11/23/2002
Box Score
Towson, Md. ? Georgetown held a 21-0 lead over Towson at the half and the Hoya defense made a goal line stand with under a minute to play to secure a 24-16 Patriot League victory. Georgetown concludes the 2002 season winning four of their last six and ending the year with a 5-6 overall record and a 2-5 mark in conference action.
A windy cold day caused a battle for field position through out the game. Georgetown opened the contest with a halfback pass from Janeiro Wooten (Oxon Hill, Md./Oxon Hill) that was intercepted by Towson?s Edmund Carazo at the Georgetown 49. Towson was unable to break the Hoya defense for most of the quarter but did move the ball to the Hoya 18-yard line before missing a 35-yard field goal with 3:19 on the clock. With under two minutes to play in the quarter Towson lined up for a punt from the Georgetown 46. Wooten broke through the Tigers? line and blocked the kick. GU?s Rocco Milazzotto (Dallas, Texas/Jesuit) fielded the pigskin off the bounce and returned it 22 yards to the Towson 38.
David Paulus (Manlius, N.Y./CBA) hit Jordan Jarry (Nashua, N.H./Nashua) on the first play of the second quarter with a six-yard touchdown toss which began a string of 21 unanswered points by the Hoyas. The Georgetown defense held on the next possession led by strong tackling efforts from Ken Osier (Fayetteville, N.Y./Deerfield Academy) and Andrew Clarke (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood). Towson punted the ball and GU?s Luke McArdle (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet Regional) fielded the punt at the Georgetown 18, squirted up the middle and then burst to the outside for a 40-yard return to the Towson 42. On third and 13 at the Towson 19 Paulus was hit by Davon Telp and fumbled which TU recovered at the Tigers? 28. Towson again could not muster an attack and quickly gave the ball back to the Hoyas. Georgetown opened a 14-0 lead after Paulus found his two tight ends on a three play drive. First hitting Jarry for 30 yards on first and 10 from the GU 43 and then finding Bo Cote (Arlington, Va./Landon) on a 30-yard score. The Hoya defense again stumped the Tigers as Clarke popped TU?s Kerry Mills on a rush and caused a fumble that was recovered by the Hoyas? Byron Anderson (Montgomery Village, Md./DeMatha). GU?s offense quickly converted the turnover into points as Paulus found Walter Bowser (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham) three plays later on a 15-yard pass. Both teams ran out the final four minutes and the Hoyas entered the locker room with a 21-0 lead.
The third quarter belonged to the Tigers as they posted 10 points and moved into Georgetown?s red-zone three times. Towson took the second half kickoff and went 70 yards on nine plays using up just under four minutes to light up their side of the scoreboard. After a Hoya three and out Towson marched to the Georgetown 18. On third and five GU defensive lineman Justin Haynes (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) shed his blocker and stopped TU?s Matt Romeo for no gain. Then on fourth and five Calvin Lyons (Dallas, Texas/St. Mark?s) broke up Jay Amer?s pass to deliver the ball back to the Hoya offense. The Hoyas handed the ball back to Towson when Paulus faced a heavy pass rush and threw toward John Sims (Monaca, Pa./Center) but Towson?s Neal Regan stepped by Sims and made the interception. Towson converted the interception into three points as Ben Whitacre buried a 31-yard field goal closing the gap to 21-10.
Georgetown?s offense was stymied in the early parts of the fourth quarter and Towson converted three third downs and one fourth and five to score on their second straight possession as Amer found Jamal White for a 20 yard strike. The Tigers missed the two point conversion, making the score Towson 16, Georgetown 21. GU had to punt to Towson with 5:07 remaining and the Tigers started the drive on their 20-yard line. Amer found White for a nine-yard gain. With the catch White set the new Patriot League career record for receptions with 219. Two plays later Towson lined up in shotgun formation and TU?s center put the snap over quarterback Amer?s head and a scramble ensued between Amer and the Hoya defensive line. Brandon Small (Hyattsville, Md./Northwestern) won the race and recovered the fumble at the Towson one with 3:39 to play. Towson?s defense put together a three play goal line stand and the Hoyas had to settle for an 18-yard field goal from Michael Gillman (Miami, Fla./Killian) increasing GU?s lead to eight with 2:21 remaining. The Tigers started the final drive of the game at their 30-yard line. Towson used a mix of the rush and pass to advance the ball to the Hoyas? one with :50 seconds to go. After a timeout the Tigers tried Romeo off the left side on second and one but Osier slid threw the blockers and stopped the ball carrier two yards deep in the backfield. Towson tried Romeo again to the left but Matt Fronczke (Downers Grove, Ill./Benet Academy) flew in from his strong safety position and collided with Romeo at the Georgetown two forcing fourth down. With 15 seconds remaining and facing fourth and goal Towson?s Amer dropped back to pass and lofted the ball to the right corner toward wideout White. GU?s Rocco Milazzotto played White tight and as the pass came down White rose in the air for the catch but as he landed his entire body hit the out of bounds chalk and the Hoyas had the stop and the 24-16 victory.
Fronczke led the Hoya defense making 15 total tackles and two pass breakups. Defensive teammate Clarke had his fifth consecutive day of double digit stops as he made 14 tackles including three for losses and a forced fumble. Clarke ends the regular season as the Patriot League?s leading tackler making 119 in 11 games. Anderson had an interception for the Hoyas and also recovered a fumble.
Offensively the Hoyas gained 248 yards with 164 coming threw the air and 84 on the ground. Paulus completed 15-of-26 passes for 164 yards and three TDs. Sims led the ground forces with 40 yards on 13 carries. Towson?s Romeo broke through the Hoya defense for 147 yards on 39 carries to lead the Tigers.
Georgetown ends the 2002 season in sixth place in the Patriot League with a 2-5 league mark.
