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Friday, December 13, 2002
Georgia Tech prepares for No. 2 Florida State
Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Two years ago, George Godsey was thrown to the
wolves ... er, the Seminoles.
|  | | George Godsey and Georgia Tech are the main threat to knock off FSU this season. |
Joe Hamilton went down with a hip injury in the third quarter of
a close game against Florida State. Godsey, only a redshirt
freshman, heard his name being called. Suddenly, he was on the
field, playing quarterback against one of the nation's most
fearsome defenses.
Very quickly, the game wasn't so close. The Yellow Jackets
fumbled on Godsey's first play, Florida State recovered and went on
to score 24 points in the final period for a 34-7 rout.
"Really, the first few plays were not as bad as they seemed,"
Godsey said. "But I made some mistakes mentally as the game went
on - botched a few plays, called the wrong audible at the line for
the running game, pulled up on a pass when I was not supposed to."
Godsey will have another chance Saturday night to face the
Seminoles, only this time he'll take the first snap. No. 2 Florida
State (1-0) returns to Bobby Dodd Stadium for the Atlantic Coast
Conference opener against Georgia Tech (1-0).
"I think that game helped me," he said, recalling the 1998
game in which he completed 5-of-10 passes for 63 yards. "Any
mistakes you make, you have to learn from them. You can't keep
making those same mistakes."
For the Seminoles, there haven't been too many mistakes since
they joined the ACC in 1992. Florida State is 62-2 in league games
and going for its ninth straight championship.
Of course, coach Bobby Bowden's team has its eyes on a bigger
goal - defending its national title. The rest of the ACC dreams of
the day when it will end the Seminoles' reign of terror, but
doesn't seem likely this year.
Florida State is a 22-point favorite over the Yellow Jackets,
who lost a thrilling 41-35 game in Tallahassee a year ago when both
teams were ranked in the top 10 and could move the ball at will.
But Tech had the explosive Hamilton at quarterback in 1999.
Everyone, including Godsey, agrees that no one can replace the
Heisman Trophy runner-up.
"Both of us have our top stars missing. Us with Peter Warrick
and them missing Joe Hamilton," Bowden said. "I would be shocked
if it became a shootout like it was last year. The big thing about
us in the last game is we caught the ball well but we miss old
Peter breaking them for touchdowns."
The Seminoles have won 13 straight dating to last year's
national title run. They used an off week to work on the team's
running game, which gained only 57 yards in a season-opening 29-3
victory over Brigham Young.
"I think if we get some bodies on the right people, we will do
better," Bowden said of his offensive line. "It is still a
question mark with us right now."
Even more so because of Brett Williams' severely sprained left
ankle. The sophomore tackle has been trying to play despite the
injury, which occurred during the first week of two-a-day practices
in August.
He left in the second quarter of the victory over BYU and is
questionable for Saturday night.
"It should bother me all year, pain wise, but I'll get better
to where the pain doesn't bother me, and I can play," Williams
said.
Charron Dorsey, a 6-foot-7, 325-pound tackle, is expected to
fill in for Williams. It would be the senior's first career start
at offensive tackle.
"If I had a choice, I'd probably redshirt to make me better,"
Dorsey said. "Coaches felt players were getting tired, so I'm an
extra body to help the guys out."
Williams earned second-team All-ACC honors last year, starting
the final seven games of the season in place of the injured Ross
Brannon.
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