Oct. 24, 2003

Charleston, SC - Last year, The Citadel had three kicks -- two extra points and a field goal -- blocked by Georgia Southern, the difference in a 28-24 defeat.

Last week, the Bulldogs missed a short field goal and had two misadventures in the return game, those mistakes nearly costing The Citadel a 10-9 victory over rival Furman.

With the Southern Conference stakes rising each week for the Bulldogs, coach Ellis Johnson knows that further special-teams mishaps could cost The Citadel a shot at a league title.

"If there was one concern coming out of the Furman game, it is that the kicking game almost cost us the game," said Johnson, whose team is tied for second in the SoCon heading into Saturday's game at 19th-ranked Georgia Southern. "Against a good team like Furman, in a tight scoring situation, that could have been a 10- or 14-point game if we had not made those glaring errors in the kicking game.

"We're missing too many field goal attempts, we're mishandling the ball too much in the kicking game, and we're getting too many penalties in the return area. Those are things we have to improve on."

Toward that end, Johnson said he would end his practice of choosing between placekickers Travis Zobel and Blake Vandiver depending on the situation. Zobel, a senior, generally kicks longer field goals and is 5 of 9 this season. Vandiver, a redshirt freshman, is 14 of 15 on extra points but missed his only field goal try, a 33-yarder against Furman.

"I'm getting to the point where I don't like picking and choosing right there," Johnson said. "I'm to the point where I think we'll just let Blake kick extra points and keep him involved that way, because he's going to carry the load next year. But we'll just let Travis kick the field goals."

Zobel had made a 35-yard field goal earlier against Furman. But the second, shorter kick came from the left hash mark, where Vandiver is more comfortable.

"Travis has had some kicks blocked in practice, and he's missed more kicks in practice than Blake," Johnson said. "But there is a difference kicking in the games, and I guess we better go with the veteran until he doesn't get it done.

"But I am disappointed overall in our consistency in that area, frankly. Our protection is better this year, our snaps are about the same, and our holder is better. But we don't have the consistency from the kickers that we had last year."

Last season, Zobel made 14 of 19 field goals and 31 of 35 extra points while also averaging 42.7 yards per punt. This season, he kicked a game-winning 26-yard field goal with 1:16 to play in a 24-21 win over Appalachian State and is averaging 40.2 yards per punt.

-- With junior linebacker James Greene suspended for the Georgia Southern game, the Bulldogs likely will start freshman Chris Murray (5-11, 219) at Greene's strongside position.

Murray, who is from Milford Academy in West Haven, Conn., has played in all seven games this season with nine tackles.

Junior Julian West, who had started at weakside linebacker before an ankle injury in the second game, and freshman Raleigh Jackson also will be in the rotation. Greene had started all seven games and leads the team with 39 tackles, four for loss. He was suspended by the SoCon for knocking over a Furman player during a brief shoving match between the teams after last week's game.

-- The Citadel's women's volleyball team is at home against Chattanooga at 2 p.m. Saturday. The women's soccer team is at College of Charleston at 1 p.m. Sunday. The women's golf team is at the Coca-Cola Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla., this weekend.