Nov. 2, 2006
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University football team will play its final home game of the season on Saturday, November 4, hosting Marist in a non-league game at the Multi-Sport Field. Kickoff on Homecoming Day is slated for 1 p.m.
The Hoyas will be looking to end a six-game losing streak, as they enter the game with a 1-7 overall record and an 0-4 mark in the Patriot League. Marist, meanwhile, enters the game with a 3-6 record after a 35-12 win over St. Peter's last weekend.
This weekend's game with Marist will be a renewal of a past conference rival for the Hoyas, who played the Red Foxes on a yearly basis when both schools were members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Georgetown leads the head-to-head series, 8-1, with the teams splitting the last two meetings, in 2001 and 2002. The Blue and Gray won the last meeting between the teams, a 27-17 decision on the Hilltop.
The Red Foxes ended a two-game losing streak with their home win over conference rival St. Peter's last weekend. Junior running back Adam Hansen was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring four touchdowns in Marist's win last weekend. He is the team's top running back, carrying the ball 55 times for 294 yards, 5.3 yards per carry. Marist is averaging 17.2 points per game and 305.2 yards in total offense, led by a passing attack that averages 197.8 yards per game.
Quarterback Steven McGrath has completed 60.9 percent of his passes (117-of-192) for 1,579 yards and seven touchdowns. McGrath's favorite targets have been senior Prince Prempeh and Kevin Frederick, who have 26 catches apiece.
The Red Foxes are yielding 27.8 points per game and 357.6 yards in total offense per game. The Red Foxes have put up some gaudy tackling totals this season, with four players among the MAAC's top eight tacklers in Dan Smith (2nd, 75), Huck Correia (3rd, 71), Nick Andre (6th, 62) and Nick Salis (8th, 40).
Georgetown is coming off a 24-10 road loss to Charleston Southern last weekend. Freshman running back Charlie Houghton (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Phillips (Mass.) Academy) led the Hoyas during the loss and was named the Patriot League's Rookie of the Week. It was the second time a Hoya player had earned a league weekly honor, joining junior quarterback Matt Bassuener (Port Edwards, Wis./John Edwards), who was named Offensive Player of the Week on September 25.
Houghton started for the first time in his career and appeared as the Hoyas' primary running back, carrying the ball 19 times for a season-high 79 yards. The first-year player also caught five passes for 46 yards, including the team's lone score, a three-yard pass from Bassuener in the third quarter. In addition, he returned three kickoffs for 46 yards. Houghton's 79 yards were the most for a Georgetown running back this season and he helped the team gain 163 on the day, the second-best team total this season. The Hoyas, who had averaged only 74.7 yards on the ground in the first three games this season, have gained 639 in the last five games, a 127.8 per game average.
The Georgetown Athletic Department will honor 14 graduating seniors prior to the game. That group includes senior co-captains Alex Buzbee (Chester, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) and Liam Grubb (Massapequa, N.Y./Chaminade). Buzbee, a senior defensive end, is third on the team with 62 tackles, leads the Patriot League in tackles-for-loss with 10 and stands third all-time at Georgetown with 25.5 career sacks. Buzbee, a two-time All-Patriot League selection, wears the prestigious #35 Joe Eacobacci Memorial Jersey, presented annually to a Georgetown player in memory of the former Hoya who was killed on September 11, 2001 in the World Trade Center. Grubb, meanwhile, has been a stalwart on the offensive line over the last three years and was a key member of units that paved the way for nearly 2,000 yards of rushing during 2004 and 2005.
Other members of the 2006 senior class include offensive lineman Robert Browning (Cleveland, Ohio/Glenville); tight end Matt Cooper (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona Del Mar); Roosevelt Donat (Union, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep); quarterback David Fajgenbaum (Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft); safety Derek Franks (Austin, Texas/Reagan); defensive end Julius Griauzde (Riverside, Ill./Fenwick); defensive tackle Shaun Johnson (Linden, N.J./Linden); wide receiver Jarrod Kohl (Ravenna, Ohio/Crestwood); linebacker Chris Paulus (Manlius, N.Y./CBA); offensive lineman Andrew Rehwinkel (Dallas, Texas/Jesuit) and defensive back Brian Tandy (Virginia Beach, Va./Frank Cox).
