Isaiah Kempf sees the light.Confident in his abilities and in the talent that surrounds him, the freshman quarterback sees a bright future ahead for Georgetown on the gridiron. Sure, the academics and educational opportunities that Georgetown presents to all of its undergraduates could convince anyone, including Kempf, to choose the Hilltop. But the prospect of playing under center for a growing program made the Georgetown option that much more attractive for the Oaks Christian graduate.”It was the best academic school that was recruiting me,” Kempf said. “But we also had the chance to start something here. The team’s been struggling lately, but I saw enough talent here to turn things around and really start something.”Starting was not immediately in the cards for Kempf. Coming into the season, he was fourth on the depth chart, with returning starting quarterback, sophomore James Brady, slated to lead the offense.”Coach [Jim] Miceli told me that they were going to bring me along slowly,” Kempf said. “When I was getting recruited, Coach Miceli told me that the best player will play, so work hard. I wasn’t the best in preseason – James was, and so that’s why he started.”After Brady left during the Hoyas’ second game of the season against Lafayette with a hamstring injury, however, Kempf was given his first chance to showcase his arm. The results were immediate: He completed 6 of 12 passes for 86 yards.”He’s got great poise, good command out there, and good feet and moves the ball down the field very well,” Head Coach Kevin Kelly said. “He’s got a good passing arm.”Kempf’s performance against Lafayette was good – but that was just a preview of the talent he was about to display. With Brady still unable to play, Kempf was handed the reins to start against Yale. It was a huge responsibility for the 6-foot-3 freshman, especially handling an offense whose running game has averaged just 1.5 yards per carry and has gained just 80 yards on this season.Despite the anemic running game, Kempf sparked an aerial display unlike anything the Hoyas have seen in two years. Kempf completed 32 of 59 passes and threw for 332 yards, the most by a Georgetown quarterback since 2007. Kempf’s sudden burst onto the collegiate stage was enough to earn him Patriot League rookie of the week honors.”Obviously I’m honored [by the award] and it’s a reflection of everyone around me,” he said. “Last game I was only sacked once and the receivers were getting downfield plus the line was giving me a lot of time.”Yet the fatal flaw that has plagued the Hoyas so far has been their inability to score in the red zone, which Kempf recognizes.”We’ve been taking a lot of reps, doing game situational drills, that type of stuff, to help us get better in the red zone,” he said. “We need to be cleaner, crisper; I need to make quicker reads.”Kempf played four years of football at Oaks Christian Academy in Westlake Village, Calif., the same high school that produced Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen and USC running back Marc Tyler. He helped lead the Lions to the state championship in 2007. After Oaks Christian, Kempf played a year at Bridgton Academy in Maine and then arrived on the Hilltop this summer.”I’m thankful for the opportunity,” Kempf said. “I’m excited to show what . the offense can do. I got better in every practice – made good strides in practice.”Unfortunately, those good strides still haven’t translated into a win for the Hoyas; but this Saturday could be different. For Kempf’s first Hoya Homecoming, he’ll be facing Howard, a team that Georgetown defeated last year in the first match of the D.C. rivals.”It could be a signature game for us, coming off a few losses,” the 210-pound quarterback said.Yet while the losses have piled up for the Hoyas, Kempf provides the offense a ray of hope. It is a good combination for the Hoyas, whose offensive line has provided excellent protection for the freshman gunslinger. He has attempted 71 passes and has only been sacked twice.”The offensive line told me, `We’ll give you the time, you just throw the ball,'” Kempf said.So come tomorrow, when Georgetown students are enjoying the homecoming festivities, the Hoyas will be looking to their freshman quarterback to lead them to a win and, just maybe, usher in a new era.Hoya Notes:- Junior linebacker Nick Parrish also received accolades for his outstanding game against Yale. The co-captain recorded 10.5 total tackles, including one tackle for a loss and one sack. That performance earned him Patriot League defensive player of the week honors, the second time he has earned the award in his career.- Last year against Howard, the first meeting between the teams in a century, the Hoyas came from behind to win 12-7. The Georgetown defense notched four interceptions, while junior slot receiver, who was playing quarterback last year, Keerome Lawrence and senior running back Charlie Houghton combined for 68 yards on the ground on 21 carries. So far this year, the Georgetown rushing attack has accounted for less than 11 percent of its total offense. Last year, the Hoyas gained 45 percent of their total offense on the ground.”