Richt pleased with shortened practice, injury list

ATHENS -- One day after the first scrimmage of the preseason for the Georgia football team, Coach Mark Richt decided to shorten practice. And he was pleased with the way the players reacted.

"We shortened it a little bit hoping to get a high level of energy, and we got it," Richt said Wednesday after a session lasting roughly 90 minutes. "I was pleased with the effort and the energy. When you adjust a practice like that, you hope the players will respond, and that's exactly what they did.

"We were able to hit a little bit of everything today. We ended it with the1-minute drill. With young quarterbacks, you want them to get that experience. We also did a lot of fundamental work, and the guys were very sound."

Richt said he was happy the number of injured players not participating in practice was so small. "That's a blessing," Richt said. "The strength staff did a great job getting the guys ready for camp, and the guys did a great job of working hard to be in shape when they got here. Having more one-a-days and more teaching time is also paying off."

Richt said the Bulldogs will have a special teams practice on Thursday, followed by another abbreviated practice on Friday before Saturday's scrimmage at Sanford Stadium. Said Richt, "We'll make Friday's practice short so that they will have some juice for Saturday."

During a break in Wednesday's session, Richt greeted U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and presented him with a Georgia jersey.

Fall Semester classes begin at UGA Monday, Aug. 16. The annual Fans' Picture Day is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 21, at Sanford Stadium. Interim mascot "Russ" will be available for photos from 1-3 p.m., while the 2010 Bulldogs will be at the stadium from 3-5 p.m.

Georgia, which is ranked No. 21 in the preseason edition of the USA Today coaches poll, will begin the 2010 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 4, against Louisiana-Lafayette at Sanford Stadium. Kickoff for the opener against the Ragin' Cajuns is slated for 12:21 p.m., and the contest will be televised on the SEC Network nationwide.