On Saturday, Nov. 16, the Georgetown University football team faced a fierce Fordham University, falling 31-3 in the Bronx on the 69th anniversary of the two teams’ first matchup.
Georgetown (5-5, 2-3 Patriot League) came out hungry for a big win against Fordham (2-9, 2-4 Patriot League), after losing 43-6 to Lehigh (7-3, 4-1 Patriot League) at home in their last game, two weeks ago. The Hoyas hoped to gain momentum off their defense, which currently leads the Patriot League in sacks this season. The Rams, however, came out of the gate aggressive, hoping to capitalize on long pass completions.
Junior quarterback Danny Lauter threw several great balls in the first quarter, one of which landed in junior wide receiver Jimmy Kibble’s hands and left the Rams’ corner coverage with no response for a 22-yard gain. The Hoyas fed off this offensive momentum for the better part of two minutes before they picked up a false start penalty, which drove them backward on a third down and resulted in a turnover on downs to Fordham.
Once given this opportunity, Fordham’s offense capitalized on it by using their potent combination of offensive speed and strength. Quarterback Jack Capaldi led the charge down the field, throwing a beautiful 41-yard pass to wide receiver Cole Thornton to set up running back Julius Loughridge — who now has back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons — for a 2-yard rushing touchdown. Kicker Bennett Henderson then successfully converted the extra point to put the Rams up 7-0.
When the Hoyas got the ball back on the Georgetown 12-yard line, they initially seemed well-poised to respond to the Rams. Sophomore running back Bryce Cox rushed for a 33-yard gain to give the Hoyas a much improved field position at the Georgetown 45-yard line. However, the Hoyas suffered a three-and-out on the next set of downs, surrendering the ball back to the Rams. This time around, Capaldi once again threw a touchdown pass, this time to tight end Jeff Ciccio, to put Fordham up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Hoyas entered the second quarter with a 14-point deficit, showing how records can be misleading in conference play for a team like Fordham. Capaldi struck again early in the second, setting the Rams up for a first-and-goal with another explosive opportunity. A running into the kicker and offsides penalty for Georgetown helped Fordham secure a field goal, putting them up 17-0 against the Hoyas.
Although Georgetown did eventually convert a field goal with a little over five minutes before halftime, the team had trouble setting up any kind of offense in the first half of this game, while Fordham’s offense continued to penetrate and put the Hoyas in bad positions. Lauter was impatient in letting plays develop, deciding to tuck it in and run the ball himself rather than wait for his receivers to get open.
The third quarter continued to be a field possession game for Georgetown, as they needed to pick up yardage and truck ahead without giving Fordham more offensive chances.
Sophomore backup quarterback Jacob Holtschlag had subbed in late for Lauter in the second quarter and then started the third — a move coaches hoped would help revive the Georgetown offense. Senior wide receiver Cam Pygatt did provide several sparks by taking advantage of Fordham’s zone coverage, but even his veteran leadership could not help the Hoyas get more points on the board. Small mistakes by Georgetown, including an unnecessary roughness foul, gave the Rams the upper hand in yardage and a second touchdown in the last two seconds of the third quarter, which put them up 24-3 over the Hoyas.
In the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, Fordham dealt yet another blow to Georgetown: Defensive back Boogie Owens intercepted Georgetown’s offense. The Rams did not score on the other side of the field, which allowed the Hoyas to regain possession and try to restart their offense.
However, just after junior wide receiver Keynan Richardson-Cook made a spectacular 36-yard grab to get the Hoyas down the field, Fordham responded with an outstanding pick six late in the game. Defensive back Trey Bradford intercepted Holtschlag, then lateralled the ball to defensive back Alex Kemper for a Fordham touchdown, leaving the Rams at a commanding 31-3.
In the end, Fordham’s strategic defense coupled with their aggressive offense left Georgetown with few opportunities to gain momentum. This Saturday, Nov. 23 at 12:30 p.m., Georgetown will face Holy Cross at home on Cooper Field for their last Patriot League game of the season. The Hoyas hope to clinch one last game in honor of their seniors and bring home their first winning season since 2011.
