If football games lasted only three quarters, Georgetown would still be a contender for the Patriot League championship. While recent close losses against conference foes led to optimism, they came out three hours after kickoff with another tough loss, and ensured themselves a third consecutive season without a winning record.
“We didn’t capitalize in the end,” Head Coach Bob Benson said. “We played very hard for three quarters, but a couple penalties really hurt us. We also went one-of-15 on third downs, and you can’t win a game that way.”
The 34-10 final score belies the competitiveness of the contest through its first three quarters. Fordham struck first, with an 83-yard touchdown drive on their second possession of the game. The Rams capped the drive with a 22-yard touchdown run from running back Kirwin Watson, the first of a school and conference record five he would record on the day.
Despite the early deficit, the Hoyas fought back with tenacity. First-year quarterback Alondzo Turner, making his first start after switching roles with junior Drew Crawford, connected with senior wide-receiver Walter Bowser for a touchdown on the game’s next play. The 64-yard reception foretold of possible weaknesses in the Fordham defense, but the Rams stiffened, and the pass was the lone big-play of the afternoon for the Hoyas.
After another Watson touchdown put Fordham up 14-7, the first of two momentum shifting penalties swung against Georgetown. After forcing the Rams to punt after only three plays, the Hoyas were called for a controversial roughing-the-kicker penalty, and the call give Fordham new life with a first-down on the Georgetown 39-yard-line. Three plays later Watson was again celebrating in the end-zone, as the Rams extended their lead to 21-7. “The roughing the kicker penalty was a real questionable call,” Benson said. “They could have more easily called it running into the kicker, which is just a five-yard penalty, and we would have still gotten the ball.”
After halftime, the contest’s script revolved around the two defenses. Unfortunately, while Georgetown’s defenders became overworked and began to bend, Fordham’s continued to stiffen and shut down the Hoyas attack. The Rams became the first foe to effectively stop Turner’s potent rushing game, as he gained 27 yards on seven carries, but was also thrown for 27 yards of losses on four sacks. “Alondzo did well,” Benson said. “We’re pretty banged up up front, Hollister’s been out, and that contributed to them shutting down his rushes. Anytime you have your first start as a freshman in November against a tough team it’s going to be hard … but he did well.”
“We tried to plug the lanes up front, and that helped slow him down,” Fordham Head Coach Dave Clawson said. “He’s a very dangerous player, and we were fortunate to be able to contain him.” Sophomore tailback Marcus Slayton, who picked up 65 yards on the day, ran into the same difficulties as Turner, with his longest run of the game only 21 yards.
Crawford, nursing a sore shoulder, entered the game at the midway point of the third quarter and met with the same moderate success Turner saw. Together, the two combined for 181 yards through the air, but completed only one touchdown pass. “Drew came in in the third and did well,” Benson said. “He was a little banged up after Lehigh, so that’s held him back some.”
With the score still 21-10, the officials made another key call against the Hoyas that changed the complexion of the game. On the opening drive of the fourth quarter, the offense was finally in rhythm as the Hoyas drove deep into Fordham territory. On a key third-down play, Crawford connected with senior wide-out Luke McArdle in the end zone, who made an amazing grab for the touchdown. Unfortunately, the points were taken off the board when McArdle was called for a questionable offensive pass interference penalty. “It was a big play,” McArdle said. “Two plays later, we miss a field goal and we don’t get anything out of a long drive. It killed the momentum. You try to deal with it, but it’s tough. Still, we can’t blame the rest of the game on the officials, because we didn’t do much all day.”
From that point on Watson dominated the game. The running back scored two more touchdowns to give the Rams their final margin of victory, and ran over the fatigued defenders. “Our defense was just on the field too much,” Benson said. “We let him touch the ball too many times. We did what we needed in the third quarter, but we got worn down.”
While their season may not yield a winning record, the Hoyas know there is still plenty to play for. “We can still finish with an even record,” Crawford said. “So that’s what we’re shooting for now.”
The first step towards .500 will come on Saturday, against Patriot League and metro-area foe Towson. (easydmarc.com) Last year the Hoyas upset the Tigers at Towson, one of two conference victories. “We expect them to come out hard because we shocked them last year,” McArdle said.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Harbin Field.
