Last October, then-senior running back Phillip Oladeji waltzed into the end zone in the fourth quarter, giving Georgetown its first Homecoming game victory since 2006. The 17-7 victory against Patriot League rival Holy Cross brought real excitement back to Multi-Sport Field for the first time in over a year and a half.
After putting together a gritty 5-2 start to this season since moving up to Division I, the Hoyas look to build a new Homecoming tradition with a win against Colgate on Saturday.
Oladeji is still on campus, now a Georgetown nursing graduate student. He recalls last season’s Homecoming win vividly. “I remember the stadium being packed––we hadn’t won Homecoming in a while,” he said. “I will miss … just the bond with the guys, being able to celebrate our win together. It’ll be fun to watch from the crowd.”
Saturday’s contest marks one of the most important contests of head coach Kevin Kelly’s tenure. With a win this weekend, the team could solidify its standing with an often skeptical fan base and clinch a winning record for the season, which would be a first for a Kelly team.
Though Kelly maintains his steady week-by-week approach to the season, he recognizes the importance of the game and the excitement of his team.
“We’re excited—home after five weeks, it’s Homecoming,” he said. “It’s also a Patriot League game—Colgate is a tough team, going to be a tough ballgame.”
With the ascent of juniors Isaiah Kempf, Max Waizeneger, and Rob McCabe, Oladeji believes the best is still to come from this team, which he played a crucial role in mentoring.
“I’ve heard even more confidence expressed in themselves,” he said. “I think early on they were a little timid, being early in their college careers, but now they know what they’re doing, and they’ve really grown under the leadership of [offensive coordinator] Coach [Dave] Patenaude.”
Kelly, meanwhile, is not surprised by the play of his juniors this season, having watched them mature as players.
“It’s experience,” he said, “year older, bigger, faster, stronger, and another year in the system. All of these things cumulatively contribute to them being better.”
The Hoyas are coming off their best fourth quarter of the season, breaking open a defensive battle against cross-town rival Howard to win 21-3. A touchdown pass from running back Jeff Burke to Tucker Stafford brought Hoya fans to their feet. Another by Kempf to junior Wilburn Logan followed a McCabe interception and iced the Mayor’s Cup for the Hoyas.
Riding a two-game winning streak, Georgetown’s battle with Colgate features arguably the best running back in the Patriot League in the Raiders’ Nate Eachus. But the senior tailback has been injured with a concussion and may not play. His presence could make a big difference for the Colgate offense, though Kelly is confident in his defensive unit, starting with his defensive line.
“They’re eating up a lot of blockers; it really allows [the linebackers] to make some plays,” he said. “Football—there are a lot of moving parts, it’s not just one guy, and we’re getting a lot of production from our front.”
Aside from Eachus, Colgate has a number of injuries on their offensive side. Kelly said the Hoyas will not adjust their game plan significantly based on these injuries because of the strength of the Raider coaching.
“Their offense is one where they just plug in guys,” he said. “[Eachus] is a great player, but they have a great scheme. We’ve just got to move on. They’ve had injury issues all year.”
Campus is gearing up for Homecoming, but a decisive victory against the Raiders this Saturday would put an exclamation point on the semester’s most exciting football weekend. The Hoyas’ opportunity to clinch a winning record for the first time as a Division I team kicks off at 2 p.m. at Multi-Sport Field.
