Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Tough Test Awaits Georgetown at MSF

Coming off their first Patriot League loss, the Hoyas (3-2, 2-1 Patriot League) look to bounce back on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Seahawks of Wagner College.

The Seahawks, picked to finish fourth in the Preseason NEC Coaches Poll, will arrive in D.C. with a 2-2 record (1-1 NEC) fresh off a victory against their conference counterpart, Bryant University.

eanwhile, Georgetown is coming off a 34-3 loss to Patriot League favorite Colgate, a loss that brought back memories of the 2009 team’s offensive woes.

The Hoyas stayed with the Raiders for the first quarter, deadlocked at 3-3 after a 38-yard field goal from junior kicker Brett Weiss. From there, however, Colgate’s prolific offensive attack, led by junior running back Nate Eachus, left Georgetown flustered. Eachus exploded for 220 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Head Coach Kevin Kelly was not pleased with his team’s performance against Colgate, who was playing behind the fervor of its own homecoming crowd.

“We’re disappointed and embarrassed, to be quite frank,” Kelly said. “That’s all behind us now, and we’re looking forward to another opportunity this week against Wagner.”

Wagner’s arrival on the Hilltop marks the second home game this season for the Blue and Gray, as well as the second-ever meeting between the two schools.

In its first home game this season, Georgetown earned an exhilarating homecoming victory against Patriot League rival Holy Cross. In that game, junior quarterback Scott Darby shined, earning Patriot League offensive player of the week honors.

Against Colgate, however, Darby and his offense had trouble moving the ball down the field. Late in the first half, he was replaced by sophomore Isaiah Kempf and did not see any action for the rest of the game. Kelly asserted, however, that Darby will be back in his starting position this Saturday.

This is a welcome change for the Hoyas from their carousel at quarterback last season. Georgetown shuffled through then-quarterback James Brady and Darby before settling on Kempf late last season in a desperate attempt to find an offensive spark. This season, Coach Kelly is confident in his quarterback’s ability to bounce back, especially after his strong performance in the team’s first four games. His past achievements this season give reason to believe that he can deliver a similar performance in front of Georgetown fans on Saturday.

Kelly believes that Darby and the rest of the team can return to this form if they simply get back to the basics.

“Well, we just didn’t execute very well [against Colgate],” he said. “We weren’t able to run the football and were very one-dimensional. We need to be more consistent with the execution. That’s with both sides of the ball really.”

Thus, expect to see the Hoyas try to establish senior tailback Phillip Oladeji early on. He leads the team with three rushing touchdowns.

Aside from the offense, senior captain and linebacker Nick Parrish and the Hoya defense are expected to hold a Wagner offense averaging 22 points per game in check. The Seahawks are led by sophomore quarterback Nick Doscher, who won the NEC offensive player of the week for his 261-yard, three-touchdown performance last week.

The two quarterbacks, Doscher and Darby, each can run and will keep both defenses on their heels. Regardless of Doscher’s dual-threat ability, Kelly expects a different result from last week’s performance.

“Last week was a bad day at the office, and we’re looking forward to another opportunity this week against Wagner,” Coach Kelly said. “They have some big-play potential, and they have some good athletes.”

Kelly’s concerns are not unfounded, as the Hoya defense will have to deal with the Seahawks’ trio of running backs: seniors Eric Foxworth and Jeremy Martinez and sophomore Torian Phillips. Combined with Doscher, the group has led the team to 135.2 yards per game on the ground.

Saturday’s contest marks a short break from the Patriot League schedule before Georgetown faces off against Bucknell at home next week. Kelly and his team realize that the Colgate loss is one negative in a season that is not even halfway done.

“There’s still an opportunity in our league,” Kelly said. “Right now, we’re focused on Wagner. The nice thing is we’re home again. We’re looking forward to playing here again.”

Kickoff against Wagner is set for 1:05 p.m. at MultiSport Facility.

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