Georgia Tech safety Jamal Golden has been ruled out of Thursday night’s game with Virginia Tech. Golden injured his shoulder in the Yellow Jackets’ win over North Carolina last Saturday and had hoped to return, but was evidently unable.
Golden and A-back Deon Hill, who is waiting to be cleared for an illness and has missed the past two games, are the only players on the Tech injury report, meaning that outside linebacker Quayshawn Nealy and safety Chris Milton should be available to play. Nealy and Milton also left the North Carolina game with injuries and their status for the Hokies game was uncertain at the start of the week.
With Golden out, Domonique Noble is a likely candidate to start in his place alongside Milton. Noble performed well as a backup after the injuries to both safeties. Another option is to move Jemea Thomas to safety and start D.J. White at cornerback. Demond Smith also played significant snaps last week, but did not play as well as Noble.
Tech will also be without Golden on its punt and kickoff return teams. On punt return last Saturday, Tony Zenon subbed for Golden and played to the satisfaction of special-teams coordinator David Walkosky. Zenon is also a possibility for kickoff returns alongside Broderick Snoddy.
Tailback J.J. Green said he can’t say for sure how many times he has heard “you’re one play away from playing” from Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and running backs coach Bryan McClendon.
Here is a clue that your trip to sunny south Florida may not be a carefree vacation: You’re a football team, and you lose one of your starters during warm-ups.
If nothing else, Georgia has ensured at least one thing about its season. Regardless of where the rest of the schedule takes them, whether its to an SEC championship, a BCS bowl bid or a national title, there will be no claims from outsiders that this team received too many breaks and escaped health issues, no suggestions that the road to success was lined with lollipops and unicorns.
Having been at Georgia four seasons now, soccer coach Steve Holeman doesn’t weird out nearly as much as he once did about playing Ole Miss, where he coached for 15 years.
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