Some thoughts following Georgetown's 49-7 win over Marist this past Saturday:
1. Marist? What The... For a game that seemed close for the first ten minutes, the wheels spun right off a Marist team that usually proves more than competitive with Georgetown over the years. What happened?
Outside of the first drive, Marist seemed unprepared in all three facets of the game. Timing was off on the running game, the passing game was erratic, and special teams missed on two key points of the game, including a fumble on a kickoff. Outside of the first drive, Marist crossed midfield just once and not at all after halftime. Six penalties extended Georgetown drives and they held Georgetown to one punt for the afternoon.
Sometimes once can look at an outcome like this and chalk it up to inexperience, to injury, or to being grossly under matched across the lines. None of these held serve in this one. Marist returned 14 starters from a 4-7 team in 2013 that allowed Georgetown its most rushing yards in a game since Division III Catholic was scheduled in 2019, and surprisingly, that's what this team looked like Saturday: Catholic University.
No, Marist is not a Division III school and the Red Foxes aren't going 0-11--there is more talent on that team than what we saw Saturday. While the outcome was favorable for Georgetown, don't read too much into the score-- the competition steps up this weekend.
2. Names To Remember: The first week of the season introduced fans to some newer names from the Georgetown roster and while week one is not a predictive outcome, their growth will be worth watching in the weeks to come.
First up: Division III transfer Nicholas Dunneman. In his Georgetown debut, Dunneman had 97 all purpose yards including 48 yards on four punt returns, earning him PL special teams player of the week. It's unlike Marist had much in the way of game tape on Dunneman, even if Union College was a scant 95 miles up the Thruway. Let's see how he is able to build upon this in the weeks to come.
Another one with a solid game was freshman Isaiah Grimes, which wasn't even listed on the roster as late as two weeks ago. The Philadelphia native caught two passes for 17 yards and a touchdown, but his size opens up some options for what appears to be a thin GU receiver corps relative to its opponents. Georgetown is not going to win a lot of games with 107 yards passing as it did Saturday, but a legitimate tight end option is a valuable addition to the lineup if it continues to be an option.
The third isn't a freshman or a transfer, but junior Naieem Kearney has been waiting for his moment to get in the lineup and he made the most of it Saturday, with 78 yards and two touchdowns, nearly doubling his career output the first two seasons. If properly positioned, Kearney adds something to a rushing game which has been underperforming for quite a while, largely because GU backs are often too small or too slow to pick up yardage. At 5-8, Kearney won't solve the former but he is elusive in the open field and could certainly help with the latter.
3. No Place Like Home: Saturday's win ended a discouraging streak for coach Sgarlata and the Hoyas--10 consecutive losing games at home dating to October 2019. The closest run of futility like this was nine in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, but no matter how you cut it, no team should lose 10 ten straight a home.
The turnout was, well, endemic of a team without a groundswell of support. Georgetown continues to underpromote the team for reasons which still elude me, and neither student newspaper saw fit to preview it or publish a recap. Less than 1,900 people showed up for this game and while football still outdraws soccer, student interest for a Saturday afternoon game at Cooper Field is lacking. Maybe "Contain Cooper" doesn't have the ring as "Surround Shaw" but no one need fear that that students would overrun the place.
They weren't there.
Which leads me to this game:
Duke's 28-7 win Monday night over Clemson was remarkable in many ways, but the setting of the game - a Labor Day evening - was particularly memorable, and one which will be for generations to come. A 12:30 start for Duke football is usually a nondescript one, with students uninterested or unaware of the start. A night game, a rarity of sorts on that campus , awakened echoes of the days when Duke football was something to be respected.
And begs the question...why doesn't Georgetown play night games?
Oh, it can, and it has: a 2009 home opener versus Lafayette, for one, and at least one other opener versus Davidson circa 2011. A night game in September brings a lower temperature (about 10 degrees less, on average), brings the ability for fans that can't make it to campus on a Saturday to attend, and it brings out students who, though certainly subject to fits of indifference, see a night game as something special.
The Georgetown bureaucracy will posit all sorts of excuses for why this can't happen - opponent travel, parking, the neighborhood, etc., etc., but not for why it shouldn't. Night football gets attention, and if there is any FCS football program in America that needs attention, this would be it. Much can be made about the poor scheduling employed by Georgetown over the years, but that's not the point here. An opening game before a large crowd is the kind of game which can reengage students and alumni in a meaningful way.
It wasn't the case Saturday afternoon at noon. Down in Durham, it sure did.
4. Around the PL: Week one went to form, with two big wins.
Villanova 38, Lehigh 10. A lot of work ahead for the Engineers to rebuild in 2023. The Wildcats led 31-3 at the half and were never threatened before just 4,360 at Murray Goodman Stadium. Lehigh finished 2 for 14 on third down and back to back interceptions were converted into touchdowns by the Wildcats. This week, Lehigh is at Merrimack (0-1).
Holy Cross 42, Merrimack 20: A game closer than the score might suggest, a solid Merrimack team ran out of gas late against the once and future PL champions before a league best 13,117 at Fitton Field. Merrimack will fare better hosting Lehigh, while HC has a date Saturday. at Boston College, one which offers hope of a memorable game against its former football rival, as the eagles are coming off a humbling home loss to Northern Illinois, 27-24.
Syracuse 65, Colgate 0: The Red Raiders were out of contention from the start, as the Orangemen led 23-0 in the first quarter en route to the win before 32,465 at the Carrier Dome. Still, it's a regional rivalry game, and one which means a lot to Colgate fans. Not much relief for Colgate next week, traveling to Villanova.
James Madison 38, Bucknell 3: Another guarantee check for the Bison, another loss. The Dukes walked home from Bridgeforth Stadium with the win before 23,756 in Harrisonburg, holding the Bison to 62 yards on the ground and forcing 10 points. Bucknell returns home for VMI (0-0) this week.
Fordham 46, Wagner 16: Close in the first quarter, the Rams pulled away after halftime in its home opener. Transfer QB C.J. Montes recovered from a shaky start at Albany to throw for 319 yards and five touchdowns and the Rams remain the second horse in the PL race. Now 1-1, Fordham travels to Buffalo on Saturday, where the Bulls lost at Wisconsin. 38-17.
Lafayette 19, Sacred Heart 14: An upset of sorts, as the homestanding Leopards held off the Pioneers before 5,634 at Fisher Stadium. A late interception earned Lafayette the win, and a measure of momentum heading into a major college opponent that will be the talk of college football entering the weekend: yes, the Leopards are playing Duke.
