The Georgetown University football team (5-4, 2-2 Patriot League) suffered its largest loss of the season, 43-6, against Lehigh University Nov. 2.
The Mountain Hawks (5-3, 2-1 Patriot League) were electric on offense, running up 310 yards and four touchdowns on the ground to put up the most points that the Hoyas’ defense has allowed all season. Their defense was stifling, holding the Hoyas to a single fourth-quarter score and preventing Georgetown from holding a lead at any point during the game.
Despite pushing down the field into Lehigh’s territory on their first two drives, the Hoyas turned the ball over on downs both times. On a 4th-and-1, sophomore running back Bryce Cox was unable to push through the Lehigh defensive line to get the first down. On their next drive, the Hoyas went for it on 4th-and-5, yet junior quarterback Danny Lauter got sacked, again turning the ball over on downs.
The one highlight of the first half for Georgetown was an interception from sophomore safety Zeraun Daniel about halfway through the first quarter, although the offense was unable to capitalize on the turnover.
The Hoyas fell apart defensively in the second quarter as they allowed the Mountain Hawks to score on every drive. After Lauter threw the first of three Georgetown interceptions, the Mountain Hawks returned the ball 49 yards to the Hoyas’ 1-yard line then scored on a short drive. The next came after the Hoyas allowed consecutive 20-plus-yard rushes that resulted in Lehigh going up by 14. On Lehigh’s next drive, Georgetown allowed a 57-yard rushing touchdown to go down by three scores.
To end the first half, Georgetown allowed a Lehigh field goal, which put them down 24-0.
If the first half wasn’t already bad enough for the Hoyas, Danny Lauter threw a 61-yard pick-six on their very first drive of the second half, with the Mountain Hawks’ defensive back Jordan Adderley returning it for a touchdown. Lehigh scored again on their next possession, a field goal pushing the score to 34-0, before the defense forced a safety from Lauter to extend their lead to 36.
There were two positive takeaways from the second half for the Hoyas. The first was a fumble which sophomore linebacker GianCarlo Rufo forced and senior defensive tackle VeRon Garrison recovered. The second was Georgetown’s only score, a 5-yard pass from Lauter to junior tight end Max McCormick. The Hoyas attempted a two point conversion, which failed.
Georgetown then allowed their fourth rushing touchdown of the game, along with another extra point, to go down 43-6. To cap off a miserable game, sophomore quarterback Jacob Holtschlag went into the game at the end of the fourth quarter and threw Georgetown’s third interception of the day to Lehigh.
Head Coach Rob Sgarlata said that although it was a tough loss, there were some positives to be built on.
“I thought the team really stuck together, even through some tough beats in the game,” Sgarlata told The Hoya. “GianCarlo Rufo at 16 tackles, forced fumble and tackle for a loss, as well as being able to run the football.”
“For us, it’s really, take the lessons from the game and leave the event to try and build on them as we’re getting ready for the final two regular season games,” Sgarlata added.
The Hoyas look to bounce back in two weeks Nov. 16 against Fordham University in the Bronx, N.Y.