Some thoughts coming off Georgetown's early bye week:
1. Relax, Recover, or Reboot? As one of only four FCS schools without an opponent last week, Georgetown was in an unusual position of sitting out the second week of September. The previous week's loss to Lehigh was neither unusual or unexpected, but highlighted three areas of longer-term concern with the trajectory of the 2026 Hoyas.
As any cook would say, you can only go as far as the ingredients will take you, and such is the case with the coaches. The depth of this team is less than any other Patriot League team, and to "do more with less" is a concept baked within the program, so to speak. The challenge facing the staff, both last week and in the weeks to come, is what they can do to reverse some of the trends.
1. Total Offense: Through two weeks, Georgetown ranks 107th among 116 schools in total offense, with just 239 yards offense in the Lehigh loss. Seven punts, an interception, and a turnover on downs marked Georgetown's first nine complete series of the game until it managed a touchdown against Lehigh's reserves to close the game. The running game wasn't there, nor the passing game. Much of this was a reflection of a superior Lehigh defense, of course, but the Hoyas need better execution. Its 3 for 12 on third down ranks 104th nationally; its 4.9 yards per passing attempt is 109th.
2. Progress At Quarterback: Whether it's one game (or a game and half, depending on your view), the quarterback situation represents an area of focus. Neither Jacob Holtschlag nor Jack Johnson has made a case to push the Hoyas forward. Holtschlag's passing efficiency of 73.0 is just 105th of 107 quarterbacks tracked by the NCAA. The play calling has been conservative and the offensive line isn't giving either man enough time to set up for extended pass plays. Saturday's game against a Richmond defense that has allowed 385 yards a game over its first three opponents offers at least an opportunity to gain some offensive momentum.
3. Time Of Possession: One game does not mark a trend, but to have run 11 drives which consume just 19:41 off the clock is a bad way to start off the season. Georgetown needs to build drive and convert them in order to place any fear into the hearts of a Richmond team which beat Bucknell by three touchdowns and sailed past Howard before an epic 73-0 wipeout at North Carolina State.
In a moment of trivia, it was noted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch that Friday's loss was the most points surrendered by a Richmond team since an 84-0 loss on October 31, 1900.
The opponent in 1900? Georgetown University.
2. News From the Ivies: Saturday marks the opening of the Ivy League season, which always starts three weeks later than everyone else. Some surprising news today opens the door to some changes in that regard. Per an Ivy release:
"For the 2027 season, the league games originally scheduled for Oct. 23 -- the first weekend featuring exclusively Ivy vs. Ivy competition -- will instead be played in Week 1 on Sept. 11. The league-wide bye week will take place the weekend of Oct. 23... Options for the implementation of the bye week beyond the 2027 season will continue to be discussed throughout the upcoming year."
The short answer to the news above is that the Ivies will open their schedule a week earlier, which may open the doors to its non-conference schedule. It's no secret that the Ivies' access to Patriot opponents has been constricted, following the PL's move to a nine game league schedule. By Week 3, a number of Northeastern conferences are already into their league schedules.
In 2026, the Ivy and Patriot will play just 11 games between them. Four PL schools (Fordham, Richmond, W&M, Villanova) have no Ivy opponents, while two Ivies (Dartmouth, Princeton) have no Patriot opponents. Whether these leagues necessarily need to play more games is a topic of its own, which we'll discuss next week.
3. Around The PL: Some great games last week. Let's start with one that got lost among the FBS blowouts.
Central Michigan 13, Colgate 10: The Red Raiders put together a great game plan on the road and led with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter, but succumbed late, 13-10, before 19,005 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Colgate forced three turnovers on the homestanding Chippewas but gave up two interceptions of its own in CMU territory for its final two drives of the game. "I am so happy and proud of our kids for battling and battling in all three phases, and I am so, so thankful for our fans," said CMU coach Matt Drinkall. "We had an incredible crowd today and it made a huge difference, especially in the second half when we started playing better in all three phases." Even in defeat, Colgate sent a message that it is ready co compete at the highest levels of the PL, and the Red Raiders return home this weekend to play Cornell.
Lehigh 44, William & Mary 20: The #9-ranked Engineers opened with a 30-0 run and never looked back before a home crowd of 5,240 at Goodman Stadium. W&M is going to be a contender this season but were no match for Lehigh, which rang up 366 rushing yards, led by 169 yards from RB Luke Yoder. Lehigh scored on four of its first five possessions with drives of 58, 65, 69, and 85 yards and hosts Dartmouth this weekend, while the Tribe hosts Fordham.
Bucknell 14, VMI 3: This was all of a 3-0 game entering the final eight minutes before the Bison scored on a 66 yard drive and converted on a midfield interception on the next series for the second touchdown. Chris Dietrich was 22 of 30 for 221 yards to lead the Bison, who host Penn this weekend.
Lafayette 13, Marist 9: A struggle win for the Leopards at Fisher Stadium averted its first loss to Marist since the series began in 1999. An underrated Marist team was halted on four drives inside Lafayette territory, including a pair of fourth quarter opportunities at the Lafayette 20 and its 13. Neither team committed a turnover on the afternoon, but Lafayette's defensive intensity proved the difference. Lafayette concludes its non-conference slate Saturday at Columbia.
Louisville 59, Villanova 13: The first of four FBS blowouts thumped the Wildcats before 46,385 at L&N Stadium. Villanova trailed 31-10 at the half and never contended, giving up 635 total yards and spotted the Cardinals points on five of their first six drives of the evening. A return to FCS awaits the Wildcats in a road game at LIU.
North Carolina State 73, Richmond 0: "We’re down. We’re banged up, man. I understand that,” said Richmond coach Russ Huesman after the Spiders were routed before 56,919 at Carter-Finley Stadium . “They were just going through us so easily, making plays... [but] 73-0, I mean, that’s ridiculous." The Wolfpack averaged 10.6 yards per play and 734 yards total offense en route to its largest margin of victory since an 90-7 win over Wofford in 1920, when State was known as the North Carolina A&M Aggies.
Miami (OH) 45, Holy Cross 7: The struggles continue for the Crusaders with its third consecutive blowout, this one a 45-7 loss before 11,126 at Yager Stadium. The Red Hawks scored on each of its first six drives of the game and led 42-0 at halftime, holding Holy Cross to a net of 16 yards in its first five drives. Miami quarterback David McComb was 13 for 13 for 234 yards and three touchdowns. The Crusaders host Yale Saturday before beginning a run on the road that won't have them back to Fitton Field until October 24.
Coastal Carolina 45, Fordham 7: The Chanticleers broke open an early 7-7 deadlock and scored 38 unanswered points before 18,113 at Brooks Stadium. The Rams were held to just 210 yards and six of its drives netted three of fewer yards. Winless in its first three games, the Rams travel to #21-ranked William & Mary on Saturday.
