WASHINGTON, D.C.—Columbia held Georgetown to 253 total yards and 25 rushing yards and senior Chris Alleyne kicked a career-high three field goals as the Lions captured the Lou Little Trophy for the second straight season with a 23-15 football victory at Georgetown Saturday at Cooper Field. The win gave Columbia its second consecutive 2-0 start to a season, its fourth consecutive victory and extended its school-record non-conference win streak to six games. The Lions also won their third straight road game.
 
Columbia led 23-0 in the fourth quarter, but had to hold off a hard-charging Georgetown team, which scored two fourth quarter touchdowns and threatened to score another late in the contest. Trailing by eight points (23-15), the Hoyas drove down to Columbia's nine-yard line before sophomore defensive lineman Ogonna Oraedu made a game-ending sack on a fourth-and-goal play.
 
"This was one of those games that scare you," Columbia Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football Al Bagnoli said. "You look at the Georgetown score from last week against Dartmouth (41-0 loss) and know they're a better team than that. We had so many opportunities in the first half to put the game away and we couldn't score touchdowns. We had to settle for field goals. To Georgetown's credit, their players hung in there. I've been preaching all week that we had to get this game under control and put it away early because they were coming off a poor effort. It's a very valuable lesson for our team."
 
There were many positives for Columbla. Columbia's defense held Georgetown scoreless in its first nine possessions and limited the Hoyas to just 25 yards rushing on 26 carries. The Lions' also limited the Hoyas to 253 total yards and finished the day with four sacks, seven tackles for loss and forced two key turnovers. Junior Daniel DeLorenzi led the Lions with 2.5 sacks, Oraedu contributed 1.5 sacks and senior Ryan Gilbert finished with a game-high 11 tackles. On offense, sophomore Dillon Davis made his first career start at quarterback and completed 16 of 30 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, junior wide receiver Ronald Smith caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown and the Lions rushed for a combined 124 yards as first-year Dante Miller (61 yards) and junior Lynnard Rose (52 yards) led the way. Alleyne scored 11 points and converted a career-high three field goals including distances of 33, 36 and a career-long 46-yarder in the third quarter to keep Columbia on top.
 
Columbia wasted little time in taking an early lead as it scored on each of its first two offensive possessions. On its first possession, Alleyne gave Columbia a 3-0 lead with a 33-yard field goal following an eight-play, 41-yard drive. A career-long 24-yard run by Rose setup the field goal. Columbia took a 10-0 first quarter lead when Davis led Columbia on a 57-yard, five-play scoring drive which ended when he found Smith for a 14-yard touchdown pass. The score was setup by a 28-yard pass play from Davis to Smith and a 12-yard run by Miller.
 
The Lions had opportunities in the second quarter but couldn't convert and would take a 10-0 lead into halftime. Georgetown's first opportunity to score came before the half as Wesley Bowers' 23-yard interception return put the ball at Columbia's 34-yard line. The Hoyas moved to the Columbia 20-yard line before quarterback Gunther Johnson's pass was tipped by sophomore Justin Woodley and intercepted by Landon Baty to end the half.
 
Columbia received the second half kickoff and promptly drove 57 yards in 18 plays where Alleyne kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Lions a 13-0 lead. Alleyne made it 16-0 Columbia when he kicked his third field goal of the day, a career-long 46 yarder with 2:37 left in the third quarter. On the ensuing series, DeLorenzi knocked the ball loose when he hit Johnson and junior Michael Murphy recovered to give the Lions possession on Georgetown's 29-yard line. The turnover set up a 1-yard touchdown run by first-year quarterback Ty Lenhart, who scored untouched and beat the Hoya defense to the pileon. Columbia led 23-0 with 13:05 to play after Alleyne's point after attempt.
 
But from that point on, Georgetown's offense caught fire as it converted two key fourth downs to get back into the game. The Hoyas drove 75 yards in 14 plays and put its first points on the scoreboard when Jay Tolliver ran up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown with 8:35 left in the fourth quarter. The score made it 23-8 after the Hoyas tacked on a two-point conversion when Isaac Schley caught a pass from Johnson. The touchdown drive was kept alive when Johnson connected with receiver Brandon Williams for a 33-yard pass on a fourth down play.
 
After Georgetown intercepted a Columbia pass, the Hoyas scored again when Johnson found Williams open for a 20-yard touchdown pass on another fourth down play. That cut Columbia's lead to 23-15 with 5:00 to play.
 
Georgetown threatened to score again when Johnson found Williams for a 29-yard pass that gave the Hoyas a first down and 10 at Columbia's nine yard line. But three straight incomplete passes and Oraedu's six-yard sack ended the game.
 
"You're frustrated because it shouldn't come to that, but you're relieved because you're finally able to seal it," said Bagnoli, who recorded his 250^th career victory. "It was a tale of us playing fairly good early in taking a 23-0 lead, then not so good in the last seven minutes. We just couldn't score touchdowns. Thankfully, Chris Alleyne has been on fire."
 
Columbia (2-0) opens Ivy League play on Friday, Sept. 28 when it hosts Princeton at Robert K. Kraft Field. Kickoff for an ESPNU nationally televised broadcast is set for 6 p.m. ET.