The Georgetown University football team hammered the Davidson Wildcats for a statement 46-24 win in their season opener at Cooper Field.
The Hoyas (1-0) and the Wildcats (0-1) both came into the game with high expectations. Fans of the two teams turned out in equal measure, with half of the bleachers donning the blue and gray and the other half donning Davidson red. The contest was an offensive firework show, but it was ultimately the Hoyas who commanded the game, racking up 263 yards of rushing offense and 106 yards of passing offense. Davidson’s penchant for untimely mistakes doomed their chances of ever winning the game.
Right out of the gate, the Hoyas capitalized on the Wildcats’ unforced errors. After fumbling the opening kickoff, Davidson offensive lineman Danny Fish snapped the ball too high, leading to a hasty recovery at the 1-yard line by quarterback Coulter Cleland. The Hoyas converted this into a safety for 2 points, setting themselves up for an early lead.
Upon receiving the ball, the Hoyas started their first offensive drive. Their dynamic running back trio of sophomore Bryce Cox, junior Mason Gudger and senior Naieem Kearney brought the ball all the way downfield, but their momentum was stalled after senior wide receiver Brock Biestek caught the ball out of bounds on a 3rd-and-8. Though the drive did not end in a touchdown, senior kicker Patrick Ryan successfully converted a 35-yard field goal to put the Hoyas up 5-0.
Later on in the first quarter, the Hoyas again drove all the way downfield to set Kearney up for a touchdown with 1:14 left. However, the referees revoked the score after senior offensive lineman Kaysen Mahuka-Kaawa drew a holding penalty on the play. All signs pointed to the drive stalling, but the Hoyas were fortunately saved by Davidson defensive lineman Ashton Miller’s personal foul. Given a second chance, Kearney darted straight into the end zone to make the score 12-3 after Ryan’s successful extra point.
The Wildcats came back with 12:37 left in the second quarter, after running back Mason Sheron put in a first and goal at the 3-yard line. But intent on expanding Georgetown’s lead, Cox sprinted with the ball from the Davidson 40-yard line for a 59-yard touchdown on the next drive. This fruitful play, during which Cox evaded several well-positioned defenders of the Wildcats’ secondary, put Georgetown up 19-10.
Davidson, however, appeared inspired after their offense took possession. The Hoyas busted their coverage of Wildcats wide receiver Kellyn West, who earned a 42-yard gain. If not for a late save in the backfield by senior cornerback Kolubah Pewee Jr., West would have scored a touchdown. Nevertheless, on the next play, Davidson running back Mari Adams bulldozed his way through the Hoya defense for the score.
On the next Hoya possession, Ryan put the ball through the goalposts for a 22-17 lead, but there was just enough time for Davidson to launch another drive before the half expired. The Wildcats made it all the way down the field, but rushed their touchdown attempt, allowing Pewee Jr. to intercept the ball.
While the two teams went back and forth during the first half, the second half was an entirely different story. On the Hoyas’ first drive, Gudger immediately turned on the jets, blasting Davidson defenders left and right for a 78-yard run and setting the Hoyas up for the second Kearney touchdown of the day. The drive took less than 20 seconds and put the Hoyas up 29-17.
Not to be outdone, sophomore cornerback Quincy Briggs recovered a fumble on Davidson’s next possession and ran the other way for another touchdown to extend the lead to 36-17. Shortly afterward, Cox showed that he wanted in on the contest, scoring a second touchdown to make the game 43-17.
From there on out, there was a scant chance of the Wildcats coming back, though they did score one more touchdown in the fourth quarter. That score aside, the Hoya defense stifled the Wildcats through and through to secure the win.
Georgetown Head Coach Rob Sgarlata said he was pleased with the team’s effort on both sides of the ball.
“It’s great to open the season 1-0 on the Hilltop. Davidson does a great job with their program. It was a very close game to start out,” Sgarlata told Georgetown Athletics. “We had some big defensive plays, especially from Quincy Briggs. Anytime that you can run for over 270 yards and control the ball game on the ground makes for a great day.”
Georgetown now extends its all-time series lead over Davidson to 10-4. Next week, the team will face another out-of-conference school, taking on the Marist Red Foxes (0-0) in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.