No matter how many points the Georgetown football team (2-4 overall, 0-4 PL) put on the scoreboard Saturday, they couldn’t break the spirit of the Virginia Military Institute’s … band. From the start, the Hoyas were able to jump on the Keydets en route to a 21-0 shutout on Homecoming weekend.
Georgetown took a 7-0 lead on the first drive of the game after junior quarterback Andrew Crawford’s seven-yard scramble on third down. Crawford was given the starting nod by Head Coach Bob Benson this week, his first start since the season opener against St. Francis.
“We were looking to add more balance to the offense this week,” Benson said. “[Crawford] was able to provide a positive change and make some plays.”
The Hoyas continued attacking the Keydets with junior running back Kim Sarin’s legs and, in a twist, his arm.
With six minutes left in the first quarter Sarin took a toss from Crawford for what appeared to be a run to the right. But instead, Sarin stopped and threw a 28-yard strike to senior wide receiver Janeiro Wooten, who was standing alone in the end zone to give the Hoyas a 14-0 lead.
“Homecoming means entertaining,” Benson said, referring to the trick play.
For Georgetown’s portion of the 2,874 fans watching on Homecoming Saturday, entertainment came in the form of 490 yards in total offense for the Hoyas. Behind a strong performance by the Hoyas’ offensive line, Crawford went 12 of 16 for 188 yards along with 88 yards rushing. Georgetown’s offense fired on all cylinders, facilitated by strong pass protection. Crawford was sacked just three times and spread his passes among five different receivers.
Sarin turned in the ninth best rushing performance since 1970 in school history by carrying the ball 31 times for a career-high 180 yards to complement his first touchdown pass.
“We wanted to come out early and jump on our opponent,” Crawford said. “It’s something that we haven’t done yet. After our quick start, there was no pressure and it felt just like practice out there.”
The offensive line and a strong game plan from the offensive coordinators played a large part in the lack of pressure in the Georgetown pocket. The Hoyas continually found themselves in third and short situations instead of third and long, and were able to convert on 10 of 16 third downs. Even when Crawford wasn’t connecting with a receiver down field, he was scrambling through VMI’s defensive line for solid yardage.
Not much went right for VMI all day, but they were able to make some noise before the half when the VMI band answered the Georgetown band’s rendition of “Hey Baby” by Bruce Channel. Right after the Hoyas’ band finished their song, the same song blared across the field. VMI’s version was stronger and louder along the lines of the Nick Cannon hit Drum Line. The boisterous Homecoming crowd was visibly influenced by the festivities of the day, which included massive tailgating.
On the field, Crawford was having some fun of his own. After a botched shotgun snap around midfield, Crawford scooped up the ball and stepped through VMI rushers to throw a 59-yard strike to junior tight end Glenn Castergine to conclude the Hoyas’ scoring for the day.
Georgetown’s defense delivered another strong performance led by sophomore defensive end Alex Buzbee’s three sacks. Georgetown’s defense surrendered only nine first downs and 30 yards rushing compared to the 208 they gave up in last year’s 42-14 loss to VMI. Georgetown entered the game tied for 11th in the NCAA for turnovers forced. Senior defensive back Jason Carter picked off a pass in the fourth quarter to tally Georgetown’s 16th forced turnover.
“The defense dominated today,” Benson said. “We let them hang around a little in the second half, but we are slowly coming together as a team.”
The Hoyas will use this week’s bye to rest before heading into their next game against Monmouth on the Oct. 23rd with some momentum.
“For those who thought so, we are not done,” Benson said.
