Oct. 11, 2014 

	 
	  1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final  Georgetown 7 7 0 7 21  Lafayette 0 14 3 7 24
2-5, 0-2	News Stand | Final Stats |  Photo Gallery  	3-3, 1-1

 

 Quick Stats GTOWN LC  First Downs 24 16  Rushing Yards 282 103  Passing Yards 165 147  Total Yards 447 250  Total Plays 72 66  Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1  Penalties-Yards 9-115 7-53  Interceptions-Yards 2-6 2-41  3rd Down Conversions 4-11 7-14  4th Down Conversions 0-1 0-1  Sacks-by-Yards 3-37 4-10  PAT Kicks 3-3 3-3  Field Goals 0-1 1-1  Time of Possession 35:11 24:49    Stat Leaders  Passing C-Att Yds TD Int  GT - Nolan 22-30 165 2 2  LC - Searfoss 17-26 147 0 2  Rushing Car Yds TD Long  GT - Kimpela 20 159 1 27  LC - Scheuerman 22 79 3 7  Receiving Rec Yds TD Long  GT - Cimilluca 7 58 0 13  LC - Scheuerman 6 31 0 15

EASTON, Pa. - Senior tailback Ross Scheuerman ran for three touchdowns as Lafayette outlasted Georgetown, 24-21, on Saturday at Fisher Stadium. The Leopards, who gave up 282 rushing yards, employed strong special teams play, blocking a field goal and later using a long punt return to tie the game just before halftime.

The Leopards (3-3) remain unbeaten at home with a 3-0 record and evened their Patriot League mark at 1-1.

In the first quarter, Lafayette handed Georgetown a pair of turnovers. On the Leopards' first drive of the game, the offense had the ball near at its 46-yard line before Blake Searfoss' pass was intercepted by Garrett Powers after a Lafayette receiver tipped the ball. Georgetown followed with a seven-play drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Nolan to Matthew Buckman for the 7-0 Georgetown lead.

On the following offensive series, Searfoss and Scheuerman had trouble with a handoff and Georgetown's Peter Daibes recovered the fumble on the play. Georgetown took over at the 13-yard line, but had to settle for a 28-yard field goal try. Freshman Phillip Parham, who had his first career start at cornerback, zipped around the end to block the attempt which Jared Roberts recovered at the Georgetown 44. 

The Hoyas forced a punt and then sustained a 10-play, 80-yard drive. Jo'el Kimpela, who had 159 rushing yards on the day, finished the drive with a 19-yard TD run, handing the Hoyas a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.  

A kickoff return by Darrell Crawford put Lafayette in good field position to start its next drive. A mix of run and pass plays plus key third-down conversions led to Lafayette's first score of the game. The Leopards had the ball on the Hoya 12. On 3^rd-and-3, Searfoss scrambled to get the first down and was brought down a football's length short of the goal line. Scheuerman took the next carry for his fourth rushing touchdown of the season as Lafayette pulled within 14-7.

On Georgetown's (2-5, 0-2) next possession, a sack by Shane Dorner and a penalty backed the Hoyas out of Leopard territory, leading to a punt. Senior Jared Roberts returned the ball 81 yards, changing direction several times before being run out of bounds just short of the endzone.

Scheuerman finished off things again, punching it in from four yards out to knot the game at 14 with just under five minutes to play in the first half. On the score, he passed Leonard Moore '99 for sixth in career rushing touchdowns. 

Lafayette received the ball to start the third quarter. A 10-play, 55- yard drive over 4:03 set up the first chance for the Leopards to take the lead. Searfoss completed passes to Matt Mrazek and Rocco Palumbo to move the Maroon and White across the 50-yard line. Two plays later, Searfoss scrambled to get a first down and wound up putting the Leopards inside the 20.

 A swing pass to Scheuerman advanced the ball to the three-yard line. The Hoya defense stuffed Scheuerman for a loss of five and Lafayette settled for a field goal. Ryan Gralish came on to make a 25-yarder to put Lafayette ahead 17-14 early in the second half. 

The Hoyas re-took the lead, putting together a nine-play, 55-yard drive early in the fourth quarter. Nolan hit Justin Hill for a six-yard touchdown pass to give the Hoyas a 21-17 margin with 8:44 left in the game.

Needing to score and run time off the clock, the Lafayette offense took over at its own 37 after a short kick-off. Searfoss completed four passes on the drive, the final of which found Brian Keller on a wheel route for a 16-yard gain that took the ball to the Georgetown five-yard line. Keller's grab followed a pass interference penalty that put Lafayette 1^st-and-10 at the 21-yard line. Scheuerman's third score of the day handed Lafayette a three-point advantage with 5:24 left.

The Lafayette defense was up to the task when the team needed it most late in the fourth quarter. Daniel Wright, who finished the game with 106 rushing yards, took the Hoyas to the Lafayette 46 with a 24-yard run before the Leopards made their stand. Kimpela followed with a five-yard gain and a four-yard carry that left Georgetown 3rd-and-1 at the Lafayette 37. On the next play, Shane Dorner stopped Kimpela for no gain. On 4th-and-1, Kimpela was met by a host of tacklers, including Steve Mercado and Draeland James, who stopped Kimpela close to the first down. The officials brought out the chains which showed Georgetown was short. The Hoyas turned the ball over on downs.

Georgetown forced Lafayette to punt and the Hoyas took the ball for the final time at their own 10 with 1:16 remaining.  Georgetown picked up one first down on the drive, but Parham's first career interception sealed the victory.

Lafayette finishes off the non-conference portion of its schedule on Oct. 18 at Harvard in a 1 p.m. kickoff.

NOTES: Armed forces veterans and members of the Wounded Warrior Project attended Saturday's game and were on hand in the Bourger Varsity Football House locker room for Frank Tavani's pre-game speech.

Scheuerman has 25 career rushing touchdowns, needing three more to move into fifth place all-time. He matched his single-game career for rushing touchdowns which he set a year ago at Princeton (10/12/2013). Scheuerman, who has 2,934 career rushing yards, needs three yards to advance past Tom Costello '91 (2,936).