Richt impressed by Jackets

Athens — Georgia coaches resumed preparations Sunday for Saturday’s regular-season finale against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets’ decisive victory over Miami gave the Bulldogs plenty to think about.

“They looked very impressive, there’s no doubt about that,” said Georgia coach Mark Richt, who played for the Hurricanes in college. “It was a great game for them at their home. It looked like their fans were into it and they played great against a Top 25 team. So it was a big day for them.”

It appears this will be one of the best Tech-Georgia matchups in recent years. The Yellow Jackets (8-3) arrive at the annual meeting with at least eight wins for only the second time since Richt started coaching the Bulldogs in 2001. The 2006 Tech team came to Athens with a 9-2 record and No. 16 national ranking only to fall 15-12.

The Jackets were ranked 18th in the AP and 23 in the USA Today/Coaches polls released Sunday.

“I really do believe they’re all big,” Richt said Sunday. “I’d never say one’s bigger than the other. Any time we play them it’s huge. But I know a lot of our guys if not all of them watched that game Thursday so I’m sure it got their attention even more so than we have to this point.”

Georgia was off this week while Tech played Miami Thursday night. Richt feels like the Bulldogs, who did not practice Friday, Saturday or Sunday, were able ahead on preparations. But the primary benefit they reaped was rest.

“We had a very good base of the entire season besides the Miami game [from which] to put the plan together and make a lot of decisions on,” Richt said. “The final piece of the puzzle came with the Miami game and we’re nailing that down so we’ll have it all intact [Monday].

“I think the guys have to more to be fresh just not having to take the pounding of a regular football weekend.”

The Bulldogs will make up for it by practicing in full pads Monday and possibly Tuesday “to try to simulate what we’re going up against as fast as we can with the scout team.”

Owens walking with seniors

Sidelined senior Jeff Owens will walk with his fellow seniors during Senior Day festivities on Saturday. But Richt said that shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign that Owens will not return next season.

“He wants to do this because he wants to be with the guys,” Richt said of the Bulldogs’ star defensive tackle, out since the first game with a knee injury. “He feels like he’s in their class all the way through. First game of the year all the sudden you get bumped down to another class and another group of guys. He wants to be with his boys, so to speak. So that’s what he’s going to do.”

Owens initially told Richt he planned to return for a fifth season next year but has waffled on that pledge of late.

“I think Jeffrey’s still thinking about it a little bit,” Richt said of Owens entering the NFL draft. “I don’t think it’s a slam dunk that he’ll be back. But, again, that’s something that will be discussed a little bit more after this ball game. Either way he said he wanted to be with his teammates, his fellow seniors, on Senior Day. But we’ve done guys twice before.”

Busy Monday

In addition for the intense preparations for the Yellow Jackets, all 105 members of the Georgia team will visit local elementary schools and an assisted living residence on Monday.

The Bulldogs will be at Arbor Terrace Assisted Living in Athens from 8-10 a.m. They will also drop by eight elementary schools: Alps Road, Oconee County, Barnett Shoals, Barrow, Gaines, Winterville South, Howard B. Stroud and Timothy Road.

“It’s always good to be able to put a smile on someone’s face,” Richt said.