Oct. 28, 2006
Box Score
Charleston, S.C. - Charleston Southern jumped out to 10-3 lead at half and scored two touchdowns in the second half en route to a 24-10 win over Georgetown at CSU Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It was the sixth-straight loss for the Hoyas, who fall to 1-7 overall, while the Bucanneers improved to 8-0 overall and won their 12th-straight game.
Leading by only a touchdown early in the third quarter, Charleston Southern quarterback Collin Drafts capped off a six-play, 70-yard drive over a span of 3:03 with a 12-yard scoring run, giving the Bucanneers a 24-10 lead with 10:36 to play. The Hoyas had pulled to within a touchdown (17-10) before CSU's decisive drive and a sack by sophomore Ataefiok Etukeren (Litchfield Park, Ariz./The Lawrenceville (N.J.) School) on first down moved the Bucs back six yards. Drafts, however, completed three passes for 52 yards, including one to Drew Rucks for 39 yards, setting up the score.
The Blue and Gray had a chance to cut into the lead on the ensuing drive, but junior quarterback Matt Bassuener (Fort Edwards, Wis./John Edwards) was intercepted on third-and-13 with about four minutes to play. GU forced a punt with about two minutes left, but a Bassuener pass was picked with just over a minute left in the game, sealing the win.
After the Bucanneers had taken a 17-3 lead early in the third quarter, the Hoyas responded with their best drive of the day. Bassuener threw a three-yard touchdown pass to freshman Charlie Houghton (Toronto, Ontario/Phillips Academy), capping a 19-play, 91-yard drive that ate up 7:12. The Hoyas ran for 49 yards, with Houghton and freshman Robert Lane (Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley) seeing much of the action, and Bassuener completed 5-of-6 passes fro 42 yards.
In the first half, Georgetown had pinned CSU on its own three-yard line after the Hoyas' opening drive stalled at the 34-yard line. The Bucanneers, aided by a 45-yard pass from Drafts to Ryan Ard, went nine plays and 97 yards to take a 7-0 lead with 6:33 to play in the quarter on a four-yard run from Kenny Harper.
The Hoyas moved the ball well in the team's first two drives, with Bassuener connecting on three passes of at least 10 yards and the offensive line opening up holes for the running game, gaining 80 yards on 24 carries.
On GU's second drive, the Hoyas went for it on fourth down and one from 21-yard line, but were stopped by the Bucanneer defense. On CSU's first play, Drafts was intercepted by senior defensive end Alex Buzbee (Chester, N.J./Seton Hall Prep), giving GU the ball back again at the 20. Bassuener was sacked on the first play, but the Hoyas converted a first down on an eight-yard run from Houghton. A false start penalty moved GU back to third-and-goal at the 10 and after a pass fell just short, junior kicker Eric Bjonerud (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich./University School) hit a 20-yard field goal to make the score 7-3.
A 33-yard field goal from Nick Ellis midway through the second half capped a 10-play, 49-yard drive, giving the Bucs a 10-3 lead at the break. Georgetown took control of the ball following the field goal with 8:33 to play and Bassuener led the team to a pair of first downs - running once for nine yards and another time for 17 yards -but the team could not convert a fourth-and-one from the CSU 40, turning the ball over on downs.
Bassuener completed 19-of-24 passes for 168 yards and carried the ball 14 times for 67 yards, while Houghton finished with 19 carries for 79 yards.
Georgetown returns home next weekend, playing a non-league game against Marist on Saturday, November 4. It will be the final home game of the season for the Hoyas.
