Too little, too late.
The Georgetown football team (3-4, 1-1 Patriot League) lost to Colgate (3-4, 2-0 Patriot League) 17-13 Saturday afternoon in front of sold-out Cooper Field crowd of 3,136 fans. The Hoyas’ fourth quarter comeback attempt, which saw the team score all 13 of their points, fell short as the Raider’s 17-0 halftime lead proved insurmountable.
“It was a tough loss,” said senior running back Jo’el Kimpela, who rushed for 104 yards on a career-high 22 attempts in the game. “We just got to find a way to bounce back.”
After a lackluster first half in which they failed to take advantage of two Colgate fumble recoveries with favorable field position, the Hoyas came to life in the fourth quarter thanks in part to an audacious onside kick call by their head coach Rob Sgarlata.
Following a 37-yard field goal by junior kicker Henry Darmstadter to cut the Colgate lead to 17-3 just 50 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Hoyas successfully executed a surprise onside kick when freshman wide receiver Brandon Williams recovered junior kicker Ben Priddy’s attempt.
Based on their scouting leading up to this week and the look Colgate’s special teams unit showed against a kickoff earlier in the game, Sgarlata and his staff felt it was the right time for the move.
“In a game like that that’s tight, when you need a momentum changer, you need to get it from somewhere,” said Sgarlata of the call. “Defensively, we did a great job taking the ball away in the first half. We didn’t capitalize on that. At that moment, I thought that was a way to spark us and get us going.”
Senior quarterback Kyle Nolan and the Georgetown offense took advantage of the generous field position. They used only four plays to march 49 yards for the team’s first and only touchdown of the game, as Nolan ran 10 yards untouched on a quarterback keeper into the endzone to cut the Colgate lead to 17-13 with 12:43 left.
After the Hoyas defense forced a quick three and out from the Colgate offense, Darmstadter converted another 37-yard field goal with 4:41 to go to cap a methodical 15-play, 67-yard drive over a span of 7:07 by the Georgetown offense. The Hoyas defense, however, was unable to get a much needed stop on the next Colgate possession, as the Raiders were able to run the clock out after a pair of first downs.
During the team’s post-game press conference, Sgarlata emphasized the Hoyas’ slow first half start and their inability to score no points off of Colgate’s three turnovers as the key factors in the team’s loss.
“You can’t waste a first half against a good Patriot League team, especially Colgate, “ said Sgarlata. “You can’t waste three turnovers.”
The Hoyas’ defense, led by junior linebacker Leo Loughrey’s career-high 14 tackles, kept them in the contest despite mediocre play by the offense. After allowing 122 rushing yards to the run-heavy Raider offense in the first half, the Georgetown defense only allowed 62 yards on the ground in the second half.
““It was just all the defensive line,” said Loughery of the defense’s improved play during the game. “They really just toughened up as the game went on. That’s all we needed.”
After a week in which they put up 38 points against Lafayette on Homecoming, the Hoyas offense came back to earth. While Kimpela rushed for 104 yards on 22 carries, Nolan completed 21-of-38 passes for 194 yards with no interceptions but two lost fumbles. Junior wide receiver Justin Hill led all receivers with eight receptions for 98 yards.
But despite the failed comeback attempt in their disappointing loss, Sgarlata believes it shed light into the attitude of his team and how the culture of the program has changed for the positive.
“What you saw in the second half from our ballclub is that we’re a pretty resilient group,” said Sgarlata. In years past, that 17-point deficit turns into 24 and then we’re chasing it the entire game.”
The Hoyas will look to bounce back in their next game this Saturday at Bucknell (3-3, 0-1 Patriot League). Loughery and the players hope to convert their anguish from this week’s defeat into success against the Bison.
“We just got to use it as fuel for next week and get out there.”
