October 26, 2002

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- At the midway point in their second season in the Patriot League, the Georgetown football team won it?s first ever Patriot League contest. The Hoyas defeated the Bison of Bucknell by a score of 32-31, on a David Paulus (Manlius, N.Y./CBA) touchdown pass to Walter Bowser (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) with 13 seconds left in the game.

Paulus had his best game of the season, completing a Georgetown single game record 31 passes for 350 yards and five touchdowns. Luke McArdle (Boxford, Mass./ Masconomet Regional) also turned in an outstanding performance, hauling in another Georgetown single game record with 14 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

Bucknell took the lead 1:47 into the game, with a four play, 64-yard touchdown drive. The Hoya defense was subsequently able to cool the Bison attack down, but they were still able to strike twice more, taking a 17-0 halftime lead. Early in the second quarter, Bucknell capitalized on a McArdle punt return fumble at the Georgetown 24 yard line, scoring a 29-yard field goal with 11:58 left in the half. Later in the second Bison quarterback Cole Ciesnolevicz led his team on a 70-yard touchdown drive, hitting pay dirt on a three-yard fake reverse keeper. At the end of the half the Hoyas failed to convert a fourth down in Bison territory, and had Michael Gillman?s (Miami, Fla./Killian) 28-yard field goal attempt blocked.

Georgetown began the half with an impressive six play, 64-yard touchdown drive, which culminated in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Paulus to Bowser. After giving up another Bucknell touchdown off a Paulus? fumble, Paulus quickly made up for it by finding McArdle late in the third for a 10-yard touchdown strike, making the score 24-14, heading into the fourth. On Georgetown?s first drive of the fourth, Paulus found McArdle once again, this time on a scrambling lob pass across the field from 20 yards out.

After holding Bucknell on their next offensive drive the Hoyas faced a fourth and inches on their 24. Paulus fumbled the snap and failed to pick up a first down on the play. The good field position led to yet another Bison touchdown, this time a 30 yard strike to Albert Marquardt, making the score 31-20.

With 8:07 remaining in the game Paulus immediately took the Hoyas downfield for a seven play, 70-yard touchdown drive, using only 2:16 of clock time. William Huisking (Allendale, N.J./ Northern Highlands) picked up the score for the Hoyas, breaking several tackles to turn a swing pass into a 17-yard touchdown romp. The Hoya defense held the Bison, getting the ball back in Paulus? hands with 3:06 left on the clock.

It took the Hoyas 15 plays, including two critical fourth down conversions to finally get to the end zone, but the 19 yard touchdown pass from Paulus to Bowser ended a drive that represented next to perfect clock management, as the Hoyas? left only 13 seconds on the clock.

The Hoya defense was led by tri-captain Matt Fronczke (Downers Grove, Ill./Benet Academy) who made a game high 13 tackles. Andrew Clarke (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) had 11 total tackles while senior Justin Haynes (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) had a tackle for a loss and seven total stops.

The Hoyas? next game is this Saturday, November 2 at 1 p.m. at Harbin Field versus the Red Foxes of Marist. It will mark the final home game in Georgetown?s 2002 season.