CORAL GABLES, Fla – Hurricanes coach Mark Richt held his first pregame weekly news conference of the season on Tuesday and revealed new starting quarterback Malik Rosier had a bit of an adjustment period.
"For a day or two, he was not as sharp," Richt said. "I would say he was still practicing good, but up until that time, I thought he was practicing great. He had a day or two that was so-so. And then Sunday night, he lit it up. He practiced well again today. He's probably over that little feeling of, 'How do I act now?'"
Recommended Videos
The 'Canes kick off their 2017 season, the second under Richt, Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman.
Richt said "enduring" the South Florida heat will be one of the biggest keys. The game plan, Richt said, is to play as many guys as possible to keep players fresh.
"You beat the heat with being in great condition, but you beat the heat by substituting," he said.
Richt also spoke about the ground attack and running back Mark Walton.
"I hope we're good enough on the perimeter (in the passing game) where they (defenses) can't stack the box on the kid," Richt said. "If we don't throw and catch really good, it could be a long year for Mark, for sure."
UM president Julio Frenk received a game ball after Tuesday's practice. Frenk gave the team an inspirational speech that focused on the message of not just winning football games, but also winning at the game of life.