Despite the welcomed return of redshirt senior quarterback Isaiah Kempf, who missed all of the 2012 season, the Georgetown football team (0-1, 0-0 Patriot League) lost its season-opening game to Wagner (1-0, 0-0 Northeast) 28-21. Although the Hoyas rushed out to a 21-7 halftime lead, the Wagner running game proved too much to handle. The Seahawks rushed for 195 yards on a whopping 56 attempts.
“It’s always tough, especially the first one,” said Georgetown Head Coach Kevin Kelly. “You spend 29 practices getting ready for four weeks and you want to start out on the right foot.”
In the opening drive of the game, the Hoya offense put together a 13 play, 84 yard drive, which culminated with a 5-yard touchdown run by Kempf to give the Hoyas a 7-0 lead. Wagner responded quickly, however. Redshirt junior quarterback Matt Misley connected on a 6-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Tyree Watkins to tie the game at 7.
The Hoyas then scored two unanswered touchdowns, a 2-yard run from sophomore running back Jo’el Kimpela and a 1-yard touchdown pass from Kempf to senior tight end Daniel Sprotte, to enter the half with a commanding 21-7 lead.
But the second half proved to be resoundingly different than the first for Georgetown.
Kempf and the offense struggled tremendously in the second half with only 33 yards of total offense and two first downs. In the third quarter, Kempf was intercepted by redshirt sophomore defensive back Deangelo James, who proceeded to return it 24 yards for a touchdown that tied the game at 21. Wagner fifth-year senior running back Dominique Williams rushed for two second half touchdowns, including the game-winner with 2:49 remaining in the game. Williams’ ground performance proved problematic for the Hoya defense throughout the game, as he rushed for 165 yards on 32 carries.
Georgetown senior linebacker Dustin Wharton had nothing but praise for the Wagner back.
“He’s probably the most talented back that we’ll see,” Wharton said. “Starting off with a guy like that, I think it really shows the talent we’re going to play and how much we need to work going forward.”
Looking ahead, Coach Kelly hopes his players build on the loss and learn from the experience.
“We played well for one half, we did some good things in the second half but obviously on offense we didn’t do much at all,” said Coach Kelly. “Defensively, we had some good plays but we also let them score 21 points in the second half. We’ve got to learn to play the whole 60 minutes.”
The return of quarterback Isaiah Kempf was a bright spot for the Hoyas. Kempf played well for the Hoyas in his first game in over a year, after sitting out all of last season from a concussion suffered during the opening series. Kempf completed 23 of 41 attempts for 198 yards, with one passing touchdown, one rushing touchdown, and the game-changing interception.
“It was a great feeling,” Kempf said on his return “Especially that first drive, I took a pretty big hit on the third play and that did a lot to get me going. I felt good, I felt like I hadn’t missed that much time and having the great line that we have, it just felt natural.”
Dustin Wharton’s performance was another positive aspect. The senior linebacker earned Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors for his play, with 12 tackles, one sack, and one interception in Georgetown’s debut.
“It’s an honor,” Wharton said about his award. “I think it’s a testament to our team. Our defense played really well. When the guys around me play well, it really helps me to shine and show my abilities. It’s an honor to be picked out of the great players that played this week. It means a lot.”
The Hoyas will return to the Hilltop this Saturday for their home opener against familiar foe Davidson (0-0). In last year’s contest, the Hoyas won convincingly 35-14. But the Hoyas face a Wildcats team with a new coaching staff, revamped scheme, and a replenished roster. All of these factors will make preparation in practice this week difficult for Kempf and his teammates.
“This week since we have no film on Davidson, the key for us is to focus on ourselves and get better this week in practice,” Kempf said. “Especially scheme-wise and getting what we do well down in order to be ready for anything they throw at us.”
Coach Kelly and his team are especially excited to open their home schedule under the lights, hopefully on a winning note when they take the field on Saturday night at 6:00pm.
“Our guys always like to play at night,” Kelly said. “You get more fans and more students … It’s a good feeling when you’re playing.”
