WASHINGTON –Georgetown University will celebrate Homecoming this weekend with Saturday's festivities centered around the football team's Patriot League matchup against Fordham at 2 p.m. at Cooper Field. With so many alumni returning to the Hilltop, the Hoyas will be recognizing the 1978, 1997 and 1998 teams which all won championships.
 
The 1978 squad was the most successful team of the 23-year Scotty Glacken era, finishing with a 7-1 record and a No. 7 Lambert Bowl ranking. The squad turned in dominating wins over St. Peter's, Gallaudet, Johns Hopkins and St. Francis (Pa.) and were just one point short of an undefeated season, losing a tight game to St. John's (33-32). Georgetown's offense was nearly unstoppable, leading the nation's 204 Division III programs in scoring offense while ranking fourth in total offense and 12th in rushing offense.
 
The Hoyas played their home games in 1978 on the grass outfield of the baseball field which is now the site of the Rafik B. Hariri building, home of the McDonough School of Business.
 
After the program moved up to Division I in 1993, Georgetown won its first championship in 1997 as members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Led by Head Coach Bob Benson, the Hoyas set a modern day program record for wins in a season, finishing 8-3 overall and a perfect 7-0 in conference play. Following a 1-1 start to the season, GU rattled off seven-consecutive victories, also a program record, and clinched the MAAC Championship with a convincing 24-0 victory over Duquesne on Homecoming.
 
The Blue & Gray was led by a strong defensive effort all season, finishing the year ranked third in the country in turnover margin (+1.7), seventh in pass efficiency defense (88.94), 10th in scoring defense (14.3 ppg) and 14th in total defense (266 ypg). Offensively, quarterback Bill Ward passed for more than 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns while Steve Iorio rushed for 901 yards and six scores. The Hoyas had 10 student-athletes named to the All-MAAC First Team, and eight more selected to the second team.
 
In 1998, Georgetown surpassed its win total from the season before, posting a 9-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark in the MAAC. The Hoyas defended their home on Kehoe Field with a perfect 6-0 record while allowing just 36 points and shutting out both Canisius and Iona. Following a tough 24-17 loss at Fairfield, the team's only blemish in MAAC play, GU put together a seven-game winning streak for the second-straight season.
 
On offense. J.J. Mont accounted for 2,660 total yards of offense, a record that still stands today, and passed for 26 touchdowns. Gharun Hester was Mont's favorite target as he caught 57 passes for 921 yards and 12 touchdowns. The defense was again among the nation's best as the Hoyas ranked third in the country in pass efficiency defense (83.08), 11th in scoring defense (14.8 ppg) and 14th in total defense (187.6 ypg). Georgetown had 11 players earn All-MAAC accolades, including five first team selections.