	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 12, 2016

Mark Richt

Greensboro, North Carolina

COACH RICHT: Had a good day today. We practiced again in the morning, as I mentioned before. Got one more to go tomorrow before we jump on the bus to go to the hotel here pretty quick. We're ready to go.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Richt.

Q. In the last few years, obviously before your arrival at Miami, there had been kind of a trend of after the loss to Florida State, things went south quickly. Particularly after such an emotional loss last week, did you have to address that potential hangover effect with your team? What leads you to believe that won't be an issue?
COACH RICHT: I haven't seen anything other than practice. We've got a script of plays that we're going to run. We got to run them well. If we're not, we're going to repeat it till we get it right.

I know the offensive side of the ball had to stick around after practice the last couple of days to get it right. It's not the first time in the history of college football that's happened.

We as a staff got to make sure we're diligent on getting the scout team lined up properly, giving the good look, making sure our guys are on the right assignments, right technique, right amount of effort, execution. Those are the things I'm focusing on right now. I'm not really worried about all that other.

Q. Can you talk about some of the injured players and how they're progressing this week.
COACH RICHT: Willis is not practicing. He won't play. Everybody else is practicing and will play.

Q. To take a look at Brad Kaaya, obviously with you being in your first year with Miami, what can you say about what you've taken away from him and what you've seen from him through these first few games as a leader of the team?
COACH RICHT: That's one of his strongest characteristics, is his leadership. He's a tough kid. He's a smart kid. He's conscientious. He loves the game of football. I think he really loves this place and loves his teammates.

I think they all see that in him and they appreciate him. They want to play with him and for him in some cases when it comes to pass protection, whatever it may be. I think everyone is giving their best effort. There's something to liking the guy or respecting the guy that you're blocking for. I think there is something to that. You should be able to do your best no matter what. I think there's something inherent in people, if they really want to see this guy succeed, they're going to play that much harder.

I think he's one of the better leaders I've been around.

Q. As far as looking on the other side to North Carolina, Larry Fedora said earlier said he sees a different team from last year to this year in a positive way. When you look to North Carolina, what have you seen from them?
COACH RICHT: Really good-looking body types, I can tell you that. You can tell they do a great job of developing their players. Look like they're in tremendous shape. They look good in their uniforms, so to speak. Then you can tell they're very well-coached. They really stress you defensively with their tempo, their run-pass option stuff. Guys just get in positions where they can't hardly be right, they go play the run, they throw the ball. They hang back to take away a pass, then the back comes slashing up in front of them. There's a lot of that kind of stuff going on.

Defensively, their secondary has I think over a hundred starts between them. Very tough to get big plays on them in that regard. Strong, physical guys up front defensively.

They've got a really fine team. We got to get after it. Our fans got to get after it. We got to make it one of those days where we do everything right, and when we do, we'll have the best chance for success.

Q. I realize you have several games to watch from. Was watching North Carolina tape from Saturday pretty useless considering the conditions?
COACH RICHT: Yeah, from their offensive standpoint, no doubt. Just knowing the conditions. When you watch NC State-Notre Dame on TV, just see what they went through, I don't know if it was quite that bad, but I heard it was very similar. It's so hard to get much done.

That game tape is not the one that you put a lot of credence in as far as their level of execution and the things they like to do offensively. I think that would be true of any team playing in those kind of conditions. It limits you quite a bit.

Q. Talk about Trubisky, his numbers before that game had been pretty spectacular. No interceptions. What problems does he present?
COACH RICHT: He knows what he's doing. He's very accurate. He's a good athlete, too. He can move around, make plays with his feet. He's going to be more apt to sting you throwing the football, but he can move well.

It's a system that does, again, stress certain defenders. You can't hardly be right if the quarterback reads it right and gets it to the right guy. The goal hopefully is to not allow the running game to get going so good that everything else opens up behind it.

They do a good job schematically for sure. They got enough skill to make it hurt.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297