AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > September > 29
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Choice is right as Jackets find their cure
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
First, there was Notre Dame. A wipeout in South Bend. Georgia Tech’s stock rose like a bull market. Then Samford, nice little Samford, an easy means of giving bulk to the team stats. Then came Boston College, a worthy foe, but at home, couldn’t the Eagles have been had? Then news arrived that Michigan had wiped out Notre Dame, too. Maybe the Irish market had been overvalued.
Next came Virginia in Charlottesville, not one of Tech’s favorite places to hang out. But wait a minute, this wasn’t supposed to be a Wahoo year, and here they came. This was getting serious, from 2-0 to the bottom of the Coastal Division of the ACC. The silence was deafening, and meanwhile, Clemson was rolling along unbeaten, 4-and-0, and flexing its muscles. Clemson used to come to town for Bobby Dodd’s personal amusement, and that rankled Frank Howard. But those days are gone. The Tigers are no longer a delicacy on the plate of the big-city Yellow Jackets. They could slug it out with anybody, and here they came.
Second in total offense and passing in the ACC, leading scorer, leader in third-down conversions. If you had suggested to anyone with all his marbles that Clemson would kick a field goal in the first quarter and never score again, he’d have suggested a mental examination.
Mike Knobler had set forth his prescription for the Clemson cure in the Saturday paper, not that Dr. Knobler had it right on the nose, but the vitals were there. Tashard Choice had to be fired up, and he was an infernal flame the Tigers couldn’t put out. Taylor Bennett needed to improve his passing rating, and while that’s still in need of attention, he still kept order and managed to connect on seven of 15 launches for 67 yards. Then there was the order to keep the drives going and the Tigers backing up.
But this was the big one: Play defense early, and onward, and in the long run, this was defense’s day. This should not detract in any way from Choice and how much he contributed to the most vital stat of ball possession. Against the Wahoos, he was only half-Choice, not nearly physically ready to carry the load. This day, he simply ran the Tigers until they were out of breath and full of frustration. Thiry-two times the ball was his, and he delivered 145 of Tech’s 256 offensive yards and scored the only touchdown, which, in essence, put the Tigers away for the day. He made the most out of third downs and contributed mightily to that important figure of possession time.
In fact, Chan Gailey himself said he was shocked that Choice went as far as he did after a hamstring injury. “But if you stood in the locker room and heard him before the game and during halftime, it wouldn’t surprise you.”
Choice is an unusual young man, anything but a physical beast, 6-feet-1 and a trim 205 pounds. Frequently transfers don’t always work out this efficiently.
He had played behind the Heisman-hoopla-ed Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma, far removed from his home in Riverdale, and his mother, who was unable to travel. So, home he came, and it was no academic burden. He is on the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll, majoring in history, technology and society. On the field, he is what the old guard used to call a slashing runner, and apparently knows no fatigue.
Clemson kept its third-down efficiency high, but came up short on offensive consistency. And the field-goal kicker, Mark Buchholz, was 1-for-5 at his specialty. The thing was, Georgia Tech took charge of this game and never lost track of its purpose. Last year the Tigers’ James Davis had a track meet against Tech, 216 yards on foot. This Saturday at Bobby Dodd-Grant Field, the whole Tiger team was held to 34 yards on the ground.
There is new breath in the body, a thrumping spirit, and all this sandwiched around a day fraught with the interruption of something misconstrued as entertainment, during which we learned that Georgia Tech has an “official burrito.” Ole!
In Dogs’ backfield, two can play this game
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Terence Moore
Athens — Just thinking, while sitting here on Saturday at Sanford Stadium and watching the rising Knowshon Moreno shred the Ole Miss defense with his gifted legs when the already established Thomas Brown wasn’t doing the same.
Can’t we all just get along?
This doesn’t apply to the two Georgia running backs. They co-exist famously.
Once, along the way to Georgia’s slow-developing rout of 45-17, there was a timeout that featured an impromptu hip-hop act. The stadium’s big screen showed Moreno and Brown gyrating and smiling next to each other on the sidelines to “Crank That” by Soulja Boy. Later, when Moreno complemented Brown’s third rushing touchdown with a sprint to the end zone of his own, the two continued their tradition of leaping in the air and bumping body parts on the way down.
The problem involves nearly everybody else in the Bulldog Nation when it comes to Brown, Georgia’s starter at tailback as an accomplished senior, and the other guy who is the people’s choice as a redshirt freshman displaying more than a little razzle to go with his dazzle.
Which begs another question: Why not both? Few around Death Valley whine about Clemson’s splendid backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller. You may recall that Auburn had success with Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown. Georgia Tech has the duo of Tashard Choice and Jonathan Dwyer, and Arkansas uses Darren McFadden along with Felix Jones. Then you have USC’s brilliant runner for the moment.
Thomas Brown shrugged, while seeking to place the illogical into perspective after his game for the ages (11.2 yards per carry for 180 yards overall and those three touchdowns). “Maybe fans are reacting historically, because we’ve always had a lot of guys who have come through here and have kind of dominated by themselves,” said Brown, mentioning the usual suspects, ranging from Herschel Walker, Lars Tate and Tim Worley to Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst and Robert Edwards.
Added Brown, “People overlook the fact that we have so many talented guys in our program right now that you just can’t have one guy out there on the field. Guys are competitive, and we’re all fighting for time, and we all can be productive.”
Yes, they can, with Brown and Moreno at the forefront.
While Brown leads the Bulldogs in all-purpose yards and is their everyman as a kick returner and a member of their punt return and kickoff teams, Moreno is Georgia’s leading rusher and is second in receiving yards.
“I learn from [Brown], and what I learn is how to carry yourself, because he’s a good person on and off the field. So is Lumpkin,” said Moreno, referring to Kregg Lumpkin, another runner of note, who will make things even cozier in Georgia’s backfield when he returns next week from a hand injury. “I just look up to those guys. It’s an honor to have them on the team, and we’re just all out there having fun.”
In other words, they cover their ears to drawn out the needless controversy around them. Despite Brown’s brilliance, for instance, the other guy got the tightest hug from most of the 92,746. It wasn’t because of his spin move in the backfield in the first quarter that left defenders flat-footed while he raced for 25 yards. It wasn’t because he almost was tackled in the backfield on a play, kept his balance and gained 24 yards. It wasn’t even because he added three catches worth 28 yards to his rushing total of 90 overall.
It was because the stadium became the morgue in the third quarter, when Moreno was sandwiched between the ground and 310 pounds of Ole Miss’ Jerry Peria after one of his spectacular runs. Courtesy of what Georgia coach Mark Richt called a “frog splash,” Moreno had the wind knocked out of him, along with just about everything else, but he eventually rose to his feet.
The crowd screamed wildly for the people’s choice. In fact, it likely was the loudest cheer of the day. That’s fine, but here’s what the Bulldog Nation should know: There is enough barking to go around.
Petrino lost one Falcon at the start
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
He starred at Virginia Tech, was lauded for his athleticism and ability to make game-changing plays and projected as a franchise centerpiece. Now he is central to an embarrassing episode in Falcons history.
No, not Michael Vick.
If DeAngelo Hall’s future with the Falcons is not as dead as Vick’s, it’s only because this is just week four and Bobby Petrino hasn’t yet had his fill of contracts and egos and fled back to the college ranks.
But check back after the season when the LSU or Michigan job opens up.
This, we know: Coach and player don’t like each other. Expounding on personal relationships isn’t quite in Petrino’s makeup. But Hall says the two have had problems almost from the time the new coaching staff arrived. He believes he is treated differently than other veterans. He speculates his relationship with Petrino may have “went sour” when he told the coach before the season that he didn’t want to play on offense or return punts.
Asked twice if he thought he could play for Petrino long term, Hall paused before responding: “Some things would have to change, obviously. Like you said, some guys are made for college. Some guys are made for the NFL. If he wants respect given to him, he must give respect back.”
A week ago, Hall’s meltdown — an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, following pass interference and personal-foul penalties in a span of five snaps — led to a Carolina touchdown and eventually the Falcons’ third loss of the season. It was the home opener, and fans saw Hall and Petrino argue on the sideline.
The next day, Petrino said discipline would be handled in-house. Two days later, Hall shot the windows out with his mouth and declared relative war over being fined $100,000 and benched for the start of today’s game against Houston. He’s appealing the fine. He held court for the media.
Petrino’s reaction: He smiled slightly and said, “I’m not going to let it upset me.”
But he knows he has a problem. Just ask Hall. Ask him anything.
He believes Petrino has a double standard in the way he deals with players: “From the moment their staff got here, I think I was interpreted as a young guy. I accomplished so much so fast. But I’m 23. We’ve drafted guys older than me. I’m still viewed as a guy who they can mold and turn into this or that, as opposed to a Keith Brooking who’s a 10-year guy and doesn’t get bothered about the way he tackles or strips the ball or any little teeny thing. That’s the way I want to be treated. I want to be respected. I don’t just walk up to people and [curse at] them all the time. But you can ask [former coach Jim Mora]: If he [cursed] me, I [cursed] him right back. That’s probably my biggest problem, that equality. If you’re going to talk to this guy that way, you should talk to everybody that way. If you’re not going to talk to X-Y-Z after he makes a mistake, then why, after I make a mistake or a penalty, are you talking to me a different way?”
He speculates saying no to playing some at receiver upset Petrino: “I was all for it at first. But when I got into a classroom, it was kind of information overload. I thought, ‘I need to learn what this defense does first.’ Maybe that rubbed him the wrong way.”
And saying no to punt returns: “Obviously it was a greater chance to get hurt. But we also had a pretty good one at the time in Allen Rossum. I said, ‘That’s really not me anymore.’ It was when I was coming out of college. But now I’m a corner first, not a punt returner or a special-teams player, like Devin Hester.”
And he kept going. The man’s an athlete. Stamina’s not a problem.
He denied ever telling Steve Smith last week, “I’ve been in as many Pro Bowls as you; I make more money than you,” as the Panthers’ receiver contended. Hall: “It’s a he said/she said thing.” (The problem: Only one guy has built up credibility.)
He clarified an incident before last season in which he drove Mora to a team-building function in his Lamborghini while other players watched from the bus. Hall said all players took the bus to the movie “Invincible.” He admitted giving Mora a ride to a team bowling tournament, but says some other players also drove cars. (The problem: It doesn’t change the fact that several veterans were upset by the incident.)
He doesn’t believe his close relationship with Mora created problems, but says he never was given a chance to get close to Petrino: “I came in trying to drum up something. But he’s a little different. He’s not as personable. He’s not as loving. I don’t know if it went sour when I said I didn’t want to play offense. I don’t know where it went south.”
Most of all, he denies any likeness to a player who cares more about himself than the team: “I’m not ‘MeAngelo.’ I’ve talked to other coaches and general managers in this league. That’s not how they view me. If somebody on TV calls me MeAngelo, that’s what they get paid for. Opinions are like noses: Everybody’s got one. Some are bigger than others.”
Is that your line?
“No. Keyshawn said it.”
Is talking to other coaches or GMs allowed, given tampering rules?
“I don’t think so. But no names were given out.”
At this point, it doesn’t matter. Hall’s contract expires after next season. But there will be a trade market after this one. He says he doesn’t want to leave. He recently bought a new home in Chateau Elan.
He says he and Petrino “have had a couple of conversations” since the blowup. “Is the air cleared? I think so,” he said.
But this isn’t 2004. The Falcons drafted him eighth overall with the expectation he would be a staple on defense for years, much like Vick on offense. One plan crashed and burned. The other is on a rapid descent.
“Coach Petrino inherited this team,” Hall said. “He didn’t draft me, so I don’t know if they want me here.”
When the defense takes the field today, Hall will be on the sideline. You might want to get used to it.
Permalink | |
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
