Two weeks ago, Georgetown still had a chance to make the Division I-AA playoffs. A loss to Lehigh dashed those dreams.
Last week, the Hoyas, in spite of their recent struggles, still had a shot at finishing over .500 for the first time since 1999. A disappointing 10-3 loss to Davidson put that to rest.
This weekend, though, Georgetown (4-6, 2-3 Patriot) has a chance to finish at .500 in Patriot League play for the first time. But with perennial Patriot League power Colgate (7-3, 4-1) on the slate, the task will not be easy for the Hilltop gang.
A season that looked like it could have been the one in which the Hoyas finally got over the hump in the Patriot League has turned into a campaign marked more by struggle than by success.
Despite a defense that ranks near the top of the league in most statistical categories (first in total defense, first in passing defense, fifth in scoring defense), Georgetown’s offense has been so cripplingly inept that wins have been remarkably hard to come by.
Against Davidson, despite a change in offensive strategy, Georgetown managed just three points. The Wildcats jammed the line of scrimmage and brought numerous blitzes, forcing the Hoyas to turn away from their usually steady running game and trust junior senior running back Nick Cangelosi to throw the ball.
Cangelosi was solid, completing 18 of 31 passes for 190 yards. He failed, however, to complete a touchdown pass and threw an interception. The 18 completions, 31 attempts and 190 yards passing were all season highs, but it would be hard to consider this a rousing success, as Georgetown failed to put the ball in the end zone.
“We knew they were going be moving and blitzing, and sometimes that’s what you have to do, you’ve got to throw the ball,” Benson said. “We did a good job, and we’ll get better. Three points isn’t good enough.”
Senior running back Marcus Slayton handed the ball just 20 times, but rushed for 88 yards, continuing his senior rejuvenation. One year after rushing for a mere 184 yards, Slayton has amassed 594 yards on the ground.
Still, it is difficult to sugarcoat the performance by coordinator Elliot Uzelac’s offense. Georgetown ranks seventh out of the seven Patriot League teams in scoring offense.
What’s more, out of 116 Division I-AA football teams, Georgetown finds itself dead last in scoring offense. Butler, a 0-11 football team, has had a higher-powered offense than the Hoyas.
Colgate is only 75th in Division I-AA, but the Raiders are putting up 13 more points per game than Georgetown (the Hoyas are scoring a mere 10.3 a game). And, to make matters worse, Colgate ranks 15th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 18.3 points per game.
To put that into perspective, the Raiders are 20 spots ahead of Brown (yielded just a field goal to Georgetown), 34 spots in front of Davidson (also held Georgetown to three points) and 53 places in front of the Hoyas themselves. To compete on Saturday, Georgetown is going to have to find its offense – and in a hurry.
“Consistency is the key,” said Benson, who added that the keys to the game are “everyone being consistent, doing it together and finding enough balance between offense, defense and special teams.”
Anchoring that Colgate defense is senior linebacker Jason Nepa. Last Saturday against Bucknell, Nepa had 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble. For the third time in 2005, Nepa’s performance garnered Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 229 pounds, Nepa leads the team with 85 tackles. Thirteen tackles have been for a loss, and he also has one sack, four interceptions and two forced fumbles to his name. Nepa will look to make life miserable for Slayton and the other Hoya ball carriers on Saturday.
Nepa’s supporting cast is a good one. Cody Williams, a sophomore cornerback, has amassed 57 tackles and three interceptions. Older brother and fellow cornerback Chris, a senior, has four interceptions, and Jeff Galletly, a senior defensive tackle, has managed to record five sacks. On the year, the Raiders have recorded 30 takeaways. Georgetown, conversely, has nine.
Leading the offensive attack for the Raiders is running back Jordan Scott. Just a freshman, Scott has gained 902 yards on the ground and scored five touchdowns. The Raiders’ other running threat, junior quarterback Mike Saraceno, has totaled 310 yards and made it into the end zone five times. As a team, Colgate has run for 1624 yards, besting Georgetown by more than 400 yards.
“They’ve got a great running back and a very balanced offense,” Benson said. “They are one of this league’s elite teams.” He was equally complimentary of the Raiders’ defense, though.
Saraceno, just 5-foot-9, has not been quite as successful throwing the ball as he has been running it. Despite 1,826 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, Saraceno has thrown the ball into the hands of the defense 13 times. Georgetown’s defensive backs will be looking to add to his interception total this weekend.
DeWayne Long, a senior wide receiver, has been Saraceno’s main target, catching 46 balls for 629 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Kenny Parker also has 513 yards and six touchdowns.
“This is an important game,” Benson said. “We’re playing against a team trying to win the league, we’re trying to get to 3-3 [in the Patriot League] and it’s a big game.”
Still, it’s tough to tell what kind of Georgetown team will show up tomorrow. On one hand, the Hoyas have a chance to finish .500 in the league and knock off a league title-contender. On the other, they can’t finish with a winning record, cannot go to the playoffs and, on paper, are well overmatched. Whether they come out with the energy of a team that wants to play spoiler or the resignation of a team that knows it will struggle to compete remains to be seen.
An offseason of changes lies ahead for Georgetown. The defense will lose most of its core. The offense needs an extreme makeover.
If the Hoyas want more fans to come out to their games, they cannot repeat as the worst offense in America. The coaching staff may want to reexamine what it needs to do to be successful in the Patriot League.
But first comes Saturday. An upset victory over Colgate at the ulti-Sport Facility at 12:30 p.m. would be a very positive way to end a season of ups and downs.