For the first time since 2011, the Georgetown University football team (4-3, 1-1 Patriot League) downed the Colgate University Raiders (2-5, 1-2 Patriot League) 21-17 at home Oct. 18 in front of a Parents Weekend crowd almost double that of any other home match this season. The game marked the two teams’ 22nd matchup and the Hoyas’ second win ever over Colgate.
The Hoyas came into the game on a high following a 27-24 homecoming victory over Morgan State University (3-4) Oct. 4, which garnered waves of national attention. Senior wide receiver Jimmy Kibble acrobatically caught a Hail Mary touchdown pass from senior quarterback Dez Thomas II in the final seconds of the game to secure the Hoyas’ victory. Kibble’s catch landed him on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, made SportsCenter’s Top 10 Sports Highlight Plays of the day list and was named the Cheez-It Crunch Time Play of the Week.
Coming off that catch, the Hoyas had something to prove — and they did just that less than two minutes into the game. After two downs that ended in a loss for the Hoyas, Kibble made 2 consecutive catches to advance Georgetown toward the end zone. In a quarterback scramble, Thomas II rushed 14 yards to secure a touchdown. Sophomore kicker Thomas Anderson sealed the deal to put the Hoyas up 7-0 with 13:02 left in the first quarter.
Colgate responded to Georgetown’s early lead with a touchdown push of its own; the Hoyas’ kickoff was fumbled in the end zone by the Raiders, resulting in a touchback and granting Colgate the ball at the 25-yard line. Across 16 plays, the Raiders marched the ball 75 yards up the field for a final 2-yard run into the end zone. Colgate completed the extra point to tie the game at 7-7 with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter.
The Hoyas got the ball back and failed to progress up the field after their third first down, electing to punt on 4th and 9, ending in a touchback. Colgate similarly made little progress, punting on 4th and 5. Georgetown got the ball back with 1:04 remaining on the clock and only gained 2 yards.
Georgetown retained possession at the start of the second quarter and, after a few incomplete passes, failed to convert on 4th and 2, succumbing to a turnover on downs. Colgate faced the same fate in their next possession, landing a turnover on downs on a 4th and 1, after running back Marco Maldonado rushed for 1 yard on each of the previous two downs. The next two possessions ended in punts for both teams after a lack of gained yardage.
The Hoyas got the ball back with 3:01 remaining in the half, and on their 11th play, after Colgate almost grabbed an interception, Anderson stepped up for a field goal attempt from 42 yards that swung to the left. Colgate got the ball back with 0:42 remaining in the half and made no significant progress.
The third quarter saw much of the same back-and-forth play as the second quarter. Georgetown got the ball with 7:46 left in the quarter and, over 11 plays, worked their way down the field, putting sophomore running back Savion Hart in position to rush up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown. Anderson’s extra point was also good, putting the Hoyas up 14-7 with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter. With a “roughing the passer” penalty, Colgate found their way to a 1st and 10 at Georgetown’s 9-yard line to end the quarter.
Despite finding themselves only 9 yards from the goal line to start the 4th quarter, the Raiders were unable to find their way to a touchdown and were forced to attempt a field goal after regressing 2 yards and 2 incomplete passes. Colgate made the field goal, creeping up towards Georgetown’s 14-10 lead with 14:12 remaining in play.
In a 4-play possession, the Hoyas made minimal progress and punted the ball back to the Raiders. Across 9 plays, Colgate was able to complete a pass from 12 yards for a touchdown — and the extra point — to propel them into a 17-14 lead with 9:51 remaining.
The Hoyas were quick to respond and, with a 36-yard Kibble gain and 12-yard gain from a Raiders foul, found their way to the 12-yard line. Thomas II rushed for his second touchdown of the day, and Anderson’s conversion was once again successful, putting Georgetown up 21-17 with 6:41 remaining in play.
Georgetown forced a Colgate turnover on downs, and first-year defensive back Brian Lloyd grabbed an interception to cement the Hoyas’ victory.
For their efforts against the Raiders, three Hoyas were awarded Patriot League weekly honors. Lloyd was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week; Thomas II and junior cornerback Braylon Wise — who led on the defensive end with 14 tackles — were named Patriot League Honorable Mentions.
Head Coach Rob Sgarlata said he was mostly happy with the team’s performance and game atmosphere.
“It was awesome to play in front of all of the Georgetown families on Family Weekend,” Sgarlata told Georgetown Athletics. “All of these Patriot League games seem to come down to four or five plays in the last series, so I’m proud of this team; they’re very resilient. We talk about SISU (a Finnish phrase that translates into courage in the face of adversity) and how we do things, and we weren’t the smartest at the end but we were able to come up with a quality victory against a good Patriot League opponent.”
The Hoyas will return to action Saturday, Oct. 25, at 12:00 p.m. on Cooper Field against the Bucknell University Bisons (4-4, 1-2 Patriot League). Georgetown will look to capitalize on their recent success and pick up another Patriot League win.
