The Georgetown football team has gone downhill after an opening day victory, defeated Saturday by the Brown Bears to mark their fourth consecutive loss.
The Georgetown football team fell to Brown last Saturday by a score of 35-7. The loss is the team’s second on the road, and its fourth straight, this season.
Sophomore running back Jackson Saffold led the Georgetown (1-4) rushing attack against Brown (1-2, 0-1 Ivy League) with a career-high 82 yards on 16 carries, and junior quarterback Gunther Johnson rushed 11 times for a total of 60 yards on the ground. Johnson also completed 11 passes for 73 yards through the air.
Freshman wide receiver Joshua Tomas also contributed to the running game: He added 57 rushing yards, including a 17-yard touchdown carry on Georgetown’s opening drive in the second half. Tomas showcased his speed with 67 yards on kick returns.
Head Coach Rob Sgarlata emphasized the importance of sticking with the running game this season.
“We are still trying to find our legs up front. Our offensive line is a bit banged up, but there is nobody better in the business than Coach Spence,” Sgarlata said in an interview with The Hoya. “He will continue to hammer it out and figure out a way to run the football.”
Sgarlata and offensive coordinator Rob Spence did just that against Brown. Georgetown rushed for 248 yards, the team’s most in a game since 2014.
Sgarlata praised the work ethic of the younger members of the team.
“There are a lot of new names, a lot of freshmen and sophomores playing,” Sgarlata said. “Our kids have the mentality that it is ‘next man up,’ and we expect them to perform at a very high level.”
On the other side of the ball, the Hoya defense was anchored by some familiar names. Senior defensive back Blaise Brown once again had a team-high in tackles, with eight. Sophomore linebacker Wes Bowers notched seven tackles, and junior defensive lineman Kristian Tate recorded six tackles and a sack.
In the second half, Georgetown had several chances to score: The offense combined for nearly 250 yards in the final 30 minutes, scoring seven points.
The Hoyas struggled after an early deficit in the first quarter, conceding a muffed punt in the second quarter and missing on three fourth-down conversions late in the game, keeping them from victory.
Coach Sgarlata expressed that the Hoyas are close to earning victories in tight games.
“We need to make one more good play apiece to get a win against a good team,” Sgarlata said.
With the Hoyas’ nonconference schedule complete, Sgarlata and the Blue and Gray look to next week’s Patriot League opener at Fordham University to turn things around. Kickoff is set for Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. in the Bronx, N.Y.
