Author’s note: Today I covered my first college football game. Because of that, I have yet to see the score of the Penn State game. I’ve avoided all social media this whole time! All I know is that No. 1 Texas lost. So I cannot wait to see how my Nittany Lions did!
DAVIDSON
Saj Thakkar spent August preaching about winning “the Davidson Way.” Saturday, Georgetown taught him what losing looks like.
The first-year coach’s debut became a 51-14 demolition, a brutal introduction to FCS scholarship football. What was supposed to launch a new era instead delivered a harsh lesson in fundamentals.
“I think we just got a little wake-up call,” Thakkar said. “The level of intensity we got to bring to the details that it takes to win.”
Those details vanished immediately. Davidson opened with a delay-of-game penalty before its first snap. Then Georgetown sophomore Savion Hart responded by running 69 yards untouched for a touchdown on the game’s second play.
Hart wasn’t finished. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound sophomore from Minneapolis added touchdowns of 27 and 73 yards in the first quarter, matching his 2024 season high of 112 rushing yards in 15 minutes. Georgetown led 20-7 after one quarter and never looked back.
Davidson’s lone bright moment came when senior quarterback Coulter Cleland found receiver Brody Reina for 55 yards after Georgetown defenders jumped the route but whiffed on the tackle. The ball was tipped twice before Reina hauled it in and raced untouched down the right sideline.
Otherwise, execution collapsed everywhere. By halftime, Georgetown had accumulated 364 yards while averaging 10.40 yards per play. Fans began leaving Davidson College Stadium before intermission, preferring the 77-degree sunshine to the carnage below.
“We didn’t recognize the formation as fast as we needed to,” Thakkar explained. “We didn’t get off blocks. We didn’t tackle very well. We missed way too many tackles.”
The coach’s aggressive philosophy, which produced a 14-6 record at Bentley University, backfired in the third quarter. Trailing 45-14, Davidson attempted fourth-and-5 from Georgetown’s 36-yard line instead of kicking a field goal. Backup quarterback Casey Bullock was sacked for a 6-yard loss.
“I’ve kind of been aggressive my whole career,” Thakkar said. “I wasn’t going to change now.”
Georgetown finished with 543 total yards. The Hoyas converted 8 of 13 third downs compared to Davidson’s 4 of 15. Davidson’s defense surrendered at least six explosive plays of 10-plus yards by the third quarter’s midpoint.
Cleland completed 12 of 17 passes for a 141.5 passer rating but left late with cramping issues.
Wildcats defensive lineman Jeramy Stith provided one bright spot with four tackles for loss. Cornerback Justin Caudle added three tackles for loss. Linebacker Tre Johnson led Davidson with six tackles, but individual efforts couldn’t mask systematic failures.
Thakkar, the program’s 29th head coach, hired on Dec. 17, insisted that Saturday won’t define his tenure despite returning nine offensive starters and three preseason All-Pioneer Football League selections in running backs Mari Adams and Mason Sheron plus offensive lineman Kyler Herring.
“The good news is all our goals are still in front of us,” Thakkar said. “At the end of the day, it’s one non-conference loss.”
He promised immediate corrections.
“We’re gonna get this thing right,” Thakkar said. “Our guys got one night to feel bad about this and it’s right back to work tomorrow.”
Saturday proved winning “the Davidson Way” requires more than August speeches. Georgetown delivered the wake-up call. Now Thakkar must prove he heard it.