POUGHKEEPSIE - The Marist football team earned a thrilling 37-34 triple overtime victory over Georgetown on Senior Day at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field on Saturday. Senior linebacker Dan Smith (Reston, Va.) broke the school record for tackles in a game with 20 as the Red Foxes played their first triple overtime game in program history.
Fellow senior Obozua Ehikioya (West Hempstead, N.Y.) added 177 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including the game winner on a six-yard scamper in the third overtime. Led by Ehikioya, the Red Foxes rolled up 256 yards on the ground. Senior wide receiver Tim Keegan (Middlebury, Conn.) caught four passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and senior quarterback Stephen McGrath (Manasquan, N.J.) went 10-for-21 for 162 yards and two touchdowns.
With the score tied at 14 apiece, McGrath found Keegan for a 30-yard touchdown to give Marist a 21-14 lead with 6:46 to play. Keegan's touchdown capped a 13-play, 88-yard drive. However, Georgetown answered just 2:02 later, when Charlie Houghton's third rushing touchdown of the day tied the score at 21-21. Georgetown (1-9) had a chance to win in regulation, but Eric Bjonerud's 38-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left in the closing second.
In the first overtime, Bjonerud's 34-yard field goal gave Georgetown the lead, but Marist answered with a 37-yard field goal from senior kicker Chris Collins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) to send the game to a second overtime. In that period, Ehikioya and Houghton exchanged touchdown runs to send the game to a third overtime at 31-31. Getting the ball first in the third overtime, Bjonerud's 42-yard field goal put Georgetown up 34-31, but Ehikioya's six-yard run on the ensuing possession ended the game.
The last time Marist had played an overtime game was in 2001 - a 38-35 victory over Georgetown in Poughkeepsie, which had been the only time prior to Saturday that the Red Foxes had been the Hoyas. The last three meetings in which Marist has hosted Georgetown have all gone to overtime. Marist improved its all-time record against Georgetown to 2-9.
Including in Smith's record-setting game were 11 solo tackles, two sacks and two-and-a-half tackles for losses. The previous school record for tackles in a game was 17, set by Smith at Central Connecticut State last season and Healy at Lafayette in 2003.
Freshman defensive back Rory Foley (West Roxbury, Mass.) added a career-high 14 tackles for the Red Foxes, including a pass breakup.
In addition to his four rushing touchdowns, Houghton had 239 all-purpose yards for Georgetown. He gained 163 yards on 27 rushing attempts, and was the Hoyas' leading receiver with eight receptions for 76 yards.
Marist (2-8) will conclude its season next Saturday at Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League rival Iona. With a victory, the Red Foxes can win a share of the MAAC title for the second consecutive year.
