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Richt on UM-FAMU: The Day After; Heaping Praise On the Freshmen

UM football coach Mark Richt was as excited tonight as he was last night after his Canes walloped the Florida A&M Rattlers. The score was irrelevant. Coach Richt was back home, coaching his alma mater and that was all that really counted.

By Scott Salomon
Mark Richt embraces the FAMU coach after the game on Saturday
Mark Richt embraces the FAMU coach after the game on Saturday
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Coach Mark Richt said that he saw it during his ride into the stadium.  He also saw the emotion in the eyes of the fans during the Cane walk. He knew that he was home and that he had a job to do. That job was to lead the Canes to victory and to serve the students that he coaches and be the best that he could be.

"But then you get into the locker room and you have to compose yourself and do your job," Richt said. "Maybe I will get sentimental about it one day, but I had a job to do Saturday."

Coach said that he saw a lot of good images on tape and that there was not much that he saw that he did not like.  He complimented the trio of running backs that each rushed for over 100 yards and said that the blocking up front and from the receivers really made a difference in the outcome of each run and for the game.

"We ran the ball real well and there were some outstanding blocks downfield,:" Richt said during his Sunday teleconference with the media. "When you can do that you don't have to wear out one back. Coach Dugans did an outstanding job getting the receivers to block downfield and help spring Gus (Edwards) on that long touchdown run."

Richt also said that every possible defensive player, that was dressed, played in the game and he praised the efforts of Shaq Quarterman, especially, and said that he stood out on tape.  He also said that Travis Homer and Pat Bethel performed exceptionally well on tape.  All three are true freshman.

"Shaq is ahead of the other two linebackers and Bethel comes in and gets a punt block on his first snap," Richt said."There was an injury to the player above him and he just went in and did his job and we called for the punt block and he got it."

Coach RIcht also said that a lot of the older players know what they did wrong and that they "self-coached". They could tell RIcht what went wrong on what plays before they even saw it on tape.

"They know that they can get better," Richt said. "Most of the guys can tell you what they did wrong and how they can fix it."