The Georgetown football team completed a disappointing season in a game that was emblematic of the troubles they encountered throughout their games: a 45-16 conference loss at Bucknell.
By halftime, the Hoyas had fallen behind 24-3, and could not recover enough momentum or points to salvage much from the game. Senior wide-out Luke McArdle completed his Georgetown career in the contest, and he led all receivers with nine receptions for 99 yards. However, McArdle and the Hoyas offense, formerly among the conference’s elite, were held to two touchdowns on the day: a 21-yard scramble by first-year quarterback Alondzo Turner, and a 10-yard pass from starting junior quarterback Drew Crawford to Walter Bowser with 9:21 remaining in the game.
Michael Gillman got the first Georgetown points on the board with a 24-yard field goal on the team’s second drive that brought the Hoyas within 7-3. After the early drive the offense came undone as the Hoyas were hampered by field position and turnovers throughout the contest, losing two fumbles and an interception to the Bison. The Bucknell defensive line put persistent pressure on Crawford, sacking him five times and hurrying a number of his passes, and made the game’s biggest stop, a 1-yard loss on 4th-and-1 with 8:10 remaining in the third quarter.
Bucknell’s offense ran over Georgetown defenders all day, recording 532 total yards, 326 of them on the ground. Head Coach Bob Benson referred to the contest as an “angles and inches game” before the kickoff, and the Bison controlled all of the angles and inches throughout the game. They also capitalized on the early inefficiency of the Hoyas, scoring touchdowns on their first three drives to sprint to a 21-point lead that they would never relinquish.
“We knew it was important to stop them early,” Bucknell Head Coach Tim Landis said. “When we did, it gave us a lot of confidence.”
Bucknell running back Blamah Sarnor carried the ball 19 times for 122 yards, and Tim Johnson added 67 yards for the Bison’s vaunted option attack.
“It took us awhile to get used to [the option],” Benson said. “It was no surprise we were down at halftime.”
Still, it was the familiar demons of failed execution and turnovers that sealed Georgetown’s doom. Both Crawford and Turner fumbled away the ball, and Crawford’s interception killed a last gasp Georgetown rally deep into the fourth quarter.
The loss marred a game in which McArdle set the single season receiving record for the Hoyas, finishing with 1,118 yards. Playing through pain throughout much of the second half of the season, McArdle achieved the mark despite sitting out the team’s victory over Davidson a week before. McArdle, who also finished the regular season as Division I-AA’s leader in all-purpose yards per game at 184.6 a contest, was selected as a Patriot League All-League first team member. His selection makes him the first Georgetown player to be a first team All-League selection in the three years since joining the conference. While his time with the Hoyas has ended, McArdle will play in the heralded TFN/Division I-AA All-Star Classic on December 30 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Two other Georgetown stars were lauded with McArdle on the conference’s All-League squad as members of its second team: senior safety Matt Fronczke and sophomore defensive end Michael Ononibaku. In his second season as a co-captain, Fronczke put in consistently strong performances, leading the team in tackles in a number of games. He finished with 85 total tackles in 10 games, a mark that placed him fifth in the conference overall in tackles per game. Fronczke rounded out his career with 243 total tackles and 158 solo tackles, third highest in Georgetown history. His effort on the field was paralleled by a strong work ethic off it, where he rehabilitated an arm injury dating from last year, and led by example in the locker room.
Ononibaku, a former inside linebacker, also established himself as a presence this season, and proved to be among the team’s most pleasant surprises. Recording eight sacks on the year, a new role as a defensive end suited the pass-rush specialist perfectly. Ononibaku had six other tackles in the backfield, and finished second in sacks and fourth in tackles for a loss in the conference standings. Ononibaku’s 50 total tackles placed him fourth on the team, and coaches were impressed with his quick learning ability.
The early success of Turner was also a surprise to coaches, who were able to use the versatile youngster to change the pace of games and relieve the starting quarterback, Crawford, when he was ineffective against opposing defenses. Turner’s slashing running style gave opposing coordinators headaches, and his passing ability, as first showcased in a two touchdown performance against Lehigh, made him a legitimate double threat. A knack for reaching the red zone also distinguished Turner’s rookie season, as he contributed to over half of the team’s scoring drives. Coach Benson has not yet announced whether he will alter his approach to his dual quarterbacks, but past experience would suggest that the starting position will be up for grabs in spring drills and summer scrimmages heading into next fall’s season.
The Hoyas will return to the gridiron for their fourth season of Patriot League play on September 4, 2004 at Harbin Field against St. Francis.
