ESTABLISH THE RUN
Running against Georgetown (2–0, 0–0 Patriot League) has been like trying to bust through a stone wall so far this year, but that is exactly what the Elis will have to do tomorrow. The Hoyas have conceded a total of 76 rushing yards in two games so far, including -18 yards against Davidson in their season opener. Yale will need to make sure that rookie quarterback Eric Williams ’16 is comfortable in the passing game, and that is much easier to do if he isn’t forced into long yardage situations that will allow the Hoyas to apply pressure. If running backs Mordecai Cargill ’13 and Tyler Varga ’16 can put pressure on the defense, that will pull the Hoyas into the box and create favorable matchups for the Bulldogs in the passing game. This would give Williams a few easy throws to get his confidence up and the offense rolling.
CONTAIN THE QUARTERBACK
Last year the Bulldogs faced a Hoya attack that threw on 51 of its 79 offensive plays, but Georgetown will not look the same on offense this year. Despite returning quarterback Isaiah Kempf, who threw for 1,268 yards and 10 scores last year, the Hoyas opted to give the reins to dual-threat quarterback Aaron Aiken this year. The decision has paid off for sixth-year coach Kevin Kelly, as the team has averaged 360 yards of total offense per game this season. More than 60 percent of that offense has come on the ground, however, with the Hoyas calling plays for Aiken’s legs more often than for his arm. If the Blue and White defense can force Aiken to stay in the pocket and try to make plays through the air, it can pressure him into mistakes.
SCORE IN THE RED ZONE
The Hoyas have been stingy on defense this year, allowing just 24 points in two games so far. Georgetown has let its opponents into the red zone just three times this season, but all three trips have resulted in touchdowns. If the Bulldogs want to score on the Hoyas, they will have to improve on a red zone offense that scored just 63.4 percent of the time last year, good for seventh in the Ancient Eight. Georgetown has yet to allow a rushing touchdown, so that will put the pressure on Williams and on Yale’s wide receiver corps, which will be without its two top receivers. Chris Smith ’13 is taking the semester off for personal reasons, while Deon Randall ’13 will miss the game with an injury.