Richt reclaims seat in quarterback, offense meetings (PLUS: practice notes)

ATHENS –-  Mark Richt says he might be a bit slower to answer his mail this year.

That’s because, for the first time in several years, Georgia’s head coach plans to make it a point to attend every quarterbacks meeting –- the almost daily, hour-long sessions at which the QBs meet with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to review film and, during the season, game plans. Richt said he also will attend every offensive team meeting.

“Like I told Mike and the staff, I’m not in there to make them crazy at all,” Richt said Tuesday night. “But I’m in there because, No. 1, I do miss it and because I want to be able to add as much value as I can as we go.”

Richt’s increased involvement in the offense comes after a 2009 season in which the Bulldogs finished 75th in the nation in total offense (362.15 yards per game), 51st in scoring offense (28.92 points per game) and 99th in turnovers lost (28).

Richt said he stopped attending the QB meetings on a regular basis around the time he delegated play-calling duties to Bobo at the end of the 2006 season. Part of the reason, Richt said, was to afford Bobo the same autonomy that Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden had afforded a young Richt.

“Sometimes when the head man’s in there,” Richt said, “they maybe worry too much about what I think.”

But Richt said he has attended all quarterbacks meetings, as well as offensive team meetings, this spring and plans to do so during the season as well.

The impetus for the change was this spring’s competition for the starting quarterback job, although Richt said he plans to continue the practice “from here on in.”

“This spring in particular, we’re trying to make a decision on a starter and I want to make sure I understand completely,” Richt said. “I want to see [the players] react to coaching. I want to see them answer the questions that [Bobo] has to ask them. I want to just kind of get a taste of how they are handling the pressure.

“A lot of times [in recent years], I would watch practice film separately from the staff and maybe make my notes and talk to the staff about things I saw. But what I have decided to do is just be in there every day as they’re going over it and make sure we’re all on the same page.”

The main tradeoff for more time with the offense, Richt said, will be less prompt attention to some off-field aspects of the head coach’s job.

“I was starting to let some of those extra things roll into  meeting times,” he said. “Now, certain things are just going to have to wait. It’s not like they’re not going to get done. They just might not get done as quickly as some people may want them.

“I may not answer my mail as quickly as I used to, or sign a bunch of stuff as quickly as I was. But it’s good medicine for me, really.”

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From Tuesday’s practice:

• Richt ranked the practice as the worst of the spring -– “ninth out of nine.” After praising the tempo of the first eight practices, “it kind of fizzled on us a little bit” Tuesday, Richt said. “I just didn’t think we practiced like champions today. I felt like we practiced like we were going through the motions and just didn’t have the mental toughness to push through.”

• Based on Saturday’s scrimmage, Richt said he believes tailback-turned-linebacker Richard Samuel “is catching on” to the new position. But Richt did not rule out the possibility of a redshirt season for Samuel, who will be a junior in the fall. “He’s new to the position, and we want him to be ready to compete for us –- not so much compete for a job but get out there and play championship defense,” Richt said. “If we think he’s ready to do that and produce at a high level, we want him to play. If he’s still finding his way a little bit, I don’t think we’ll be in a big rush to get him out there.”

• Junior-college transfer Jakar Hamilton was working at first-team safety, along with Bacarri Rambo.

• After missing all of last week’s practices with a sprained shoulder joint, wide receiver Marlon Brown returned to work on a limited basis. He was wearing a green non-contact jersey.

• Backup offensive lineman A.J. Harmon, who will miss the remainder of spring practice because of a high ankle sprain, was on crutches Tuesday. Harmon becomes the fourth offensive linemen on the sidelines, joining Trinton Sturdivant, Tanner Strickland and Austin Long.

• Several players returned to practice after missing last week with nagging injuries: outside linebacker Justin Houston (shoulder), tight end Bruce Figgins (hamstring) and wide receiver Israel Troupe (hamstring).

• Quarterback Logan Gray, after practice Tuesday, reflected on Saturday’s scrimmage in which he completed only 6 of 14 passes for 37 yards: “I don’t think I had my best day, to be honest. I kind of felt a little out of rhythm. Luckily, it’s not our only scrimmage of the spring.”  He added: “I would have liked to have gotten a few more reps with the [first-team offense]. But I’m sure it’ll even out Saturday [in the spring's second scrimmage] and G-Day because we’ve got a rotation going [among the quarterbacks].”