After Tuesday’s practice and with the team in the midst of a 4 game losing streak, head coach Mark Richt was asked whether he has considered changing the offensive system he’s running at Miami.
“I’m not thinking about any of that right now,” Richt said. “You can ask that question at the appropriate time and I’ll answer it – let’s focus on this game.”
The Canes fell to yet another conference opponent last week, with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets taking down UM 27-21 in Atlanta. It was Mark Richt’s first loss at Bobby Dodd Stadium in 9 tries. Despite the losses starting to mount, Richt says he sees similarities between this Hurricane team and Richt’s 2016 squad that also lost 4 straight, before reeling off 15 consecutive wins.
“Everyone wants to have a victory, see their teammates smile in the locker room,” Richt said. “I’m not going to make some kind of wild prediction, but I do know back then (in 2016) we stayed the course, kept fighting, didn’t push the panic button like a lot of people wanted.”
How did practice go today?
“First of all, any day like today - which was smoking hot - it’s a battle to get through practice, because the environment,” Richt said. “We know that it’s going to be a situation where, when it’s hot and humid, we all have to grind. That’s what everybody is doing - they’re battling. I saw no signs of anybody not wanting to do their very best.”
In the loss to GT, QB N’Kosi Perry got his first start since struggling against UVA over a month ago, and finished a solid 14-23 passing for 165 yards, while also moving the ball with his legs (6 carries for 38 yards). Richt saw a player with growing confidence out there and has already named Perry the starter for next week’s game against Virginia Tech.
“I liked how he threw the ball with confidence, there were big-league throws he made,” Richt said of Perry. “I can only think of one time he had a situation he missed… I thought the moment got too big for him (at Virginia). Now, he’s back in there and I saw a different guy, and he’s learned to prepare well. I don’t think he’s turned the corner, but I think he’s turning the corner.”
With the Coastal division now officially out of reach, is Richt tempted at all to get a better look at his young backup QB’s in Cade Weldon or Jarren Williams during these last few games?
“I’m tempted to try to win the game. How about that?” Richt said. “I guess people don’t see that as a premium, but I do.”
On Williams, Richt expanded: “Before the season’s over we’ll probably get him in there, might get him in there… He’s getting better, is growing.”
The Canes are already preparing just in case a true starter does not emerge in 2019 between Perry, Weldon, and Williams: UM has been in contact with former Clemson QB Kelly Bryant, who is grad transferring for his final season of eligibility next year. While Richt never promises a transfer he will start, every position on the roster is open for competition if there’s someone willing to fight for it.
“We’ve never brought in a graduate transfer and promised him he’d start. We’ve never done that,” Richt said. “We’ve only promised an opportunity to compete. They look at the situation and decide if they think the situation is one that makes sense to them, and that’s what they do. The bottom line is, we are always trying to build our roster through any means that are legal.
“That means it helps us be stronger, because competition creates better play. That’s what we’re looking for…anytime a graduate transfer has come to this program, he has always been promised an opportunity to play, an opportunity to win a job. We’ve never said, ‘Hey, you come in here, you’re going to start for us.’ We’ve never done that, and you can’t do that. It’s not right. It’s not fair to anybody.”
No current players on the team at any position have been informed about Miami potentially adding a graduate transfer to the roster at their position, and Richt plans to keep it that way until he feels it is necessary to do so.
“We don’t ask anybody’s permission to (add transfers). We recruit every year,” Richt said. “We recruit every year at all positions. We recruit high school kids. We look at junior college kids. We look at graduate transfers. We look at guys who might transfer who aren’t graduates. I think everybody in America is doing that. We’re not doing anything different than anybody else.
“We haven’t talked to anybody in specific (on the team). There may come a time that you have to have a discussion about whatever it may be, but right now, I haven’t sat anyone down and had a discussion with anybody about anything.”
With the program trying to find their footing on the field, recruiting has scuffled lately as well, with UM losing three commitments from their 2019 class in the past week and numerous top targets looking to go elsewhere. To try and combat that, Richt has taken a pro-active approach and has been personally involved on the trail as much as ever these past few weeks.
“I get personally involved a lot. I think you have to keep communicating with everybody,” Richt said. “You just don’t know where everything is going to land. You can only do what you can do, and that is continue to paint a picture of what’s going to happen here in the future and how they fit into the future. And we’re doing that diligently.”
Miami is playing the perfect team to try and end their skid this week, as the Virginia Tech Hokies are suffering through a 3 game losing streak of their own. With both programs expected to compete for the division title this season before the year began, each team will instead be glad to earn a win on Saturday and simply make a bowl.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge,” Richt said of VT. “Both teams obviously haven’t won in a while. Everyone is battling for that victory. I can promise you our guys are battling, our coaches are battling, and we’re looking forward to another opportunity to play a game.”
Richt also added the captains this week: Travis Homer, Shaq Quarterman, Tito Odenigbo, and Al Blades.
“I’m not thinking about any of that right now,” Richt said. “You can ask that question at the appropriate time and I’ll answer it – let’s focus on this game.”
The Canes fell to yet another conference opponent last week, with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets taking down UM 27-21 in Atlanta. It was Mark Richt’s first loss at Bobby Dodd Stadium in 9 tries. Despite the losses starting to mount, Richt says he sees similarities between this Hurricane team and Richt’s 2016 squad that also lost 4 straight, before reeling off 15 consecutive wins.
“Everyone wants to have a victory, see their teammates smile in the locker room,” Richt said. “I’m not going to make some kind of wild prediction, but I do know back then (in 2016) we stayed the course, kept fighting, didn’t push the panic button like a lot of people wanted.”
How did practice go today?
“First of all, any day like today - which was smoking hot - it’s a battle to get through practice, because the environment,” Richt said. “We know that it’s going to be a situation where, when it’s hot and humid, we all have to grind. That’s what everybody is doing - they’re battling. I saw no signs of anybody not wanting to do their very best.”
In the loss to GT, QB N’Kosi Perry got his first start since struggling against UVA over a month ago, and finished a solid 14-23 passing for 165 yards, while also moving the ball with his legs (6 carries for 38 yards). Richt saw a player with growing confidence out there and has already named Perry the starter for next week’s game against Virginia Tech.
“I liked how he threw the ball with confidence, there were big-league throws he made,” Richt said of Perry. “I can only think of one time he had a situation he missed… I thought the moment got too big for him (at Virginia). Now, he’s back in there and I saw a different guy, and he’s learned to prepare well. I don’t think he’s turned the corner, but I think he’s turning the corner.”
With the Coastal division now officially out of reach, is Richt tempted at all to get a better look at his young backup QB’s in Cade Weldon or Jarren Williams during these last few games?
“I’m tempted to try to win the game. How about that?” Richt said. “I guess people don’t see that as a premium, but I do.”
On Williams, Richt expanded: “Before the season’s over we’ll probably get him in there, might get him in there… He’s getting better, is growing.”
The Canes are already preparing just in case a true starter does not emerge in 2019 between Perry, Weldon, and Williams: UM has been in contact with former Clemson QB Kelly Bryant, who is grad transferring for his final season of eligibility next year. While Richt never promises a transfer he will start, every position on the roster is open for competition if there’s someone willing to fight for it.
“We’ve never brought in a graduate transfer and promised him he’d start. We’ve never done that,” Richt said. “We’ve only promised an opportunity to compete. They look at the situation and decide if they think the situation is one that makes sense to them, and that’s what they do. The bottom line is, we are always trying to build our roster through any means that are legal.
“That means it helps us be stronger, because competition creates better play. That’s what we’re looking for…anytime a graduate transfer has come to this program, he has always been promised an opportunity to play, an opportunity to win a job. We’ve never said, ‘Hey, you come in here, you’re going to start for us.’ We’ve never done that, and you can’t do that. It’s not right. It’s not fair to anybody.”
No current players on the team at any position have been informed about Miami potentially adding a graduate transfer to the roster at their position, and Richt plans to keep it that way until he feels it is necessary to do so.
“We don’t ask anybody’s permission to (add transfers). We recruit every year,” Richt said. “We recruit every year at all positions. We recruit high school kids. We look at junior college kids. We look at graduate transfers. We look at guys who might transfer who aren’t graduates. I think everybody in America is doing that. We’re not doing anything different than anybody else.
“We haven’t talked to anybody in specific (on the team). There may come a time that you have to have a discussion about whatever it may be, but right now, I haven’t sat anyone down and had a discussion with anybody about anything.”
With the program trying to find their footing on the field, recruiting has scuffled lately as well, with UM losing three commitments from their 2019 class in the past week and numerous top targets looking to go elsewhere. To try and combat that, Richt has taken a pro-active approach and has been personally involved on the trail as much as ever these past few weeks.
“I get personally involved a lot. I think you have to keep communicating with everybody,” Richt said. “You just don’t know where everything is going to land. You can only do what you can do, and that is continue to paint a picture of what’s going to happen here in the future and how they fit into the future. And we’re doing that diligently.”
Miami is playing the perfect team to try and end their skid this week, as the Virginia Tech Hokies are suffering through a 3 game losing streak of their own. With both programs expected to compete for the division title this season before the year began, each team will instead be glad to earn a win on Saturday and simply make a bowl.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge,” Richt said of VT. “Both teams obviously haven’t won in a while. Everyone is battling for that victory. I can promise you our guys are battling, our coaches are battling, and we’re looking forward to another opportunity to play a game.”
Richt also added the captains this week: Travis Homer, Shaq Quarterman, Tito Odenigbo, and Al Blades.
