Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

FOOTBALL | Hoyas Dominate in Win Over Catholic

After hanging 43 points in the home opener against Marist just a week ago, the Georgetown football team once again decisively beat its opponent by shutting out Catholic 69-0. 

The Hoyas (2-1) controlled the game from start to finish, but exploded in the second quarter for 35 points to effectively put the game away by halftime. The team’s domination came from both sides of the ball, as the Hoyas outgained the Cardinals (0-2) 567 to 72 despite splitting the time of possession. 

KIRK ZIESER/THE HOYA | The Georgetown football team decisively beat its opponent, Catholic, in a 69-0 shut out.

Moreover, Georgetown tallied a total of 26 first downs on the afternoon, while Catholic managed just four. The Blue and Gray improved to 2-1 on the season after the consecutive victories and sit atop the Patriot League standings.

The Hoyas set the tone defensively by stopping the Cardinals in the game’s opening series and forced a punt, which sophomore defensive back Zaire Webb managed to block. Georgetown then took advantage of this good field position by scoring just over a minute later when junior running back Jackson Saffold punched it in from a yard out to give the Hoyas a 6-0 lead. Senior defensive lineman Khristian Tate then lined up in the backfield and took the handoff in to convert the two-point attempt. 

Georgetown would get the ball back shortly thereafter and go nine plays before calling on senior kicker Brad Hurst for the field goal. Hurst converted the 44-yard attempt to give the Hoyas the 11-0 advantage. However, the team was not quite done yet for the quarter, as Saffold once again found the end zone from five yards out to make it 18-0 after one.

The second quarter featured the success of Georgetown’s two-quarterback system for the second consecutive week as junior quarterback Joseph Brunell got his turn under center. Brunell quickly took advantage of the opportunity by finding junior wide receiver Max Edwards and sophomore wide receiver Joshua Tomas for back-to-back scores for the Blue and Gray. Tomas’ touchdown came on a 40-yard strike from Brunell just five minutes into the quarter. 

Moments later, Georgetown again made quick work on defense and forced another punt. Special teams came up big as Tomas returned the kick to the Catholic 19-yard line. Sophomore running back Herman Moultrie III then added to the Hoya lead by rushing for his third touchdown of the season to put the Blue and Gray out in front 39-0.

The Hoya offense did not relent, however, on its next possession. Senior quarterback Gunther Johnson reentered the game and launched a season-long, 76-yard touchdown pass to Edwards for the wideout’s second receiving touchdown of the game. With time winding down, the defense was able to give the offense one more opportunity before the half. However, the Hoya special teams made another play as Tomas took a punt return 66 yards to the house and gave Georgetown a 53-0 lead at the break.

With the game out of Catholic’s reach in the second half, Georgetown slowed the pace, but was still able to execute in all three phases of the game. In the third quarter, Hurst nailed another field goal, this time 35 yards out. This would be the team’s only points of the quarter. In the fourth, Georgetown spread the workload around, as freshman running back Joshua Stakely scored the first touchdown of his career on a 50-yard burst to the endzone. Similarly, junior running back Jay Tolliver scored from three yards out for his first rushing touchdown of the season. 

In the 69-0 rout, Georgetown managed 353 yards on the ground and 214 through the air. Georgetown featured a number of players in its rushing attack, not one of whom totaled over 100 yards. The 353 rushing yards is the team’s most since the 2000 season. 

Individually, Tomas’ performance was good enough to earn him Patriot League Honorable Mention for the week. Defensively, Georgetown’s shutout of Catholic marks the first time the Blue and Gray have held its opponent scoreless since 2006. The Hoyas suffocated the Cardinals on the ground, as Catholic totaled -8 rushing yards for the game. 

Defensively, sophomore linebackers Justin Fonteneaux, Palmer Nix and David Owens led the way for the Hoyas with six, five and five total tackles, respectively. 

Georgetown’s next matchup does not come until Sept. 28, as the team has a bye next week. The Hoyas will head to New York for their next two contests against Columbia and Cornell before returning to Cooper Field on Oct. 12 to play against Fordham.

Leave a Comment
Donate to The Hoya

Your donation will support the student journalists of Georgetown University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Hoya

Comments (0)

All The Hoya Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *