Some thoughts following Georgetown's 51-14 win over Davidson:
1. An Opening Thought: I do not gamble on anything, but found it bizarre that a published line in Las Vegas, posted at BetMGM.com, listed Georgetown as a 2.5 point favorite in this game, despite a new staff at Davidson and GU coming off a 24 point win against Davidson last season. Nothing in this game was going to come down to less than a field goal, and one hopes that anyone who set such a line is either an AI bot or someone who still has a job Monday morning. All that said...
2. Perspective: Excepting some lapses in the kicking game, Saturday's effort versus the Wildcats was a complete success across the board. Of ten Georgetown drives, exclusive of plays to end the first and second half, the Hoyas scored on eight of them and punted on the other two--no turnovers, no fourth down stalls. Three red zone appearances, three scores.
This was a first week tune-up, nothing more or less. Davidson is neither Richmond, Lehigh, or Holy Cross. It's not even Morgan State. Of the 10 prior Georgetown wins versus the Wildcats in this series, nine ended up losing seasons for Georgetown, and not a sign of things to come. Both teams have learning opportunities coming out of the game, and that's what this game was: a learning opportunity.
Offensively, Georgetown took advantage of an opponent literally playing its first game together, and a Savion Hart touchdown on the second play was evidence of same. Davidson returned no defensive starters from the 2024 finale versus Valparaiso and this allowed GU to take advantage of matchups which set the tone from the opening drive. The Hoyas may not get many opportunities to rush 40 or more carries in a game the rest of the season, but it opens the door for offensive coordinator Rob Spence to get more options in the playbook for Savion Hart and Bryce Cox, and not just on first downs.
Defensively, Davidson's offense is the equivalent of changing four tires on a car while it is still running down the road. The move from a triple-option offense to a traditional package is going to be difficult in the best of times and the Wildcats did not have the experience with both the players and the new coaches with which it could run and pass effectively. An example of same: Mari Adams, the nation's 13th leading runner by total yards in 2024, had just five carries in the game, for 15 yards.
With the exception of Quincy Briggs falling down on a pass play that earned Davidson its first score, the Wildcats were held to a net of 274 yards in the game and had just one red zone appearance all afternoon. Better yet: Georgetown held Davidson to 4 for 15 on third down and made three fourth down stops in the game. Freshman Brian Allen made a strong debut in the secondary, tying the game high six tackles alongside veterans Giancarlo Rufo and Cody Pham.
Georgetown's special teams have some learning ahead of it. Two missed extra points and two kickoffs going out of bounds were underwhelming by PK Thomas Anderson and while not material to the outcome, are areas for attention.
In sum, the game was a win on both sides of the ball, but Davidson is also the weakest team on the 2025 schedule. In a schedule that is capable in September, challenging in October, and close to prohibitive in November, it's a win to take, but not one to dwell on.
3. Quarterback: Georgetown's use of a second quarterback that wasn't there to run the clock out was unexpected, and an opportunity that this game provided.
Most years, the Sgarlata era picks one QB and rides them to the bitter end. Perhaps Sgarlata doesn't want to revisit the drama around changing QB's in the Kevin Kelly era, or unnecessarily rely on underclassmen to run the offense. Regardless, the strategic use of Dez Thomas in this game was a smart move and one which Georgetown would do well to use going forward.
Thomas is a senior who has seen little action since transferring in from Trinity (TX) in 2022. His ability in this game to be mobile and to stretch out the Davidson defense was something that a stationary QB like Danny Lauter lacks. As with more than a few Georgetown quarterbacks of the past, Lauter tends to lock himself in the pocket and try to thread the pass, which gives mid-field defenses options to overplay and leave Lauter to send passes low rather than risk interceptions. Thomas was more agile in this regard and while admittedly Davidson had little or no game film to even prepare for this contingency, gave Georgetown a capable second option in the backfield that it has not employed in years.
Dez Thomas is not running the wildcat, which defenses have largely driven out of the college and pro game because it screams "quarterback keeper". Instead, he offers GU the RPO opportunity and not simply rely on Lauter to throw his way out of a larger defensive line. Thomas was 6-7 for 126 yards and rushed nine times for 45 yards.
Whether this was a on-off against a inexperienced Davidson defense or a strategic opportunity we'll see down the road is still to be determined. For this game, it was the right move and it made both quarterbacks better as a result.
4. About Those Seahawks: Wagner arrives to Cooper Field following a 46-7 loss at Kansas in its first ever game against a Big 12 opponent. Outgained 631-143, the Seahawks gave up touchdowns on four of KU's first six possessions.
Sophomore QB Jack Stevens (13-20, 90 yards) made his first college start Saturday, and will be up for the task against Georgetown. Despite the size differential, Wagner suffered only five sacks in the game and they figure to give Stevens more passing opportunities this week.
Georgetown and Wagner have met five times from 2010 through 2014, with Wagner taking three of five. The 2025 Seahawks are picked fifth in the eight team Northeast, where sixth year head coach Tom Masella, a former head coach at Fordham, is just 9-39 at Grymes Hill.
Georgetown is expected to return the game to Staten Island in 2026, but the addition of Villanova and William & Mary remains a mystery (at least outside of the football office) in how Sgarlata will rearrange the schedule to accommodate them. The head coach likes visiting New York, of course, but some combination of Davidson, Wagner, or Columbia must give way for the Wildcats and the Tribe next season. For its part, Wagner has four non-conference games already committed and may (or may not) add Chicago State if the are ready for the NEC in 2026. In other words, stay tuned.
5. Around The PL: Some really good games for the Patriot League to open the season, led by the early season showdown between Lehigh and Richmond.
Lehigh 21, Richmond 14: In a game which figures to involve the top teams in the 2025 race, the Engineers came back from an early deficit to prevail 21-14 before 4,463 at Goodman Stadium. Lehigh defense was tough all afternoon, holding the Spiders to just three punts and an interception after halftime. Overall, the Spiders were held to just 68 rushing yards on the afternoon.
Northern Illinois 19, Holy Cross 17? Are Lehigh and Richmond the teams to beat? Holy Cross says "Not so fast." A fourth down stop with 1:56 to play preserved a 19-17 NIU win before 10,569 at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL. A strong defensive effort by the Crusaders held NIU to just 287 total yards while the HC passing game outgained the Huskies 155-109. NIU won the battle in the trenches, and that final drive was evidence of it.
Air Force 49, Bucknell 13: The PL continues to make improvements in these FBS games, although this score doesn't reflect it. This was a 14-7 game a the half until the Falcons scored four consecutive touchdowns after halftime. Bucknell QB Ralph Rucker was held to 126 yards, and just 36 after halftime. A crowd of 30,207 at Falcon Stadium saw the Falcons soar to the 49-13 win in its 19th consecutive opening week victory.
Boston College 66, Fordham 10. The Rams played close for a quarter but the bottom dropped out after halftime before 41,221 at Alumni Stadium. From a 7-3 score midway in the first quarter, and 21-3 at halftime, the Eagles scored 28 unanswered points to open the second half. The Rams were outgained 555-168 and managed just 27 yards rushing on 16 carries.
This week's games (all times Eastern):
Sacred Heart (1-0) at Lehigh (1-0), 1:00 pm
Bucknell (0-1) at Marist (1-0), 1:00
Lafayette (0-1) at Stonehill (0-1), 1:00
Wagner (0-1) at Georgetown (1-0), 1:00
Richmond (0-1) at Wofford (0-1), 6:00
Colgate (0-1) at Villanova (0-0), 6:00
Holy Cross (0-1) at New Hampshire (1-0), 6:00