Richt: Kaaya has done a good job

Mark Richt has coached the Hurricanes for just seven games, but as his team tries to snap out of what is now a three-game losing streak, the coach has made one thing clear: He’s not going to put the fault on his players.

He’s going to shoulder most of the blame himself, something he made clear late last week when asked multiple times about the play of the Hurricanes’ offensive line and something he made clear again Monday morning on WQAM 560’s Joe Rose Show.

“That position starts with me, having the proper plan, having the right reads and progressions and the thought process that he’s going through. I want him to know where to go with the ball in all situations,” Richt said when asked about the play of quarterback Brad Kaaya, who has struggled at times.

“I don’t think I did the best job in that last ball game. There were some times I think he was a little bit uncertain of where to go with the ball and that’s when he ended up holding the ball longer than he should, and he got some sacks because of that, not necessarily because of the protection. It starts with me. I’ve got to do a better job. But overall, he’s handling everything thrown his way.”

Kaaya has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,696 yards, but he was sacked a career-high eight times in Miami’s 37-16 loss to Virginia Tech on Thursday.

“It’s probably one of the toughest jobs in sports, to play quarterback, so he’s done a good job,” Richt said Monday. “I’m glad he’s ours.”

Next game: Miami at Notre Dame, 3:30 Saturday, NBC