Georgia Tech DT returns to practice, will play

Senior defensive tackle Vance Walker, who missed much of the fourth quarter Saturday after taking a blow to the head, returned to practice Wednesday and will play against Mississippi State.

“When it happened I was just confused, had no idea what had happened,” said Walker, who has 11 tackles, 3 1/2 for loss, and a sack this season. “Then when I was sitting down, I was pretty dizzy.”

Walker didn’t get any headaches and doesn’t think he had a concussion. He was held out Monday and Tuesday as a precaution.

“If there was a game Monday I could have played,” he said.

Walker said the defense isn’t going to be lulled by the fact that Mississippi State’s offense didn’t score in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Auburn.

“You don’t want to come in thinking we’re going to knock these guys out,” said the 6-2, 293-pounder, a Sports Illustrated preseason All-American. “It’s probably going to be just as difficult as our other games.”

Radakovich not going to Seattle

Athletics director Dan Radakovich was one of the people the University of Washington contacted about their AD opening, which was filled Wednesday by acting AD Scott Woodward.

Radakovich said Washington officials contacted him a while ago and he told them he wasn’t interested.

“I have a familiarity with [UW President] Mark Emmert and Scott Woodward from my time at LSU,” Radakovich said. “I told them I was very happy here.”

Radakovich, who came to Georgia Tech in 2006 after five years as a senior associate AD at LSU, called Woodward “a wonderful choice.” He worked with him for four years at LSU. Emmert was LSU’s president from 1999-2004.

Local connections

About 25 friends and relatives of Mississippi State safety De’Mon Glanton will be in the stands Saturday.

“I know the ones that aren’t coming are probably going to pack my mom’s house to watch it,” said Glanton.

It’s a homecoming for Glanton, a Mays High graduate who has been a fifth defensive back this season for the Bulldogs. He’s one of seven metro Atlanta players on the roster.

Glanton went to high school with Tech quarterback Calvin Booker and to Young Middle School with A-back Greg Smith.

Glanton has had a solid career in Starkville. He has played in every game since he was a freshman and started 19 of them. He is part of a secondary that Tech coach Paul Johnson praised Tuesday.

Glanton said he went to Mississippi State in part to help build the program after coach Sylvester Croom was hired. The team is built on trust and accountability, he said.

“Like Coach always says, ‘We just have to go out and make every play. Don’t do everybody else’s job,’ ” Glanton said. “If we do our one-eleventh as an individual, we’ve got to count on the guys on the field to do theirs.”

Safety Keith Fitzhugh (Lovejoy High School) and guard Michael Gates (Sandy Creek) start for the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Terrance Davis (Salem), wide receiver Jamayel Smith (Riverwood), defensive tackle Kyle Love (North Clayton), and tight end Brandon Henderson (Fayette County) are also from metro Atlanta.

Penalty problems

Georgia Tech leads the ACC in penalty yards (58.7 per game), while their opponents have been penalized for the fewest (23.7 per game). So the Jackets are giving up 35 yards a game on penalties.

In Tech’s 1-1 ACC start, Boston College and Virginia Tech drew a total of five penalties for 31 yards.