Georgia Tech safety Jamal Golden will miss the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury. Golden is scheduled to have surgery this week to repair the injury suffered in the North Carolina game Sept. 21.
Coach Paul Johnson said that Golden actually could have played against Virginia Tech last Thursday night, “But we’re not going to let him play. Too much of a risk of damage. When the doctors explained the risk, it’s not worth it. He needs to get it fixed.”
Golden is the second Tech safety to be lost for the season, along with Isaiah Johnson, who is taking a redshirt year after tearing his ACL last December. That does not include Fred Holton, who was also expected to contribute this season but was dismissed from the team at the start of preseason camp for a violation of team rules.
The likely starters for Tech’s game at Miami on Saturday will be redshirt sophomores Domonique Noble and Demond Smith, who started against Virginia Tech.
Golden had started three games this season and was also fulfilling his role returning punts and kicks for the Yellow Jackets. A junior, Golden will be eligible to apply for a medical redshirt. NCAA rules state that an athlete can be granted an extra year of eligibility when he has only played either three games or 30 percent of his team’s games, whichever is greater. Thirty percent of a 12-game schedule is 3.6 games. Golden played in three games.
Errin Joe, a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman, is also to undergo shoulder surgery this week that will end his season. Joe had not played yet this season and will also be eligible for a medical redshirt.
Video review: After reviewing the game video of the 17-10 loss to Virginia Tech, Johnson came to an easy conclusion: "There's enough (blame) to go around for everybody." Johnson said that the team's poor play and the vast number of mental mistakes stood out to him. Tech had three turnovers and nine penalties, which is as many as Tech has committed in any game under Johnson.
“We seem to play poor against them,” Johnson said of the Hokies. “There’s a point where you’ve got to give them some credit for it; it happens a lot. Clearly, we can do a better job of getting them ready to play, preparing them and we can play better.”
Johnson defended — to a degree — the play of quarterback Vad Lee, who had a fumble and two interceptions, one of them on a desperation pass at game’s end.
“Vad’s not the only guy who played bad,” Johnson said. “He’s got a lot of company and we coached bad. So it’s everybody. It ain’t (just) Vad.”
Injury report: A-back Deon Hill returned to practice Monday and has been cleared to play after a illness kept him out of the past three games. Hill made his first career start in the season opener before being sidelined.
“He was playing really good, so we’re excited to have him back,” Johnson said. “Hopefully he can get back in a groove and get back to the level he was playing before he got hurt.”
Etc.: Tech practiced Saturday morning, took Sunday off and practiced in full pads Monday. Sunday was the error-correction practice that the team usually has on Monday, meaning that the Jackets will have an extra day of preparation for Miami. … Tech's game against BYU on Oct. 12 in Provo, Utah, will be played at 7 p.m. (EDT). The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
