Charles Nailen/The Hoya Sophomore running back Marcus Slayton averaged 3.5 yards rushing against Lafayette last Saturday in eastern Pennsylvania. He ran for a total of 52 net yards during the Hoyas’ solid 17-10 win.

The Georgetown Hoyas may have let victory slip through their fingers against Colgate in the season opener and against Monmouth two weeks ago. But when the opportunity presented itself anew on Saturday at Lafayette, the Hoya defense seized the chance, shutting down the Leopard attack late in the game. A last-ditch effort by Lafayette on fourth-and-long was unsuccessful and Georgetown managed to run out the clock for their first win of 2003.

Offense and defense came together for the Hoyas in the 17-10 victory with 2,238 spectators on hand to bear witness under overcast skies at Fisher Field in Easton, Pa. Junior quarterback Andrew Crawford had his best game as a starter, completing 20-of-28 for 203 yards and one score. The Lafayette secondary did not pick off a Crawford pass on the afternoon, nor could the defensive line force any turnovers.

Crawford led the team on a 95-yard drive in the fourth quarter of the game for the go-ahead score. Sophomore running back John Sims took the ball into the end zone from four yards out and sophomore kicker Michael Gillman added the extra point to give the Hoyas a seven-point lead. The march also took 6:24 off the clock, leaving just over four minutes for the Leopards to rally back.

Lafayette took advantage of a short kickoff, which sophomore Larry Johnson returned to the Leopard 48. The host team appeared to be in business two plays later, as senior quarterback Marko Glavic found senior wideout Jeremy Burkes for a 20-yard gain to move the chains deep into Hoya territory. But the Georgetown defensive front forced Glavic to throw two incomplete passes on first and second down. Senior linebacker William Skultety hit the Lafayette passer for a six-yard loss on third down for the Hoyas’ only sack of the game and Glavic’s final pass never found its target as the Leopards turned over the ball on downs.

Sims had several strong runs on Georgetown’s final possession, preventing the Hoyas from having to punt back to their opponent. He earned two key first downs, enabling Crawford to kneel on the ball and run out the clock.

After the competition, Georgetown head coach Bob Benson said that there had never been a doubt in his mind about his program’s success against Layafette. “This team was not going to lose on Saturday. And emotionally, we were tougher in the end,” he said.

Despite successes elsewhere, the Hoyas still struggled on special teams. Gillman converted just one of three field goal attempts, missing from 19 yards out on his team’s opening drive and falling short on a 46-yard boot in the second quarter. Freshman Keith Allan averaged just 32.8 yards per punt, down from his 44 yards per punt in a Sept. 27 competition at VMI.

Luckily for the Hoyas, the defense was able to hold the Leopards scoreless in the first quarter. Georgetown had been outscored 31-7 in the opening 15 minutes of its last four matches. Skultety led the Hoyas with 12 tackles but fellow senior linebacker Andrew Clarke had just five tackles, bringing his season total to 45. Skultety’s performances in the past two contests have brought his total to 43.

Senior wide receiver Luke McArdle caught eight passes for 98 yards and added 60 yards on returns. He remains the leader in Division I-AA all-purpose yards per game.

For the fourth time in five games this season, freshman quarterback Alondzo Turner spurred Georgetown to its first touchdown of the day with an appearance in the game. Crawford returned to the match once the Hoyas reached the Lafayette red zone. He completed a 20-yard pass to junior wide receiver Craig Agnello, giving his team a 7-0 advantage early in the second quarter.

The Leopards failed to light up the scoreboard until senior kicker Mike Beatrice was successful on a 36-yard attempt with 5:15 to go in the first half. They also opened the scoring in the second half, bringing back the Hoyas’ opening kickoff 62 yards to take a 10-7 lead.

Gillman evened the score late in third with his only three-pointer of the contest. The match transitioned into a defensive battle, with both teams combining for five punts and three three-and-out series before the Hoyas finally flexed their muscles and regained the lead.

The win was Georgetown’s third-ever victory against a Patriot League opponent while a member of the conference. The Hoyas had success last season, defeating Bucknell, 32-31, and knocking off Towson, 24-16, in the final game of 2002.

“We have a different mentality than last year,” Benson said. “We’re not trying to get to the fourth quarter. We’re going to be in the fourth quarter.”

A Homecoming weekend showdown against Stony Brook of the Northeastern Conference is scheduled for Saturday on Harbin Field. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.