The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 30

6C Thursday, September 11, 2003 THE TENNESSEAN www.tenne88ean.oom 3 SPORFS: COLLEGE FOOTBALL ut inside" slant If business as usual for Vandy players Athletes in dark over reshuffle details Fulmer says substitutions legal, but KNOXVILLE Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer wasn't thrilled with Marshall's substitution patterns on offense last Saturday, in par the mixing of athletics and academics could help. "The better relationships we as athletes have with the students the more they'll feel they need to come to the games and support us," Smith said. "Having more fans always helps you." Chris Young, a receiver on the football team, like every other athlete had to be informed about the details of the restructuring, and like Smith believes it could make the athletes more appreciated on an academic-minded campus where they often go unnoticed. "I don't know anything about it all I heard was that Todd Turner was not the athletic director anymore," Young said. "If it means mixing us in with the student body I think that can be good.

has not yet decided if he will accept it "We really don't know much about it as players," said Justin Geisinger, a junior offensive tackle and team captain. "We were just told about it by Coach Bobby Johnsoa Todd Turner is a great guy and we all feel for him. He was a friend of all of ours. It was sad. But we believe in Chancellor Gee and that he's doing what's best for the program" Fan support has dipped not only for football, but for basketball as well over the last few years.

Even the attendance by the school's 6319 students has been down and Corey Smith, a junior on the men's basketball team, believes By MIKE ORGAN Stuff Writer The problem with athletics being separated from Vanderbilf general population was enough to force Todd Turner out of his job as athletics director, but not enough of an issue for the school's athletes to notice. All of the football and basketball players interviewed by The Tenn-essean yesterday were aware Turner had lost his job, but none knew the specific details behind the major restructuring done by Chancellor Gordon Gee on Tuesday, which merged the athletic department into the Office of Student Athletics, Recreation and Wellness. Part of the aim, according to Gee, is to blend the athletes in with the rest of the student body. "I really don't know a lot about it," said linebacker Moses Osemwegie, a graduate of Montgomery Bell Academy. "I just came to this school to play on a good football team and get a good edu-catioa That's what I'm here for and if that is what this new plan is going to do then I'm all for it." Some still sure why Turner had to go.

Turner has been offered a position by Gee as special assistant to the Chancellor for athleticacademic reform, but told The Tennessean yesterday that he ticular what the Mid-American Conference officials allowed -1 There are a lot of students out there who just really don't understand how much we put in to what we've got going on. "The more they see what we do, the better they will appreciate and understand it" Since they know so little about the restructuring most of the players admitted they are not very interested. "If it benefits the football team it's a good thing," said sophomore safety Andrew Pace. "I haven't been able to think too much on it I'm just going to continue to focus on Auburn and focus on football and hopefully it will all turn out for the best." Mike Organ covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8021 or at morgantennessean.com.

"I applaud the action. This is more than an experiment. It is a major shift in the collegiate sports culture." Myles Brand, NCAA president SEC wary of move by Vandy School's initiative not expected to set trend Tennessetm Stuff Reports Most Southeastern Conference football coaches and athletics directors cast a wary eye toward Vanderbilt yesterday, not quite sure what to make of its decision to integrate athletics into the general university environment. "I guess only time will tell how it will play out," Georgia Coach Mark Richt said. "It doesn't make sense to a lot of people just because people are used to doing things a certain way.

When there's that drastic of a change, I'm sure there's going to be a whole lot of people not understanding why." Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville said not to expect Vanderbilt's decision to become a model for other SEC schools. "I don't think there's too many teams in the SEC that will make that move because of the money generated," Tuberville said. "Athletics is just as important to the careers of young people and the things they do and the things they learn I don't think downgrading or overlooking athletics is something you're going to see too much of in this league." For University of Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley, Vanderbilt's move hit close to home. "I feel bad for former Vanderbilt Athletics Director Todd Turner," Foley said "He's a personal friend. We went to graduate school together.

Vanderbilt has got to do what they think is best for Vanderbilt." SEC Commissioner Mike Slive told The Tennessean that he has invited Vanderbilt officials to his office to discuss the changes and establish proper communication lines. The meeting is expected to take place next week. "Chancellor Gee's motive is certainly Slive said. "He's been very open to saying that one institution's actions do not make a trend. The chancellor has reiterated to me over and over his commitment to the Southeastern Conference.

I don't have any concern that this is any kind of signal that Vanderbilt is de-emphasizing intercollegiate athletics." The NCAA praised the move, citing the theory of bridging the gap between the student-athlete and the general school population as a positive. "I applaud the action," NCAA President Myles Brand said in a news release. "This is more than an experiment It is a major shift in the collegiate sports culture. It will be a model for how to embed the operations that have been isolated from the university with similar functions throughout the campus. Their model may not be right for everybody right now, but it is sure to be a topic of discussion as universities manage their athletics programs in the future." Ex-BrentwoodAcad.

duo lacking for Tigers By MIKE ORGAN Staff Writer The decisions of Kody Bliss and John Vaughn to leave the Middle Tennessee area and play football at Auburn turned out to be a real kick in the tail pads for Vanderbilt The Commodores tried to convince Vaughn, a kicker, and Bliss, a punter, to stay close to their homes in Brentwood and play for Vandy. But it was a hard sell because, at the time, freshman Greg Johnson was kicking up quite a storm for the Commodores. "I was looking at Vandy pretty hard," Bliss said. "They were high on my list." In the end Bliss, a Mr. Football Kicker of the Year finalist, and Vaughn, who ranked fourth nationally with 39 career field goals, took their tandem act to Auburn like many other high school players from the area have over the last few years.

And the former Brentwood Academy teammates already are playing key roles as Auburn (0-2) prepares for a visit Saturday to Vanderbilt (1-1), which is still sifting through its kicking and punting problems after Johnson lit out for Texas. The SportingNews Freshman of the Year who connected on 8-of-13 field goals including a 46-yarder quit just minutes after the spring game ended. That left the Commodores heading into 2003 with only one kicker, Patrick Johnson, on scholarship and no one who had ever kicked or punted in a college game. It didn't take long for Greg Johnson's absence to impact Vandy. Tolga Ertugral, a walk-on who spent some time with the Commodores last year but quit after seeing Grge Johnson in action, missed a 30-yard field goal that could have tied Ole Miss in the opener.

He connected on a 38-yarder in the second half in last week's 51-6 win over UT-Chattanooga. Bliss said Greg Johnson was deeply entrenched as Vanderbilt's punter and kicker when the Commodores recruited him, but that didn't sway his decision to go to Auburn. He said going to Auburn was more like staying close to home than signing with Vanderbilt since so many others from the area were already with the Tigers. "I figured that since they were still recruiting me with Johnson there, and me being the same age, that was a hint of whatever," Bliss said "The situation at Auburn of coming in and seeing the starting punter leaving was the reason I came. Plus, I already knew a whole bunch of people here from my school.

More people go here from Brentwood than Vanderbilt so there was a little community of people that I already knew." With Auburn's offense struggling through two games, Bliss has been shoved into heavy action early. He already has punted 14 times eight against Georgia Tech in a 17-3 loss and six against Southern California in a 23-0 loss. He's averaging 36.6 yards and has landed six punts inside the 20. Vaughn has provided Auburn's only points. He connected on a 22-yard field goal in the second quarter against Georgia Tech.

after the Thundering Herd broke the huddle. "We have no business playing a MAC team and bringing their officials down here," Fulmer said after the game. "I'm not saying they did a bad job, but we don't need that." Marshall Coach Bob Pruett shot back earlier this week that Fulmer better get used to it because Florida offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher, who was formerly at Marshall, does the same thing. "With all the resources they've got, I know sometimes coaches can't read the rules, but they've got enough money to hire somebody to tell you what the rules are," Pruett said. "We've been doing it exactly right maybe Fulmer will do it some day.

Their next game is at Florida, and they're going to do it. We taught Zaunbrecher how to do it." Fulmer clarified yesterday that he didnt think anything Marshall did was illegal. He said it was more an interpretation from conference to conference about what is allowed. NCAA rules don't allow a team to break the huddle with 1 2 or more players, but Marshall often times broke the hud-. die with 1 1 players and then substituted in different players before running the play.

"I'm not going to get into a back and forth with Coach Pruett because I have great respect for him and his program," Fulmer said. 'Technically, it's legal. You've just got to have the people within 10 yards of the huddle and all those kind of things." Asked if SEC officials would allow similar substitution tactics, Fulmer said, "I don't know. We haven't really had it come up. I'd say we're going to find out." All aboard: An 1 1 a.m.

game in the Florida heat combined with the Gators' use of a no-huddle offense means the Vols have to be prepared to play as many as six defensive tackles and six defensive ends in the game, Fulmer said. Of course, the obvious question is: Does Tennessee have that many tackles and ends ready to play? "We've got some bodies," Fulmer said. "They're trying to make some progress. "We'll take five or six," he said. "If they're going to go, they're going to play." Fulmer said freshman tackle Tony McDaniel graded out well against Marshall and needed to be on the field more.

"He didn't play nearly enough last week," Fulmer said. "He's got to get more snaps, should have gotten more snaps in the last game. I'm surprised he didn't." Fulmer said J.T. Mapu should be able to play more against Florida after being limited against Marshall with a sprained knee. The 'X' factor at tackle is LaRon Harris, who's still trying to get into better football shape.

"He's getting his pads down better. That's his biggest challenge," Fulmer said. "He's plenty capable. He's young. He's immature, and in some ways, a big baby.

But he's got potential. He's trying to work hard. "He really is No Spurrier. Fulmer acknowledged there is a little different feel to this rivalry with former Gators Coach Steve Spurrier, now with the Washington Redskins, out of the picture. "It's still Florida, still very special, still the first big conference game," Fulmer said.

"The winner of it still has the leg up in the East and all those things. Steve could agitate you more from time to time, but I've always had respect for Florida and still do." -CHRIS LOW TAMIKA MOORE THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS Freshman punter Kody Bliss, from Brentwood Academy, already is contributing to Auburn. Dominique Morris from MBA" Slaughter said. "They beat us in the state championship my senior year by a point. Tve always been trying to get back at them a little bit." Cooper Wallace is an Auburn tight end who played at Christ Presbyterian and whose older brother David played quarterback for the Commodores (1998-99).

He expects most of his family to be in the stands Saturday. "It's real exciting and there will be a bunch of people there I know," Wallace said. "But I'm looking at it like any other game. I grew up going to games there and my brother played there, but I'm not really thinking about that right now." The other two players are tight end Steven Ross and freshman lineman King Dunlap. Mike Organ covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean.

He can be reached at 259-8021 or at Vaughn said Vanderbilt's courting perked his interest, but not enough to lure him away from Auburn, which was the first school to offer him a scholarship. "Vanderbilt probably showed as much interest as any other school that recruited me," Vaughn said. "It was a little bit of a thought You can get a great education there, the program is on the rise, and they're doing what they can." Bliss and Vaughn are two of seven former Middle Tennessee high school players on Auburn's roster. Taylor Bourgeois, a sophomore tackle from Brentwood, recently decided to stop playing because of a chronic injury. Jake Slaughter is a fullback who played at Brentwood Academy and actually is Auburn's third-leading rusher at this point with 7 yards on one carry.

"I'll be playing against a bunch of guys I played in high school Moses Osemwgie and Vandy: Reform important for Turner, too "As much as I'm invested into the reform movement, I am even more invested into the success of the coaches and the students that are here." Todd Turner, former Vanderbilt athletics director I've been working on need to be adopted" Turner would not comment on the strain that might have been placed on his relationship with Gee as a result of the restructuring. He did, however, say he planned to attend the Commodores' football game Saturday against Auburn at Vanderbilt Stadium. "As much as I'm invested into the reform movement, I am even more invested into the success of the coaches and the students that are here," Turner said. "I'll be there pulling for them I'll be their greatest Mike Organ covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8021 or at morgantennessean.com.

'Todd is one of the very best athletic directors in the country, and I have been very impressed by his work in the short time I have known him," Gee, who arrived at Vanderbilt 11 months earlier, told The Tennessean at the time. "I am a great believer that when you have someone of that quality you make certain you have a strong commitment to keep them." Gee said Tuesday he believes it is imperative to the success of the new model he is building for someone such as Turner to man a position tied closely to the academic reforms being made by the NCAA. He said he sincerely hopes Turner accepts the positioa "Vanderbilt cannot be a passive observer of athletic reform on the national scene we simply must be an active participant," Gee said. "And the only way we do that is to have a full-time, coastant presence at the highest levels. Todd is a forceful and respected advocate for the highest ideals of college sports." The main proposals Turner's NCAA committee has focused on reward schools for graduating their athletes and punish those which fail to do so.

"I'm just trying to figure out if the opportunity Gordon has offered me is the best way that I can pursue this thing that Tve spent so much of last year working on," Turner said. "The details of it all now need to be worked out and the concepts behind the portion mm tLm tennessean SPORTS NET cricket ft AT BSSSBSSEESSXa cm (comcast jj Make fulto naisnerriti speriltUG.