Bulldogs hurt by injuries in painful loss to Vandy

<p>As if losing to Vanderbilt wasn't bad enough, Georgia lost some key players to injuries Saturday.</p><p>Thomas Brown, who reclaimed the starting tailback job after getting bumped to second team for a couple of weeks, hurt his right knee while returning the second-half kickoff in the 16th-ranked Bulldogs' stunning 24-22 setback to Vanderbilt.</p><p>Coach Mark Richt sounded as though it could be a season-ending injury.</p><p>"He will not be playing anytime soon," Richt said. "I don't know if there's been any MRIs or X-rays to substantiate things, but he hurt it pretty bad, I think."</p><p>Offensive guard Chester Adams went down with a sprained left ankle late in the first quarter and didn't return. His status for next Saturday's game against Mississippi State is uncertain.</p><p>Tight end Martrez Milner, who scored Georgia's only offensive touchdowns, sustained a toe injury that could be more serious than it sounds.</p><p>"Sometimes we think a toe is no big deal," Richt said. "But it could put him out a while."</p><p>Brown, Georgia's leading rusher the last two seasons, struggled early in the season and was replaced as the starter by Kregg Lumpkin for games against Mississippi and Tennessee.</p><p>After Lumpkin had several blocking breakdowns and Brown returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against the Volunteers, Brown reclaimed the starting job. He ran well in the first half, gaining a season-high 75 yards on 11 carries.</p><p>If Brown is out for an extended period, the Bulldogs still have former starters Lumpkin and Danny Ware to share the job. Reserve fullback Jason Johnson would probably take on extra duties as the third-string tailback.</p><p>Lumpkin ran for 49 yards on 11 carries against Vanderbilt, while Ware carried six times for only 14 yards.</p><p>"There's no pressure on us at all," Ware said. "I'm very confident that we could handle anything they throw at us."</p><p>Richt also revealed that backup fullback Des Williams could be out for the year after hurting his shoulder in practice. The junior, who missed last season recovering from shoulder surgery, did not dress out for Saturday's game.</p><p>"It looks like he will require some surgery," Richt said. "That would be the end of his regular season. I don't know if he could come back for any sort of bowl."</p><p>___</p><p>BAILEY'S MISS: The Bulldogs got an idea of just how much they miss star kicker Brandon Coutu.</p><p>With Coutu watching from the sideline on crutches _ he's out for the year with a torn hamstring _ replacement Andy Bailey was wide left on a 37-yard attempt with 5:02 remaining.</p><p>Instead of having a four-point lead, which would have forced Vanderbilt to go for a touchdown, the Commodores were able to pull off the upset with a last-second field goal.</p><p>Bailey did connect on his first three attempts, but all of them were glorified extra points set up by Georgia's problems in the red zone. He connected from 23, 20 and 19 yards.</p><p>At least Georgia kept the Commodores from blocking a punt. Gordon Ely-Kelso seemed to rush his first couple of kicks to keep that from happening for the third straight game, but finished with a respectable 39.2 average.</p><p>___</p><p>AS THE QUARTERBACK TURNS: Get ready for another week of speculation about Georgia's starting quarterback.</p><p>Joe Tereshinski started for the second week in a row and put up decent numbers: 11-of-17 for 151 yards, including a 23-yard scoring pass to Martrez Milner for the only offensive touchdown.</p><p>Freshman Matthew Stafford finished up and went 9-of-13 for 86 yards, numbers that would have been better if not for a couple of dropped passes. Milner let one bounce off his chest in the end zone, costing the Bulldogs another TD.</p><p>"Statistically, I thought both of them played pretty good," coach Mark Richt said. "They made some pretty good decisions. Their accuracy was good. Overall, they were pretty good."</p><p>Richt wasn't ready to say who might start next Saturday against Mississippi State.</p><p>"I don't want to have any kind of knee-jerk reaction," the coach said. "We will use the guy who gives us the best chance to win."</p><p>___</p><p>EXTRA POINTS: Georgia has a two-game losing streak at Sanford Stadium for the first time since 1995, when they lost to back-to-back against Florida and Auburn. ... Tony Taylor had Georgia's first interception return for a touchdown since Tim Jennings in last year's Southeastern Conference championship game. ... Georgia RB Kregg Lumpkin tied his career high with five catches for 41 yards. He also had five receptions as a freshman in the 2004 Capital One Bowl. ... Senior Amanda Wartner of Alpharetta and senior Trey Stephens of Marietta were voted queen and king of homecoming by the student body. ... Georgia dropped to 66-17-2 in homecoming games.</p>

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