Following a demoralizing 41-0 defeat to Dartmouth (1-0, Ivy League) last weekend, the Georgetown football team (1-2, Patriot League) will look to right the ship in its homecoming matchup against Columbia (1-0, Ivy League) on Saturday. The matchup, set for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff, will be the fourth year in a row that the Hoyas and Lions compete for the Lou Little Trophy as part of an ongoing ten-year series. Last season, Columbia came out on top 35-14 in New York.
Georgetown head coach Ron Sgarlata comes into this game looking for answers on both sides of the ball after allowing the Big Green 260 rushing yards, while managing just 112 yards total on offense.
After an impressive opening week showing against Marist (0-2, PFL), the Hoya offense has gone flat the past two weeks, putting up eight points against Campbell (2-1, Big South) before failing to score last Saturday. Quarterback Gunther Johnson threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns against Marist, but has combined for just 259 yards and no scores the past two weeks. His favorite weapon, junior wideout Michael Dereus had 175 yards and a touchdown through the first two weeks of the season, but gained only 17 yards receiving against Dartmouth. Look for Dereus to get involved early and often if the Hoyas hope to stand a chance this Saturday.
Sgarlata’s running attack by committee has also been woeful. The group has averaged a meager 1.8 yards per carry on the season, with running backs sophomore Jay Tolliver, freshman Herman Moultrie III, and sophomore Jackson Saffold, shouldering most of the load. The Lions will not make it easy on the ground, after allowing just 45 yards on 24 attempts in their opening win against Central Connecticut State (1-2, Northeast Conference).
On defense, Georgetown will have to do better at stopping the run, facing off against freshman Dante Miller who ran for 93 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate appearance. If the Hoyas fail to plug the gaps, they could be in for a long afternoon. Look for the Lions to rely heavily on the run, after three quarterbacks combined for just 27 attempts against Central Connecticut State.
This will be the sixth all-time meeting between the teams, with Columbia currently leading 3-2. The Lou Little Trophy is named for a coach who ran successful programs at both Georgetown and Columbia in the first half of the 20th century. A veteran of the First World War, Lou Little was head coach of the Hoyas from 1924-1929, helping to establish the program, before moving on to Columbia where he managed for 26 seasons.
This is Georgetown’s second of three straight games against Ivy League opponents. The Hoyas will face Brown (0-1, Ivy League) next week before turning their attention to conference play.
Links to watch the game on the Patriot League Network can be found at GUHoyas.com and the game will also be available on Facebook Watch. Follow @GUVoiceSports for game day updates and continuing coverage of Georgetown fall sports.
