After the first week of the season for the Hoya football team, your eyes would not be deceiving you if you thought that they looked like a confident bunch. And why shouldn’t they? Their first Patriot League win, on the road in overtime against a tough Bucknell team, was an incredible jump start to the year. Heading into game two against Holy Cross, who beat them last year, things were looking up for the padded G-men. As last Saturday approached, the team thought that they had the ability to perform like an impenetrable fortress, ready to take on any invaders.
However, with hopes to avenge last year’s last-second loss to Holy Cross (2-0 overall, 1-0 PL), the Hoyas (1-1 overall, 1-1 PL) were reminded that any fortress is only as strong as its foundation. A team reliant on its stifling defense was disappointed last Saturday in a 48-6 rout at the hands of the Crusaders.
“It’s a good wake-up call, and it’s a good thing it’s early,” said senior safety, captain Mo Banks. “Now we know we have to show up to every game if we’re going to try and make a run at this championship.”
With a new quarterback in place in junior Nick Cangelosi and several young starters at high skill positions on offense-sophomore running back Emir Davis, and receivers Brent Craft, Kyle Van Fleet, and first-year Kenny Mitchell-Georgetown knew that they would be a team carried by their defense.
Unfortunately, that puts a huge amount of pressure on the 11 defensive players when they’re facing the Patriot League’s top offense and one of its most dangerous offensive players in the Crusaders’ senior tailback, captain Steve Silva (120 yards rushing, 61 yards receiving, 1 TD).
Like a flood’s attack on a stronghold, Holy Cross found every crack in the Georgetown’s secondary and defensive line. From the opening drive, the Crusaders exploited all weaknesses and seeped uncontrollably toward first-down markers. They ended up inundating the end-zone, scoring seven touchdowns before it was all said and done.
While the defense continued to bend and break, the offense could muster nothing on their side of the ball. The Crusaders defense held the Hoyas to just two yards passing and 21 yards of total offense for the entire first half. The homecoming crowd in Worcester, Mass. seemed to give Holy Cross the momentum that carried them throughout the game.
“It’s a game of emotion, and you have to come ready to play each and every weekend,” said Georgetown Head Coach Bob Benson. “We were flat last weekend, but now we have to move forward.”
The first two series of the game seemed to create a sort of unstoppable domino effect.
The defense endured a long drive that lasted over 12 minutes and ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Silva. The offense then immediately responded by failing to get a first-down and being forced to punt. The offensive futility rendered the team unable to keep their defense off the field. Its players tired, the defense allowed more long drives and more scores. While the offense looked on, it missed out on its opportunity to ever get warm and rally any kind of comeback. This trend seemed to be one the Hoyas couldn’t pull themselves from, lending them to the Crusaders’ violet violence throughout the game.
“Against Bucknell we fought and fought and fought,” said Benson. “For whatever reason we didn’t do that last weekend, so we have to turn it around.”
It was two seniors that made the greatest effort to stem the tide that was sweeping away the Hoyas. The lone sand bag on defense for the Hoyas came in the form of senior defensive back Jason Carter, who led the team with nine tackles. Offensively, senior running back Marcus Slayton had 105 total yards, though it was his counterpart, Davis, who had the Hoyas’ lone score on a one-yard run.
Fortunately for Georgetown, this disaster came early enough in the season that it can serve as a means to bring the team back to life.
“That game hurt,” said senior linebacker Mehdi Hassan. “We can still turn it around. We just have to keep things tight.”
This Saturday, Sept. 17th at 1 p.m. the Hoyas look to do just that as they break in their new home field against Brown, a team many pick to win the Ivy League.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” said Benson. “We’re excited to play the Ivy League. This is what Georgetown wants. We want to beat the Ivy League in anything we do.”
The Hoyas will try to rebuild their momentum and confidence at home with the help of the fans.
“We’re very excited to be home,” said Benson. “I think if we get a good product on the field, the Georgetown students respect a good product, and they will come out. I think Saturday will be fun for this university.”
“That fan support is huge,” said Hassan. “They help us out a lot. We just have to produce, and we will.”
