NEW YORK—Columbia committed five turnovers and rushed for only 30 yards as Georgetown spoiled the Lions' home opener, 24-10, Saturday afternoon from Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium.
 
"I was disappointed to start the home season the way we did," Patricia and Shepherd Alexander Head Coach of Football Al Bagnoli said. "I want to give Georgetown credit. I think they played well, played hard and caused us some headaches. On a variety of fronts, they did a good job: on the coaching front, on getting their kids ready to go, on handling the away trip. We uncharacteristically made a lot of miscues. Two weeks in a row, we've lost the turnover battle and created some short fields for the other guys and didn't convert really deep when we had it. It's a tough way to win a game. It's a tough way to beat anybody if you're going to turn the ball over five times."
 
The Lions threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles. Columbia finished with just 30 rushing yards on 35 carries, passed for 194 yards and converted just seven of 18 third downs. Columbia's defense limited Georgetown to 231 total yards, 67 rushing yards and recovered two fumbles.
 
The day started out well for Columbia (1-1). The Lions took momentum and controlled the game through the first quarter as they outgained the Hoyas in yardage 108-28. The Lions took a 7-0 lead when they drove 50 yards in six plays and scored on a one-yard touchdown run by Mike Roussos. The score was set up by a 24-yard pass from junior quarterback Josh Bean to senior Christian Everett and a 20-yard pass to sophomore tight end Brandon Radice from sophomore quarterback Ty Lenhart, which put the Lions on one-yard line.
 
Georgetown (3-1) responded with the game's next 17 points, including two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half to take a 14-7 lead upon entering halftime. Both touchdowns came on three-yard runs by Herman Moultrie. The Hoyas tied game at 7-7 in the second quarter following a 57-yard, 10-play scoring drive as Moultrie scored on a three-yard touchdown run. A 12-yard pass from Joseph Brunell pass to Joshua Thomas and a 15-yard pass interference call on Columbia contributed to the drive.
 
Georgetown went up 14-7 after Wes Bowers forced a fumble and Quincy Chinwuko recovered the ball on the Columbia 14-yard line. The Hoyas' seven-play drive which culminated in another three-yard touchdown run by Moultrie.
 
On the second half opening kickoff return, Columbia junior Blake Wooden knocked the ball loose on the return and sophomore John Harris picked the ball up at the Georgetown 23-yard line. The play set up a 40-yard field goal, which the Lions missed.
 
Georgetown made it 17-7 midway through the third quarter on a 27-yard field goal by Davis Walker. A 40-yard pass from Brunell to Thomas down the middle of the field, coupled with a 13-yard Columbia penalty gave Georgetown a first-down and 10 at the Columbia 13-yard line.
 
Columbia's offense got going in the fourth quarter as Bean started a drive with a career-long 18-yard run. On the next play, Bean found senior wide receiver Josh Wainwright open down the middle of the field for a 39-yard pass. The pass play, coupled with a 10-yard facemask penalty, gave Columbia first-down-and-10 at the Georgetown 10-yard line. The 69-yard, eight-yard drive set up a 28-yard field goal by first-year Alex Felkins with 13:11 to play.
 
The Lions had two more scoring opportunities late in the fourth quarter. The first came when senior defensive lineman Alex Robin recovered a fumble on a double reverse play setting up the Lions on Georgetown 13-yard line. But the Lions couldn't convert as two plays later, Georgetown's Justin Fontenaux intercepted a pass in the end zone.
 
On its next drive and taking advantage of good field position, Columbia had a touchdown pass from Bean to Wainwright called back because of a holding penalty. After the penalty, Bean hit senior Ronald Smith on a slant route over the middle for 16-yards and down to the 14-yard-line. Then Bean's pass was tipped into the air by Georgetown's Kristian Tate and intercepted by Justin Fonteneaux.
 
Georgetown added an insurance score in the fourth quarter when it drove 90 yards in a time-consuming 13 plays. It scored with 1:47 to play when Brunell ran for a seven-yard touchdown.
 
On defense, sophomore Cam Dillon led the Lions for the second straight game with 10 tackles. Senior linebacker Michael Murphy added nine tackles and junior safety Ben Mathiasmeier made seven. The Lions finished with three sacks for 17 yards. On offense, Wainwright caught four passes for 71 yards, Bean completed 12 of 26 passes for 142 yards and Lenhart threw for 52 yards. Sophomore Mike Roussos added 98 all-purpose yards.
 
"We're frustrated on a bunch of fronts," Bagnoli said. "We've got to collect ourselves and move on and get back on track. These are the results you get when you play a good team and don't protect the ball and don't do a lot of the little things."
 
Columbia handed back the Lou Little Cup to Georgetown for the first time since 2016.
 
Columbia is back in action next week when it opens Ivy League play Saturday at Princeton. Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET.