On a cool fall afternoon at Multi-Sport Field, the Georgetown football team (1-7, 0-3 Patriot League) extended its losing streak to six games as it fell to Colgate (3-5, 2-0 Patriot League) this past Saturday 34-14.
“You just got to keep fighting. Players got to keep playing, coaches got to keep coaching. We did some positive things today. We were in the game there in the third quarter,” Head Coach Kevin Kelly said. “We had opportunities to maybe win the ballgame and we didn’t. We had opportunities on offense and on defense. We couldn’t slow them down. We just got to keep playing.”
The Raiders, who have defeated the Hoyas in 11 of their 12 meetings ever, dominated the Hoyas with their rushing attack, amassing 309 yards on the ground, and their run defense, which held the Hoyas to only 54 rushing yards. Colgate senior quarterback Gavin McCartney completed 20 of 28 passes for 248 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception, and had 12 carries for 109 yards and a rushing touchdown.
“That’s why Gavin McCartney is the Preseason Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year,” Kelly said. “He does a great job, they have a good scheme. He’s been hurt but he was a lot healthier this week. He did a great job.”
The Hoyas failed to overcome an overwhelming 27-7 halftime deficit, their fifth straight game where their opponent had a halftime lead of 14 points or more. These first half failings have been especially present the past three games as the Hoyas have been outscored 93-10 in the first half, a disturbing trend that has Kelly and the team searching for a remedy.
While many might jump to offer Kelly a quick fix or a gameplan of some sort, the head coach is adamant that all he and his team can do is to continue to put the effort in and hope the results start going their way.
“I wish I had the answer right now, I don’t,” Kelly said. “We just got to keep finding ways in practice to stir it up so we do come out quicker. It’s frustrating. Every week we talk about how we can jumpstart this thing, but we just need to keep plugging away. There’s nothing else you can do.”
Despite the team’s woes, the Georgetown passing attack showed improvement. Sophomore quarterback Kyle Nolan played solidly for the Hoyas in his first home start of the season. Nolan completed 23 of 46 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing. Senior wide receiver Zack Wilke had eight catches for 117 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass from Nolan early in the first quarter.
“He did some real good things,” said Kelly about Nolan’s play. “He threw the ball extremely well. … He gave us a chance in the ballgame.”
Georgetown will look to break their losing streak against Lafayette (2-5, 2-0 Patriot League) on Senior Day this Saturday at Multi-Sport Field. The Leopards will be out for revenge; the Hoyas have beaten them three consecutive seasons dating back to 2009. Although the opportunity for a winning season has been lost and their Patriot League title hopes are extremely slim, Kelly and his team will look to take advantage of the season’s remaining three games.
“It’s the last game for our seniors. In college football you only get so many opportunities. We’ve got three left. You got to make the most of your opportunities because you never know if you might not have that opportunity. There’s a lot to play for.”
Nolan and his teammates won’t let their prior disappointments this year interrupt their preparation for this Saturday’s game, when they’ll look to break their losing streak. No one is more aware of their record than the team itself.
“We’re obviously disappointed with our record and everything,” Nolan said. “We’re trying to stay positive throughout the week to get prepared for the next game. We’re trying not to look back as much and looking forward to every game. We got to get back to winning.”
