In the middle of a season characterized by a long list of disappointments, Georgetown added another setback to its tally.

Hoping to end a five-game losing streak, the Hoyas traveled to Bethlehem, Pa., this past weekend to face a winless Lehigh team. The Hoyas were thoroughly dominated by the Mountain Hawks in a 27-0 defeat.

With the loss, Georgetown dropped to 0-6 on the season and 0-4 in the Patriot League. Though the offense has struggled throughout this season, this was the first time that Georgetown had been shutout all year.

It was clear that Head Coach Kevin Kelly was not pleased with his team’s performance.

“I’m disappointed,” Kelly said. “I’m disappointed because we haven’t won a game.”

After scoreless opening drives for both teams, the Lehigh offense sprang to life. Sophomore quarterback Chris Lum found junior receiver Craig Zurn from 17 yards out, putting the Mountain Hawks up by six before they missed the extra point.

In comparison, the Hoyas had tremendous difficulty finding an offensive rhythm all day. Lehigh did an excellent job of containing freshman quarterback Isaiah Kempf and the Georgetown passing attack, limiting the Hoyas to only 151 yards through the air. Senior slot receiver Robert Lane, who has put up some tremendous numbers in recent games, had a team-high six receptions but only accumulated 38 yards.

Though the Hoyas’ passing attack was less than stellar against the Mountain Hawks, it was prolific in comparison to their running game. Georgetown was unable to establish anything on the ground, and wound up with an abysmal minus-26 yards rushing. Although Kempf was individually responsible for minus-41 yards, mostly due to being sacked eight times, the final tally of minus-26 rushing yards demonstrates the virtual nonexistence of the Georgetown running game.

Junior slot receiver Keerome Lawrence was the team’s top rusher, netting 15 yards on two carries. If the Hoyas are to achieve any level of success this year, Kelly recognizes that his team is going to need to improve on the ground.

“We got a couple of different packages to help us with the run game this week,” Kelly said.

Following Lehigh’s initial score, Georgetown was forced to punt. On the ensuing possession, however, the Georgetown defense showed off its playmaking ability. In what was perhaps the sole bright spot of the game for Georgetown, sophomore defensive back David Quintero tipped a pass that landed in the arms of fellow defensive back, junior Paul Sant’Ambrogio. The interception gave the Hoyas the ball around midfield, but the offense was unable to capitalize and was forced to punt.

Though the defense kept the game within reach early on, it was eventually overcome by the offensive firepower of Lehigh.

Early in the second quarter the Mountain Hawks extended their lead to two scores with a touchdown and struck again later in the quarter to increase their edge to 20-0. Midway through the fourth quarter, Lehigh put the game completely out of reach, as another touchdown pass extended the lead to 27-0.

Junior linebacker and co-captain Nick Parrish led the way on the defensive side of the ball for the Hoyas, registering a game-high 12 tackles. Parrish has consistently proven that he is one of the Patriot League’s top defensive players over the course of this year, as he is 20th in the nation in tackles.

Junior linebacker Patrick O’Donnell compiled 10 tackles, while senior defensive back Travis Mack and senior defensive lineman Chudi Obianwu each contributed eight.

Despite his team’s record, Coach Kelly is proud of the dedication and hard work put forth by his players each and every week.

“I’m not concerned about effort. That hasn’t been a problem,” Kelly said, acknowledging the resilience and tough-mindedness of his squad.

Kelly also remains extremely confident in his senior leaders and co-captains.

“[Their] leadership has been good,” he said. “We just haven’t executed.”

The schedule certainly does not get any easier for the Hoyas, who return home this weekend to face a formidable Colgate squad. The Raiders stand atop the Patriot League at 6-0, and are ranked 24th nationally.

“Colgate’s very good,” Kelly said. “They have a very efficient scheme when it comes to running the ball .They are a typical football team that is solid in all phases.”

The parents’ weekend game should produce a larger crowd than usual, something that could benefit the Blue and Gray. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday at MultiSport Field.

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