Joe T: Running with authority

ATHENS – Something dawned on Mark Richt on Tuesday.

Georgia’s sixth-year head coach was taking questions from the media during his regular game-week press conference when he was asked about quarterback Joe Tereshinski’s running ability.

“He runs well,” Richt said. “He’s not as fast as D.J. (Shockley). Joe is a more physical runner … which is not necessarily a good thing at the quarterback position.”

That started Richt thinking that maybe he needs to talk to his senior about the value of living to fight another day.

“The (quarterbacks are) not allowed to get hit in practice so that really hasn’t come up,” Richt said, “but I probably ought to make mention to him not to just try to run people over.”

Tereshinski spent his first two seasons as the No. 15 Bulldogs’ personal protector on the punt team and has deep-snapped on two occasions, but he’s already thought about toning down his tough-guy style, he said.

“I’ve always been competitive and physical,” he said. “I’ve always felt like I had good technique hitting, and I’ve always enjoyed that part of the game a little more than others. In certain situations, I feel like you have to move the chains or go for the score, but I feel like you also have to be smart.”

Tereshinski rushed for 13 touchdowns as a high school junior and is not swearing off contact completely, he said.

“If it’s third-and-two, I’m going to lower my shoulder,” he said.

Most quarterbacks slide to the turf before contact outside the pocket, but that move is not in Tereshinski’s repertoire yet.

“That first slide is probably going to be ugly as crap,” he said. “I’m probably going to flop around down there.”