Aug. 31, 2005
TECH FANS PLEASE NOTE: The Chan Gailey Call-In Show begins Thursday at 12 noon on WQXI-Radio 790 the Zone. Fans can call 1.888.ISP.RADIO (1.888.477.7234) to speak with the Tech head coach.
ATLANTA–Anticipation is high as Georgia Tech’s season opener approaches and the Yellow Jackets wrap up their preparations for Saturday’s nationally-televised game at 16th-ranked Auburn. Tech and the Tigers kick off at 8:45 p.m. ET (ESPN) at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“I think they want to put the finishes touches on things,” said Tech head coach Chan Gailey after Wednesday’s practice. “They want the game to get here. I think they want to go out and have a good practice and get off the field so the game will get closer.”
And what about the head coach?
I’m not anxious, I’m anticipating,” said Gailey. “I’m looking forward to the game, I always do. There’s only one first game of the season every year.”
With starting tailback P.J. Daniels looking strong this preseason, plus the addition of Oklahoma transfer Tashard Choice to the backfield, Gailey was asked how he would try to allocate the carries for his backs.
“I think you start the season with a plan to play both of them,” said Gailey. “P.J. will certainly get the majority of the carries, and Tashard will be next, but you have to see how it goes from there. If P.J. is very effective, he’ll continue to get the majority. If Tashard is very effective when he goes in there for his turn, we may up his playing time is a little bit.”
Daniels, a senior from Houston, Texas, followed an all-star season in 2003, when he led the ACC in rushing with 1,447 yards, with a somewhat less productive junior season, when he gained 714 yards while missing four games due to injury. Still, he has averaged 102.9 yards per game over the last two years and enters his final season in fifth place on Tech’s career rushing list with 2,416 yards.
Gailey has said before that in the past, he preferred to lean on one workhorse back, but the injury factor has changed that.
“When we had (Jerome) Bettis in Pittsburgh or Emmitt (Smith) in Dallas, we didn’t run other people out there,” said Gailey, referring to his days in the NFL coaching two of the top rushers in league history. “What got me thinking about the ability to use more than one back is keeping them healthy. That has more of an influence than what I would prefer to do.”
Choice, a sophomore, has been impressive in practice since enrolling last spring. He carried the ball just 22 times for 100 yards in limited duty last fall at Oklahoma. Tech also has senior Chris Woods, who rushed for 299 yards on 55 carries last fall, and sophomore Rashaun Grant, who added 425 yards, but those two also missed time with injuries last season.
–30–
