Facing off against the Columbia Lions (2-0, Ivy League) in the Lou Little Cup, the Georgetown football team (1-2, Patriotic League) lost 35-14 on Saturday in New York City, breaking their two-game winning streak against their long time rivals.
In a scoreless first quarter, neither team’s offense was able to gain an advantage. But, the second quarter took a quick turn when The Lions jumped ahead with three unanswered touchdowns.
While the Hoyas executed strong 47, 39, and 54 yards in their first three drives, they were unable to take advantage of these numerous opportunities. Head Coach Rob Sgarlata was pleased with the offensive consistency, yet believes his team can do better in finishing drives.
“It was good to see our kids come out with some consistency early. That’s something we’ve been emphasizing in practice,” he said. “[But] when you get the ball down inside the 30 yard line twice, you have to come away with points.”
Sgarlata said that he aims to work on driving the football downfield on offense, helping keep the defense off the field.
At halftime, Columbia was leading 21-0 behind a solid two touchdowns by sophomore wide receiver Josh Wainwright.
The beginning of the third quarter proved another standstill. Within this deadlock, the Lions dominated time of possession (10:25) but were unsuccessful in scoring points. Bolstered with enduring defense, Georgetown held back the Lions but fell short themselves on offensive plays.
In the final quarter, another Columbia touchdown made the score 28-0. The Blue and Gray fired back by making their first touchdown just three minutes later. Junior running back Carl Thomas got the Hoyas on the scoreboard with a short two yard receiving touchdown from junior quarterback Clay Norris.
The Lions responded shortly after with their final touchdown of the game, a two yard run by freshman quarterback Josh Bean. They were soon countered by a successful 83 yard touchdown pass to Georgetown wide receiver Michael Dereus. With that play, Norris and Dereus made history with third longest pass in program history.
Neither team was able to score in the last seven minutes, resulting in 35-14 Georgetown defeat.
The strong rivalry between the Hoyas and the Lions will continue over the next seven years, with Georgetown getting a chance to reclaim the Cup next year at Cooper Field.
Looking forward to the team’s next game against the Harvard Crimson on Sept. 30th at RFK Stadium, Sgarlata said, “The improvement from week to week isn’t the opponents we’re playing, they’re going to be good. It’s going to be what can do with our football team.”
