Nov. 21, 2005

EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Lafayette senior linebacker Blake Costanzo (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Ramapo) has been named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in Saturday's 23-19 win at Lehigh which gave Lafayette a share of its second straight Patriot League championship, and vaulted the Leopards into an at-large slot in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Costanzo made 10 tackles and a career-high three sacks, and led a defensive effort that held the Mountain Hawks to field goal attempts on all five of their trips inside the red zone. He helped limit Lehigh quarterback Sedale Threatt to 43 yards rushing, and tackled Threatt on five of his eight first-half rushing attempts, including three sacks for a loss of 15 yards.

A second-team All-Patriot League selection a year ago, Costanzo has 6.5 sacks and 9.0 tackles for a loss of yardage among his 77 stops this season. He made 94 and 93 tackles, respectively, as a sophomore and junior, and has 18.0 career sacks.

Led by its linebacking corps, Lafayette enters its I-AA playoff game at Appalachian State ranked sixth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 15.5 ppg., and 12th in total defense, with 289.8 ypg.

Fellow seniors Maurice Bennett and Dion Witherspoon (career-high 14 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble at Lehigh) both have more than 100 tackles this season. Bennett, a Buchanan Award and All-American candidate, has 122 tackles, 13.0 TFL and seven sacks this season, while Witherspoon has made 104 stops, including 14.5 behind the line of scrimmage, and five sacks.