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4B | Friday, September i, 20061 The Red & Black
FIRST & GOAL
The Red & Black | Friday, September 1, 2006 | 5B
2005 Record: 6-5
Coach: David Elson
Record against Georgia:
0-0; this is the first
meeting for the two
teams.
SEASON LEADERS
Rushing:
Lerron Moore
174 carries for 1,037
yards, 10 TDs
Passing:
Justin Haddix
1,892 yards, 15 TDs
Receiving:
Curtis Hamilton
20.4 yards per carry,
4 TDs
Kicking:
Chris James
24 for 29 FG,
76 for 76PAT
BYTHENUMBERS
106
Number of rushing yards
per game Lerron Moore has
averaged over his three year
career with the Hilltoppers.
148
NUMBER OF POINTS
place kicker Chris James has
total in his two-year stint
with Western Kentucky.
14
Number of Starters
returning for the Hilltoppers
this season. Eight are
returning an offense, four an
defense and two on special
teams.
Western Kentucky © Georgia
Sanford Stadium | Saturday, September 2,2006 | 12:30 p.m. | Athens, Georgia
2005 Record: 10-3
Coach: Mark Richt
Record against Western
Kentucky: 0-0; this is the
first meeting for the two
teams
Five Game Questions
Who will play quarterback for Georgia and for how long?
About all that is known about the Georgia quarterback situation is that Joe Tereshinski is the
starter and Joe Cox is his backup. Beyond that, it’s all a mystery. Based on what head coach Mark
Richt said at practice earlier this week, he isn’t even completely sure. Two QBs should play and a
third is likely. Richt said he would make subs based on feel, but might enter the game with a slight
plan. As for the third quarterback, Richt left open the possibility of playing freshman Matthew
Stafford over sophomore Blake Barnes. Stafford would lose his eligibility for a redshirt if he plays.
2
Will the game be close?
Richt said that you can’t underestimate a Division I-AA team and must prepare like it’s any other
game. Still, with the differing levels of talent between Georgia and Western Kentucky, there is no
reason the game should be close. Auburn beat the Hilltoppers 37-14 last season with starting QB
Brandon Cox on the bench. Western Kentucky didn’t score until the fourth quarter. By the fourth
quarter Saturday, Georgia should have plenty of backups on the field.
3
What position battles will continue Saturday and beyond?
Sophomores Mohamed Massaquoi and Kenneth Harris are Georgia’s starting receivers. But
behind those two, everything is wide open. Richt said Mario Raley, Kris Durham, Demiko
Goodman, Mikey Henderson and A.J. Bryant (the five remaining receivers listed on the depth
chart) are fighting for playing time. Beyond receiver, Richt has said all fall that position battles —
including quarterback — are ongoing, and even if a player remains a starter, the backup can earn
more playing time.
4
Will Georgia’s offensive line hold up?
An offensive line consists of five players. Factoring in injures and suspensions, Georgia has only six
players that it plans to use on the line in the game. Redshirt sophomore Seth Watts is the only
backup likely to play. Freshman Kevin Perez is also listed on the depth chart, but don’t expect him
to see the field. Tackle Daniel Inman, the Bulldogs’ best lineman, and Ian Smith are both suspend
ed, and Zeb McKinzey has missed much of fall practice with a shoulder injury.
5
What is a Hilltopper and why is Western Kentucky's mascot Big Red (and what is Big Red) ?
Little information is available on what exactly a Hilltopper is. According to the school’s Web site,
“The evolution of the nickname ‘Hilltoppers’ is obvious to those who have seen the Western
Kentucky campus. ... Since the summit of‘the Hill’ rises 232 feet above nearby Barren River and
the comparatively level plain that surrounds it, it was only natural that the athletes who repre
sented the institution should come to be known as the ‘Hilltoppers.’” Still, it doesn’t explain
specifically what a Hilltopper is, but what can you do.
According to graphic renderings, Big Red is a red blob of something that carries around a red
towel. The school’s Web site has no information on Big Red but does explain the towel tradition.
E.A. Diddle, Western Kentucky’s longtime men’s basketball coach (who also coached football,
women’s basketball and baseball at various times), held a red towel for the 1,062 basketball games
he coached, and it became a symbol of the school’s sports programs.
— Matthew Borenstein
A little more personal
with Danny Ware
Editor's Note: This is the first installment of a seasonlong series
exposing the football players away from the field. This week,
football writer Phillip Kisubika talks to tailback Danny Ware
The Red & Black: How aware are you of the student
ticket fiasco?
Danny Ware: I’m fully (aware). I have a bunch of
friends that stood in line all day long trying to get
tickets. When they can’t get them, they come to
me. It was pretty hectic out there.
R&B: How fair do you think the ticket system
is?
DW: As far as fairness, I think the students
should get the majority (of the tickets).
They’re here, and they ride or die with us. It
doesn’t really work like that, but it’s all
good. As long as we still have a packed
house with fans screaming, it’s great to see.
j R&B: Do you have a favorite downtown
1 Athens spot that you like to visit?
DW: Probably Flanagan’s or the Ritz — I go
in there and try to dance a little bit.
R&B: If you knew you were going to die
tomorrow, what would you have as your
last meal?
DW: I would have my mom’s taco pie, a nice
little dish that she makes.
R&B: What’s your favorite movie and why?
DW: Probably Bad Boys II or Rush Hour 1 and
2. Chris Tucker’s funny, and people compare me
to him all the time. I don’t really see it.
People used to tell me I looked like Will Smith
before I got out into the sun (playing football)
and got too dark.
R&B: If you weren’t playing football, what sport would you
play and what position would you play?
DW: Baseball — I played center field in high school.
R&B: When you’re done playing football, what will you do?
DW: I’ll probably get into real estate and property man
agement because that’s my major (Housing).
R&B: Is there a place outside the U.S. that you’ve
always wanted to go?
DW: I’ve always wanted to go to Europe, but I can’t
stay on a plane that long. I can handle flying for
about an horn - or two, but a flight over there takes
seven or eight hours.
R&B: Do you have a favorite TV show right now?
DW: Entourage.
R&B: If you could be a superhero, which one would you be?
DW: The Flash. He’s so fast, and he’ll run circles around you all day. You can’t hit him
with anything because he’ll dodge it, and he’s got good stamina.
Bulldogs look to chew up Big Red
Team versus team comparison
Passing Offense
Whoever is at quarterback
should expect to have success
throwing the ball. Since
senior starter Joe Tereshinski
doesn’t have the arm strength
to throw long passing routes
down the field, expect to
see Georgia take advantage of
short passes to the middle of
the field.
Western Kentucky has
senior Justin Haddix as
their signal caller, and he
leads an offense that likes to
stretch the field with junior
receiver Curtis Hamilton,
who averaged 20.4 yards per
reception and a team-leading
four touchdowns last season.
Haddix will look to secure
his spot at the top of the
Hilltoppers’ record books as
the top passer in school histo
ry. He is now second on the
team in all major categories,
with 5,743 career passing yards
and 36 TDs.
Advantage: Even
Rushing Offense
Thomas Brown, Kregg
Lumpkin and Danny Ware look
to continue to put up yardage
on the ground for the
Bulldogs, totalling 1,563 com
bined yards last season with
Brown leading the way
with four rushing touchdowns.
Coaches are excited to
see what the 5-foot-8 Brown
can accomplish as the
lead guy, so expect to see him
get the majority of the
carries.
Running the ball for
Western Kentucky will be
senior Lerron Moore who
has racked up 3,505 yards and
34 TDs in his first three
years as the Hilltoppers’
starter. Between the four run
ning backs, there looks to be a
lot of yardage gained on the
ground.
Advantage: Georgia
Passing Defense
Georgia has unproven tal
ent lining up at comer,
with true freshmen Asher
Allen and Prince Miller likely
to see plenty of playing time
behind sophomore Ramarcus
Brown and senior Paul Oliver.
In fall practices, the sec
ondary outshined other
positions, repeatedly
earning praise for the multiple
interceptions they compiled.
It’ll be interesting to see if the
younger guys can keep it up
against real competition.
Western Kentucky has jun
ior free safety Marion Rumph
(team-high 93 total tackles
last season) covering the
middle of the field, where he’ll
have plenty of opportunities to
make plays, at least
while Tereshinski is in the
game.
At comer is the multi-tal
ented senior Dennis Mitchell,
who also doubles as the
Hilltoppers’ only return man.
Advantage: Georgia
Rushing Defense
Georgia returns Quentin
Moses and Charles Johnson
at defensive end, and you can
expect them to repeatedly
put pressure on the quarter
back.
The question for the
Georgia coaches is if the
interior line can fill up
the gaps enough that Western
Kentucky will be unable to run
up the middle.
Western Kentucky uses a 3-
4 defense that allows for
more speed to be placed on
the field with four very experi
enced linebackers coming in
hard to stop Georgia’s three
headed monster at running
back.
Look for the combination of
junior defensive ends Dusty
Bear and Evan Brewer to
eventually tire from the
repeated pounding taken from
Brown and Co.
Advantage: Even
Special Teams
Without top return man
Thomas Flowers able to play
because of suspension,
Georgia will be looking to a
combination of junior receiver
Mikey Henderson and fresh
man comers Asher Allen and
Prince Miller to show what
they can do on special teams.
With a lot of talent but even
more question marks, there is
no telling what to expect from
an unproven group of punt
returners. Georgia does
have the very strong legs
of senior punter Gordon Ely-
Kelso (42.9 net yards/punt
last season) and junior
kicker Brandon Coutu (23-for-
29 FGs and 45/45 PATs last
season), so you can expect
them to continue to be auto
matic when their number is
called.
At kicker for Western
Kentucky is junior Chris
James, who was even more
automatic than Coutu last
season, going 15-for-17 on FGs
and 42/42 PATs.
Western Kentucky also fea
tures senior return specialist
Mitchell, who averaged 16.1
yards per punt return last sea
son.
Mitchell has totaled more
than 700 return yards each of
the last two seasons, handling
both punt and kickoff duties
for the Hilltoppers, and has
returned a punt for a touch
down both years.
Advantage: Hilltoppers
Coaching
Georgia head coach Mark
Richt is entering his fifth sea
son as the big man on campus
and has been extremely suc
cessful during that short span,
compiling a 52-13 career that
includes two SEC champi
onships and two SEC Coach of
the Year awards for his
resume.
This year looks like it will
test Richt’s reputation as a
quarterback-builder, as he
plans to rotate in multiple
guys under center, including
senior Tereshinski and fresh
men Joe Cox and Matt
Stafford.
In three years as the
Hilltoppers’ head coach, David
Elson has a 24-12 record, lead
ing Western Kentucky to three
straight winning seasons
including a 6-5 record last sea
son.
This year Elson looks to
pull double-duty as both head
coach and defensive coordina
tor, the same title he held for
the team in 2001 and 2002.
Advantage: Georgia
— Alex Byington
SEASONLEADERS
Rushing:
Thomas Brown
147 for 736 yards, 4 TDs
Passing:
Joe Tereshinski
24 of 49 for 371 yards,
1 TD
Receiving:
Mohamed Massaquoi
38 for 505 yards, 2 TDs
Kicking:
Brandon Coutu
23 for 29 FG,
45 for 45 PATs
BYTHENUMBERS
6
Mark Richt’s rank
on the list ofwinningest
active coaches. Richt ranks
above both Steve Spurrier
and Joe Patemo.
7
Number of home games
that the Bulldogs have this
season. Only twice more in
Georgia history has the
team had seven home games
in a season, 1980 and 2002
78
Number of consecutive
weeks that the Bulldogs
have been ranked in the
Associated Press football
poll.
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