Tech Week: Wednesday News and Notes

ATHENS - News and notes from Georgia's practices.

KICKOFF OPTIONS: Assistant coach Kirby Smart, who coordinates the Bulldogs’ kickoff returns, is considering several options to replace top returner Tyson Browning, who has been lost for the season due to a broken leg.

Bryan McClendon filled in for Browning late in the Kentucky game, but the Bulldogs might make more wholesale changes this week, Smart said. It’s possible Thomas Brown will be used as a sole kicker returner or that three players would be deployed in some formation, Smart said. McClendon, Brown, Danny Ware and Ramarcus Brown all are candidates to return kicks.

WHERE’D THEY GO?: Despite growing up 18 miles from Bobby Dodd Stadium, Thomas Brown can’t recall a single Yellow Jacket fan from his youth.

“I’ve never been around Tech people in my life,” he said. “Even my park ball coach hated Tech. That shows you how many Georgia fans are in Atlanta and how few Tech fans are.”

Quarterback D.J. Shockley, who grew up 12 miles from Tech’s campus, said he didn’t come across many Jacket fans either.

“I think that’s one of the chips they have on their shoulder,” he said.

QUICK FIFTY: Mark Richt became the ninth head coach in Division I-A history to win at least 50 games in his first five seasons. Walter Camp (69-2-2 at Yale and Stanford), George Woodruff (67-5 at Pennsylvania), Bob Pruitt (58-9 at Marshall), Bob Stoops (55-11 at Oklahoma), Larry Coker (53-8 at Miami), Dan Hawkins (52-10 at Boise State), Barry Switzer (51-5-2 at Oklahoma) and John Robinson (50-6 at Southern Cal) are still ahead of Richt on the list.

NO PROBLEM: Defensive end Charles Johnson of Hawkinsville didn’t hurt his shoulder after all. Johnson was forced out of the Kentucky game due to a severaly bruised bicep muscle, but he has returned to practice this week and said there is “no doubt” he’ll play against the Yellow Jackets.