At the beginning of the season, an upstart Georgetown football team (3-6, 2-2 Patriot League) was firing on all cylinders and jumped out of the gates to a 3-1 start. Then, the wheels came off and the Blue and Gray skidded to a five-game losing streak that they have yet to snap.

Before a welcome bye this past weekend, the Hoyas lost their opportunity to salvage a .500 season with a loss to Fordham two weeks ago, but still have one conference game left on their schedule – Lehigh, whom they play this weekend.

Head Coach Kevin Kelly appreciated the short break, especially after the physically and emotionally taxing five-game losing streak.

“Last week the guys, the first part of the week, we got away from it all and we did lifting and running, then we had two days where we just thought about Georgetown and worked on some fundamental skills,” Kelly said. “We got a weekend off and they came back fresh and ready to go for the last two [games]. .It will be nice to be home for the last two.”

Unfortunately for a Hoya squad looking to return to its winning ways, the Mountain Hawks are having a terrific season. They currently share the Patriot League lead, a position Georgetown held at the beginning of the season.

Thus, Lehigh has a lot to earn with a victory on the Hilltop Saturday, as they could win the Patriot League and earn an automatic FCS playoff berth. However, Georgetown’s only motivation on Saturday is not as spoiler, as the Blue and Gray still have an outside chance of grabbing a share of the Patriot League title if they win.

“It’s more than just a spoiler to be frank with you, because if we beat Lehigh and Lehigh loses to Lafayette we could have a piece of the league title, so there is a lot of incentive,” Kelly said.

Achieving this goal could be quite difficult, as Lehigh trounced Georgetown 27-0 last year, which was just the latest win in a nine-game winning streak for the Mountain Hawks against the Hoyas. Lehigh is led by junior quarterback Chris Lum, who earned Patriot League offensive player of the week honors for the second week in a row after his 212-yard, three-touchdown performance in a victory against Holy Cross last week.

The Hoyas, for their part, should get some key players back this weekend. Their offensive line has fallen victim to a number of injuries, with senior captain Dan Semler and sophomore Fino Caliguire spending some time on the sideline with injuries this year. As linebacker, sophomore starter

Jeremy Grasso is recovering from an injury he sustained in the Hoyas’ last game. In his absence, however, freshman Jonathan Brucia stepped in and provided the Hoyas with a strong performance against the Rams.

Brucia’s performance provides the Hoyas with a glimpse of their future. For Semler, senior linebacker Nick Parrish and the rest of the Hoyas’ 15 seniors, however, these last two weeks mark the last chances for them to don the Blue and Gray. Having suffered through the Hoyas’ winless season, it would mean that much more to them to end their careers on a high note.

“They have all been through the highs and lows here at Georgetown, it has not been easy for them, but they’ve stuck through it,” Kelly said. “It’s a testament to their characters and they have all made their own contributions to the Georgetown football program.”

Despite the past five losses, the seniors and the rest of the team have the possibility of securing a winning league record and keeping their longshot hopes for a league title play for this weekend.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Multi-Sport Facility.