Nov. 10, 2006
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University football team will look to win its second consecutive game on Saturday, November 11, as they travel to Patriot League opponent Lafayette. Kickoff at Fisher Field is slated for 1 p.m.
The Hoyas will be seeking their first Patriot League game of the season after ending a six-game losing streak last week on Homecoming against Marist. Georgetown enters the game with a 2-7 overall record and a 0-4 mark in the Patriot League. Lafayette comes into the game with a 4-5 record after consecutive conference wins on the road, 27-10 at Colgate and 31-24 at Fordham last weekend.
The contest will be aired live on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) at 1 p.m. The game will also be broadcast by Georgetown University's student radio station, WGTB 92.3, with Matt Tymann calling the action. You can hear the action live by visiting www.georgetownradio.com.
This weekend's game with Lafayette will be the 10th matchup between these Patriot League members. Last season, Lafayette stopped a Georgetown drive late in the fourth quarter and held on for a 12-7 win over the Hoyas. Lafayette leads the head-to-head series, 6-3, with the Hoyas losing the last two meetings on their homefield. The Blue and Gray won the last meeting played at Lafayette, 17-10, marking the first victory on the road for the Hoyas in this series.
Lafayette enters today's game with a 4-5 overall record, and were ranked as high as number 22 in the nation earlier this season. The Leopards have won consecutive games, including a 31-24 win over Fordham last Saturday to get back into the Patriot League title hunt. Senior wide receiver Joe Ort pulled down five passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns in last week's victory, and earned Patriot League Honorable Mention. He is the team's leading receiver with 34 catches for 466 yards, a 13.7 average, and two touchdowns.
Lafayette is averaging 23.1 points per game and 337.6 yards in total offense, and a rushing attack that averages 165.2 yards per game. The rushing attack is led by Jonathan Hurt who has carried the ball 161 times for 873 yards, an average of 91.6 yards per game, and a team-high nine touchdowns. Quarterback Brad Maurer has completed 56.7 percent of his passes (131-of-231) for 1,551 yards and eight touchdowns. The Leopards are yielding 21.6 points per game and 337.2 yards in total offense per game.
Lafayette returner Shaun Adair is averaging 16.58 yards per punt return, good for seventh in the nation. The Lafayette defense is anchored by sophomore linebacker Andy Romans and his team-high 84 tackles. Senior defensive lineman Keith Bloom leads the Leopards with four sacks, and he along with junior defensive lineman Kyle Sprenkle lead the team with 8.5 tackles for loss. Senior defensive back Torian Johnson leads the team in interceptions with two.
Junior quarterback Matt Bassuener, (Port Edwards, Wis./John Edwards) has completed 72.9 percent of his passes (113-of-155) for 962 yards, with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Bassuener has the third-highest quarterback rating (142.01) in the Patriot League. GU quarterbacks have thrown passes to 16 different receivers this year, with junior Brent Craft (Jupiter, Fla./Benjamin) catching 43 passes.
Charlie Houghton (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Phillips (Mass.) Academy) was named the Patriot League's Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week after winning the award for the week of October 30. Houghton is one of two Hoya players that have earned a league weekly honor, joining Bassuener, who was named Offensive Player of the Week on September 25. Houghton posted 114 all-purpose yards and a touchdown as the Hoyas came from behind to snap a six-game slide with a 24-21 decision over Marist. He ran for 71 yards and pulled down a 14-yard touchdown in the second quarter to pull Georgetown within seven after falling behind 14-0. The freshman also had three carries for 29 yards on the touchdown drive that cut Marist's lead to 21-16. For the season, Houghton has carried the ball 47 times for 227 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He is fifth on the team with 14 receptions (117 yards) and has two touchdowns.
