Some thoughts following Georgetown's 14-0 win over Fordham:
1. A Struggle Win: It's never easy for Georgetown to eat Fordham (19 losses in the last 23 entering this game) but this game seemed a struggle: opportunities lost, fourth down plays gone sour, and despite its woeful offense, the Rams never seemed quite out of it. Yes, it was a big win as far as Georgetown's record is concerned, and a rare one at that--this was only the fifth time in 25 years where Georgetown scored 15 or fewer points against a Patriot League opponent and won it, and the first opponent not named Bucknell or Lafayette.
Once again, and it seems almost elementary at this point, turnovers were consequential. A second quarter Fordham fumble deep in its territory allowed Georgetown to go up 14-0 and set the tone for the remainder of the game. A pair of missed field goals by the Rams: a 42 yard attempt to end the first half and a 49 yard attempt in its opening drive of the third quarter could have made things interesting, but such this is the life of a one win team: mistakes become prohibitive.
As rivalries go, it's seen better days, and not just because of the disparity on the series record. There was a time when Georgetown and Fordham competed for the best students in Catholic New York, but not so much anymore. I sometimes think, perhaps humorously, that Rob Sgarlata would schedule two more New York teams just to get an extra trip to the region each year (the only area schools it hasn't played recently are LIU and Stony Brook) but this too is reflective of the past. In 1996, 42 players on the roster came from the New York/New Jersey region; in 2025, just 13. Gone are the trips to St. John's, Iona, St. Peter's and Fairfield.
Adding two more PL games next year won't put Fordham in danger, and as long as Columbia is struggling they will see Georgetown as a game to schedule. As for New York, the Hoyas return to Fordham next year, and rest assured the Rams will be ready.
2. Warming Up? The Patriot League is not an impatient place. Where lower tier SEC coaches seem to drop off nearly every week and cash in their eight figure buyouts, a hot seat in the PL is rare.
It's worth watching, however, to see how Fordham acts at season's end. Joe Conlin has been head coach for eight seasons, the longest run by any Fordham head coach since the late Larry Glueck, who led Fordham from Division III into the Patriot League. If Fordham defeats Merrimack, that's back to back two-win seasons at Rose Hill, and while that's not an alarm bell at Georgetown or Bucknell, it may be to a school which spends close to $9 million on football annually. Of Georgetown's four prior wins in the series since 2001, two came in the final year of former Fordham coaches Ed Foley (2005) and Tom Masella (2011) .
Conlin has coached playoff-quality teams: the 2022 team was ranked #16 nationally with a 9-2 regular season mark. The transfer portal gives, and takes away. But sports in general have been down at Fordham (men's basketball, a decades-long example) and every athletic program is trying to balance budgets with contemporary pressures. If Fordham wanted to go all-in on football NIL, for example, the Rams could be back in a big way.
Adding Villanova and William & Mary to the picture will make the PL more competitive than ever. It's a factor that has to weight upon athletic directors who see where the institution is placed relative to football spending. With future games already lined up at Syracuse (2027) and Hawaii (2028), schools like Fordham have decisions that are bigger than a coach and his staff.
3. The Seniors: A total of 30 seniors and fifth year grad students played their final game at Cooper Field Saturday.
This was an underrated group of young men who stuck with the program after a 2-9 freshman year and enters its season finale winners of 16 of its last 33 games, no small feat given Georgetown's budget and its self-imposed limitations. Of the 26 recruits signed in the 2021-22 academic year, 21 made it four years, with just three players lost to the transfer portal, all to FBS schools: Michael Burton to UConn, Mateen Ibrigoba to Wake Forest, and Jaden Dugger to Louisiana-Lafayette.
Their collective commitment on and off the field is worthy of recognition.
4. Around the PL:
Holy Cross 37, Bucknell 20: The Crusaders turned in its best game of the season, overcoming a 7-6 halftime deficit to take over the Bison in the second half. Holy Cross rang up 414 total yards and 276 yards on the ground, sending a message they will be ready for the season finale at Fenway Park. Despite a brief appearance by senior Ralph Rucker at quarterback, it's the fourth loss in the last five weeks for Bucknell since Rucker's mid-season injury.
Lehigh 27, Colgate 7: The Engineers remained undefeated in a workmanlike win over the Red Raiders holding the Colgate ground game to 60 yards and building up a 20-7 halftime lead that was not challenged thereafter. It's the 11th PL win over the last 12 games for Lehigh, whose only setback in the last two years came on a double overtime loss last season versus Bucknell. Barring something unusual, they appear headed back to the playoffs regardless of the result of the league title game at Lafayette.
Lafayette 35, Richmond 28: For the rest of the PL fan base not in the greater Boston area this weekend, a battle of 6-0 Lehigh and 6-0 Lafayette for the league title is going to be memorable. The Leopards held Richmond to a goal line stand to preserve its win, as RB Kente Edwards led the way with 265 yards on the ground. Dean Denobile threw for three touchdown passes as the Leopards seek its first outright PL title since 2013 with a win over Lehigh. Yes, Lehigh is favored, but rivalries have a way of keeping things interesting.
The final week's games:
Fordham at Merrimack, 12:00 noon
Lehigh at Lafayette, 12:30
Richmond at William and Mary, 1:00
Bucknell at Colgate, 1:00
Georgetown vs. Holy Cross at Fenway Park, 4:00
