Another cold and dreary Saturday proved disappointing for the Hoyas this weekend.

Georgetown (0-7, 0-5 Patriot League) was outmatched by a skilled Colgate squad, losing 31-14.

Facing the No. 17 Raiders (7-0, 2-0 Patriot League), the Hoya defense came out firing, giving the handful of Georgetown fans who braved the elements something to cheer about early on in the game. After thwarting the Colgate offense on its first drive, the Hoyas forced the Raiders into a punt situation.

It was then that a tandem of Hoya wide receivers demonstrated their versatility on special teams, as junior [Keerome Lawrence](https://www.thehoya.com/sports/position-switch-provides-hoyas-new-weapon/) sped past the Colgate line to block the punt, which was subsequently recovered by freshman Brandon Floyd. Floyd charged downfield into the end zone, giving the Hoyas an early 7-0 edge.

As the Raiders took possession once again, they attempted to use their powerful rushing attack to soften up the Georgetown defense. Although sophomore tailback Nate Eachus and company were able to move the ball, Georgetown held strong on a pivotal 3rd-and-1 play, forcing Colgate to bring out the punt unit once again.

The Hoyas’ offensive struggles continued as they were unable to move the chains, and a weak punt gave the Raiders the ball at the Georgetown 39-yard line. Junior quarterback Greg Sullivan and the Colgate offense were able to capitalize on the excellent field position, using their smash-mouth style of play to march down the gridiron. The 10-play drive, which lasted 4:48, was capped by a 1-yard scamper by Sullivan, knotting up the score at seven-all.

The Georgetown offense, which was virtually nonexistent in the opening period, sprang to life in the second quarter. After a mere two pass attempts in the first quarter, freshman quarterback [Isaiah Kempf](https://www.thehoya.com/sports/freshman-quarterback-makes-fast-impression/) got the ball rolling in a big way, finding junior Philip Oladeji on a screen pass. The tailback then used an excellent block to his advantage, dashing downfield for a 30-yard gain.

Two plays later, Kempf found Oladeji once again, this time on a shovel pass to set up first-and-goal for the Blue and Gray. Kempf, who has shown the ability to improvise when plays break down, scrambled around the Colgate defense for a 7-yard touchdown run. The Hoyas were back on top 14-7 after the extra point.

Late in the second quarter, Colgate struck back. This time the Raider offense utilized its passing attack, as Sullivan found senior wide receiver Pat Simonds on multiple occasions. The physical, 6-foot-6 wideout torched the Hoyas all day, finishing with 12 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown.

After a number of Sullivan-to-Simonds hookups allowed the Raiders to set up shop in the red zone, sophomore running back Jordan McCord broke free for a 19-yard touchdown to even up the score once again.

The Hoyas were effective on both sides of the ball for much of the first half, and the 6-0 Raiders went into the locker room at the half in a dogfight with the 0-6 Hoyas.

Unfortunately for Georgetown, the momentum proved to be short-lived. In the second half, Colgate continued to pound away at the run, significantly wearing down the Hoya defense. This methodical approach to moving the ball was executed to perfection in the middle of the third quarter, when Colgate took possession on its own 4-yard line. The Raiders proceeded to drive the length of the field, capping the 16-play drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Sullivan to Simonds.

After two Kempf turnovers resulted in 10 more points, the Raiders were able to extend the lead to 31-14 and put the game out of reach.

After the game, [Head Coach Kevin Kelly](https://www.thehoya.com/sports/hoyas-head-man-brings-wealth-of-experience-to-gu/) expressed displeasure with the team’s second-half effort. To him, the reason for the collapse was simple.

“We had two turnovers, and they had a 97-yard drive,” he said. “That’s what happened.”

The Colgate ground game proved to be the difference, out-rushing Georgetown 313-91.

“They held on to the ball – they’re leading the nation in rushing,” Kelly said. “There’s a reason why they’re 7-0.”

The Hoyas are off this week and will get a chance to rest and refocus for the remaining four games of the season. The way Kelly sees it, the season starts now.

“The past is the past, and we’ll look to move forward,” he said. “We’ve got a four-game season here.”

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