75 HERITAGE 2007 GEORGETOWN FOOTBALL HOYA HERITAGE by Rory F. Quirk C’65, L’80 (partially excerpted from, “HOYA-SAXA: Georgetown Football 1874-1978”, printed 1978, revised by GU’s Sports Information Department in 2003) Georgetown’s football past is rich with upsets, stellar teams and bowl bids. Georgetown can rightfully boast of outstand- ing individuals whose names dotted the weekend sports pages and who propelled the Hoyas to national prominence: Al Exendine, the Carlisle All-American who brought the Pop Warner system and winning HERITAGE football to the Hilltop as head coach from 1914 to 1922 … Johnny Gilroy, perhaps the premier college running back of his day, who led the nation in rushing in 1916 … Lou Little, the Penn All-American who brought Georgetown to Eastern prominence in the ’20s before moving on to Columbia, where Bowl team and NCAA shot put champion secutive opponents after an opening-game he won long-overdue acclaim as one of the … Augie Lio, who played with Blozis, made loss to Navy … the 1925 team, arguably fi nest coaches in the history of the college All-American, and was named to the college Georgetown’s fi nest, which shut out seven game … Jack Hagerty, All-East halfback Football Hall of Fame … Maurice “Mush” opponents, smothered previously unbeaten and captain of Little’s powerhouse, went Dubofsky, longtime Hagerty aide, who Fordham before a stunned crowd at the Polo on to star for the New York Giants before starred in the ’30s, then returned as head Grounds in New York and fi nished 9-1 … the returning to his alma mater as head coach coach in 1968 and 1969 before his death Hagerty powerhouses of 1938, 1939 and from 1931-1948 … George Murtagh, in 1970. 1940. The 1938-39 teams won 15, tied one another Georgetown and Giant standout, Aside from outstanding individuals, and held the opposition to 48 points over who returned as Hagerty’s assistant … Al Georgetown can point to outstanding teams: the two seasons. The 1940 team extended Blozis, standout tackle on the 1941 Orange the 1916 squad, which crushed nine con- the unbeaten streak to 23 before losing to HOYA FOOTBALL TIMELINE 1789 1903 Georgetown University Princeton and founded by John Carroll Georgetown meet for the fi rst time on the 1889 gridiron. Georgetown begins intercollegiate football 1941 with a game against Georgetown faces Virginia. The Hoyas win Mississippi State in the game, 34–0. the Orange Bowl. The GEORGETOWN VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE AT THE Bulldogs defeat the 1941 ORANGE BOWL 1890 Hoyas by a score of 14–7. The Hoyas face NOV. 30, 1916 – GEORGETOWN 47, Fordham for the fi rst 1943-45 1950 time. The Rams are GEORGE WASHINGTON 7 Football is suspended The Hoyas play Texas Georgetown’s oldest at Georgetown due to Western in the Sun rival in the Patriot World War II. Bowl. League. 1951-63 Football discontinued on the Hilltop. 2007 GEORGETOWN FOOTBALL 76 HERITAGE Boston College in a battle of unbeatens be- intercollegiate football on a low-budget, Hoyas have fi nished 10th (1974) and 7th fore a standing-room-only crowd at Boston’s nonscholarship level. Their efforts were (1978) in balloting for the Lambert Bowl, Fenway Park. BC edged the Hoyas 19-18 in successful, and sparked the “club football” awarded annually to the best small-college a contest Grantland Rice characterized as movement of the late ’60s, which saw some team in the East. The 1978 team fi nished 7- one of the most exciting ever played. 50 colleges that had previously abandoned 1, the best showing by a Georgetown team Georgetown fi nished the 1940 season football follow Georgetown back to the game since 1939. ranked 13th nationally and received a bid to on a nonscholarship basis. In 1993, Georgetown opened a new the Orange Bowl to play unbeaten Mississippi In 1970, under the guidance of former chapter in its football history, as the Hoyas State. The Hoyas outplayed the ninth- Duke All-American Scotty made the transition to the NCAA Division ranked Maroons on New Year’s Day, but lost Glacken, Georgetown I-AA level as a member of the Metro Atlantic 14-7. The defeat marked the conclusion of rejoined the intercol- Athletic Conference. GU won two straight Georgetown’s fi nest hour as a college football legiate ranks as an MAAC titles in 1997 and 1998 and tied for power. The Hoyas fi nished unbeaten twice NCAA Division III the league crown in 1999. Then in and lost just two of 26 games during that member. Since that 2001 Georgetown University three-year period in which Grantland wrote: time, the played its inaugural season “There can be no set system of ranking in the prestigious Patriot football coaches … However, in my opinion, League, marking Jack Hagerty of Georgetown belongs high the transfor- up on this list among the very best that football knows.” Then the war came. Georgetown continued to fi eld representative teams in the early ’40s before suspending the mation from program in 1943. With the resumption playing regional of football in 1946, Jack Hagerty and powers to facing foes that are his staff tried to pick up the pieces and the in contention for the NCAA promise of the pre-war years. While there Division I-AA Championship were occasional upsets and a 1950 Sun year in year out. Bowl appearance, crowds dwindled, ex- Georgetown football, penses rose, and Georgetown discontinued in its second century football. An institution that had been born in a of play, has added im- cornfi eld in 1887 and had risen to the heights measurably to the rich of 1940, died abruptly in 1951. heritage of a university Thirteen years later, Georgetown in its third century. students petitioned for the resumption of HOYA FOOTBALL TIMELINE 1964 2001 Club football returns to Patriot League football campus. on Georgetown’s campus begins. 1969 Georgetown football 2002 moves from club The Hoyas earn their standing to a varsity fi rst Patriot League team. The Hoyas victory, 32-31 at become a member 1997 MAAC CHAMPIONS home against Bucknell. of NCAA Division III SEPT. 17, 2005 – FATHER ALVARO RIBEIRO Football. 1997 2000 2003 BLESSES THE FIELD PRIOR TO THE FIRST GAME Georgetown fi nishes The Hoyas announce Georgetown faces AT MULTI-SPORT FIELD 1993 the season 7–0 in the they accept an invitation its fi rst Ivy League The Hoyas program MAAC and wins its fi rst to join the prestigious opponent since 1937 becomes part of NCAA MAAC Championship. Patriot Football and defeats Cornell 2005 2006 Division I-AA Football. League. GU plays an 42–20. Multi-Sport Field opens Kevin Kelly is introduced Georgetown joins the 1998 independent schedule. on Sept. 17 as the as the second head MAAC Football League. J.J. Mont sets a Hoyas host Brown. coach at Georgetown Georgetown single- since moving to Division game record with 401 I-AA in 1993. passing yards in a 34-0 win over Iona. OCT. 26, 2002 – FIRST PATRIOT LEAGUE WIN 2007 GEORGETOWN FOOTBALL 77 AN OLD TRADITION GEORGETOWN HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES RETURNS... (year of graduation listed) George Bahan ............................................. 1895 The 2003 Hoyas restarted an Steve Barabas ............................................. 1930 old Hilltop tradition by singing Al Blozis ........................................................ 1942 the Georgetown fi ght song after Vincent Bogdanski .......................................1972 every victory. It was the idea of John Burke .................................................... 1975 Georgetown President John J. H.C. “Curly” Byrd ........................................1909 DeGioia and then-head coach Jim Castiglia ................................................. 1941 Bob Benson. The squad learns Rudy Comstock ........................................... 1922 the song during preseason by Harry Connaughton .................................... 1927 having each position group sing Jim Corcoran ................................................ 1982 off against another group with the Sam Cordovano .......................................... 1932 loser earning extra conditioning Harry Costello .............................................. 1913 the next day. Georgetown’s fi rst “Babe” Cunningham .................................. 1927 rendition of the song came at William J. Cusack ........................................ 1917 HERITAGE Lafayette on October 5, 2003. Art Devlin ...................................................... 1910 The Hoyas have continued the “Mush” Dubofsky ........................................ 1932 revived tradition ever since. Bob Duffey ...................................................1944 John Dwyer ................................................... 1971 Al Exendine ..................................................coach GEORGETOWN FIGHT SONG Jack Flavin ..................................................... 1922 “It’s been so long since Paul Florence ............................................... 1924 last we met H. Earl Fullilove ............................................ 1942 CLAUDE T. GRIGSBY ’28 Lie down forever, lie down Louis Ghecas ............................................... 1941 Oh, have you any money to bet Johnny Gilroy ................................................ 1919 Jack McQuade ............................................. 1926 Lie down forever, lie down!” J. Percy Given .............................................. 1907 Joe Mellendick .............................................1940 “There goes old... Georgetown Scotty Glacken ...........................................coach Lou Metzger ................................................. 1926 Straight for a... touchdown Robert Gormley