Tereshinski ready to lead the Dawgs
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Senior quarterback Joe Tereshinski is on track
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to make his third start of the season following practice Monday afternoon. Tereshinski
took 80 percent of the first string snaps and freshman Matthew Stafford
took the other 20 percent with the first unit.
Head coach
Mark Richt is leaning towards starting
Tereshinski Saturday if he can stay healthy and Tereshinski appreciates the
confidence his coach gave has in him.
"That gives me a lot of confidence and makes me
want to work that much harder, but having said that it puts a lot of pressure
on you knowing you have to come in here and lead a team that is 5-0,"
said Tereshinski. "I could not ask anymore from my team and I just have
to come out and stay out of the training room."
Tereshinski's ankle held up during practice and
he is gaining more confidence in his ability to handle the quarterback duties.
"My ankle felt pretty good I got it taped and braced
today," said Tereshinski of his injured ankle. "I felt good in my
drops and with delivering the ball, so far so good."
The struggling offense will need more production this
week when #13 Tennessee comes to Athens.
"I just have to study my film and know my checks
and then get the ball to my playmakers," said Tereshinski. "We have
a lot of potential and everyone is going to push harder this week because we
have not reached our full potential. Tennessee is a great team and they have
a lot of energy so we are going to have to step it up."
Tereshinski will look to bring some senior leadership
along with center Nick Jones for the first big home game of the season
for Georgia.
"Joe T. and Nick Jones those two guys are pretty
awesome leaders and they are good to hang around," said Stafford. Tereshinski
will look to right the Georgia ship Saturday evening when the Volunteers roll
into Sanford Stadium.
Top Dawg Lumpkin leads rushing attack
Junior
Kregg Lumpkin made his first start as
the lone tailback against Ole Miss last week and racked up 101 yards on just
13 carries. Lumpkin credits his performance on field from the adversities he
faced when he hurt his knee in the spring of 2004.
"I feel 100 percent right now and battling back
from ACL injury is a tough task and I have been trying to stay focused and ask
the Lord to help me as much as he can," said Lumpkin.
Stafford and the other quarterbacks are excited about
Lumpkin's performance Saturday and the potential all three running backs
have.
"If he was not feeling it out there it will be scary
when he does because Lumpkin does a great job and all the other running backs
will still work hard to get their carries and try to do the most they can with
them," said Stafford. "I think all three of our backs have really
good vision and the opportunities are there and they are going to keep on doing
what they are doing. They have been one of the most successful rushing trios
that there has been in the SEC in the last couple of years"
Lumpkin still thinks he will share the carries will number
two tailback Danny Ware and former starter Thomas Brown.
"All three of us are still competing and trying
the get the best out of each and we will share the load," said Lumpkin.
Ware will backup Lumpkin this week and Brown will be the third option off the
bench.
Dropped balls
Redshirt sophomore receiver Kenneth Harris thinks
the only way the receivers will break out is when the get to catch the ball
in the game.
"I think right the problem is a lack of confidence
because we have great receivers and we all can catch the ball so that is not
the problem," said Harris. "We just have to get more confidence
in ourselves and that comes from catching the ball consistently out there in
the game and just having fun."
Harris does not think the changing quarterback situation
is creating the drops.
"As a receiver you have to catch the ball regardless
of who is throwing it from Joe T, Joe Cox, Matt Stafford, or even Blake Barnes,"
said Harris. "Whoever is back there you have to catch the ball and will
we not use that as a excuse and we have to go out there and makes plays."
Harris and the other receivers have three more practices
to prepare for Tennessee and Georgia will need a reliable passing attack to
win following their six drops against Ole Miss.
Verdun prepared to start in the middle again
Senior linebacker Danny Verdun may get his second
start of the season at middle linebacker as senior Jarvis Jackson recovers
from plantar fasciitis in his foot.
If Jackson needs more rest, junior Brandon Miller
will start at the sam linebacker and Verdun will go in the middle. The Georgia
coaching staff are working Verdun at all three linebacker spots in case injuries
crop up because they are in the middle of so many games in a row.
The coaches are expected to announce tomorrow who will
start for the Tennessee game at the linebacker position.
"Tomorrow coach (John) Jancek will rearrange the
depth chart, but I will still be splitting team at all three positions,"
said Verdun.
Offensive woes
With scoring down six points a game from the opening five
games last season, Georgia will need to find some points Saturday. Georgia will
need one of the quarterbacks and the other veterans to step up and lead the
offense this week.
"We are not executing our offense right now to the
best of our abilities and we just need to come out focused," said Lumpkin
of the offensive struggles. "All three quarterbacks bring a different
element to the offense and we need someone to bring a spark to the offense.
Joe T. brings a lot of experience and leadership to certain situations that
Matt or Joe (Cox) have not been in, so he and Nick Jones and the other seniors
on the offense have to lead us through it."
"Tennessee has hung with everyone they play and
beat four of them and their quarterback and offense are tearing it up, so it
will be tough for us," said Stafford. "For me I need to work on
my comfort and sticking in there and I feel like I am getting better every week
with knowing what to do and getting in sync with these receivers. I think it
is frustrating for any offense, but it is not holding us back and I am having
fun winning ball games."
The whole offense is waiting for the team to gel and find
it's identity and start putting up more points on the scoreboard.
"We are plugging away working hard in practice and
I think everyone thinks that the struggles are a weird thing because we are
trying hard to make things work," said Stafford of lack of offensive cohesion.
Injury Report
Senior offensive tackle Michael Turner practiced
Monday in a green jersey and is expected to play Saturday.
Junior wide receiver Mikey Henderson is bothered
with a finger injury on his right hand, but he is not expected to miss any time.
Also practicing in green jerseys were wide receivers
Sean Bailey and
Other Notes and Quotes…
Junior defensive end Charles Johnson was named
the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. Johnson a Hawkinsville native led the
Georgia with four tackles, two sacks, one pass breakup, and two third-down stops.
Johnson leads the SEC with nine tackles for loss this year and he is leading
the Bulldogs with 3.5 sacks this season.
CBS exercised the six-day selection rule for the Georgia-Vanderbilt
game October 14. CBS will either broadcast Ole Miss at Alabama, Vanderbilt at
Georgia, or Kentucky at LSU depending on the outcome of this weekend's
games. A decision will be announced Sunday afternoon.
The team captains for the Tennesse game are Nick Jones,
senior defensive end
Quentin Moses, senior linebacker Tony Taylor,
and Thomas Brown.
"It is a great honor to get an award, but you still
have to stay focused and drive on each week," said Lumpkin of his UGASports
Top Dawg honor.