The Georgetown University football team hoped to carry over the momentum from their big win against Columbia University two weeks prior to their game against Lafayette College Oct. 12.
The Hoyas (4-2, 1-0 Big East) decisively achieved this goal with a shutout victory against the Leopards (3-3, 1-1 Patriot League). The Hoyas took the lead early and built on it throughout the game to win 17-0. Despite struggling to get their passing game going, Georgetown’s ability to run the ball and force sloppy turnovers on defense lifted the team to a conclusive win.
Despite punting on their first possession, the Hoyas’ next drive resulted in a field goal made by senior kicker Patrick Ryan from 26 yards out to put Georgetown up 3-0.
On their next possession, the Hoyas drove down the field and earned the lead thanks to a strong 16-yard run and an 18-yard reception from sophomore running back Bryce Cox. The Hoya offense wasn’t impeccable, though, as junior quarterback Danny Lauter threw an interception to Lafayette defensive back Neriyan Brown.
Fortunately, Georgetown’s defense was able to recover the ball after sophomore safety Zeraun Daniel recorded an interception of his own to get the ball back for the Hoyas, starting a trend of turnovers forced by Georgetown’s stifling defense.
Halfway through the second quarter, Georgetown pushed down the field and went up 10-0 on Lafayette. Cox and first-year running back Savion Hart exhibited an exceptional rushing game, leading to a touchdown scored by Hart. The two running backs combined for nine rushing attempts on the drive, and along with a penalty, were able to get in the red zone and take a two-score lead. The extra point from Ryan was also successful.
When Lafayette got the ball back following the touchdown, Georgetown blocked any offensive momentum by sacking Lafayette’s quarterback to end the first half. They continued this masterful defensive display in the second half, intercepting Lafayette for a second time shortly into the third quarter. This time the interception was made by sophomore defensive lineman Cooper Blomstrom, who returned it for 7 yards.
Blomstrom’s interception and return led to another Hoya touchdown on the very next drive. Sophomore running back Udechukwu Enyerlbe scored an emphatic 24-yard rushing touchdown and Ryan once again capitalized on his extra kick to put the Hoyas up 17-0.
This touchdown run was followed by a series of punts from both teams, as neither seemed able to produce much in the late third quarter and early fourth quarter. The Hoyas’ defense continued to shine as they intercepted the Lafayette quarterback two more times on both of the Leopard’s final possessions of the game. The first came from Daniel, who returned his second interception of the day 26 yards. The second interception in the fourth quarter came from graduate linebacker David Ealey III, who returned his own for 10 yards.
This trend exhibited by the Georgetown football team’s defense throughout the game was one of the main factors that pushed the team to victory. These turnovers not only put the offense in good positions to score but held the Lafayette Leopards scoreless throughout the entire game.
The Georgetown running game proved strong as both touchdowns scored by the Hoyas came on the ground and the running backs combined for 197 rushing yards, with three different players rushing for over 35 yards individually.
Head Coach Rob Sgarlata told The Hoya that he was proud of the way the team prepared for the week and hopes that they carry the momentum from the win with them into the rest of the season.
“I thought our players did a really good job preparing throughout the week, and they’re really excited coming out for the Columbia win into the bye development week for us and having a chance to start the Patriot League on the right foot,” Sgarlata said. “So good weekend, definitely a lot of positives, definitely things to learn from.”
The Hoyas will be in action next Oct. 19 when they travel to Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. as they attempt to stay undefeated in Patriot League play.
