Tereshinski might get starting job vs. Vols

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http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/u...002ugafoot.html

Tereshinski might get starting job vs. Vols

By CARTER STRICKLAND

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 10/02/06

Athens — Joe Tereshinski last limped off the field for Georgia more than 15 quarters ago.

Now the senior might be ready to stride back on as the Bulldogs' starting quarterback against No. 13 Tennessee on Saturday.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he is," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "I want to see how he does before we start saying what we are going to do. I am thinking he is going to be fine, and I am thinking he is going to be ready, but I want to see it before we make any calls out there."

And if Tereshinski shows no signs of continued problems from his high ankle sprain, he could be the starter for the third time in his career.

"I would be leaning that way," Richt said.

"Matthew [stafford] would be a solid No. 2 if not the starter," Richt said. "I like what Matthew did in this last ball game. He went back to feel pretty comfortable back there."

Comfort and familiarity are what Tereshinski can bring to what has been a harried and haphazard offense.

"Stafford may have more playing time right this second, but [Tereshinski] is a senior veteran and he really understands what we are doing and why," Richt said. "He has gotten a lot of cumulative reps on just about everything in our offense, whether it has been game or practice. It has helped him out."

Georgia's offense could use some help, too.

The Bulldogs lost points for the second consecutive week in the Associated Press poll after edging Ole Miss on Saturday night. Georgia is still ranked No. 10, but that's down from its season high two weeks ago. In the coaches' poll Georgia is still ninth, but was seventh two weeks ago.

It's not exactly as if the sky is falling. Georgia is still undefeated. Stafford has also piled up decent numbers for a true freshman, 36-of-75 for 485 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions, as opposed to Tereshinski's 9-of-20 for 108 yards with a touchdown. But, it is more than safe to say, Georgia is not exactly rising to meet the expectations on offense.

In the past two weeks, Georgia has scored a total of 28 points against what are the nation's 55th and 82nd worst defenses. In those games, Georgia has had 22 drives and scored four times. That's an 18 percent success rate.

Georgia has not had a touchdown scoring drive of more than 58 yards since the second quarter of the South Carolina game in Week 2. The Bulldogs are now 89th in the country in total offense at 297 yards per game. That's after playing a schedule against Division I-A opponents with a combined 6-14 record.

All this from what has been one of the most prolific offenses of the decade under Richt. Now everybody is scratching their heads.

"Maybe we can punt it every down," Richt said in his postgame press conference.

That might not work either: Georgia had two punts blocked by Ole Miss. One was called back because of an inconsequential hold on Georgia's gunner by Ole Miss' Terrell Jackson.

"I felt like we got outhit," Richt said. "We got outphysicaled in that game, if that is a word. I thought they won the special teams. The thing that we did is we didn't turn the ball over offensively, which was huge."

Speaking of huge, Tennessee has already been installed as the favorite by Las Vegas in what will be a huge SEC East game this week at Sanford Stadium.