Georgetown Hoyas
2012 Overall Rank: #36
#2 Patriot League
Georgetown Team Page
During Coach Kevin Kelly’s first five seasons at Georgetown, the Hoyas totaled just nine wins. They lost 45. This was a program that won one conference game between 2006 and 2009. In 2010 things started to look up, relatively speaking at least, with four total wins and two conference wins. And then 2011 happened and Georgetown went a surprise 8-3. Now it is time to keep up the progress.
2011 Record: (8-3, 4-2)
2011 Postseason: None
Coach: Kevin Kelly (17-48 at Georgetown, 17-48 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Vinny Marino
Defensive Coordinator: Rob Sqarlata
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Nick Campanella, RB, 477 yards
Passing: Isaiah Kempf, QB, 1,268 yards
Receiving: Max Waizenegger, WR, 424 yards
Tackles: Robert McCabe, LB, 134
Sacks: Jeremy Grasso, LB, 3.5
Interceptions: Robert McCabe, LB, 4; Jeremy Moore, CB, 4
Other Key Returnees: CB Stephen Atwater, LB Sean Campbell, WR Jamal Davis, G Thomas Gallagher, G Donald Rhodes, WR Kevin Macari, S Dustin Wharton
Key Losses: QB Scott Darby, S Wayne Heimuli, CB Jayah Kaisamba, S David Quintero, WR Patrick Ryan, DE Andrew Schaetzke
Strengths:
It was the Georgetown defense that deserves much of the credit for the success of the Hoyas in 2011. The rush defense was among the best in the nation, allowing just 98.64 yards per game on the ground. With defensive end Andrew Schaetzke and his 22.5 tackles-for-loss and 13.0 sacks, they may allow more yards on the ground, but the front line is solid and a player like John Porter could emerge as a consistent pass rushing threat. The linebackers are the strength of the defense. Robert McCabe tallied an impressive 134 tackles, picked off four passes and force two fumbles. With Jeremy Grasso capable of pass rushing off the end or dropping back in coverage and Sean Campbell ready to take on a bigger role, the linebackers have the versatility to help wherever help is needed. The pass defense was bad by the numbers, but there is a lot of talent in the secondary. Cornerback Jeremy Moore is a physical corner who intercepted four passes and forced three fumbles. Dustin Wharton has the liberty to roam around the secondary and was second on the team in tackles with 101 and tackles-for-loss with 7.5. The secondary may give up some yards, but they will also make big plays.
Weaknesses:
Last season the quarterback battle between Isaiah Kempf and Scott Darby was not settled. They both played nearly every game. Kempf was always the more athletic quarterback who could make plays with his feet, but Darby was the more accurate passer. Darby is now gone, so by default Kempf will get the starting nod without much of a battle. Kempf was a pretty inconsistent passer last season, but the 6-3 senior is only getting better with experience. He has the talent to have a breakout year and now it just becomes a question of decision making. The offensive line is pretty strong, so that should help out Kempf as he tries to develop into a passing threat. The ground game struggled mightily last season and Coach Kelly threw a lot of players at the problem. Nick Campanella ended up on top by gaining 477 yards on 132 carries. That is a pretty bad yards per carry average, but Campanella is a fine goal line threat and rushed for eight scores in 2011. Wilburn Logan, Brandon Durham and Dalen Claytor are all back after rushing for at least 200 yards last season. Logan could be the lightning to Campanella’s thunder, but he was not given many opportunities last season and this is a team that could again throw four running backs into the mix.
The Bottom Line:
New offensive coordinator Vinny Marino will work with Kempf on his passing game. Coach Marino was the offensive coordinator at Columbia prior to heading to the nation’s capital. He is known for his ability to develop some quality quarterbacks and that is good news for the passing game. However, the passing game would have a much easier time of things if the ground attack had any consistency. This is still a Patriot League that will be dominated by Lehigh, but the Mountain Hawks head to D.C. this year and that game could have a lot of meaning for all parties involved.
Projected Postseason: None
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 147.55 (63rd in nation, 2nd in conference)
Passing Offense: 172.45 (90, 5)
Total Offense: 320.00 (91, 5)
Scoring Offense: 27.00 (50, 2)
Rushing Defense: 98.64 (10, 2)
Pass Defense: 251.00 (108, 7)
Total Defense: 349.64 (40, 4)
Scoring Defense: 19.27 (14, 1)
Turnover Margin: 1.36 (4, 2)
Sacks: 2.64 (20, 2)
Sacks Allowed: 1.91 (53, 3)
