Commodores Schedule Thanksgiving Day Practice; Thomas Spending Holiday Weekend With Ailing Friend 11/23/01

Commodores Practice On Thanksgiving
Vanderbilt's football players were good and hungry when they sat down to the dinner table Thanksgiving evening.

Head Coach Woody Widenhofer put the Commodores through a 90-minute workout Thursday morning, in a final preparation for the team's biggest task of the season, a Saturday afternoon date with the Tennessee Volunteers before about 107,000 fans in Knoxville.

"It's a chance to get everybody together one more time, and work on the UT game plan. We plan on going to Knoxville as prepared as we can be. The Thanksgiving practice will do us good," Widenhofer said.

Recent weeks have been difficult on Widenhofer, his staff and players. The Commodores will arrive in Knoxville sporting a 2-7 overall record, and winless in six Southeastern Conference games. Waiting in Knoxville are the Volunteers, 8-1, 5-1 in the SEC.

Big losses to Florida and Kentucky in the two games have shocked players and coaches, including Widenhofer who announced his resignation three days before the Wildcat game. Despite the recent efforts, Commodore players said they'll be prepared Saturday.

"There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. Right now, there is no tomorrow," junior guard Jim May said. "We have to come out ready to play Tennessee."

Though Vanderbilt hasn't notched a victory in the series since 1982, the teams usually play close, exciting games. The margin of victory has been seven points or less in four of the last six games, including Vanderbilt's 28-26 loss last year in Nashville.

CBS Sports will televise the game nationally. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m., central standard time.

Thomas With Friend In Atlanta
Lew Thomas, the Commodore back injured three weeks ago while on pace to break the team's single-season rushing record, is spending the UT weekend with a friend in need, Georgia nose tackle David Jacobs.

The first holiday stop of Thomas, a native of Atlanta, was Emory University Hospital to visit and support Jacobs, a starter at UGA who is recuperating from an apparent stroke suffered nearly two weeks ago.

The bond between Thomas and Jacobs dates to youth sports in southwest Atlanta. The pair were constant companions as they matured, with Jacobs a frequent overnight guest in the Thomas' home. They co-starred at Westlake High, with Georgia recruiting the talented Jacobs and Vanderbilt seeking Thomas.

The friendship was chronicled in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article prior to the Georgia-Vanderbilt game this year. Both carried on a friendly war of words during the game as Vanderbilt's second half comeback fell short.

After the Georiga-Auburn game Nov. 10, Jacobs complained of headaches and dizziness. He was transferred to Emory University when the condition failed to subside, suffering from slurred speech and partial paralysis down his right side.

Emory doctors are hoping for a full recovery.

Thomas suffered a season-ending fracture to his right foot midway through the second quarter at Duke. He was making a potential career game, with 123 yards rushing, when the injury occurred.

CB Rushen Jones Still Week Away
Despite returning to limited practice, cornerback Rushen Jones is not expected to play against Tennessee. The team doctors likely to allow Jones to dress in the rescheduled season finale Dec. 1 at Ole Miss.

Jones, a junior who has started since his freshman year, has missed five games after sustaining a broken right hand in practice as the Commodores prepared for Auburn. He has been limited to conditioning drills for the past 10 days.