WASHINGTON, D.C. – Colin Hurlbrink and the Leopard defense came up with the biggest play of the season, blocking Georgetown's would-be game-winning field goal as time expired on Saturday afternoon at Cooper Field. The Leopards, who trailed 17-0 at the end of the first quarter, completed the comeback win in a 24-23 final for their second Patriot League win of the season.
 
Senior DT Malik Hamm showed why he is a three-time All-Patriot League selection, making eight stops, including 2.5 sacks on the afternoon. Linebackers Marco Olivas and Major Jordan and safety Caleb Burr combined for 19 tackles. 
 
Offensively, freshman QB Ah-Shaun Davis completed 15-of-22 for 203 yards and a touchdown. Nine of those throws went to junior WR Julius Young who had 150 receiving yards. On the ground, senior RB Selwyn Simpson had 12 carries for 92 yards and a TD while Jaden Sutton had 10-40 and his own TD.
 
Georgetown was ready to go in the first quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns. The Hoyas marched 74 yards on the opening drive and finished with a 41-yard TD from Pierce Holley to Joshua Tomas.
 
They came right back with an on-sides kick that they successfully recovered at midfield. The Leopard defense stood tall and forced a missed field goal to keep the margin at seven.
 
On the ensuing drive, Lafayette faced 4^th-and-1 at its own 36-yard line. Georgetown stuffed a run by Simpson and then took advantage of the short field. The Hoyas ran four plays and scored on a four-yard run by Joshua Stakely.
 
Georgetown maintained the momentum, picking off a Davis pass just before the end of the first quarter. The resulting drive ended in a field goal and a 17-0 lead for the hosts with 1:28 left in the opening stanza.
 
A minute later, Lafayette recorded its first score of the game. Simpson ripped off a 55-yard touchdown to make it 17-7. It was the team's longest run of the season.
 
Another big play set up a second potential score for the Leopards when Davis hit Young for a 34-yard grab. Lafayette was forced to settle for a field-goal attempt. The 29-yard try by Micah Pettit was blocked and Georgetown held its 17-7 lead.
 
A second lengthy connection from Davis to Young brought the Leopards' within three. The rookie QB hoisted a 47-yard pass to Young just before the goal line and the junior wide receiver did the rest, taking it in for the touchdown as Lafayette pulled within 17-14 with 5:19 left in the first half.  
 
A pair of field goals, a 31-yarder by Conor Hunt just before the end of the half, and a 38-yarder five minutes into the second half, made it a two-score game for Georgetown which led 23-14 with 10 minutes left in the second quarter.
 
Lafayette's longest scoring drive of the game brought the Leopards within two at the end of the third quarter. Sutton finished off a 10-play, 45-yard drive over six and a half minutes with a one-yard yard run. Lafayette trailed 23-21.
 
Three minutes into the fourth quarter, Lafayette took over for the decisive drive. The Leopards faced a 4-and-1 situation at the Georgetown 46-yard line. Sutton came through again, this time with the first down. Later on the drive, Lafayette was 3^rd-and-2 at the Georgetown 16, but the Hoyas stuffed Sutton for a loss of two. Head coach John Garrett brought out the field-goal unit and Pettit converted a 28-yarder for the go-ahead score.
 
Georgetown took over for the final time with 5:23 left. The Hoyas converted one fourth down at their own 37 on a 13-yard pass to Tomas. The Leopard defense forced a second and final fourth down at the Lafayette 33-yard line. Georgetown bled the clock and Lafayette took a timeout to ice the kicker. Out of the timeout, Hurlbrink blocked Hunt's 51-yard try and the Leopards escaped with the victory.
 
Lafayette continues its three-game road swing with a key Patriot League matchup at Holy Cross on Nov. 6.
 
NOTES:
It was the first blocked field goal by the defense since Harrison Greenhill stopped a kick against Central Connecticut State on Sept. 29, 2018.

Saturday was the Leopards first 150-yard receiving game since Nov. 2, 2019 (Zadok  Scott 6-160).

The last time Lafayette won a game when trailing by 15+ points  was Nov. 8, 2014 at Colgate (19-16) after trailing 16-0 in third quarter.