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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 29, 2018

Mark Richt

Greensboro, North Carolina

MARK RICHT: We had a good camp. Our players worked hard. They did what we asked them to do every day. I can't remember a practice that I left the field disappointed in their effort. We moved into our scout team phase about a week ago, and it's kind of a tough day on some of these guys, they end up on the scout team, but after day one, they kind of got over it and started working hard, gave us a good look, and trying to get themselves better fundamentally and also make us better as a team and help prepare us for this game against LSU. I mean, I'm very pleased with what happened this camp, and looking forward to the game.

Q. I'm curious with the new NCAA rules regarding the redshirt freshmen, do you have kind of a concrete plan of wanting to take a look at some guys early in the season, or will it be a more fluid situation, how you use that rule?
MARK RICHT: To start out, we're not going to try to slow down the process of putting a guy in the game. If the situation comes up game 1 where somebody ought to go in, we're going to put them in. When you start getting -- where a guy might be in two games and you've got to start looking at what's going to happen the rest of the year and do we really think he's going to play enough to warrant a season, we'll have to keep that in mind. But I think we'd be thinking in terms of saving at least one for the very end, whether it's bowl season or playoff season, just in case, but we might use up two or three fairly rapidly if the situation arises. And if he's a guy you're playing every game, you're probably not going to redshirt him anyway.

Q. And if you have some guys who aren't ready right now for game action, but as the year goes on, they improve, is this rule kind of a nice incentive for them to keep working knowing that they might get a shot to get in the game later in the year?
MARK RICHT: No doubt. It's a great rule. It's a great rule. I'm trying to think of one reason why it's not a great rule, and I can't think of one. It's going to be -- it does help guys get excited about going to work, you know, because they do have a chance to get in the game. No one ever wants to start a season thinking I'm going to be a redshirt, but as the season wears on, they might be like, you know what, it probably is in my best interest, but at least I can get out there and play some, and if you play really good, you might just start playing full time. I think it's a really good rule. I think it'll help teams at the end of the year, as well. I think it's great.

Q. When you look at LSU on defense, obviously they've got a very good linebacker, very good guy in the secondary there. How big a test is this going to be for your offense there, and how big of a comfort level is it knowing you've got some experienced guys like Malik and Travis to deal with an LSU defense?
MARK RICHT: Well, you know, I coached 15 years in the SEC, and I don't know how many times we played LSU while I was at Georgia, probably five or six. I can't remember exactly how many exactly. But you're going to find some of the greatest athletes in America on that team. They're one of the best recruiting teams in America. I think right now of every team in college football right now, they have more guys that are on an NFL roster than anybody in America. You're going to be hooked up against some great players, and they're going to be coached well. It's just going to be a war, going to be a battle. They can go toe to toe with anybody in America physically, and like I said, they're well-coached. It's just going to be a battle.

Q. I just wanted to know what you knew about Joe Burrow before you knew he was going to be the starting quarterback at LSU.
MARK RICHT: Yeah, he's a guy that -- any time the word gets out there's a graduate transfer, a guy that's interested in being a graduate transfer, you may or may not get wind of it, but we actually looked at a little bit of tape of him, and we know that he's a very good pocket passer. He's a big, strong kid. He's been at a highly competitive conference at a highly competitive team, and he's a graduate. I mean, the guy is a mature guy, and I'm sure he's going to be ready to play like a champion, to play like a starter.

Q. How difficult is it to prepare for a guy who barely has any tape?
MARK RICHT: Yeah, well, I think you have to go back to the coordinator and look at what Coach Ensminger does, likes to do, has done in the past, and just understand that he's not going to reinvent the wheel. That skill set that Joe has is one that I think fits what they want to do. I mean, I think you've got to prepare for the scheme as much as the player when you first start out and don't have a lot of tape to look at.

Q. I was wondering about the tight ends with the injury to Michael Irvin, Jr., and you've got two highly regarded freshmen stepping up to the plate in Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory and Brian Polendey. What stood out about them? Are you pleased? What are you expecting from them?
MARK RICHT: Well, they're going to play a lot. Brevin is a starting tight end when we're in a one-tight-end set, 11 personnel we call it, three receivers, a tight end and a back hill start. And if we're in a two-tight-end set, Mallory is going to start at the other spot, and Mallory will also know the position that Brevin Jordan is going to play. That's kind of how it's going to be, and they've done a very good job, but they've got a lot of learn, and they're just not quite physically where they're going to be one day, but they've prepared for this moment, and they're going to play a bunch.

Q. To look at the other sideline with this upcoming match-up with LSU, Ed Orgeron on the other side of things, just what you can say about him as a coach.
MARK RICHT: Well, I think we all know he's a really fiery competitor. He's a very emotional guy. He can get a team very excited about playing, maybe more so than most. He's hired a great staff. He's at a wonderful school that supports football as good or better than anybody else in America. All the ingredients are there for a great season and a great team, and they've recruited extremely well. He's always been known as a great recruiter as an assistant coach and as a head coach. They're in good shape.

Q. And as far as the backfield for you, Travis Homer going into this LSU game at the top of the depth chart at running back, just what you can say about what Travis did to earn that role for you and what you can say about his work going into the season as you get set for game 1.
MARK RICHT: Right, he started out for us as a true freshman being our -- really our No. 1 special teams play, covering kicks and blocking and in the punt team. Anything you asked him to do, he could do. He proved that he could play major college football in that role and got a taste of a few carries here and there, and then when Mark Walton got hurt, he became the guy, and he was really ready. I mean, the guy, he runs the ball with great vision and balance and speed, and he finishes rung well. He's a great runner, ball catcher, pass protector. He's really a complete back. He's not a huge man. He's probably close to 200 pounds. But he runs big, and he's -- I'm glad we've got him, that's for sure.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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