Quarterback Chris Turner has an MCL injury of undetermined severity.

Backup Jamar Robinson said he must prepare as if he will be the starter.

“I’ve seen third-degree MCLs come back in a week or two weeks,” Fridge said of Turner’s injury. “If it’s worse (he’s) probably done.”

Maryland also lost defensive end Isaiah Ross to a knee injury in the first half. Maryland defensive tackle Travis Ivey said Ross was “speared” on the play, which Friedgen said should have resulted in an ejection.

Friedgen said Ross suffered an ACL injury and is done for the year.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Notes from another loss. Some of this will appear in an updated game story and some of it won't. I wanted to get it to you now...

--It's hard to switch quarterbacks in the middle of a game, particularly when the new guy has barely played. I like Jamar Robinson. But he needed time to settle in -- to, as he said, allow the game to 'slow down.'

Maryland seemed cautious with Robinson early on. He didn't throw at all on his first series, not even when the Terps faced third and 8 on the Wolfpack 15-yard line. He ran five yards on the play and Nick Ferrara then had a 27-yard field goal attempt blocked with the Terps trailing 24-21..

Robinson adds a new running dimension. But one play he will want back when he sees the video will be his overthrow of an open LaQuan Williams in the end zone with the Terps trailing, 31-28 . Ferrara then missed a 47-yard field goal attempt that could have tied the game.

By the way, Maryland coaches discussed the possibility at halftime of inserting true freshman Danny O'Brien at quarterback. Robinson played the whole second half, but coach Friedgen said afterward: "Danny, he's got to be ready to play.'

Another reason for the loss is that the Terps missed two field goals and did not take full advantage of four turnovers. The Terps had three picks -- the most since recording three against Wake Forest in 2007.

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Starting Maryland quarterback Chris Turner is done for the day with a knee injury.

Defensive lineman Isaiah Ross also suffered a knee injury and did not return.

Turner emerged from the stadium tunnel in the second half wearing black sweats and a black T-shirt. He was injured after being hit on an incomplete pass in the second quarter and limped off the field.

Backup Jamar Robinson entered on the next possession and dropped the first snap out of the shotgun formation. Maryland recovered the fumble but didn’t score.

Robinson didn’t throw a pass on his first series.

N.C. State 31, Maryland 21 third quarter
Terps turnovers: one

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From third and 19 from own his own 33, Maryland quarterback Chris Turner was hit on an inside rush and limped off the field with help with 4:33 left before halftime.

Turner headed into the Maryland locker room.

Backup quarterback Jamarr Robinson entered on Maryland's next possession and fumbled the first snap. The Terps recovered the fumble. But Robinson didn't attempt a pass on his first series, which ended with a blocked Maryland field goal.

For those fans who wanted to see Robinson, this is your chance. The question is whether Maryland coaches trust Robinson's passing enough to let him try to exploit N.C. State's porous defense.

N.C. State 24, Maryland 21, second quarter.
Terps turnovers: one

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Representatives of the Chick-fil-A Bowl and the Champs Sports Bowl are present at Carter-Finley Stadium to watch Maryland-N.C. State – two teams that had combined for one win in the Atlantic Coast Conference entering their meeting.

The Chick-fil-A Bowl has the second pick of ACC teams. The Champs Sports Bowl has the fourth pick.

Here's a question. Why exactly are they here?

The representatives gave several reasons for attending:

*The ACC teams are so clumped together in the standings that most teams are scouted, even those with a remote chance of reaching a bowl.

*The bowl representatives select the games they will attend several weeks in advance. They couldn’t have known then exactly how Maryland’s and N.C. State’s seasons would unfold.

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Maryland just tied the game at 14 when linebacker Alex Wujciak, the Terps leading tackler, stepped in front of tight end George Bryan to pick off a Russell Wilson pass.

He returned it 70 yards for Maryland’s first defensive touchdown since linebacker Erin Henderson got one in 2006.

Maryland 14, N.C. State 14, first quarter
Terps turnovers: one

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It didn't take long.

Maryland quarterback Chris Turner’s first pass was intercepted in the flat by defensive end Willie Young. Only 13 seconds had elapsed in the game when N.C. State took over on Maryland’s 21.
Two plays later, Russell Wilson fired a touchdown pass over the middle to 17 yards to tight end George Bryan to put the Wolfpack ahead, 7-0.

TBut the Terps, going no-huddle, drove 69 yards in 10 plays on their next possession, tying the game on a third-and-inches leap into the end zone by Davin Meggett.

Maryland 7, N.C. State 7
Terps turnovers: 1

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Maryland coaches say they've been trying in recent weeks to accomplish two goals at once -- win games and allow young players, including quarterbacks, to get some game experience.

Coach Friedgen acknowledged today that it's a difficult balancing act. When you're 2-6 you tend to get desperate for a win.

"I'm in a real dilemma there," Fridge said. "I don’t think [freshman quarterback] Danny [O'Brien] really wants to play -- I think he'd rather redshirt. Obviously I want to do everything we need to do to win games, but then we go into next year without a really experienced quarterback."

Maryland has played 10 true freshmen -- the most in Friedgen's nine-year Maryland tenure.

The number may grow. Fridge said freshman running back D.J. Adams will travel to N.C. State. Adams is still behind Davin Meggett, Caleb Porzel and Gary Douglas (shoulder), who appears ready to return. Morgan Green (groin) is out.

Another true freshman who could play is promising offensive lineman Pete White. The line will be further thinned because offensive lineman Bennett Fulper (shoulder) is out for the season and will undergo surgery, Fridge said.

The N.C. State game will mark Maryland's return from its bye week. Quarterback Chris Turner said he took off and went to Fort Lauderdale, where he played some flag football. There could be an easy joke here about whether he got intercepted, but I'll refrain.

"I’m just trying to go out, have fun and really make these last few weeks count starting this Saturday," Turner said of the remaining four games.

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If Maryland sounds vague about the future status of forward Dino Gregory, that's not because the team is trying to be coy.

Maryland really doesn't know how things will play out with Gregory. His situation going forward has not been determined, university sources said.

The university announced in a news release before last night's exhibition win over Indiana (Pa.) that the junior forward would not participate "due to a violation of team rules. Due to federal regulations which protect the privacy of student records, there cannot be further comment."

Note that the release did not deal with anything other than last night's game. After that, we (and the team) just don't know.

According to the Washington Post, Gregory had said this summer that his eligibility was in question because of a charge of "academic dishonesty." The Post said it could not be determined whether that was the reason the player was held out of last night's game.

Coach Gary Williams said he could not comment on Gregory for the reasons given by the university in the news release.

Gregory was a likely starter. An extended absence would mean more immediate playing time for the two freshman forwards, Jordan Williams and James Padgett.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
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So how did the newbies do?

*Freshman James Padgett had some impressive moments. Padgett lost the ball moving toward the basket in the first half. But he later put the Terps up, 33-26, on a feed from Sean Mosley and followed on the next possession with a follow-up slam. He finished with eight points and four rebounds.

*Freshman forward Jordan Williams also made his debut before the Maryland fans, who had previously seen him in intrasquad scrimmages. He scored seven points to go with six boards. He checked in with 15:20 left in the first half and committed an offensive foul on his first field-goal attempt. He scored his first point on a foul shot with 2:27 left in the half, then made a put-back to push Maryland’s lead to 44-31.

I really think these guys will help with inside depth. But they are freshmen. And this was a smallish, Division II opponent. So it's hard to draw too many conclusions.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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I know it's an exhibition game, but Sean Mosley came out and hit his first three outside shots, then followed with a layup.

He's a rugged player who wasn't a great outside shooter last season. But he's shooting very confidently tonight.

He has a team-leading 10 points (5-for-6 from the floor) and the Terps lead 44-33 against Indiana (Pa.) at the half.

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Tonight's starting lineup against Indiana (Pa.)...

Greivis Vasquez-G
Eric Hayes-G
Sean Mosley-G
James Padgett-F
Landon Milbourne-F

Posted by Jeff Barker at 8:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Terps forward Dino Gregory is out of tonight's exhibition game because of an undisclosed violation of team rules.

His future status is uncertain.

Maryland won't identify the rules it said were violated, citing federal privacy regulations.

This would be a blow to the Terps if it's long term. Coach Gary Williams had told me a few weeks ago that Gregory had probably earned a starting spot.

He averaged 2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds last season but became an important inside defender (34 blocks) and rebounder.

Freshman James Padgett is penciled in as the starter tonight at forward opposite Landon Milbourne.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Notes in advance of Tuesday night's exhibition game against Indiana (Pa.)...

*So what does Greivis Vasquez think of Maryland being No. 26 in the AP's preseason rankings?

"I was a little upset because we beat California and we beat Georgia Tech and they are ranked so much higher than we are. We just have to prove people wrong. It’ll take care of itself if we just win," Vasquez said.

*Eric Hayes averaged averaged 15.2 point per game in the postseason – the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA tournaments – after averaging 10.3 in the regular season. Hayes seemed like a different player in the postseason, penetrating more and looking to create shots for himself.

“I just kind of had a mindset of being more aggressive and more assertive,” Hayes said. “I’m looking to build on my game.”

*Does it matter if Hayes doesn't start? Remember that Sean Mosley became the starter last season.

Here's Vasquez:--"All he (Hayes) wants is just to win games. He’s totally going to play 30 minutes or 28 minutes. I’m not really worried about him starting or coming off the bench."

More to come in a story I've filed for tomorrow's paper...

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Maryland, which has been practicing since "Maryland Madness," gets to play a real team this week. The Terps play Indiana University of Pennsylvania in an exhibition game on Tuesday night.

I'll be posting updates and assessments on how the team looks -- particularly the newbies (freshmen power forwards Jordan Williams and James Padgett).

Coach Gary Williams has been regaining his strength from surgery to repair a disc problem that had existed for some time but had grown increasingly painful -- literally a pain in the neck.

He's been wearing a neck brace off and on during his recuperation -- including, I'm told, at today's Ravens-Broncos game where he's watching the football and supporting his good buddy, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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What do you think of Maryland being ranked 26th?

I have no problem with it. It's kind of fitting, actually, because Maryland is a team that will have to work for everything this season -- for wins, for Top 25 rankings, for respect.

Working hard has to be the M.O. of a team that is talented, but not so much that it can ever afford a night off in league play. The Terps aren't big enough for that, even with the two new freshmen forwards. They're not like teams that can toss up a bad shot and wait for the big man to clean up the mess.

No doubt Maryland is improved from last season's team that advanced to the second round out the NCAA tournament. But -- and I've said this before -- the Terps can't ever forget who they are. They're a grind-it-out bunch. They'll win games with defense and penetration and foul shots -- not by outscoring teams in shootouts.

I wouldn't think that not cracking the preseason Top 25 would really bother a team with an identity built on work, not on reputation.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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No doubt Maryland will give more playing time to younger players in the last four games. At 2-6, the program can probably afford to pay more heed to the future without jeopardizing a bowl bid that is unlikely at best.

But I'm not expecting wholesale lineup changes the rest of the way.

Consider these statements from coach Friedgen today.

One one hand, he said: "We'd obviously like to look at some kids we think can help us win and we think have a future. If it's close or even, I think we've got to play the younger guy."

But Fridge didn't sound completely like a man who is ready to look past this year. He's too competitive for that and I think he's too loyal to some of his older players to sit them down.

"Just knowing my nature, I want to win. I'm going to do everything I can to win," the coach said.

By the way, Fridge and offensive coordinator James Franklin reiterated what they've been saying the past few weeks, which is that they'll look for opportunities for backup quarterback Jamar Robinson to play.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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Maryland has already played more true freshmen than coach Friedgen had hoped when the season began.

Here are the numbers and players:

Maryland has played 10 first-year players – mostly on defense. The list includes linebackers Darin Drakeford, Avery Murray and Ryan Donohue; defensive linemen Zach Kerr, Justin Anderson and Isaiah Ross; offensive lineman Bennett Fulper; running back Caleb Porzel; kicker Nick Ferrara; and defensive back Eric Franklin.

It’s the most true freshmen to play in Friedgen’s nine-year Maryland tenure, the school said. The previous high was eight in 2004.

I asked Fridge whether 10 was more than he had hoped and intended given the team's desire to preserve a good number of redshirt seasons.

"That’s definitely more than we would have liked,” Friedgen said Sunday. “The positive thing about that is they’ve played pretty well.”

Eric Franklin became the10th freshman to play after safety Antwine Perez was injured against Duke.

There's more on this in a story upcoming for tomorrow's paper.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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Will the Terps turnovers ever end?

Will their losses stop accumulating?

Will it ever stop raining? Actually, it did stop raining as soon as the Terps busses departed from Duke. No joke. The sun even briefly came out.

Here are some notes and analysis. Some of this will appear in my updated game story but I wanted to get it to you now.

*Maryland can't run. The Terps rushed for 67 yards. Seeking a spark, the Terps started true freshman Caleb Porzel at tailback. Porzel finished with 15 carries for 28 yards. “I thought we’d get more out of Porzel. I don’t know if the field was a problem or what,” coach Friedgen said.

Of course, Porzel was running behind an injury-depleted line. The injuries forced offensive tackle Paul Pinegar to play guard against Duke.

*The conditions were abysmal. But Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis – who had completed 40 of 50 passes against N.C. State in his last game – nevertheless managed to complete 30 of 43 passes for 371 yards.

Duke had particular success on crossing routes to freshman Conner Vernon, who had five catches for 102 yards, and to others. Maryland linebacker Alex Wujciak said the Terps tried to adjust in the second half by dropping a linebacker deeper into coverage.

*The Terps couldn't get the ball to Torrey Smith. They tried one "wildcat" direct snap that lost a yard. Smith also caught two balls for 13 yards. Partly owing to the conditions, the Terps played a possession game and threw short passes to Adrian Cannon, who caught six for 66 yards.

*Tony Logan took a calculated risk by fielding a puntl on the run in wet conditions toward the end of the game. His fumble snuffed out Maryland's last chance.

Continue reading "Another rainy day for Terps " »

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
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The Terps are hanging in by about a yard.

Leading 17-13, Duke drove to the Maryland 2, where quarterback Thaddeus Lewis fumbled and the ball was recovered by defensive tackle Travis Ivey. That kept the Terps in the game.

The Terps had made it 17-13 when Davin Meggett took a screen pass, made a cut and outran the defense for a 67-yard touchdown – Maryland’s longest play from scrimmage this season.

The Terps have turned the ball over zero times. That's right.

By the way, safety Antwine Perez is not seriously hurt but did not return to the game.

Duke 17, Maryland 13, zero Terps turnovers. Fourth quarter.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
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