Georgetown football (4-5, 2-2 Patriot League) fell behind early on Senior Day and was unable to come back against conference leaders #20 Lafayette (7-1, 3-0 Patriot League). The Hoya running game never really got going; Georgetown managed just 36 rushing yards. Sophomore quarterback Danny Lauter made his first career start for the Hoyas, throwing for 428 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Sophomore wide receiver Jimmy Kibble was Lauter’s most reliable target all game, totaling 201 yards.
Lafayette scored on their first drive of the game–a 43-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Dean DeNobile found sophomore wide receiver Elijah Steward and brought the Leopards to the one-yard line. Sophomore running back Jamar Curtis ran the ball in and freshman kicker Jack Simonetta converted the extra point to give Lafayette a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game. The Hoya offense, on the other hand, sputtered on its first two drives of the game, only managing to get one first down. Meanwhile, the defense couldn’t figure out how to stop big plays from Lafayette;later in the quarter, Curtis broke a tackle and juked Georgetown senior safety Preston Murray for a 20 yard touchdown.
The Hoyas looked much better in the second quarter. Lauter recorded his first touchdown pass as a Hoya, finding Kibble on a quick comeback route. Kibble sped past sophomore defensive back Jalen Edwards, then broke a tackle from three Lafayette defenders for a 43 yard touchdown that put the Hoyas on the board. Unfortunately for Georgetown, the Leopards responded immediately. On Lafayette’s first offensive snap after Kibble’s touchdown, freshman running back Troy Bruce broke a tackle and sped down the sideline for a 71 yard score. Georgetown responded with a field goal to make the score 21-10 at halftime.
Lafayette scored a touchdown to start the second half, just as they did in the first. Junior defensive back Saiku White jumped in front of a short throw by Lauter and took the interception back for a touchdown. The Hoyas responded quickly thanks to another huge touchdown from Kibble, who took a pass from Lauter 81 yards to the end zone. Georgetown’s two-point conversion attempt failed when the Leopards’ defense snuffed out a shovel pass to keep the score at 28-16.
On their next drive, Georgetown marched down the field, but was forced to settle for a field goal. The Hoyas had a chance to turn momentum in their favor and threaten a comeback after pressure from the Georgetown defensive line forced DeNobile to make a poor throw that was intercepted by senior linebacker David Ealey III. The momentum was short-lived, though, as a pass from Lauter was deflected then intercepted by White for his second pick of the game.
The Leopards marched down the field as the fourth quarter began. Their eight-play drive ended with a touchdown when freshman wide receiver Devin Page made a diving catch, somehow staying in bounds to give the Leopards a 35-19 lead. The Hoyas tried to get a comeback started when sophomore wide receiver Nicholas Dunneman made a good catch in traffic for a 10-yard touchdown, but the two-point conversion attempt failed again. The Hoyas’ onside kick attempt then failed in bizarre fashion; Lafayette senior tight end Mason Gilbert caught the kick, then immediately threw the ball out of bounds to secure possession for Lafayette. Gilbert received a penalty for an illegal forward pass, but the Leopards retained possession and Georgetown’s slim hopes of a victory fizzled out.
Overall, Lafayette outmatched the Hoyas on Georgetown’s senior day. Georgetown was never able to get the running game going, and the Hoya defense gave up a lot of big plays thanks to missed tackles. However, Lauter looked good in his first career start for Georgetown, playing well in a game where he threw the ball 58 times. Kibble’s performance was certainly a positive for the Hoyas as well; his 201 yard game was extraordinary, and was the second straight game where a Georgetown receiver totaled over 200 yards, as Dunneman had a 205 yard game against Colgate. Lafayette was the better team, proving that they deserve to sit atop the Patriot League.
