THE BIG STORY

Georgia football without Larry Munson calling the radio play-by-play? Say it ain’t so.
It will happen this year, at least, on road game. Munson, entering his 42nd year and who turns 85 on Sept. 28, decided he’ll only do home games this. So on Wednesday, the school said it’s road announcing team will be Scott Howard on play-by-play and former Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier as the analyst. Their first road game is Sept. 22 at Alabama.

Georgia athletic director Damon Evans, a former teammate of Zeier, said Zeier will be under contract for one year. Zeier also will have a role at home games during the tailgate show, providing halftime analysis and possibly in the postgame show. Howard has been a part of Georgia’s football broadcast since 1993. Loran Smith will continue as sideline reporter for all games.

“Both of them bring expertise to the table that we think will make for a good broadcast for our road games,” Evans said.

And now a look at the training camps:

ALABAMA
Place-kicker Jamie Christensen (strained quadriceps muscle) missed his second consecutive practice. It means that Van Tiffin, the goat in last year’s double-overtime loss at Arkansas when he missed two chip-shot field goals late in the game and missed an extra-point kick in the second overtime, will be the starter. . .With the first day of classes on Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, 22 walk-ons joined the Alabama roster and worked without pads Wednesday afternoon in their first practice of the season with the team. “We are really focused on Western Carolina (the Sept. 1 season opener) right now,” said sophomore offensive lineman Andre Smith. “The line has improved tremendously and we are just working hard and having fun right now.”

ARKANSAS
Seven true freshmen may play immediately for the Razorbacks, led by starting placekicker Alex Tejada and likely starting wide receiver Crosby Tuck. The others are quarterback Nathan Dick, H-back/tight end D.J. Williams and special teams members Freddy Burton, Jermaine Love and Isaac Madison. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt wanted to redshirt Dick, but he played too well in the preseason. “If you’re going to move him to 2, I think he’s got to jump into the water with both feet,” Nutt said. “That No. 2 guy has to be ready, because he’s a snap away.”. . .Junior college transfer Walner LeAndre has moved to the No. 2 spot at free safety behind Michael Grant.

AUBURN
More true freshmen making an impact. Expect Lee Ziemba to start at right tackle and Mike McNeil to be a backup safety. But defensive end Antoine Carter, offensive lineman Ryan Pugh, Bo Harris and wide receiver Chris Slaughter are also pushing for playing time. . .Running back Tristan Davis’ broken toe ended up on the Internet. Not his actual toe. But a picture of his toe. “I sent the picture to my cousin, and he had a mobile upload to my account, and he was trying to send it to my aunt to send it to everybody on the list,” Davis told the Mobile (Ala.) Register. “I got calls like, ‘Ooooh, what’s wrong with your toe?’ It was kind of weird having my toe across the world.” Davis said he hopes to return for the Sept. 22 game against New Mexico State.

FLORIDA
Freshman defensive tackle John Brown and the Gators are awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse regarding his eligibility. He did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday. The NCAA allows players whose status is being reviewed to practice for 14 days during the review. That period ended Monday, and Florida coach Urban Meyer is feeling positive about Brown. Meyer said his plan is to work his team hard through Monday, then back off. “They’ll be walking on air by the time we play that game (the season opener Sept. 1 against Western Kentucky).”

GEORGIA
True freshman tight end Bruce Figgins is splitting first-team reps with Coleman Watson and NaDerris Ward while starter Tripp Chandler serves a one-game suspension. “I’m looking forward to playing,” Figgins said. “I’m ready to play.” Georgia coach Mark Richt isn’t sure how the tight end spot will transpire in the Sept. 1 opener against Oklahoma State. “I couldn’t tell you who’s going to start and how much anybody’s going to play,” Richt said. “To me, it’s still wide open, very wide open.”. . .Wide receiver Demiko Goodman, who tore an ACL last year, is back in the receiver rotation with Sean Bailey, Mohamed Massaquoi and Tony Wilson.

KENTUCKY
Kentucky football team has elected a pair of seniors, quarterback André Woodson and linebacker Wesley Woodyard, as captains for the 2007 season. “There were a lot of players who received votes,” Coach Rich Brooks said. “This team has as good a group of leaders as we’ve had since I’ve been here. Obviously, those two are central figures in that role.” Woodson and Woodyard will be joined each week by two game captains that are selected by the coaching staff. Game captains are chosen primarily on the basis of performance in the previous game. . ..Woodson has also been named to the watch list for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. Woodson completed 63 percent of his passes last season, good for 3,515 yards and 31 touchdowns, while leading the Southeastern Conference in passing yardage, total offense, and TD passes. He guided the Wildcats to their best season in 22 year, including eight wins and a championship of the Music City Bowl, in which he was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. He enters the 2007 season with an active school-record streak of 162 consecutive passes without an interception.

LSU
Senior offensive guard Will Arnold, coming from offseason ankle surgery, said he’s improving every day. He wouldn’t predict how many plays he could participate in next Thursday’s season opener at Mississippi State. “I feel now I can play a good bit,” Arnold said, “but as far as Coach (Les) Miles is concerned, I don’t know how much he’s planning to use me in this first game.”. . .LSU wil open the 2008 season against North Texas in Tiger Stadium. Troy had been LSU’s ‘08 opening game.

OLE MISS
Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron continues to play head games with his quarterbacks. Seth Adams, who has worked with the first-team offense throughout the preseason, now finds himself being pushed again by previous third-team quarterback and last year’s starter Brent Schaeffer. Schaeffer completed one pass (a TD) in a scrimmage on Saturday while previous backup quarterback Michael Herrick struggled. Schaeffer moved up when he had a good practice on Wednesday.”Brent was on,” Orgeron said. “He had one of his better practices.”

MISS. STATE

The Bulldogs worked without senior tight end Dezmond Sherrod and senior wide receiver Tony Burks, two players who donned red-cross jerseys with leg and knee ailments, respectively. Both are expected back on the practice field by the weekend. . .State coach Sylvester Croom again praised the recent work of place-kicker Adam Carlson, who missed a good chunk of Wednesday’s workout with a late class. He also mentioned that non-scholarship kicker Brad Moore had a good day Wednesday and should serve as a dependable back-up to Carlson when the Bulldogs open their season next Thursday night, Aug. 30, against LSU.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Chris Smelley completed 12 of 16 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns in the closed scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium on Wednesday, likely earning the backup quarterback spot. Smelley, battling Tommy Beecher for the backup role, threw touchdowns of 46 yards to tight end Weslye Saunders, 19 yards to Mark Barnes and 35 yards to Chris Culliver. Starter Blake Mitchell was 8-of-12 passing for 78 yards and a score, while Beecher was 4-of-6 for 20 yards and a touchdown. “I feel like I’m ready to play right now,” Smelley said. Said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, “Smelley had a good scrimmage. He zipped a few in there. Tommy did some good things, too. They’re pretty close.” A redshirt appears in the future for freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia. “He’s not ready to play right now,” Spurrier said.
. . .Middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley will be sidelined until next week while resting a high left ankle sprain. Brinkley, injured during a drill prior to an Aug. 15 scrimmage, practiced Monday and Tuesday but continued to experience pain.. . .Spurrier said that his team is the best conditioned in school history. The Gamecocks only had one player treated with IV fluids during the preseason.

TENNESSEE

Receivers coach Trooper Taylor will take nine receivers to Cal for the Sept. 1 season opener. They are senior Casey Woods, juniors Josh Briscoe and Lucas Taylor and sophomores Quintin Hancock and Austin Rogers, and newcomers Kenny O’Neal, Denarius Moore, Brent Vinson and Ahmad Paige. Taylor said he will plsy just four or five receivers. . .Junior kicker/punter Britton Colquitt did not practice as he rehabilitates a sore quadriceps muscle, but UT coach Phillip Fulmer liked the progress of backup kicker Daniel Lincoln. “I’m really happy that Daniel Lincoln has made a comeback here,” Fulmer said. “One of the things about being a freshman is can you handle adversity, and he’s shown he can handle adversity and bounce back.”. . .Fulmer has decided whether former linebackers Chris Donald and Chris Walker of Christian Brothers will stay at defensive end. “We’ll look at their instincts and stuff and then we’ll be able to make a decision from there,” Fulmer said.

VANDERBILT

Vandy coach Bobby Johnson said his team his right on schedule. “We can now start talking about Richmond (the season opener), start throttling back a little and get our legs under us,” Johnson said. . .Sophomore linebacker Patrick Benoist hurt his right ankle during Wednesday afternoon’s practice and was carted off the field.His freshman season ended when he injured his left foot in the South Carolina game Oct. 21. Wide receiver John Cole from Somerset, Ky., committed Wednesday to sign with the Commodores. As Vandy’s 13th commitment, he chose Vanderbilt over Stanford. He caught 86 passes for 1,891 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior. He scored six touchdowns on kick or punt returns, ran for another and also scored on an interception.