Sedale Threatt
The Georgetown defense has faced its share of challenges this season.
The cannon passing arm of Brown senior quarterback Joseph DiGiacomo, who threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns during the game, bombarded the Hoyas on Sept. 16. The power running of Colgate sophomore halfback Jordan Scott, who rumbled for 169 yards last weekend, steamrolled the team in Hamilton, N.Y. But Georgetown has yet to meet a player who is as multi-talented as Lehigh’s Sedale Threatt.
The junior quarterback possesses both a strong arm and swift legs, and he forces opposing defenses to pick its poison. Earlier in the year, when Villanova chose to blitz in hopes of disrupting the passing game, Threatt tucked the ball under his arm and took off, snaking his way to a game-high 77 yards rushing.
Last week, Harvard calculated it would be better to sit back and contain the elusive Threatt, so he sat in the pocket and carved up the Crimson secondary for 293 yards and two scores. Colgate got the worst of both worlds last season, when Threatt threw for 187 yards and rushed for additional 100 yards on Oct. 29, 2005.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Threatt is built in the mold of Vince Young and has fond memories of his first collegiate start: a four-touchdown passing day against the Hoyas last season in Bethlehem, Pa. Georgetown must play with a combination of speed and smarts on Saturday if it hopes to limit the most athletic Threatt it has faced all year.
Julian Austin
Senior strong safety Julian Austin chose to attend Lehigh for its strong engineering program, which is ironic for a man who has spent his entire collegiate career destructing Patriot League offenses.
The veteran defensive back has been a constant in the Mountain Hawk secondary since his sophomore year. His experience in the defensive backfield led his teammates to vote him captain for the 2006 campaign. When asked what Austin meant to his team, Head Coach Andy Coen was blunt. “[Julian’s] our main leader on defense”. Coen said in a phone interview this week
Austin demolishes offensive game plans by creating turnovers – bad news for a Georgetown team that has shown a propensity for turning the ball over. The 5-foot-10 Austin had three picks in 2005 and also returned a recovered fumble for a touchdown against VMI on Sept. 24. Austin’s stats have dwindled slightly this season – he is currently seventh on the team in tackles with 16 – but only because teams have been reluctant to test Austin’s side of the field.
The Hoyas have yet to face a standout defensive back this season, and it will be interesting to see how the presence of the athletic, rangy Austin affects Georgetown Offensive Coordinator Jim iceli’s plan to throw the ball downfield more.