Nov. 17, 2006

Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University football team will close out their regular season Saturday, November 18, as they travel to Patriot League opponent Fordham. Kickoff at Jack Coffey Field is set for 1 p.m.

The Hoyas will be seeking their first Patriot League win of the season after dropping a contest on the road last weekend, 45-14, at Lafayette. Georgetown enters the game with a 2-8 overall record and a 0-5 mark in the Patriot League. Fordham comes into the game with an identical 2-8 record overall and a 0-5 Patriot League record. Last week, the Rams were beaten 45-14 at Lehigh, and have now lost four games in a row all to Patriot League opponents.

The game will be broadcast on Georgetown University's student radio station, WGTB 92.3, with Matt Tymann calling the action. You can hear the action live by visiting www.georgetownradio.com.

This weekend's game with Fordham will be the 51st matchup between the Patriot League members. Last season, Georgetown quarterback Nick Cangelosi (Camden, N.J./Camden Catholic) threw a 14-yard touchdown pass with 49 seconds left in the game, lifting the Hoyas to a come-from-behind 24-21 win over Fordham in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,000 on Homecoming Day at the Multi-Sport Field on the Hilltop. Fordham leads the head-to-head series, 26-21-3, with last year's Hoya triumph snapping a 10-game losing streak to the Rams. The Blue and Gray have lost eight straight at Fordham, with their last victory in the Bronx coming in 1974.

Fordham is averaging 12.0 points per game and 244.1 yards in total offense, and a rushing attack that averages 124.7 yards per game. Quarterback John Skelton leads all freshmen in the Patriot League in passing as he has completed 42 percent of his passes (60-of-143) for 672 yards and four touchdowns and was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week on October 9. The leading receiver for the Rams is Sylvester Clarke who has 22 catches for 328 yards and is tied for the team lead with three touchdowns. Kicker Micah Cluskey is currently fifth all-time in the Patriot League in career kicking points and 18th all-time in the Patriot League in career points, with 215.

Freshman kick returner Isiejah Allen returned to the lineup after missing part of the last game with an injury and earned an Honorable Mention Performance from the Patriot League. Allen had 140 yards worth of kickoff returns and recorded a tackle. Junior punter Benjamin Dato is currently third in the nation in punting, averaging 44.81 yards per kick. The Rams are yielding 25.9 points per game and 349 yards in total offense per game. Linebacker Marcus Taylor was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for November 6, when he recorded 15 tackles (3 for a loss) and a sack, forced two fumbles, and recovered one which he returned for a touchdown against Lafayette. Taylor anchors the defense with team-highs in tackles (101), sacks (4), forced fumbles (4), fumble recoveries (4), and interceptions (3).

Junior quarterback Matt Bassuener, (Port Edwards, Wis./John Edwards) has completed 71.4 percent of his passes (125-of-175) for 1,114 yards, with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Bassuener has the third-highest quarterback rating (139.53) in the Patriot League. GU quarterbacks have thrown passes to 16 different receivers this year, with junior Brent Craft (Jupiter, Fla./Benjamin) catching 45 passes.

Freshman running back Charlie Houghton (Toronto, Ontario, Canada/Phillips (Mass.) Academy) was named the Patriot League's Rookie of the Week for the third consecutive week after winning the award for the week of October 30 and November 6. Houghton is one of two Hoya players who have earned a league weekly honor, joining Bassuener, who was named Offensive Player of the Week on September 25. Houghton gained 88 yards on 20 carries and had two catches for 84 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown catch. The 81-yard reception was the third longest in Hoya history. For the season, Houghton has carried the ball 67 times for 312 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. He is fifth on the team with 16 receptions (201 yards) and has three touchdowns.