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.
