Richt backs his QBs

just learning how to be leaders. They’re learning how to be a quarterback at the collegiate level,” Richt said. “It’s not like it was in high school and that’s true of all freshmen.

“They’re all going through it. It’s not easy. They’re so used to being the best ever since they were little boys. … Then you get to college and you get surrounded by a, guys that were the best, and now it’s a little different animal when it comes to competition. … Some of these suspension issues are more guys just not being grown up enough to take care of their responsibilities like they should.”

And, Richt noted, those lapses are more noticeable because of the visibility of the position, especially as Miami has struggled there this year.

With Perry suspended months before the season opener, Richt named Rosier the starter weeks before training camp started.

But as Rosier struggled with his accuracy and streaky play, Perry’s play improved in practice and he was eventually given the chance to see significant playing time in Miami’s 31-17 win over FIU on Sept. 22.

But Perry had issues too, sometime struggling with his accuracy and acknowledging last week he didn’t always prepare the way he should have or study film the way he needed to.

Making matters worse, in October, the redshirt freshman posted a video of himself on Instagram flashing wads of money, a video that prompted not only rebuke from Richt, but forced Miami to look into the matter and determine whether Perry had committed a potential NCAA violation.

“He’s just got to be more mature and more wise with what he does,” Richt said at the time. “I didn’t like it. He knows that. He knows that it was not a very wise thing to do.”

Though Richt also said that week that Perry was in good standing with the team, Rosier — who replaced a struggling Perry in the 16-13 loss to Virginia on Oct. 13 — started that week’s game at Boston College.

But after Rosier struggled against both the Eagles and Duke and Miami lost two more games, Richt opted to have his quarterbacks compete — again — for the right to start ahead of Miami’s Nov. 10 game at Georgia Tech.

And it’s then, Richt said, that Perry took a different approach to the starting job, an approach that paid off when he put together a 14 of 23, 165-yard performance against the Yellow Jackets that helped him earn the start a week later at Virginia Tech.

In a change from his first road start at Virginia, Perry looked composed and comfortable in Blacksburg, completing 21-of-34 passes for 171 yards with two touchdowns.

He didn’t turn the ball over and engineered an offensive performance that helped the Hurricanes end their four-game losing streak and secure bowl eligibility for the sixth straight season.

The hope now, as the Hurricanes (6-5, 3-4 ACC) prepare to close out the regular season with Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh (7-4, 6-1), is that Perry can continue his development on and off the field, development that Richt said has put Perry “in the driver’s seat” to secure Miami’s starting job next season.

“He’s understanding that just a little bit more film study can make a big difference in a recognition of one defense on one play. … When he comes off the field, I can look in his eyes and know that he understands what’s happening,” Richt said of Perry on Tuesday.

“He’s not in a panic mode. He’s not confused. He’s not wide-eyed and all that kind of thing. … He’s really coming along.”

Now, Richt more than likely wants to see Weldon and Williams take the same steps, particularly since he wants both of them to compete with Perry for the starting job once spring practice begins in a few months.

Once the trio finds the maturity it needs, Richt is confident the Hurricanes can get the kind of consistent quarterback play that makes a difference.

“I tell quarterbacks, first of all, I do not want to have to motivate you. If I have to motivate a quarterback, you might need to play another position. They have to be self-motivated,” Richt said. “I want to teach them. I want to guide them. I want to educate them on what it takes to be great. They’re like anybody else. If they do something they’re not supposed to do, there will be discipline for it. They’ll take their medicine and hopefully learn from it and grow from it and become a better man for it, become a better quarterback for it. The standard for the quarterback is higher when it comes to his work ethic, his behavior, when it comes to how he motivates his teammates.”