Georgia, LSU have 'special' weapons

ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia's Thomas Flowers showed how a dangerous punt returner can flip field position in one play against Georgia Tech.

Louisiana State University will bring a similar weapon to Saturday's Southeastern Con-ference Championship game in Skyler Green.

The senior has four career punt returns for touchdowns, tied for third best in SEC history.

"When he touches the ball, 'Wow,' " Georgia assistant coach David Johnson said. "Hold onto your hat. He is magical."

Green is 15th in the nation and third in the SEC, averaging 13.6 yards per return. He had a 66-yard return for a touchdown against Auburn. Flowers is 14th at 14.0 per return, and he scored on a 54-yard return against Tennessee.

"I'd kick away from me," Flowers said. "I'd kick it to Skyler. Kick it straight to him. No hang time."

Such bravado is fitting for the sophomore from Austell, Ga., who had a "Neon Deion" sticker in his room back home for his idol, former Atlanta Falcons star Deion Sanders.

"I'd cut the lights off and it would glow in the dark," said Flowers, who wore a Sanders Falcons jersey after practice on Monday. "Ever since then, I said I wanted to do that when I get old enough to do it. I wanted to return punts and be an impact player."

Flowers certainly did that in Saturday's 14-7 win over Georgia Tech, returning a punt 33 yards in the fourth quarter to set up the game-winning touchdown.

"The field position will be very important in this game," Georgia coach Mark Richt said.

Green didn't have a return last week vs. Arkansas and returned four punts for only 32 yards on Nov. 19 against Ole Miss, which pinned him with directional kicks.

"Directional punting is a good strategy, but you feel like it's a little bit like cheating," Georgia punter Gordon Ely-Kelso said.

Green also made the game-winning 34-yard touchdown catch in LSU's 17-10 win over Georgia in the 2003 regular season.