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♦ THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2006
Joe T. earned hard nose rep
Before Georgia’s Joe
Tereshinski gets his first
start at quarterback in
Sanford Stadium, he already
has earned a reputation as
a hard-nosed, tough player.
The fifth-year senior never
has shied away from colli
sions and would be about
the last guy expected to
slide away from trouble on
the run. That will probably
have to change beginning
Saturday against Western
Kentucky if
Tereshinski
wants to last
the whole
season in
the lineup.
Where D.J.
Shockley
was an elu
sive runner,
Tereshinski
is apt to try
to barrel
over a tackier.
NOTEBOOK
By MARC
WEISZER
Morris News
Service
“Joe’s a more physical
runner which is not nec
essarily a good thing at
the quarterback position,”
coach Mark Richt said.
“A guy that might want
to physically take people
on you don’t last very
long when you do that.”
Tereshinski rushed for 37
yards in his start against
Florida last year, including
a 20-yard gain. He said he
rushed for more than 100
yards in a game when he
played at Athens Academy.
“I don’t think I’ve ever
slid before,” Tereshinski
said. “I might have run out
of bounds once or twice but
that was probably to stop
the clock so I didn’t get
tackled in bounds.” Richt
said design quarterback
runs are in the cards for
Smoltz, GM are ‘homeboys’ again
ATLANTA - A sit-down
meeting Tuesday after
noon served to settle what
ever tension was present
between Braves veteran
John Smoltz and general
manager John Schuerholz.
That was the message
from the pair of Johns after
Smoltz’s comments Monday
in an Atlanta newspaper
initially ruffled the 65-year
old GM’s feathers.
Schuerholz called Smoltz
in Tuesday to talk about it,
and he obliged.
Schuerholz wouldn’t
delve into specifics other
than to repeatedly say the
conversation was “good”
or “very good.” Smoltz
described it as “casual and
professional.”
Smoltz wondered aloud
in a Monday column in
the Atlanta Journal-
Constitution why the
Braves had not already
exercised his $8 million
option for the 2007 season
in which Smoltz will turn
40 years old.
It’s Schuerholz’s custom
ary decision to wait until
a season’s close before
addressing issues such as
contracts for the upcoming
season.
“It’s ordinarily the way
we operate,” Schuerholz
said, adding that it isn’t
a slight, even toward the
team’s most tenured player.
“No, I wouldn’t think so.
Especially when you haVe
regard for the guy like we
have.”
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Tereshinski, who probably
runs a 4.6 or 4.7 40.
“If it’s first-and-10 and
you’re running just to gain
a couple of yards, go down,
why not?,” Tereshinski
said. “We’ll play another
down and stay healthy. At
the same time if it’s for the
ballgame and it’s third-and
-2 and you have to get to
those chains, by all means
I’m lowering my shoulder.”
BROWN THE MAN AT
TAILBACK, KICKOFF
RETURNER: With
Thomas Brown back deep,
Richt sounds confident
that Georgia’s three-year
malaise on kickoff returns
could be coming to an end.
“I think our kickoff
return team will definitely
go up in the charts,” Richt
said.
Georgia’s 19.46 yards
per return ranked 82nd in
the nation last season and
Georgia was 112th in 2004
and 100th in 2003.
Georgia is going to
one man deep on kickoff
returns, something it used
some late last season.
“We just want who we
think is our best returner
in there right now and we
think Thomas is that guy,”
Richt said.
Richt said that Brown will
get the most carries among
the tailbacks but that Kregg
Lumpkin and Danny Ware
can expect first half carries
as well. Brown isn’t con
cerned about risking injury
on kickoff returns.
“I’m not really every wor
ried about taking a shot
and getting knocked out,”
he said. “I’m going to go
out there and attack it full
speed.”
Schuerholz had already
elaborated, without being
asked, about the organiza
tion’s reverence for Smoltz,
who is 12-6 with a 3.36 ERA
this season. He’s 6-0 with a
2.11 ERA and 51 strikeouts
to three walks in his past
six home starts.
“I’ve always had a world
of respect for John. That’s
not going to change,”
Schuerholz said. “I thought
that way
before the
quote
unquote
article, and I
feel that way
now.”
At one
point in the
column, the
5*9%
NOTEBOOK
R. Travis Haney
Morris News
Service
middle-aged Smoltz candid
ly referred to Schuerholz as
the “homeboy upstairs.”
“That comment, as you
guys all well know, wasn’t
meant in that fashion at
all,” Smoltz said. “That
probably shouldn’t have
been in there at all.”
Schuerholz got a kick out
of it, in the end, referring to
himself as “H. 8.”
“That could mean a
lot of things, I guess,” he
quipped.
Between this and an epi
sode earlier in the year in
which Smoltz said he’d be
open to the idea of a trade,
Smoltz said Tuesday he’s
learned a lesson about being
too honest with some of his
answers to reporters.
For one, he said he won’t
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VERDUN WHEELER
TO START, MILLER
WILL GET SNAPS: senior
Danny Verdun Wheeler has
supplanted junior Brandon
Miller as starting strong
side linebacker but both
players should get plenty of
snaps Saturday.
“I’m supposed to get a
couple of snaps at weak
side linebacker,” Verdun
Wheeler said. “I’ll start
out at (strongside) and you
never know what can hap
pen. I stay ready.” Miller
has also worked at weakside
linebacker this preseason
and said he’s even gotten
some snaps at middle line
backer. Miller started 10
games on the strong side
last season.
“I’m never going to say
it doesn’t matter because
it matters,” Miller said
about the starting job. “I’m
always going to be a com
petitive guy.”
PUTTING A
POSITIVE SPIN ON
HILLTOPPERS: Puttinga
positive spin on Hilltoppers
- Western Kentucky rides
a four-game losing streak
into Saturday’s game dating
back to last season, drop
ping games to Southern
Illinois, Northern lowa,
Youngstown State and
Florida International.
“We’re playing a team
that not long ago has won
a national championship at
the I-AA level and is used to
winning,” Richt said refer
ring to the school’s 2002
national title. “I’ve said
it many times I’d rather
play a Division I team that
doesn’t know how to win as
compared to a I-AA team
that does.”
be discussing his contract
status anymore.
“I’m just going to deal
with the known,” Smoltz
said. “The known is what
you know and what I know.
Everything else will be han
dled in a private manner,
and I respect that.”
And he won’t be speak
ing on behalf of others,
Schuerholz in particular.
“He certainly doesn’t
tell me how to pitch,” said
Smoltz, the 1996 Cy Young
winner and possible Hall of
Famer. “That’s where you
have to stay professional.”
DAVIES READY: After
six minor league rehab
starts to ensure his surgical
ly repaired groin was fully
healed, manager Bobby Cox
said he thinks Kyle Davies
will be ready to start one
of Saturday’s doubleheader
games in Philadelphia.
With Triple-A Richmond,
Davies threw eight score
less innings Sunday against
Norfolk, the Mets’ Class
AAA farm club. The young
right-hander allowed four
hits, struck out five and
threw 95 pitches.
“He wanted to go nine
(innings),” Cox said. “He
had enough to do it.”
The 22-year-old Davies,
out since May, had been
effective in his past two
rehab starts, going seven
strong innings each time.
Davies has said repeat
edly that trusting the leg to
push off would be the final
test.
SPORTS
Tech pass rush gives rise
to hope against Irish
By ADAM VAN
BRIMMER
Morris News Service
ATLANTA - Georgia Tech
proponents cite one partic
ular piece of evidence for
their optimism going into
Saturday’s season opener
against Notre Dame.
The Yellow Jackets’ pass
rush.
The Jackets ability to
pressure the quarterback
keyed wins against Auburn
and Miami last season. They
forced Auburn quarterback
Brandon Cox to throw four
interceptions and sacked
Miami’s Kyle Wright seven
times.
There is a flaw in that
theory: Notre Dame’s Brady
Quinn is a three-year starter
and Heisman Trophy candi
date, not a first-year starter
like Cox and Wright were a
year ago.
No matter, said Georgia
Tech defensive end Adamm
Oliver.
“It doesn’t matter what
year he is or how experi
ence he is, when he gets hit,
we’re hitting him the same
way,” Oliver said. “It doesn’t
matter if he’s a freshman
or a senior, he’s going to
get hit. And he’s going to
start thinking about us hit
ting him and not about the
receivers downfield.”
Jackets eyeing ND since bowl
ATLANTA - One topic
made Georgia Tech’s flight
home following the Emerald
Bowl loss last December tol
erable.
Notre Dame.
The Yellow Jackets open
the 2006 season against the
Irish at 8 p.m. Saturday in
Bobby Dodd Stadium. The
game is their first since
losing 38-10 to Utah in
the Emerald Bowl at San
Francisco’s SBC Park.
“Our attitude around here
is always to forget about
the last play and focus on
the next play, and the next
play is the kickoff of the
Notre Dame game,” defen
sive tackle Joe Anoai said.
“We’ve been thinking about
it a lot since.”
The Irish have been on
other players’ minds even
longer. Calvin Johnson, the
All-American wide receiver,
heard about the game as
well as next fall’s rematch
in South Bend, Ind. - soon
after he arrived on campus
two years ago.
And that pre-dated Notre
Dame’s football resurgence.
The Irish finished 9-3 last
season under first-year head
coach Charlie Weis and come
into Saturday’s game ranked
No. 2 in the Associated Press
poll, No. 3 in the USA Today
coaches’ poll.
The game is considered the
biggest of college football’s
opening weekend. It will
be televised nationally at 8
p.m. by ABC, and ESPN’s
“College Game Day” will
air from the Georgia Tech
campus at 10 a.m. Saturday
morning.
“It’s a pretty big stage,”
linebacker KaMichael Hall
said. “It’s a great opportuni
ty to go out there and show
The Original
Solunar Tables,
By Mrs. Richard Alden Knight
Release week of Aug. 27-Sept. 3. 2006
AM PM
Date Day Minor Major Minor Major
6/27 Su 8:40 2:25 9:00 2:45
8/28 M 9:20 3:10 9:45 3:30
8/29 T 10:05 3:55 10:35 4:20
8/30 W 10:55 4:45 11:20 5:05
8/31 Th 11:45 5:35 0 6:00
9/1 F 12:15 6:15 12:25 6:55
9/2 S 1:10 7:15 1:25 7:45
9/3 Su 2:00 8:10 2:20 8:40
© 2006 by King Features Syndicate. Inc
Hearing scheduled for Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 6:30 pm before the City
of Centerville Board of Zoning Appeals. The public hearing Thursday September
19, 2006 at 6:00 pm before the Mayor and Council. Meeting will be held at the
Centerville Municipal Building, 300 E. Church Street, Centerville, GA on the
following (2 properties:
1) Lot 3-H, 207 Pembroke Point- Land Lot 86 of the Fifth Land District of Houston
County, Georgia being known as Lot 3, B ock H, Brentwood Subdivision at Grove ,
Eagle Springs, Centerville, GA.
2) Lot 14-A, 106 Fairfax Ct- Land Lot 86 of the Fifth Land District of Houston County,
Georgia being known as Lot 14A, Block H Brentwood Subdivision at Grove Pointe,
Eagle Springs, Centerville, Ga.
Quinn avoided contact
last season, his first in new
coach Charlie Weis’ offense.
He was sacked just 21 times
in 12 games.
But Notre Dame did grad
uate two starting offensive
linemen, both on the right
side -- Oliver’s side. Oliver
recorded three sacks a year
ago, as did defensive tackle
Joe Anoai, who lined up next
to Oliver.
The Irish won’t have to
contend with Georgia Tech
sack master Eric Henderson
on the other side. Henderson,
who recorded 25 sacks in his
career, exhausted his eligi
bility last season. His suc
cessor, Darrell Robertson,
is experienced, though. He
made four starts last year
and Henderson mentored
him the last two seasons.
“Eric took me under his
wing and showed me tech
niques and his tricks to the
game,” Robertson said. “I
have added a few of my own.
Hopefully, I will be success
ful.”
He, Oliver and the rest of
Georgia Tech’s front seven
will need to be, particular
ly considering the Yellow
Jackets’ inexperienced sec
ondary. The Jackets will fea
ture three new starters at
defensive back four when
they go to their nickel pack
age.
what type of defense we
have, what type of offense,
special teams, and our team
as a whole. This is a great
opportunity for this Georgia
Tech team.”
RETURN MEN SET:
Pat Clark will return punts
Saturday night against the
Irish while Rashaun Grant
and Chris Dunlap will return
kickoffs.
Clark worked as the punt
returner last year and aver
aged 6.4 yards per return.
NOTE BOOK
By ADAM VAN
BRIMMER
Morris News
Service
none stood out.
“The best guy is the guy
who will play,” head coach
Chan Gailey said.
Grant, the second-string
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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Defensive coordinator
Jon Tenuta will scheme to
help his secondary as well.
His reputation is for blitz
ing from several positions,
including cornerback and
safety.
And Oliver considers the
concerns over the secondary
exaggerated anyway.
“They’re really not all
that young. They’re a good
secondary and their going
to surprise some people,”
Oliver said. “We’re going
to get to the quarterback
regardless of who’s behind
us. But if we don’t, I feel
confident that our second
ary is going to get the job
done.”
Tenuta acknowledges the
challenge ahead even so.
Notre Dame features two
standout wide receivers -
Jeff Samardzija and Rhema
Mcßnight - who will get
open if given enough time.
Samardzija caught 77
passes for 1,249 yards a year
ago while McKnight is the
speed receiver. He averaged
13.8 yards a catch before
suffering a season-ending
injury in the second game
of 2005.
“They got weapons and
they do run an outstanding
offense,” Tenuta said. “And
their trigger man - Quinn
- is an excellent football
player.”
tailback, returned 11 kick
offs last season. He averaged
22.6 yards a return. Dunlap,
the team’s third wide receiv
er, also returned kicks last
year. He averaged 19 yards
on three returns.
JOHNSON OUT,
PEEK DOUBTFUL FOR
SATURDAY: Defensive end
Michael Johnson will not
play against Notre Dame and
could be out several weeks
with an undisclosed injury,
Gailey said Tuesday.
Johnson reaggravated an
injury in his return to prac
tice Saturday. He had missed
the previous two weeks of
preseason practice. He is the
Yellow Jackets’ third defen
sive end and a key compo
nent in the defense’s ability
to put pressure on the quar
terback.
Backup tight end Colin
Peek got hurt in Tuesday’s
practice and is doubtful
to play against the Irish,
Gailey said. The coach said
Peek’s injury could linger
for a couple week as well.
The Jackets
auditioned
other
return men
this spring
and in the
preseason
because of
Clark’s new
duties at
defensive
back, but
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