive line in order before PL play. Holy Cross returns its entire secondary and that's a huge advantage in shutting down pass games late in the game.

Two games stand in the way of HC running the table: a September 10 game at Buffalo and a September 24 game at Colgate. Barring a stumble thereafter, a fourth title appears on its way.

2. Fordham  (6-5, 4-2 in 2021)

An opening loss at Nebraska and an 0-3 start was merely a warm-up for the Rams last season, whose offense was the better of anyone not named Holy Cross. A similar verdict is expected in 2022.

Senior QB Tim DeMorat is within range of most of the school's career passing records and should be capable of breaking each of them. Averaging 300 yards per game in 2021 with a league's best 147.1 efficiency rating, DeMorat has weapons across the field, including seniors  Fotis Kokosioulis, Dequece Carter, and M.J. Wright, with  Kokosioulis and Carter finishing 1-2 in receiving yards in the PL last fall. 

The defense is promising, returning nine starters, with LB Ryan Greenhagen as an All-American candidate. The Rams suffered mightily in pass defense in 2021, giving up 264 yards a game through the air, and it's a point of emphasis this season. Rare is the champion that is ranked first on offense and last on defense, so Fordham needs to show improvement with a veteran ensemble.

The Rams 2022 non-conference schedule is more forgiving, with its toughest game a September 24 game at Ohio. In the end, however, its most important games stands on October 29 at Holy Cross, which could well determine the champion.

3. Colgate (5-6, 5-1 in 2021)

After the undiscussed firing of  Dan Hunt after the 2020 season, the Red Raiders reloaded with Stan Dakosty, who fought back from a 2-6  start to sweep his last three and carry a second place finish in his first season. 

Colgate returns seven starters form 2021, including PL Rookie of the year Michael Brescia, with 1,182 all-purpose yards and an expected start at quarterback this season. The Red Raiders, usually a run-heavy team, were fifth in the PL in rushing with just 162 yards per game, but its end of season finish gives more confidence that they can reassert themselves in 2022.

There are holes on the defense, where Colgate was second to Holy Cross last season. The defensive line looks to be solid, but the Red Raiders may take their collective lumps in the secondary before league play.

As to its schedule, well, there's no Marist of Columbia on this schedule. The Red Raiders open with three straight on the road beginning at Stanford, and could easily be 1-5 before meeting Georgetown on October 24. The schedule is front-loaded, however, and a four game stretch with Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh, and Fordham could be Colgate's chance to move up the standings.

4. Lafayette (3-8, 2-4 in 2021)

The bottom half of the Patriot League is a steep drop-off from the top three, giving new Lafayette head coach John Troxell a chance to move into relative contention, at least as league records go.

The Leopards return just four starters on offense from 2021. Wide receivers Julius Young  and Joe Gillette are good options if the offensive line, featuring three sophomores and a senior transfer, can gain traction. The rest of the offense was a middle of the pack effort in 2021 and could well be the same this season.

Defensively, the Leopards are poised for progress. Lafayette returns its entire front line, led by four time All-PL lineman Malik Hamm, the PL pre-season defensive player of the year. LB Billy Shaeffer, who was lost to injury last season, could be an all-PL selection by season's end, but the Leopards must rebuild a secondary that allowed just six passing touchdowns last fall.  Three sophomores and two freshman are already on the depth chart, with Troxell seeing a promising future down the road.

Back to back games with Temple and William &  Mary are stern tests for the Leopards in 2022, as are consecutive games in November at Colgate and at Fordham, neither of which the Leopards will be favored. A home game with Lehigh to end the season may tip the scales for  Lafayette in the rivalry game as well as the 2022 standings, where a .500 season would be a sign of progress, in that LC has not finished a full season over .500 since 2009.

5. Lehigh (3-8, 3-3 in 2021)

If there is such thing as a hot seat in Patriot League football, it resides at Lehigh, where the proud Engineers program has been in a five year rut that began with the sad news of the diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's disease for coach Andy Coen, who left the team in 2018 and died this past April. Lehigh went to a veteran hand in former Holy Cross coach Tom Gilmore, but the results have not been good. Lehigh has posted three straight losing seasons and is currently in its poorest four season run since the 1960's. At any PL school but Georgetown, that's a sign for trouble.

Were it not for a three game run at the end of 2021, last season may have been rock bottom. The Engineers started 0-8, and did not score a touchdown until the seventh week of the season, finishing next to the bottom of FCS in scoring, ahead of only Bucknell. 

The 2022 season could be another long year offensively. Not a single Lehigh returnee was named to the pre-season all-PL team on offense, likely a first in the history of the league. QB Dante Perri will seek to build off his late-season play in 2022, but must rely on a rebuilt offensive line, with there projected starters that did not play their respective positions in 2021. It's faint praise that the Lehigh media notes tell us that Eric Johnson led the team with just 28 pass receptions last season, but the Engineers need help across the board on offense alongside a defense that did show improvement through a rough 2021 campaign.

Lehigh's early concerns will be along its defensive line, so its opening week game at Villanova may provide Georgetown some early clues about its week two opponent. 

The schedule is not favorable to Gilmore, with Georgetown being the only game Lehigh may be favored in among its first five games, and facing an end of season run at Colgate. home versus Holy Cross, and at Lafayette. Its October schedule, with three home games and a road game at Cornell, may be Gilmore's best chance at making a case for a fifth season.

6. Georgetown  (2-8, 1-5 in 2021)

Despite the softest non-conference schedule in the PL for 2022, Georgetown's prospects for winning football remain distant. The talent gap with the rest of the Patriot League is as wide as it has ever been in the PL scholarship era, with the non-scholarship Hoyas relying heavily on seniors and fifth years to stay close in games. To date, however, the next group is even further behind.

The Hoyas strength is in its receivers, particularly Cameron Crayton and Joshua Tomas, but Georgetown needs better production from its traditionally weak running game to keep defenses honest. Without it, Georgetown will fall back to relying on short passes to stay close, but 84 yards per game last season on the ground isn't winning any games on the margin in 2022.

The Hoyas defense sagged to fifth in the PL last season and with holes to fill in the secondary may well do so again. Its front line needs to maintain parity along the line of scrimmage against passers who will test a yet-unproven secondary. Any early problems with the line in the opener with Marist will be an especially bad sign against four very good quarterbacks awaiting on the opposing schedule this season.

Georgetown lost three leads in the fourth quarter last season and its two wins were late as well: an overtime squeaker versus Delaware State and a win in the final minutes at Bucknell. Anything more than one PL win may be a reach for this team if the defense does not step up.

7. Bucknell  (1-10, 0-6 in 2021)

The 2021 season was futile for Bucknell, whose 24-10 mid-season win over Cornell was the only sign of life for the nation's lowest rated FCS offense.  The Bison opened the season being outscored 106-9 in its first three games and 146-22 in its last three. 

Bucknell returns eight starters on both offense and defense, so they should be improved. Five sophomores will see starts on the offense in its opener versus Towson, including QB Ethan Grady, who started the final five games of the 2021 season and passed for a season's best 162 yards against Georgetown on October 23. Like Georgetown, the Bison rely on receivers, with its top two wideouts, sophomore Marques Owens and junior Damian Harris returning this fall.

Four seniors anchor a Bison secondary that finished ahead of Lehigh and Fordham on pass defense, but the team struggled on the line, giving up  an average of 242 yards per game on the ground. Linebackers Brent Jackson and Ben Allen combined for 149 tackles between them, so they need help up front.

The early schedule does coach Dave Cecchini no favors, with Towson, VMI, and Central Michigan to open September and consecutive road games with Holy Cross, Yale, and Lehigh  in mid-October. An end of season exacta at Georgetown and home versus Marist may be the best hope for Bucknell to get into the win column this season.

2022 Football Preview: Defense

When times were lean in Georgetown football over the last two decades, which is just about every season, you could always count on the defense to keep things close. Will this be the case in 2022?

Defense has been a priority for three decades--each of its last thee head coaches came with a defensive coordinator's mind set. The defense neared a peak in 2018 and 2019 behind the likes of  Khristian Tate, Wes Bowers, Ahmad Wilson, and Justin Fonteneaux, with Fonteneaux the last of the four still at Georgetown.  The Georgetown defense of 2022 figures to take a step back in experience from its 2021 output, which sagged as the season went on.

Defensive Line

The Hoyas return six starters from 2021 and all three along the front line of what was a 3-3-5 set in 2021. Three veteran players figure to carry much of the load.

Graduate student Ibrahim Kamara anchors the line, seeing action in every games over the past three seasons. His productivity has improved each season, with 33 tackles, 5.5 TFL and  two sacks in 2021, sixth on the team and leading all linemen. Tony Gyimah Jr and Isaiah Byrd combined for 44 tackles between them in nine games, but with only one sack between them on a Georgetown team that was last in the PL with 11 sacks, or just over one per game. By contrast, Holy Cross had 45 sacks last season.

Rushing defense is a priority for the line this season. The Hoyas gave up 197 yards on the ground per game in 2021 compared to just 140.5 in 2019, and allowed an average of 5.0 yards per carry, an unacceptable number if GU hopes to be competitive in 2022.  With that in mind, a healthy year for DL Quincy Chinwuko is a must. A promising underclassman in 2019, Chinwuko was held to one game in 2021 before injury, with a  fourth quarter fumble recovery that allowed GU to advance into overtime for the win over Delaware State. 

Beyond these four, there's a lot of inexperience for the defensive line reserves. Sophomore Veron Garrison (six tackles in 2021) and junior Noah Gick (seven tackles) will challenge in third down sets, but with five freshmen on the roster competing for line positions, 2023 may be more realistic for them, increasing the need for the Hoyas' experience to step up in areas where it trailed in 2021.

Linebackers

The returning defensive line is experienced. The linebackers are not. 

Fifth year LB Justin Fonteneaux is the only returning starter for Georgetown, and he will need help as the season progresses. Fonteneaux was second on the team in 2021 in tackles despite injuries which limited him to seven games, and he figures to be among the leaders at the conclusion of the season.  Senior Jonathan Saddler (27 tackles) figures to compete for a starting role along with sophomore Stephen Sergio (14 tackles), but college level experience trails off after that. 

One to watch may be sophomore Myles Jones. He played in only five games but contributed eight tackles and a TFL over those five games, and has the speed to play on the outside. Any injuries to the starters will escalate Jones and sophomore Jed Henry into the discussion.

Secondary

The defensive backfield was hard hit by graduation in 2021, with just two of the five starters returning in 2022. With Georgetown near the bottom of FCS in defensive pass efficiency in 2021, this figures to be a problem spot for GU entering the 2022 season.

Junior David Ealey III  and senior Jovone Campbell and are returning starters from 2021.  Ealey was third on the team in tackles in 2021 with 48, while Campbell contributed 27.

They will need immediate help from a trio expected to move into contention for starting roles: senior Khalil Saunders (nine games in 2021, 22 tackles), junior Rashon Adams Jr  (seven games, 23 tackles) and 5th year grad student Resell Walton (four games, 13 tackles).

After that, a lot of questions. Georgetown is carrying 19 DB's, more than any in recent years. Three newcomers arrive via the transfer portal (Jamal Marshall from Abilene Christian, Kolubah Pewee Jr from Maine, and Cameron Nash from Army), but none have any experience at the college level. Three freshmen come from northeastern prep schools, not normally a source for freshman impact players at the Division I level. Georgetown was last in the PL in interceptions (four) in 2021 allowed opposing QB's an average of 62.4 percent passing in 2021. This secondary will be tested all season, especially from stronger PL teams such as Holy Cross, Fordham, and Colgate, and not for the better,.

Special Teams

Sophomore Conor Hunt's 2021 season was a notable one, finishing first in the PL in punting with a 41.7 yard average, fourth best in Georgetown history. It was ultimately transitory, as he transferred to Rice.

What's  left is a collection of four players with limited punting skills largely seen except by the coaching staff. The Hoyas did pick up Nebraska junior Ryan Novosel from the portal, so he may be worth watching to see if he can contribute early. Though he saw no time with Cornhuskers as a preferred walk-on, his high school records was good enough to get a second look, and according to his bio was a top 100 kicker nationally in the 2020 recruiting class. 

It's possible Georgetown will see different players at punter, place kicker, and on kickoffs. The Hoyas were last in the PL in kickoff yards and field goal accuracy in 2021 (7-12, 58.3%), and lost the Lafayette game outright on a blocked kick. Georgetown allowed a PL-worst 17.7 yards returns on kicks last fall for a net kickoff of just 32.5 yards. While kickoffs won't cost the Hoyas games, they can set up shorter fields for opponents, and that is a concern.

As returners go, Joshua Tomas is as good as any in recent years, and returns for his final season in 2022. Tomas averages 21.3 yards per kick and 8.6 per game per punt, but only has one return for a touchdown over three years. This seems the year to add to those numbers, despite hang times that have limited the ability to make much headway on punt returns.   

Others expected to see time on returns are running backs Dorrian Moultrie and Naieem Kearney, who combined for six returns last season.

Coming Thursday: a Patriot League preview.

2022 Football Preview: Offense

 Over the last 21 years of Georgetown football, trends seem difficult when reviewing year after year of setbacks and shortfalls. But a seven year cycle of performance seems in order.

After some rough years adjusting to the Patriot League, Georgetown looked to be turning the corner in 2005, and featured a 4-4  record heading into the last month of the season. Georgetown dropped all three, the door was shown for Bob Benson, and the succeeding teams lost 22 of its next 25.

Seven years later, 2012 looked promising for a Georgetown team that surprised everyone with an 8-3 season the year before. From a 3-1 start in 20-12, the Hoyas lost 20 of its next 26.

Fast forward to 2019, Georgetown's deepest team in as many years. The Hoyas opened 4-1, with back to back wins over Ivy League teams for the first time ever. On October 11, 2019, Georgetown gave up a  touchdown with 16 seconds to lose to Fordham, 30-27, and it's been downhill since--the Hoyas dropped four of five, then a year to COVID when other PL teams were in limited action, and a shaky 2-8 season in 2021 where its wins were against two of the weakest teams in the nation.

If there's a year for a big turnaround, 2022 is probably not it, given the vice grip that recruiting plays in the inability to sign transformative talent to GU. Georgetown finished a stone's throw ahead of a really bad Bucknell team last year, and is largely predicted to follow the same pattern in 2022.  To change course, the offense has to step up.

Quarterback 

Georgetown's problems on offense generally start with the quarterback--not the man per se, but the position. The inability of the program to recruit significant talent to the position over the years leads to a reliance on experience over execution, and substandard results with a short-term option.

Such is the prognosis for 2022, where two seniors with limited game experience are on the two-deep. Pierce Holley sat for most of his first three seasons just as Joe Brunell did, and his 368 yard passing effort against Columbia was certainly unexpected. As teams studied film on him, however, Holley's numbers dimmed, throwing for just 892 yards for the remainder of the season, with three touchdowns and five interceptions. Holley gets the edge in this year's quarterback race in that he is a pocket passer, one Georgetown has favored over the years--though GU is not a particularly dangerous team in the passing game.

With sophomore Dorian Nowell no longer on the roster, Georgetown is thin at quarterback and vulnerable if beset with injuries. Senior Tyler Knoop, who rushed for 122 of his season's 128 yards in the season finale at Morgan State, has thrown the ball just twice in his college career. Junior Connor Katz and freshman Danny Lauter have no experience at this level and would be learning on the job if called into game action. Katz had one other FCS offer (Stetson) along with Division II and Division III schools, while Lauter's only offer was Georgetown, according to reports.

This is one of those positions where an FBS addition from the portal would have been huge, but Georgetown and the Patriot League make this a very difficult process and those that are looking never look to Washington.

Offensive Line

The fortunes of the offensive line took a decided turn upward this summer when senior Mac Hollensteiner changed course on a  fifth year at Virginia to return to the Hilltop, anchoring a line returning three starters and its entire second string.

Georgetown must replace the entire left side of its line, as seniors Josh Stevens and TJ Thomas took fifth year options to the University of Delaware. Juniors Luke Popma and Richie Ponomi, who saw action in four and six games, respectively, in 2021, are expected additions to the starting lineup. 

The right side of the line appears to be well stocked. Center Neal Azar, who has started the past 21 games at center, returns for a fifth year and was a team captain last year. Hollensteiner started every game last season and will be the largest man on the line for Georgetown at 310 lbs.  Seniors Talati Polomalu and Sam Telesa will compete at right tackle, and give Georgetown something it has often lacked on the line: solid experience at every position.

Among the backups, GU's largest player by weight is 370 lb. Stanford Maison, who did not see game action last season. He'll be joined by fellow senior Spencer Harris, who action in four games, as reserve options.

Running Back

For the Hoyas to make any movement up the league standings, the line must support a running game that has been overmatched for years. Georgetown was 119th of 123 FCS teams last season in the run, and return its top two rushers in Joshua Stakely and Herman Moultrie III. 

Stakely led the Hoyas with just 276 yards last season, the fewest rushing yards by a team leader at RB since 2001.  He finished 14th among active PL rushers last season, where Georgetown was held to 83.8 yards per game in 2021. Stakely's 76 yard effort versus Bucknell was a season high, while Moultrie also excelled against Bucknell, with 84 of his 200 yards on the season versus  the Bison. More often than not, however, Georgetown was punished in the trenches, rushing for six yards each against Harvard and Holy Cross, 33 versus Lehigh, and 48 against Delaware State. The Hoyas led in net rushing in just one game last season.

Sophomores Naieem Kearney (12-21-0) and Shane Stewart (DNP in 2021) could see action, while Georgetown's only freshman RB, 5-9 Mason Gudger, is a longshot to see significant time as a freshman despite 4,134 yards and 64 touchdowns in a high school career at Greeneville (TN).

Receivers

If Georgetown remains grounded in the rushing game, it has as deep a receiving corps as it has enjoyed in many years, if only they get the opportunity.

A pair of fifth year seniors figure to make case for Georgetown this season.  Cameron Crayton and Joshua Thomas combined for 1,488 yards in 2021, accounting for eight of GU's 11 combined passing touchdowns last season. Crayton is the best downfield target, while Tomas' speed gives him options in run-pass-option schemes. 

With Georgetown employing a three receiver set for much of last season, Crayton and Tomas  were the best options then ,and look to be so n 2022, but there is a room for a third regular contributor. Junior WR Asante Das (36-431-1) is an early favorite, while  sophomore Brock Biestek and freshman Kenyan Richardson-Cook may see action as well.

The tight end position appears to focus on fifth year senior Liam McHale (6-73-0) but two freshman (Max McCormick, Conor O'Neil) and a junior newcomer (Graham Murphey) may see time in the depth chart behind senior Jack Tishman, who moves to tight end from linebacker. Overall, though, Georgetown is not deep in the position and it will take a decided back seat to production from the receivers.

Georgetown stood a creditable 26th nationally in FCS passing, averaging 250.2 yards per game. Its red zone conversions were lacking: just 17 of 27 attempts in 2021 resulted in touchdowns and four possessions stalled on fourth down, no small numbers when GU lost  three games by seven points or less.

For 2022, Georgetown's 19 points a game would have been at the bottom of most conferences, given that it was 102nd nationally. It caught a break, if once could call it that, from an exceptionally weak PL in 2012, with four teams even worse than the Hoyas, including the two worst offenses in FCS in Lehigh and Bucknell. But by comparison to Fordham (50 TD in 2021) or Holy Cross (56), Georgetown's offensive firepower is severely limited. 

As teams like Lehigh and Colgate begin to turn the corner, Georgetown needs a more aggressive offensive game plan. Absent a running game, the passing game will take it as far as it can, which returns the point of emphasis to a thin margin at quarterback. 

For last season, Georgetown was 1-5 in games where it scored 21 or more points, so it's not all on the offense. Coming Wednesday, a look at the defense and its ability to return to the defensive intensity Georgetown enjoyed pre-COVID.

The Case For The Patriot Football Conference

 

On July 21, 2021, a story was leaked to the Houston Chronicle that two schools in the Big 12 conference were secretly negotiating with the Southeastern Conference about future membership. Within six months, one out of every eight members of the Division I membership announced plans to realign in new conferences over the next four years. One in eight.

Restructure was not reserved to the big schools, however. Changes to the WAC, ASUN, Southland, Ohio Valley, Colonial, Big South, Big Sky, and MEAC will all reshuffle the deck of the Division I-AA/FCS assortment of schools.. These conferences did not see changes due to schools chasing after TV contracts or playoff berths. In many cases, it was a realization that the governing models which had held their leagues together were no longer sufficient to manage a changing landscape for their schools, particularly in football. To those schools, it was not a case of jumping for the brass ring, but a more fundamental need: innovate, or atrophy.

Such was (not) the case with the Patriot League, to whom atrophy is a clear and present danger to its football programs, Georgetown included. 

It's been two decades since the Patriot League was a significant national player in FCS football. When Georgetown arrived to the PL in 2001, flush with the promise of continued success gained from its MAC Football days, it was not uncommon for the PL to field Top 10 teams nationally--that season, Lehigh was ranked #5  nationally. Two years later, with two Top 25 teams among its roster, Colgate advanced to the championship game,  having defeated UMass, Western Illinois, and Florida Atlantic before falling to Delaware. The PL's mix of regional identity and not-quite-Ivy League recruiting was a potent mix to secure regular playoff appearances and recruit some of the top talent in the Northeast who were not headed to major college programs. 

But in 2022, many of these same guardrails have combined to run the PL off the road of competitive FCS football. In 2021, the Patriot was a combined 9-27 (.250) out of conference, compared to 20-17 (.540) a decade earlier.  The move to scholarship football in 2012 (except at Georgetown, of course) failed to address the continued decline in recruiting and results, not only against a revived Ivy League, but against the regional conferences the PL was once comparable with or superior to. Among the 14 FCS conferences, the PL is no better than ninth or tenth of the 14 today, with a continued decline in its sights. 

The league is ossified by recruiting restrictions rules which date back to the 1980's, ostensibly to curry favor with the Ivy League, a league that cares less and less about what the PL is up to in 2022. And because football rules falls under the league as a whole, many of the advantages other conferences offer in areas such as redshirting, graduate transfers, and equivalency grants run afoul of the league as a whole, which is determined to play its other sports as a decidedly lower state of competitive performance.

Further contributing to its squeeze is the lack of growth. Despite six of its schools being in the top 20 in FCS football spending, the PL has not added a new school to football since Georgetown in 2001. Its reputation in some circles as "the place where programs go to die" scare some well known suitors away; to others, the excessive rules and restrictions are simply not worth the effort.  Therein lies a risk of its own--the PL is only one school above the NCAA minimum for a conference. If two schools leave, the PL is defunct; furthermore, if as few as one of the full members (Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh) leave, the PL is defunct as well, putting Georgetown's tepid commitment to football at danger in more competitive waters. 

There is an argument to be made for Georgetown to consider other conference opportunities, but this is not the column for that. Instead, the football fortunes of the PL need a new approach, one mirrored by the most successful conference in FCS: the Missouri Valley.

Today's ten team MVC contains just seven schools which play football, and not all at the same competitive level. Valparaiso, for example, is not competitive with Northern Iowa, any more than Bucknell is competitive with Army. Just five compete at a scholarship level, which would not be enough, on its own, to be an authorized conference. 

The Missouri Valley maintains and administers a separate football conference under its auspices: the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which not only serves as a home to the five all-sport members, but has also attracted some of the region's strongest programs, among them North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Youngstown State, combining for 13 national championships among them. 

This arrangement gives the all-sport MVC schools a common conference experience without the need to add more schools for other sports. (Three new schools will enter the conference in 2022, but only one plays football.)

This is the future, if it chooses to look beyond its myopia, for the Patriot League. A Patriot Football Conference (PFC) would be administered from the PL office but be permitted to govern itself in football outside the league's all-sports umbrella: namely, allowing equivalency scholarships, recruiting outside an Academic Index, redshirting, allowing graduate transfers, and ending restrictive roster limits--in short, doing what every other conference in Eastern football outside the Ivy already does.

Let's cut to the chase: there are probably ten schools, namely, Villanova, Richmond, and William & Mary, but also the likes of Delaware, Monmouth, Towson, Rhode Island, Albany, Maine and New Hampshire, to whom a compact, self-governing, football-only conference in the Northeast could be a reasonable option were it not for the strings attached with Patriot League membership. 

Many of these teams are situated in the CAA for football, but that conference was reshaped by realignment, with future additions from North Carolina A&T, Hampton, Monmouth, and Stony Brook. A league that stretches from Greensboro to Orono, with enrollments ranging from 3,500 to 26,000, may not be the best future to some of these schools in football, especially as they play other sports in more compact conferences.  Does a Villanova see synergies playing Holy Cross and Lehigh, or  traveling to Elon and NC A&T? How long does Hampton want to travel to games in New Hampshire?

But for now the Patriot isn't a realistic alternative. There's a reason why Villanova or Richmond or William & Mary aren't in the PL: they have rejected the competitive limitations the PL thrusts upon its membership. A school which aspires to the FCS national championship will not find those opportunities in today's PL, which is now a one-bid conference. A new governing body for football doesn't mean the PL is abandoning academics, but it does signal that with proper governance and vision, the PL can meet the best of both worlds while providing for the kind of competitive experiences its own institutions expect out of a college football program. 

This approach raises the case for a "PFC" to a more competitive state with schools outside the Ivy League, and sends a message that it open for business to welcome other Eastern schools who see benefits in the conference, but not the PL's all-sports governance.  It also goes without saying that as more competitive programs enter the conversation, the opportunities for the conference rise to follow, and certainly the potential for renewed interest.

A PFC doesn't make things any easier competitively for Georgetown--far from it. But a new look at how FCS football is governed could help Georgetown shake off two decades of slumber in I-AA and give it the tools it needs to compete: first and foremost, the ability to recruit outside a prescriptive SAT range that makes it prohibitive to recruit talented players. If a recruit is good enough to be admitted at Navy or Villanova, he ought to be good enough to be admitted at Georgetown--but it's not allowed in the current setup.  For the other six schools, they get a fair chance to put their Top 20 spending to seek Top 20 status on the field, not merely limp to a 5-6 record to seek an autobid. 

Properly envisioned, the Patriot Football Conference could be as impactful to Eastern football as the MVFC is in the Midwest. Without it, the PL is just one realignment removed from its own demise.