The spotlight shined brightly on Georgetown football this weekend. Literally.

Saturday night’s home opener against the Lafayette Leopards marked the first night game on the Hilltop in program history – an occasion that generated an elevated buzz for the contest. With almost 3,000 spectators on hand, the stage was set for the Hoyas to make some noise in the Patriot League.

Although it seemed as if everything was in place for a statement victory, the Blue and Gray seemed to have overlooked one important thing – leopards are nocturnal hunters.

After a season-opening defeat at Holy Cross, the Hoyas were thoroughly outplayed on Saturday, falling to Lafayette 28-3. With the loss, Georgetown dropped to 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the Patriot League. The defeat marked the third time in as many seasons that the Hoyas have started their season with two consecutive losses.

“Obviously we are really disappointed,” senior co-captain and center Dan Matheny said. “This was our stage and we didn’t come out to perform.”

Despite the final score, it was clear that the Hoya defense was fired up early on. Using its team speed to swarm the Leopard attack, the unit held Lafayette to a combined seven plays on its first two possessions.

The Lafayette defense, however, seemed to be thinking along similar lines, as the heavy pressure it consistently applied on sophomore quarterback James Brady prevented the Hoya offense from getting into any sort of rhythm.

The teams exchanged possessions until about halfway through the opening quarter. On his first rush of the game, Lafayette sophomore tailback Jerome Rudolph bounced right off tackle and ran 48 yards for the touchdown, taking full advantage of the misdirection play that completely fooled the Georgetown defense. The score finished a five-play, 79-yard drive and gave the Leopards a 7-0 advantage.

After the initial touchdown, Lafayette seemed to move the ball with ease. The beginning of the second period featured an 11-play, 55-yard drive capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Rob Curley to junior wide receiver Mark Layton. Following a Georgetown punt, it was déjà vu all over again for the GU defensive unit, as Curley hooked up with Layton for another touchdown, extending the Leopard edge to 21-0.

The Hoyas’ offensive woes continued throughout the rest of the half. By the end of the period, Brady and company were held to only 35 yards of total offense. Overall it was a fairly disastrous half for Offensive Coordinator Jim Miceli’s attack, whose only first down of the half came as a result of a penalty.

Despite the large halftime deficit, there were some bright spots for the Hoyas, particularly on defense. Sophomore defensive end Andrew Schaetzke made some big plays down in the trenches, racking up two sacks in the first two quarters. Additionally, sophomore defensive back Wayne Heimuli made some jarring tackles, often stopping the Leopards dead in their tracks. This second-year tandem should consistently make an impact on the gridiron this season.

After a less-than-stellar first half, the Hoyas came out of the locker room with obvious energy. After senior running back Charlie Houghton got the ball rolling with a 37-yard kickoff return, the combination of Brady’s passing and Houghton’s rushing helped the Hoyas reach the red zone. Though the Blue and Gray were unable to convert for the touchdown, senior kicker Jose-Pablo Buerba connected on a 33-yard field goal to put Georgetown on the board.

The second half proved to be much less lopsided than the first, as Lafayette would score only once more. It was apparent that the Hoyas had elevated their play on both sides of the ball.

Despite only putting up a field goal, Georgetown put together two drives that nearly covered the length of the field. At the conclusion of one of those drives, Brady lobbed a beautiful pass on a fade route to senior wide receiver Rick Cosgrove, who caught the ball over the defender for the apparent score in the right corner of the end zone. Cosgrove, however, could not get a foot down in bounds, and the Leopards took the ball over on downs.

Head Coach Kevin Kelly acknowledged the team’s improved level of play in the second half.

“We did come back in the second half,” he said after the game. “We got a feel for what they were doing.”

Despite the Hoyas’ second-half adjustments, Kelly emphasized that football is a four-quarter game.

“We’ve got to put a full game together,” he said.

After another 0-2 start, the team is by no means pleased with how the season has begun, but one leader stressed the need to remain calm and collected.

“It’s way too early in the season to have a letdown,” Matheny said. “We can’t let this snowball turn into an avalanche.”

Up next for the Hoyas is a home date against Yale. The program has revamped its coaching staff, so Kelly will not be preparing for the same attack from previous years.

“It’s a blind game,” Kelly said. “I’m not really sure what were going to get.”

Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday at MultiSport Facility. “