Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Football | New Coach Prepares for Wagner

FILE PHOTO: JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA  Senior linebacker Patrick Boyle, who led the team in tackles in 2013 with 98, will anchor the defense along with fellow senior linebacker Nick Alfieri.
FILE PHOTO: JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA
Senior linebacker Patrick Boyle, who led the team in tackles in 2013 with 98, will anchor the defense along with fellow senior linebacker Nick Alfieri.

The Georgetown football team will open up its season this Saturday against the Wagner College Seahawks. The Hoyas struggled last season, finishing with a 2-9 record, but ended on a high note with an impressive win against the College of the Holy Cross.

In response to the overall disappointing campaign, Georgetown made several personnel changes. Last year’s defensive coordinator, Rob Sgarlata (COL ’94), will serve his first game as head coach Saturday, taking over from Kevin Kelly. Sgarlata knows the program well, as this will be his 18th season with Georgetown. Head Coach Sgarlata and his staff will rely on junior quarterback Kyle Nolan to control the offense. The gun-slinging Nolan tossed for over 1,000 yards last season while rushing for another 200 yards.

“He was forced into action his freshman and sophomore years,” Sgarlata said. “From a physical standpoint, he has all the tools.”

Nolan lost his two favorite targets from last seasons, Zack Wilke and Daniel Sprotte. This likely means that junior wide receiver Jake Decicco will need to move into a starring role. The backfield also suffered some losses, losing leading rusher Nick Campanella as well as primary backup Dalen Claytor. Junior Jo’el Kimpela will likely start in the backfield after rushing for 222 yards in a season derailed by injuries.

“Jo’el is markedly faster than last year,” Sgarlata said. Kimpela and Nolan are the only returning players with a rushing touchdown last season.

On the defensive side of the ball, senior linebacker Patrick Boyle hopes to repeat his 2013 campaign where he recorded a team-leading 98 total tackles.

Starting alongside Boyle is senior and defensive captain Nick Alfieri, who was the only player on last year’s team to force two fumbles. Sgarlata was impressed with Alfieri’s ability to penetrate the offensive line and stop the running back before the line of scrimmage.

“Nick stepped into that leadership role very well during camp,” Sgarlata said. He finished just behind Boyle in tackles, and both linebackers would like to see their tackle tallies hit triple digits.

In front of the linebackers is 6-foot, 4-inch, 255-pound junior defensive lineman Alec May. May wreaked havoc in the opposition backfields last year, accumulating 12 tackles for loss while sacking the quarterback seven times. May’s fellow linemen, junior Jordan Richardson and senior Richard Shankle, will also look to continue their success from the past season.

The Hoyas’ defensive secondary was a spot of weakness last year, managing just six interceptions as a unit. However, they did have several crucial defensive stops over the course of the year. On special teams, the Hoyas will be searching for a replacement for kicker and punter Matt Maczura, who was a clutch player last season.

Georgetown has a good sense of its opening day opponents, as it also began the 2013 season against its fellow Patriot League members. Wagner College played the Hoyas in its 2013 home opener in Staten Island, N.Y., winning the game 28-21. Wagner’s season crumbled after its opening win, only emerging victorious in two of its final 10 games. Wagner returns many redshirt players, and is at a similar level to the Hoyas in terms of experience.

One of the major keys for the Hoyas on Saturday will be the turnover battle. The Hoyas had a turnover differential of negative three last year. The number is not awful, but historically, it is very difficult to have a winning record when turning the ball over more than the opposition. The Hoyas also missed major opportunities to capitalize on the impact plays that they made, as they only recovered 40 percent of the fumbles they forced. Another crucial factor for the Hoyas will be to establish the rushing game as the basis of their offense. The Hoyas averaged just 3.5 yards per carry least year while their opposition rushed for an average of 4.4 yards.

This week’s matchup, Sgarlata’s first at the helm, kicks off at the MultiSport Facility at 12 p.m., and could be a great starting point to a more successful year.

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