Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen discusses the Terps' win at Clemson and previews their game against Virginia on Saturday during his weekly news conference.

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Coach Friedgen is determined that his team – and apparently, the media – not take Virginia lightly.

At his weekly media luncheon, he trotted out all the cautionary rhetoric today to boost the 1-3 Cavaliers to everybody in earshot.

He said Virginia has won 19 out of 21 ACC home openers. “They’ve got great size and are very athletic. Their offensive line is very strong.,” Friedgen said.

And then this: “I don’t think the score last week was really indicative of the game.”

Let’s hope not for Virginia’s sake since it lost 31-3 to Duke.

Later, offensive coordinator James Franklin said Maryland hasn't earned the right to make assumptions about beating anybody.

"Let's be honest. We haven't proven yet that we're consistent enough to take anyone lightly," Franklin said.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Ever wonder what opposing college football coaches say to each other as they're walking off the field?

According to coach Friedgen, this was the conversation he had with Clemson coach Tommy Bowden following Maryland's win in Death Valley:

"Tommy said to me after the game, ‘Are they booing you or me?’
I said, ‘Who cares? They’re probably booing both of us. It doesn’t matter. Move on.' "

Note to Friedgen: My guess is they were booing Bowden. The Clemson fans took that loss really hard.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Versatile Adrian Moten is out four to five weeks due to surgery to repair ligaments in his wrist.

Moten has been valuable as an outside linebacker and as a pass rusher. He’s also been an asset on special teams with a blocked punt earlier in the year.

"We're going to miss him," coach Friedgen said today.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Terps coach Ralph Friedgen was almost without a punt returner Saturday.

Danny Oquendo had taken a shot and was feared to have a concussion (he didn’t). So the coach was ready to summon freshman Kenny Tate in his place. But Tate had hurt his elbow and said he worried whether he could catch punts.

So what happened? "I look up and Danny's back out there" on the return team, Friedgen said. "[Oquendo] is a special guy, probably one of those guys who go under the radar."

Oquendo is listed questionable for the game against Virginia. So is Da'Rel Scott, whose shoulder injury isn't healed, along with Nolan Carroll and Mack Frost.

The bad news for the Terps is that Adrian Moten is out four to five weeks after deciding to have surgery on his wrist. More on this upcoming.

Another player designated by Friedgen and his teammates as "a tough guy" is fullback Cory Jackson.

Jeremy Navarre suggests that Jackson has a defensive players' mentality. "I don't think fullback Cory would want to go against Cory the linebacker," Navarre said. "He's a tough guy. He always comes out with a bloody nose or something."

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Coach Friedgen referred to the Virginia game as a "trap."

He knows that:

* The Cavaliers lost to Duke, 31-3, and are having a miserable season.

* The Terps are coming off a big road win against a nationally ranked opponent. As we all know, big efforts are sometimes followed by puny ones.

But it shouldn't be hard to motivate the Terps given that they now believe they could have a memorable season, and that the Virginia-Maryland rivalry has the weight of history behind it.

Consider that:

* Virginia has won 12 of the past 16 meetings with Maryland. The teams have played every year since 1957.

* Most Maryland players will remember last season, when Mikell Simpson scored the winning touchdown with 16 seconds left in an 18-17 Virginia win.

I think what will really propel the Terps is that each game they win makes the next one more significant. Once the team has started to build something, there is increasingly more incentive to ensure that it's not knocked down.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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A couple of the ESPN pundits (Mark Schlabach and Bruce Feldman) now have Maryland slotted into the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Mississippi. That's the Atlanta bowl (the former Peach Bowl) pitting the ACC against the SEC.

A tad early, isn't it fellows? I understand that speculation like this is fun -- more fun for Maryland partisans if the Terps are looking at some of the higher-end bowls instead of the middling ones. Always nice to window-shop at Tiffany's. The Terps have earned the right to think big.

Forecasts like this are what drive the Web these days, I guess.

My favorite "predictions" are the ones that forecast all the brackets of the NCAA hoops tournament as if the experts not only know the 64 teams, but can foresee the regions in which they'll be slotted. Can they tell me what the stock market is going to do and when? Then I'd have that going for me ...

The Terps, by the way, lead the "also receiving votes" pack in AP's latest top 25.

And ... you all probably saw that former Terp Nick Novak kicked four field goals on Sunday for the Chiefs.

Thanks for the many kind comments this week about our blog and coverage.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Asked about the ACC race, Coach Friedgen named just about every school as a potential champion or at least a spoiler.

“I think Duke is getting better and better so they’re going to be a factor, too,” Fridge said. Wow, Duke.

AND...

You all know that Fridge is offensive-minded so it’s not surprising that he seems to assess the offense a little tougher than the D.

So when he was asked about offensive standouts in the Clemson game, his list was a little sparse. “I thought Danny Oquendo and Cory Jackson played very well and that’s about it,” he said.

I’ll be back at you with lots from the media availability Tuesday, if not before.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Alex Wujciak had 16 tackles Saturday. You probably know this. So who is Wujciak?

He's from New Jersey and was recruited by Dave Sollazzo. Wujciak's mother, Erin, told me he liked Fridge and Sollazzo because they were "straight shooters" who didn't make fanciful promises about playing time and the like.

According to the player's bio, Wujciak's father played offensive guard at Notre Dame at the same time as "Rudy."

He redshirted his freshman year, then missed last season with an injured knee. Now he's back.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Terps not abandoning the Portis experiment. He had two carries for 10 yards.

But I understand coaches' reluctance to mess yesterday with Turner, who got pretty locked in at the end and completed four of his last five passes.

Fridge wanted to avoid blaming illegal motion penalties on Portis. "We seem to have a lot of them with Josh, but it wasn't all with Josh," he said.

FredTerp, send me a direct e-mail (jeff.barker@baltsun.com) and I'll holler back.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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So why did the Terps commit a handful of false starts or illegal motion penalties yesterday, including one that nullified a touchdown?

“I don’t know totally yet,” coach Friedgen said today . “I think crowd noise had a lot to do with it. It really cost us 14 points (and) could have meant the difference in the game”

Another comment about penalties from the coach. He questioned a pass interference call against Adrian Moten – one of nine Maryland penalties. Clemson had six.

“I thought that call could have went either way,” Friedgen said.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Coach Friedgen said today that Clemson was probably one score away from putting the Terps away yesterday.

While Maryland played an abysmal first half, the coach honed in on two series that he says may have saved the Terps.

Clemson already led 17-6 late in the second quarter. The Tigers got the ball and moved into Maryland territory on a 17-yard completion to tight end Michael Palmer. But the Terps forced a punt – Clemson’s first of the game. Maryland’s Jamari McCollough intercepted Cullen Harper on the next and final series of the half.

Said Friedgen: “I think if they would have scored there, an 18-point deficit would have been tough to come back.”

Friedgen seemed torn during his conference call with the media -– proud that his team had fought back and retained their poise. But also frustrated at the inconsistency.

“What it really showed me was that we played with a lot of heart on a day when we weren’t playing very good and we were still able to win the football game,” Friedgen said. “That’s not going to happen every week.”

Posted by Jeff Barker at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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The ACC said today that the Virginia game will be on ESPNU on Saturday at 7.

Four times a year, the ESPN/ABC folks can select an ACC contest six days before game time, and they chose this one.

Of course, not everybody gets ESPNU. I don't have it on my Comcast cable, so it's a good thing I'm going to Charlottesville.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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Do you think Clemson is going to have a fun bye week? Probably not.

Remember that Clemson, so highly touted during the preseason, was looking at Maryland as its “test.” Tommy Bowden was going to use the Terps game as a steppingstone to right his season, especially since fans were still grumbling about the Tigers’ season-opening stomping by Alabama.

“On Saturday, it felt like a place where football seasons go to die,” is the way Greenville (S.C.) News sports editor Bart Wright characterized Death Valley in his column today.

The paper quoted Clemson tight end Michael Palmer: "This is one of the most disheartening losses I've ever had. I don't know what happened."

Posted by Jeff Barker at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The biggest plus is psychological. Beating Clemson at Death Valley -- again -- can do wonders for a team that still seemed to be finding its identity, particularly as a road team.

Give them credit. The Terps were plucky, resilient and opportunistic -- and a little lucky.

Remember that a long touchdown run by Clemson's C.J. Spiller was called back. Maryland had a touchdown called back, too.

Or remember how a Maryland scoring drive was kept alive when a Chris Turner pass was caught by Ronnie Tyler for a first down after the ball deflected off Torrey Smith’s back. That play helped lead to a 30-yard Obi Egekeze field goal, making it 10-6.

Not trying to demean Maryland's effort, but this could have been a Clemson blowout at halftime if the Tigers didn't fumble a punt and lose the ball on a backwards pass.

As Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen said: "Weird game."

But, luck or not, it's not easy to come back on the road against Clemson and its fans. Once the Terps locked in, they came up huge -- stopping Clemson's offense four series in a row as the game wound down and closing things out with a five-minute drive of their own. Who could have seen that coming at halftime?

Before I forget, Alex Wujciak was a monster in the game. He was credited with 16 tackles, including the big fourth-down stop.

If Maryland wins at Virginia, that could set up a fun game at home against Wake Forest after the bye week.

More after Fridge's conference call late this afternoon.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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* These are the images I'll remember from the first half:

There was Chris Turner, slammed by Brandon Maye, trying to pull himself off the turf at midfield. And there was Da'Rel Scott, losing his helmet and red skull cap while being tackled trying to get out of his end zone on a 2-yard loss. Clemson really hit the Terps hard before halftime. Fortunately for the Terps, it made them mad.

How does James Franklin feel about two very different halves for Maryland?

"It’s very frustrating and very exciitng at the same time. Because we have a chance to be very good. Hopefully the light’s going to go on. With the two wins that we’ve had and then this one, hopefully that’s going to give us momentum," Franklin said.

* Darrius Heyward-Bey said he cut inside on his 76-yard run because cornerback Chris Chancellor was approaching. "The guy was really shifty so I had to cut across the field," he said.

"Just having one big play was all we needed to say, 'Hey, they’re not unstoppable.' I knew it was going to come at some point in the game," the receiver said.

* Jeremy Navarre said Maryland was over-pursuing in the first half. Quarterback Cullen Harper seemed to be able to fool the Terps with multiple fake handoffs or fake pitches.

"We were a little over-aggressiuve. We were fitting into their hands," Navarre said. "And we had get to get more penetration as a D-line."

Turner said he doesn't know how the defense did it in the second half. "It's unreal. They got it done. I don’t know what they did, I don’t know what adjustments they made. We're resilient. It’s a long, long game," the quarterback said.

* I did a better job in my generic Cal-game forecast than this week. The thing is, I won't quibble with anybody's prediction as long as it's carefully reasoned. I just don't want to be dull.

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* You can't overestimate how unflappable Chris Turner is and how much that meant today. He completed four (three to Danny Oquendo) of his last five passes when it mattered most. These throws were on the drives in which Maryland took the lead and ran out the clock.

Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen noted that it was Turner's third efficient game in a row. "At the end of the half I said we're going to find out what kind of team we have in the second half," the coach said. "Gutty win. Just a gutty win."

* Da'Rel Scott said Friedgen told him that "I was running a little too much east-west in the first half, but I tried to correct that and go north-south in the second half."

Said Friedgen: "He [Scott] patted me on the butt. He said, 'Get me the ball.'"

* Turner on Heyward-Bey's 76-yard run: "It was a huge shift in momentum for us. Once we had that run, everything started to take off after that. Without that, I don’t know if we would have had the same results."

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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It's hard to overestimate how embarrassed Maryland was in playing so poorly in the first half, and how excited the Terps were -- downright giddy -- after winning.

This was a biggie.

Chris Cosh: "This is my third season and this is probably one of the bigger ones we’ve had because of the way we came back."

I'll try not to repeat stuff that's in the game story I just filed, except for one quote from Dean Muhtadi that I particularly enjoyed.

Muhtadi (who couldn't stop smiling) said he turned to his teammates on the sideline and said: “Y’all hear that? Nothing. We just shut up 85,000 fans in their own stadium.”

Muhtadi transferred from a Division III school and he couldn't stop talking about how much he loves playing -- and winning in front of 81,500 fans on the road.

You probably saw the game on TV, so I'll try to give you plenty of stuff you didn't see in my next post.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Since Darrius Heyward-Bey's run (officially 76 yards), the Terps have forced three successive Clemson punts and stopped the Tigers on fourth and inches.

Man, it was like a new game after that play.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Darrius-Heyward Bey's 75-yard end-around was the longest Maryland run since 2003 against Wake Forest (Bruce Perry).

It was the longest run against Clemson since 2000.

And it put Maryland right back in the game -- amazingly. It seems to have energized the defense as well.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Where should I start. The Terps are having trouble diagnosing Cullen Harper's multiple fakes. And Clemson's spread offense -- four receivers at times -- seems to be posing an issue.

Read 'em and weep halftime stats for Terps fans include 17 Clemson first downs to six for Maryland.

Clemson has 195 rushing yards to Maryland's 28. This looks like the Maryland defense that got burned so badly on the ground in last season's Emerald Bowl.

If not for three Clemson turnovers it would be a lot worse for Maryland.

The Terps have some inexperienced players in on defense. Cornerback Michael Carter, for one, is learning on the job. No easy feat.

Here's who is playing well on Maryland's defense: Alex Wujciak, who is already into double figures in tackles (12).

Posted by Jeff Barker at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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The Terps have gotten some luck and two turnovers, but they're still struggling to hang on because the defense can't stop anybody.

Maryland has benefited from:

* A fumbled Clemson punt.

* A fumble on a backwards Clemson pass.

* A third-down conversion when the ball was caught by Ronnie Tyler after deflecting off Torrey Smith’s back.

But the Terps don't have a single defensive stop. Clemson's backs are closing in on 200 rushing yards and there is still five minutes before halftime with the Tigers up 17-6.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Maryland is struggling -- obviously -- to stop Clemson's inside-outside running game.

C.J. Spiller dipped inside, then went outside for a 25-yard touchdown run to make it 10-0.

Spiller has six carries for 70 yards, making Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen's nightmares come true because he feared a strong Clemson start would get the crowd into it.

The best Terps play so far was the third-down screen to Da'Rel Scott that went for 25 yards to Clemson's 42-yard line. James Franklin loves the screen pass and has a variety of them in his offense.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper is freezing Maryland's defense, albeit just for a second, with fake handoffs. He faked an inside handoff, then gave it to C.J. Spiller for an 18-yard gain running outside.

Clemson had seven carries for 58 yards on its drive and leads 3-0. Most of the damage has been done by running back James Davis.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I've heard a lot of about Death Valley and this is my first visit.

My reaction is that it's very... functional.

Traffic is definitely an issue at this stadium, but on the plus side it sure holds a lot of people!

OK, this is a pathetic attempt to say something nice about Clemson's stadium. It's just your basic large football stadium but I do like the grassy, Wake Forest-like hill in the end zone.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Skies are clearing at Death Valley. This isn't a meant to be a metaphor, just a weather report.

The field is dry and there is a mix of clouds and blue sky.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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At halftime of the game against California, James Franklin bounded into the locker room exuberant that the Terps had scored touchdowns the first three times they had the ball.

He was so revved up that he punched a board used for diagramming plays, knocking it to the floor.

I mentioned this anecdote in a piece I wrote for today looking as best I could at how the Terps have adjusted to Franklin's offense. This is what the players love about Franklin -- his passion. I think they appreciate that he acts like one of them.

I'll be blogging from Death Valley before and during the game. Enjoy it, folks.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This isn't Maryland's first trip to Death Valley, so Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen is pretty well prepared for the noise from 81,500 fans. The Terps have won two of their past three games at Clemson, including a 13-12 victory in 2006.

They're helped by Chris Turner's calm demeanor. He doesn't seem to be rattled by opposing fans and big games. His poise is one of his strengths.

My favorite Chris Turner story: Fans at Middle Tennessee State were yelling "What's a Terrapin?" as Maryland players entered the stadium. Turner stopped and calmly told them it's a relatively small turtle native to the Atlantic coastal region.

"I just wanted them to know it wasn't a made-up name,' Turner told me later.

Anyway, the Terps will use hand signals to try to overcome the atmosphere in Death Valley. Of course, that doesn't just apply to the offense. Safeties use them as well to signal to their teammates what they've spotted.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen had joked that he might want to sprinkle water on the field inside Death Valley tomorrow.

He may not need to. It's raining down here in South Carolina right now. The forecast calls for a chance of showers through the morning, diminishing to only a "slight chance" of rain by 2 p.m.

Maybe scary images of Aaron Kelly and other Clemson Tigers have been dancing around in Friedgen's head. Truth is, Maryland and Clemson both have speed that could be neutralized by a sloppy track.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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You may have noticed that Maryland's offense often begins games with 7-yard throws, 9-yard throws and handoffs. That's because offensive coordinator James Franklin is consciously trying to create a comfort zone for his quarterback.

"You like to start out the game with some easy throws – possession throws – to get the guy in rhythm. It’s very important to start off well because then you can build on that. If you don’t start out well, then you have to fight through that," Franklin said.

I'll have more on Franklin (including a stunt he pulled recently) and the offense in a pre-game story for Saturday's paper.

My score prediction, by the way, is Clemson 34, Terps 27. You guys stick your necks out making predictions, I should do the same.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Here is the injury report supplied by Maryland. It's noteworthy that DB Nolan Carroll is listed as out. Coach Friedgen had said Thursday that he believed Carroll's return was questionable.

“We really need some corners to step up for us,” Friedgen said

Out for season:

Kevin Dorsey (foot)
Dominique Herald (knee)
Ben Pooler (knee)
Richard Taylor (knee)

Out:

Tyler Bowen (leg)
Nolan Carroll (leg)
Joe Faiella (leg)
Quintin McCree (leg)
Carl Russell (leg)
Jordan Steffy (hand)
Joe Vellano (shoulder)
LaQuan Williams (leg)

Doubtful:

Mack Frost (leg)

Probable:

Travis Ivey (leg)
Adrian Moten (arm)
Da’Rel Scott (shoulder)
Terrell Skinner (leg)

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Defensive back Terrell Skinner, trying to return from a high ankle sprain, was held out of practice today but hopes to play Saturday. Drew Robinson is also expected back.

Fellow defensive back Nolan Carroll, who missed the Cal game, is questionable Saturday. “I don’t know if he’ll make it,” coach Friedgen said.

The Terps will look to sophomore Michael Carter and possibly freshman Cameron Chism for help in the secondary.

Friedgen joked that a wet field might not be a bad thing to counter Clemson’s speed on offense. “You might see me out there watering the field,” he said.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Maryland is practicing in the rain, just as coach Friedgen promised they would. He said it would take a hurricane to keep them off the field as they prepare for Clemson.

Friedgen thought practicing today might help the Terps prepare for possibly sloppy conditions at Clemson.

The latest forecast for Saturday's game is partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers.

They’re piping in crowd noise to the practice field today, as they often do. Sometimes they pipe in music -- all varieties. Chris Turner told Friedgen he once heard a song at practice by Ratt, the heavy metal band that the quarterback’s father played drums for.

“It bothers the hell out of me,” Friedgen said of the music in general. But he said it keeps his players loose.

He said he'd like to hear some Frank Sinatra -- but doubts the players would like that.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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OK, this is fun. Clemson week. No more Blue Raiders or Blue Hens or blue anything. This is ACC country now. It feels like a different season.

Two weeks ago, I said the Cal game was classically difficult to forecast. That’s because Maryland hadn’t found itself and was prone to just about anything on the field.

I think the Terps' offense has improved since then, if only because it has begun to find a comfort level with James Franklin’s version of the West Coast offense. Chris Turner told me that something clicked on for him during the Cal game. It was partly the realization that he doesn’t have to be THE guy out there, he just has to be a good custodian of all of Maryland’s tools.
He can hand the ball to Da”Rel Scott or go deep to Darrius Heyward-Bey or go short to Danny Oquendo – whatever the defense gives him. The Terps have a lot of weapons in a lot of places.

I like what Dan Gronkowski told me this week -- that the bigger the game, the more he’s likely to be an important option. That’s because good defenses try to take away the deep ball, leaving the tight end as a primary short option. And then there's Josh Portis for the defense to contend with as well.

So I think Maryland can score because defenses can’t shut down everybody at once. But, of course, the Terps can be scored upon as well. Clemson running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller each rushed for more than 100 yards against the Terps last season. While Maryland doesn’t want to allow that again, I think the Terps are even more wary of preventing big receptions to the wide receivers, including Aaron Kelly, one of the nation’s best. Just like Clemson’s defense, Maryland’s defense won’t be able to stop it all.

Which is why (barring a sloppy field) I see Clemson winning a shootout -- but not by much. I’ll ponder this some more and come back with a score for you on Friday and hope you'll do the same.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
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Coach Friedgen expects gadgets from Clemson. Which is only fair since the Terps enjoy the occasional trick play themselves.

“They’ll run a lot of gadgets. They’ll run a lot of reverses,” Friedgen said.

Other notes heading toward game day:

--Look for tight end Dan Gronkowski to continue to figure into the offense. He says Maryland looks to the tight end more against better teams and better defenses. That’s because good defenses often shut down long pass plays, leaving Gronkowski as the shorter option. He said he was the third option on his short touchdown reception last Saturday against Eastern Michigan.

--The Terps are determined to practice today even if it’s raining or windy. Friedgen said he can’t forget some uninspired practices before the loss at Middle Tennessee State and is determined to avoid a repeat. “I said we’re going out unless it’s like Hurricane Ike,” Friedgen said.

--Jordan Steffy seems like a lonely figure on the practice field wearing his No. 19 quarterback’s jersey and standing with his injured thumb and his helmet in his hands.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Coach Friedgen said running back Da’Rel Scott, returning this week from a shoulder injury, looked “quick” during practice today.

Running backs Morgan Green and Davin Meggett got extra playing time last week because of Scott’s absence. Their emergence gives the Terps some depth at running back in the Clemson game just in case Scott isn’t quite himself.

“I think Morgan’s getting better. He had a good week of practice,” Friedgen said.

Quarterback Josh Portis gives the Terps another running threat. No indication that Friedgen is backing off the Portis experiment now that the ACC schedule is beginning. As before, Portis is still expected to enter the game in certain situations.

And how long might Portis play? Well, no one ever seems to know until the game unfolds.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said today that: "Right now we’re a very beat up football team."
But Bowden declined to elaborate, hoping the lack of information will provide Clemson at least a temporary competitive advantage .

"I think you can scheme people when you start identifying injuries too early," Bowden said.
Bowden and other ACC coaches are under a new, non-enforceable injury reporting procedure this season.

Under the policy, players' status reports are announced on the Thursday before games as "will play," "probable," "questionable," "doubtful" or "out."

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said today that Clemson will try to make Saturday's contest a speed game by getting their skill players the ball away from the middle of the field.

"I think Clemson is going to try to make it a perimeter game and get it outside," Friedgen said.

Alabama held Clemson's backfield of James Davis and C.J. Spiller to 20 yards in the season opener and got continual pressure on quarterback Cullen Harper. The Crimson Tide's penetration interrupted the flow of Clemson's plays before they got started. Maryland will try to do the same by taking advantage of Clemson's young offensive line.

Friedgen is hoping the return of defensive tackle Travis Ivey from injury will help. The Terps will need a big game from Jeremy Navarre, their senior leader on the defensive line.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Ralph Friedgen isn't the only coach in the Maryland-Clemson game who considers this game a test of sorts. Friedgen has said the Terps need to prove they can win a tough game on the road.

Clemson coach Tommy Bowden suggested today that critics have been questioning his team's toughness ever since the season-opening 34-10 loss to Alabama.

"We did not play very physical in the first game and we've gotten better since then," Bowden said. "I think [the Maryland game] will be the best indication to date of how we've improved in our style of play."

Clemson is appealing to its fans to create a "sea of orange" at the game. "Everyone is encouraged to wear orange as the Tigers face Maryland in a critical conference matchup," the school's athletics Web site says.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Yikes. Watching practice yesterday afternoon, you couldn't help but hear the metallic clang of ball hitting upright. Yep, Obi Egekeze clocked another one, but at least it wasn't in a game.

Egekeze hit the crossbar on his first kick of the season against Delaware. He memorably hit the upright when the Terps needed points against Middle Tennessee State, but converted three field goal attempts last week.

I admit it may have been cruel of me to Google "Egekeze" and "crossbar" in my spare time before the Eastern Michigan game. Got 986 hits, by the way.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Terps football
        

Maryland has some talented – and confident – freshmen. Just the sort of guys who can go into a place like Death Valley and not be fazed.

Safety Kenny Tate, cornerback Cameron Chism and running back Davin Meggett share a dorm suite on campus. They watch DVDs on upcoming opponents in their room together and talk football constantly.

They’re not easily rattled.

Tate said the key is not to hear the opposing crowd. The safety, who has been getting increasing playing time, played safety and wide receiver at DeMatha. But he says the key is that he also played basketball. He once played against phenom O.J. Mayo.

Playing basketball, he said he got accustomed to having fans right in his face. “Don’t even hear them,” he says.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Why do I see lots of shootouts in Maryland’s future? Games like last season’s 42-35 win over Boston College.

Well, of course, you all know why. It’s because Maryland’s offense really does alarm teams when it’s humming along as efficiently as in the past few weeks.

Offensive coordinator James Franklin was talking about scoring 51 points against Eastern Michigan and then he said this: “We scored over 50 points and we still didn’t play even close to our potential.’

It’s not just that Maryland can score, it’s the way they score: fast. So fast that coach Friedgen joked that he wished the offense had run some clock last Saturday to give the defense more rest.

But there are still concerns about the defense, and there are some talented quarterbacks in the ACC just waiting to test the secondary out.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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There are no more problems motivating his players, Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen said today.

There'd better not be, the coach suggested. Not when the Terps face their most challenging game of the young season.

Cal was a good team, but Maryland had the luxury of playing the Golden Bears at home. No such luck this week.

“This starts our ACC season,” Friedgen said. “I told the kids this is kind of a defining game for us to see where we're at. If you’re going to win this conference you’ve got to win on the road. We’ve had only one game on the road (Middle Tennessee State) and we didn’t do very well.”

That's the thing about Maryland's non-conference schedule: it didn't build in a lot of road tests.

View video of Ralph Friedgen's news conference:

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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You can either love Death Valley or you can be intimidated by it.

Coach Friedgen says he hopes it’s the former for the Terps on Saturday. Friedgen and his players reflected today on Clemson Memorial Stadium, which seats 81,473.

“It’s really great,” said Friedgen, a smile crossing his face. “I’ve played there so many times in my career. It’s what college is all about. I really like playing there. It gets the juices flowing.
It’s one of the unique places to play in the country.”

Senior center Edwin Williams said he gets a rush every time he runs out of the tunnel there. “It’s completely orange. It’s blinding really, there’s so much orange,” he said.

Coaches want the younger players to be similarly energized by the environment -- not awed by it.

The Terps beat Clemson 13-12 in Death Valley two years ago, then lost in College Park last season.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Coach Friedgen said today he was close to redshirting freshman defensive back Cameron Chism. But that’s a luxury the Terps can no longer afford.

Not with the team's injury-depleted secondary and an impending visit to Clemson.

Chism got the call -- "I need you," Friedgen said he told him -- after Richard Taylor needed surgery for a knee injury. He's not expected back this season.

Chism lives in a dormitory suite with freshman safety Kenny Tate and freshman running back Davin Meggett. That’s a lot of football firepower in one room.

"Davin Meggett has played very well as a true freshman. I’m hoping Cameron Chism can do the same," Friedgen said today.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Just as the offense seems to have found a comfort zone, Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen is in the unenviable position of plugging defensive holes as the team prepares for Clemson.

First, the good news for Maryland:

The coach confirmed today he’s getting back defensive lineman Travis Ivey.

“It’s just a question of how fast he’ll be ready. We’ve got to be careful not to do too much too soon and refracture his foot,” Friedgen said.

At the least, Ivey will help spell Jeremy Navarre, who has been in for over 70 plays per game.

Terrell Skinner’s expected return should also help the secondary.

But Friedgen doesn’t know if he’ll have defensive back Nolan Carroll back. He’s listed as questionable. And defensive back Richard Taylor is out for the year.

“Where we’re hurting right now is at the corner position,” Friedgen said. “I’m hoping [sophomore defensive back] Michael Carter can come on,” the coach said. He may also turn to freshman defensive back Cameron Chism.

More on Chism is upcoming.

Here’s an abbreviated, early peek at the injury situation:

* Out: DB Richard Taylor, DB Dominique Herald

* Questionable: DB Nolan Carroll, LB Adrian Moten, DL Mack Frost

* Probable: DL Travis Ivey, RB Da’Rel Scott, DBTerrell Skinner, DB Drew Robinson

Posted by Jeff Barker at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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What the heck is going on?

North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates is down with an ankle injury. This follows Virginia’s Peter Lalich (disciplinary) and, of course, Maryland’s Jordan Steffy (wrist). Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor hurt his ankle, but may be OK for Saturday’s game against Nebraska.

Fortunately for Maryland, Chris Turner is feeling just fine.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Has Clemson turned it around since getting thumped by Alabama in the season opener?
It’s hard to tell, and here’s why:

Many major-college teams play such soft non-conference schedules that it’s difficult to gauge where they are before league play kicks in. Clemson falls into this category (as does Maryland, by the way).

How can you really assess Clemson against The Citadel (Clemson won, 45-17) or against South Carolina State (Clemson won, 54-0)? This is the equivalent of the NFL preseason.

I’m constantly muttering under my breath these days about such games because they exist solely to provide home games and wins for the dominant school so as not to hurt their bowl prospects. It’s not really about football, and it sure makes it tough for fans to assess whether their teams are prepared for the games that matter most.

Clemson did have one “test” since its season-opening loss to Alabama, beating N.C. State 27-9 at home. The talented Tigers have been starting three freshmen on the offensive line.

Back with lots more tomorrow after the weekly media day.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
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Maryland may get back some key guys from injury Saturday -- and just in time.

Coach Ralph Friedgen said today that defensive backs Terrell Skinner and Nolan Carroll could return against Clemson. So might defensive lineman Travis Ivey.

Friedgen has been playing with a depleted defense that has given up huge passing yards the past two games.

In the Cal game, coaches blamed the lapses mostly on players getting tired in the second half and cramping in the heat.

Against Eastern Michigan, Friedgen said linebackers were victimized by medium-range throws.

The improving injury situation should help (although there were new injuries Saturday to defensive players Adrian Moten and Dominique Herald).

But will the returnees be enough to fix what ails the defense? Lots of pressure from the defensive line would certainly help reduce the secondary’s burden on Saturday.

And Da'Rel Scott's return at running back could help Maryland's time of possession, keeping the defense off the field.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Terps football
        

The Terps clearly enjoyed themselves today on the field. You could see it in their jubilation on the field – particularly after the gadget-play touchdown pass to Isaiah Williams.
Coach Friedgen didn’t enjoy that celebration quite as much. It cost the Terps a 15-yard penalty.
“I don’t totally agree with the (celebration) rule but it’s the rule. If that was a close game, that could be the thing that kills you,” Friedgen said. “If that happens again, I’m going to be angry. Let me say that again. Angry.”
If Friedgen seemed less than thrilled after the game, it’s because he knows the schedule ahead gets much tougher.
And the Terps looked injury-depleted in the defense backfield, where they played without Terrell Skinner, Nolan Carroll and Richard Taylor. Maryland has given up about 700 passing yards the past two weeks.
But let’s look at some of the high points and some of the quotes. This was a win for the Terps, after all.
* Chris Turner looked miffed when told that Friedgen said the Terps were almost scoring TOO fast because the defense wasn’t getting enough rest. “Any score is a good score,” the quarterback said. “I don’t know what that means.” Turner said of Clemson: “Every time we go down there it’s a crazy game for one reason or another.”
* Darrius-Heyward Bey, for one, said he’s forgotten all about the Middle Tennessee State loss. “I erased it. It’s in the newspapers, but in my mind we’re 3-0,” he said. Heyward-Bey also said he looks forward to more trick plays so long as he’s not the passer. “I can’t throw,” he said.
* How many times have you seen an 80-yard drive in which one runner accounts for all the yardage? That’s what Josh Portis did in the fourth quarter. Earlier, Portis just missed Oquendo on a rare deep pass. Fans seemed stunned when they realized the running quarterback was actually going to throw.
 Adrian Moten had a punt block and interception – not a bad day at all.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Terps football
        

The Terps may be leading, 24-14, at the half, but they're giving up passing yardage in scary chunks. By my calculations, Eastern Michigan quarterback Kyle McMahon has pass completions of 19, 20, 23, 30 and 34 yards.

Maryland should still win this game comfortably. But McMahon, who hadn't started a game this season, is 16-for-22 for 216 yards.

The Terps are missing a couple defensive backfield regulars today -- Terrell Skinner and Nolan Carroll.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Coach Friedgen had worried all week about short, directional punts by Eastern Michigan.

So what happens?

The first Eastern Michigan kick couldn’t have been any shorter – another way of saying it was blocked.

Adrian Moten got the Terps' first punt block since Josh Wilson against William and Mary in 2006.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Obi Egekeze, fighting for his job, got a nice, easy kick to start the game.

Who knows how many more failed kicks coach Friedgen would have tolerated?

But Egekeze hit a 23-yarder to make it 3-0 Terps.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Maryland athletic department officials are hoping the fans are just slow to emerge from their tailgating. Whatever the reason, the stadium isn't looking very full.

One lineup note: Anthony Wiseman will start today in the defensive backfield in place of Nolan Carroll (leg).

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Terps football
        

Seems like everybody's talking about the gorgeous weather at the stadium here today. That's what happens, I guess, when the Terps are playing a three-touchdown underdog.

Obi Egekeze probably isn't thinking about the sunny day. He's being shadowed, or so it seems, by Nick Wallace in pre-game warmups.

Every time Egekeze looks over his shoulder, there's Wallace -- his potential replacement -- lining up a practice kick. Wallace seems to have a strong leg, hitting from 52 yards in warmups. But, of course, it's all about consistency.

Here's a bad sign. I Googled "Egekeze" and "crossbar" and came up with 986 hits.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Everybody enjoy that play in the Cal game in which Da'Rel Scott tried to throw a tailback option pass back to Chris Turner?

Gadgets are fun. That one didn't work too well, though. The pass fell incomplete.

But the play did lead to my favorite quote of the week from James Franklin, who said Darrius Heyward-Bey was so open in the end zone that he was "nude." Apparently, Scott didn't see him.

This is all a way of leading into a comment coach Friedgen made yesterday. He said to expect more "gadget" plays in the future to try to catch the defense off guard.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 5:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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No Terps fan can be happy about that loss to Middle Tennessee State that ruined quite a few of their weekends.

But then there’s this ...

If not for that defeat, Maryland would be approaching a letdown week. Eastern Michigan comes after a rousing non-conference win and before the start of the ACC schedule against Clemson.
That’s like two peaks with a deep valley in the middle.

Eastern Michigan comes off two losses in which it gave up big points and surrendered giant chunks of rushing yardage.

The Middle Tennessee loss – and too bad it took a game like that to get the Maryland kids’ attention – seems to have delivered a missive about the dangers of taking a week off.

“That’s my theme right now. We’ve got to play this week better than we played last week, regardless of who we play against,” coach Friedgen said. “We have to keep on getting better, and that’s how we’ll have a good season.”

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Kenny Tate is just a freshman. But each time he enters at safety -- as he did on the third defensive series last week against Cal -- he’s thinking, “Please, throw the ball my way.”

Tate is a former wide receiver, of course. I think he misses the ball.

"Being a freshman, they see me back there and they’re like, 'Oh, he doesn’t know what he’s doing,'" Tate says.

He hasn’t gotten his hands on one yet. But if he does, he’ll likely catch it.

It’s comforting for Terps coaches to have such a sure-handed safety. He’s surely got better hands than many NFL safeties or cornerbacks. Does the Redskins’ Carlos Rogers come to mind for anyone here?

Tate also gets in on special teams and has made four tackles this season. Coach Friedgen is going to use him Saturday as the short man on punt returns.

At the end of the year, he’ll have a decision to make. "He (Friedgen) said I had the option of going back to wide receiver next year," Tate said.

Said Friedgen: "I think he's going to be really good whether he goes back to wide receiver or stays at safety. He really has tremendous hands. He made a couple plays the other day that were like, 'Whoa.'"

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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As expected, Da'Rel Scott, fifth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing at 135.7 yards per game, was listed as questionable when the injury report was released for Saturday's game.

These players were all listed as out Saturday:

Tyler Bowen (leg), Joe Faiella (leg), Mack Frost (leg), Travis Ivey (leg), Drew Robinson (shoulder), Carl Russell (leg), Terrell Skinner (leg), Jordan Steffy (hand), Richard Taylor (leg), Joe Vellano (shoulder) and LaQuan Williams (leg).

Posted by Jeff Barker at 10:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Running back Da’Rel Scott has been at practice the last two days -- but only in non-contact drills.

“I’d say he’s still probably questionable” for Saturday, coach Friedgen said today.

Also:

• Maryland’s defense has been working hard against the no-huddle, which Eastern Michigan uses on occasion and which gave the Terps fits against Middle Tennessee.

“In 20 minutes we ran 49 plays” against the defense in today’s practice, Friedgen said. “They were dragging. I don’t think we’ll be caught off guard by a fast-paced offense.”

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Freshman Kenny Tate is going to play an unusual role on Saturday. Coach Friedgen is worried about Eastern Michigan’s short, directional punting -- "rugby" kicking, the coach called it -- and so he’s putting the sure-handed Tate in as the short man on punt returns.

“He’s going to play more and more every game,” Friedgen said of the receiver-turned-safety. “This week, he’ll play a very vital part because of their rugby kicking team.”

Friedgen is worried about squib kicks that bounce around and don’t get returned. He’s concerned because Eastern Michigan has left-footed and right-footed punters, making returns unpredictable.

One punter is listed as wearing two numbers -- 39 and 66.

“Something should be unethical about that,” Friedgen said.

Tate's hands are among the best on the team.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen just said he’s sticking with Obi Egekeze as his field goal kicker against Eastern Michigan.

Egekeze is 0-for-5 this season. He’s been in a funk -- he missed a 27-yarder against Cal -- ever since his first attempt slammed into the crossbar in the season opener against Delaware.

Friedgen said Egekeze seems to be trying to "guide" the ball through.

Friedgen had looked at some competition for Egekeze, but said: “We’ll start with him (Egekeze) and see what happens. It’s close, you know.”

Was the decision made out of loyalty? Was it because Egekeze has more experience than
sophomore transfer Nick Wallace and freshman Mike Barbour?

“We owe him that much,” was how Friedgen answered the question.

He said Egekeze had been in tailspins before this season but always found his way out.

Friedgen didn’t say it, but you know he’s anxious to get the kicking issue resolved before the Clemson game a week from Saturday.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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You might recall (Josh Portis certainly does) the play last week in which Portis overthrew Isaiah Williams in the second quarter.

Maryland was up 21-6 when Portis took the snap from the shotgun, wheeled and fired to Williams, who was standing near the line of scrimmage.

It was ruled on the field that the ball didn't travel forward and was a fumble.

But offensive coordinator James Franklin says: "“It wasn’t a backwards pass so it should have just been an incomplete pass. It was poorly officiated."

The Terps regained possession, so it didn't add to Maryland's eventual total of two lost fumbles for the day.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Part of this blog’s goal is to report Terps developments to you quickly. But we want to do more than regurgitate what players and coaches say. We want to analyze what’s going on and have online conversations. We want to have brains. You deserve that.

There seems to be lots of interest in Josh Portis, and I can understand why. He’s still something of a mystery. After not playing for two seasons (he sat out after transferring from Florida, then was suspended for academic cheating), Portis has become something of a practice-field legend -- kind of a back-handed compliment, don’t you think? His teammates love to regale the media with how Portis cut back against the grain in practice, made three tacklers look goofy, etc.

But fans have barely seen glimpses of Portis in games. Is he fated to become a practice hero, or is he one day (this Saturday?) going to show everyone why teammates shake their heads and smile when they talk about how elusive he is?

This being a slow week -- the calm before the ACC-schedule storm -- I thought this would be a good time to look closely at how the Portis experiment is working out.

Let’s make Portis the flavor of the week and address first why he runs most of the time.

It’s true that of his 13 plays, Portis has run on 11. One reason is that -- let’s face it -- the guy can move. Coaches know it, fans sense it. Watch the film of Portis against Cal. You’ll see him fake a handoff to Heyward-Bey on an end-around in the first quarter and make an inside move.

He may be headed for daylight but a Cal lineman slips a block by Jaime Thomas and wraps Portis up. Coaches looked at that video and thought “potential touchdown.”

But not every Portis play is set up as a run. Portis is supposed to read the defense and determine whether to use a passing option.

“If you throw it, it’s because of their soft coverage and the defense is giving you something,” offensive coordinator James Franklin said.

Against Cal, Portis made a proper read when he decided to throw across the line to Isaiah Williams with the Terps up 21-6 in the second quarter. The Terps had three receivers on Williams’ side. The hope was to pitch the ball to one and let the other two block.

But Franklin said Portis took too long getting the ball to Williams. “He needs to have more of a sense of urgency. Those plays are good when you catch the ball and get it out as fast as you can before the defense can react. He took so long getting it out that the defender started getting into his lane and he threw it over the top,” Franklin said.

The ball was thrown too high and was ruled a backwards pass -- a fumble -- but Maryland retained possession. More on this upcoming.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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So how is it determined how many plays Josh Portis gets at quarterback?

Portis got just a few snaps against California. The week before, he got more action. He carried six times for 31 yards against Middle Tennessee State and completed his first pass of the season.

I asked offensive coordinator James Franklin about the discrepancy and about what we might expect this week against Eastern Michigan.

“This is what I’ve told him and really everybody on our team: If he gets four plays and he makes those four plays really good, I would be an idiot not to give him more plays,” Franklin said.

“If he gets five plays and three of them aren’t any good, I would be an idiot to keep putting him in. So he’s in control of his own fate.”

And what does Portis think about being used as a “situational” substitute?

“I guess that’s my role until something happens or Chris [Turner] gets hurt,” Portis said somberly.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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With Da'Rel Scott (shoulder) listed as questionable for Saturday, look for freshman running back Davin Meggett to get more time.

Meggett has 22 carries for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

Maryland coaches would never say this, of course, but it might not be a bad time to rest Scott, who is very sore, against Eastern Michigan and make sure he's healthy for Clemson the following week.

Coaches being coaches, they are averse to speculating about anything besides the game directly in front of them. But you know, in his heart of hearts, that every head coach ponders the full schedule, not just "one game at a time."

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen says Meggett was practicing hard when he first arrived on campus, then seemed to let up. The coach says he mentioned something about this to the running back, and now he's back to the original Meggett.

Friedgen says Meggett is improving as a pass blocker and a runner. "If Da'Rel can't go, he (Meggett) has to come up big for us," Friedgen said.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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The big mystery about Eastern Michigan is its punters.

The Eagles use three. One of them, Patrick Treppa, is listed as wearing two numbers -- 39 and 66.

"We've got to find out who's who, to be honest with you," coach Ralph Friedgen said.

As a trio, they've averaged 35.1 yards per kick for a net of 28.2.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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This is one of those classic “in-between” weeks for the Terps – a dead zone of sorts. Saturday’s game with Eastern Michigan (an opponent that doesn’t look imposing on paper) falls between a big non-conference opponent and the start of the ACC schedule against Clemson.

The players were saying all the right things today about avoiding the sort of letdown that seemed to plague them when they lost at Middle Tennessee State.

“I think we’re a different team now,” said offensive lineman Phil Costa.

Anybody notice, by the way, what Middle Tennessee did Saturday? Its quarterback, Joe Craddock, threw for more than 300 yards in a 20-14 loss to Kentucky. Craddock completed a Hail Mary at the end of the game but the Blue Raiders’ threat ended at Kentucky’s 1-yard-line as time expired.

I’m not saying this excuses Maryland’s loss -– just adding some perspective, folks. Eastern Michigan, by contrast, has lost its past two games -- to Michigan State and Toledo -- by a combined score of 83-27.

Here’s something I didn’t know. I assumed it helped the Terps financially to be on ESPN, as they were on Saturday. But Maryland officials say ESPN pays a rights fee to the ACC for a select number of games. Maryland gets nothing extra for the number of times it’s on.

This week’s game, by the way, is on ESPN360.com.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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* Obi Egekeze put his job in jeopardy by missing a 27-yard field goal.

* Da’Rel Scott looks to be OK after injuring his shoulder.

* Remember that halfback pass by Da’Rel Scott? Offensive coordinator James Franklin said Scott missed the first read. Franklin said Darrius Heyward-Bey was so open in the end zone that he “was nude.” Scott threw incomplete to quarterback Chris Turner instead.

* The Terps finally got their first sack of the season. In fact, they got five. The first one “came like the first series and it was like, ‘All right, now we can just play,” said defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 7:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
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Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott injured his left shoulder in today's game against Cal. The shoulder was being X-rayed and his return to the game is questionable.

Scott has 19 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Chris Turner needed to start today's game playing well and Maryland, which entered the contest with no sacks, needed to apply defensive pressure.

So here are two reasons why the Terps lead Cal 21-6 in the second quarter:

* Turner completed his first five passes and appears in control.

* Linebacker Moise Fokou got Maryland’s first sack of the season on Cal’s first series, and defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre halted a potential touchdown drive by deflecting Kevin Riley’s pass on a third-down play in the first quarter on the Maryland 12.

Today's game features a marquee opponent ranked in the Top 25 on a warm, sunny day. But Maryland officials tell me it's not a sellout, and there are clearly empty seats.

If Maryland had come in 2-0, I suspect it would have sold out before now.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen indicated that kicker Nick Wallace, who played his freshman season at Indiana (Pa.) University, could be used soon.

"Wallace is making a move, so we'll see," the coach said.

Obi Egekeze is 0-4 on field goal attempts this year, including a 37-yard miss last weekend.

Also: Senior defensive tackle Dean Muhtadi could be used on the outside this week to spell Mack Frost, who has been bothered by an ankle injury. And there may be some shuffling along the offensive line, with left tackle Scott Burley playing some on the right side as well.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Coach Ralph Friedgen said today what many Terps fans have been thinking: it’s time for the team to define itself.

His statements following practice reinforced the sense that the Cal game is critical if the Terps are to cast off the label as underachievers -- as talented teases.

“I think it’s time we start showing people who we are,” Friedgen said. “The perception doesn’t match who we are. We have to go out and show people we’re a pretty good football team.”

Said the coach: “We have a character check right now.”

He said he knows Cal is potent but said: “I think if we play our best game, we’ll be in there with them.”

Other notes as the game approaches:

-- Expect to see more of strong safety Kenny Tate, the converted wide receiver. “He’s going to go in the third series this week. I might even put him back on punt returns,” Friedgen said.

-- Sophomore linebacker Dominique Herald, who was suspended for the opening game for violating team rules, wants to redshirt. “We’ll see,” Friedgen said.

-- Thanks for all the predictions. It looks like more of you than not anticipate watching a train wreck instead of a football game.

Of those expecting a competitive game (or even a Maryland victory), many base it on the sense that if the Terps are ever to rise to the occasion this season, this would be a marvelous time.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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I think Maryland-Cal is a classically difficult game to forecast. Here's why:

The definition of a mediocre team -- which is what the Terps still are at this early juncture of the season -- is not a team that plays second-rate football each week. That would be too consistent.

No, a mediocre team is one that plays well one week and poorly the next and then repeats the pattern with maddening variations all season. Or worse: mediocre teams sometimes play inconsistently from quarter to quarter or play to play.

No question, Maryland could still be good this season. But right now, they're like an offshore hurricane in that no one knows exactly where they're headed.

"It's frustrating considering every win is important if you want to go to a good bowl game," quarterback Chris Turner was saying yesterday about the team's early season's woes. "But in the long run it could be a good thing. It could be a wake-up call." Terps fans must surely be hoping that:

* Obi Egekeze doesn't hit another upright or crossbar. The fourth-year kicker has been pretty good in previous seasons. Honest.

* The Terps can keep sophomore tailback Jahvid Best from reminding fans again of Reggie Bush. Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen says Cal uses Best the way Southern California once used Bush.

Best rushed for 200 yards last week in a 66-3 victory over Washington State.

"Last year as a true freshman in camp you saw glimpses of him making huge plays," Cal coach Jeff Tedford said. "He was just getting acclimated to the offense last year when he got hurt (hip). So now that he is an every down back, it doesn't surprise me."

Posted by Jeff Barker at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)
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Like many quarterbacks, Chris Turner says he's a rhythm player. He likes to establish tempo early. Once he hits a few passes, you can almost sense him relaxing. Problem is, that doesn’t always happen.

"I like to get in there and complete a couple passes and maybe get a touchdown or two and then go from there," he says.

Maryland fans should hope for early success for Turner against Cal because it’s likely to dictate whether there's reason for celebration several hours later.

• Maryland is coaching up sophomore Antwine Perez, a transfer from Southern Cal who (along with Jamari McCollough) will replace free safety Terrell Skinner (high ankle sprain) on Saturday.

Coach Ralph Friedgen said today that Perez is known as a hitter ("real aggressive," the coach said) and that they're working with him on his cover skills.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Anybody who has flown from California to the East Coast knows jet lag can take a toll.

So, how unfortunate for the Cal Bears to not only be flying to Maryland, but then to get a noon start time. A night game certainly would have been in better step with their body clocks.

Cal may not be too concerned about jet lag now, but I’ve noticed that Cal players keep getting asked about this by the media. So they can’t help but think about it.

“We have to get our body clock going a couple of days early to make sure that when we wake up, it’s not something new for us,” head coach Jeff Tedford said.

Of course, jet lag may not be enough to slow down a team that scored 66 points on Saturday.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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After studying what is ailing the Terrapins' offense, Maryland coaches have good and bad news.
The good news is that plays are there to be made. Opportunities are presenting themselves.
The bad news is the offense isn't capitalizing on chances to, say, hit Darrius Heyward-Bey in stride so he can run a little after the catch.

"It's not that difficult when you have good protection and drop back and if a receiver's open you hit him. You've got to hit 90 percent of them," offensive coordinator James Franklin said. "And then what you've got to do is hit 50 percent of the balls that are tough." The problems, coaches say, can be corrected.

It's about:

* Timing
* Confidence
* Execution

Maryland has scored 14 points in each of the first two games.

Coaches aren't making wholesale changes for this week's game against Cal. But Franklin said: "I don't think anybody's job is in stone."

Posted by Jeff Barker at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen discusses the Terps' loss to Middle Tennessee State and looks ahead to Saturday's game against Cal in his weekly news conference.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Coach Ralph Friedgen is refraining from making wholesale changes following Maryland's stunning 24-14 loss to Middle Tennessee State.

Not that he didn't consider it. The coach indicated today that he talked to a few players who underperformed but opted against rewriting the depth chart.

"I've actually had a few kids in and felt like maybe now isn't the right time to do it," Friedgen said. "I thought at the meeting yesterday it was very important to be very positive with the players."

Friedgen seems to be going on instinct. His gut told him that now, after two games, it isn't the time to rip up a team that he still believes has character, talent and speed.

But a few adjustments are being made:

* Free safety Terrell Skinner (high ankle sprain) is out for two to three weeks and is being replaced by Antwine Perez and Jamari McCollough. Skinner had a game-clinching interception in the opening-week victory over Delaware.

* Maryland is going to work on defending the the no-huddle offense, which Middle Tennessee used successfully Saturday. In their rush to line up, Friedgen said Maryland defenders sometimes "didn't get the signal so not everybody was on the same page defensively." Said defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre: "I'm pretty sure we'll see more of it (the no-huddle) now. I'm pretty sure some smart offensive coordinators are going to use it more against us." Next up: No. 23 California, visiting the Terrapins for the first time.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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As we ponder the quarterback situation some more ...

It’s worth noting that college quarterbacks are often inconsistent.

There are a few reasons for this:

* They are younger than NFL players and still learning what they can and can’t do on the field. Someone once told me that the mark of mature athletes is that they understand their limitations. College quarterbacks are prone to getting too high when things are going well, and too low – even desperate – when the game is going poorly. Trying to squeeze a ball in between defenders often indicates frustration.

* The level of opposition varies wildly in the course of a college season, more so than in the NFL.

For Maryland fans, quarterback inconsistency is the lesser of two evils right now. Better to have inconsistent play from game to game than consistently subpar performances. Each Maryland quarterback has demonstrated talent, and that talent has got to reveal itself eventually -- we just don’t know exactly when.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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I've often thought quarterback controversies can be sort of fun, at least for the fans.

Fans get to ponder a variety of quarterback possibilities and scenarios. If they don't like the incumbent, they can always imagine that their team's fortunes would improve if only the coach would bring in the other guy to call signals
.
But what if the other guy is summoned and isn't the immediate answer?

That takes some of the excitement out of it. Suddenly, all the optimistic speculation is replaced by ... reality.

You could argue that's what happened Saturday when Chris Turner replaced Jordan Steffy and threw three interceptions in a 24-14 loss to Middle Tennessee State. Suddenly, it became harder to believe the answer to an underachieving offense lay in removing Steffy from the lineup.

But one game does not a quarterback or season make.

Remember last year's North Carolina game? The Turner-led Terps slipped to 4-5 with a loss to a team that hadn't beaten them since 2000. Maryland, which managed only 13 points, seemed to be driving for a tying field goal at the end but Turner's last two passes went incomplete.

Things couldn't have looked bleaker for Maryland and Turner, who then went out the next week and threw for 337 yards in a 42-35 win against a stellar Boston College team.

I'm not saying that'll happen again this week against Cal. But it showed again that you have to assess teams and quarterbacks based on seasons, not individual games.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
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There was much debate last night whether the 24-14 loss to Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro was the worst for Ralph Friedgen since returning to his alma mater.

While Friedgen was honest in taking responsibility for not getting his team prepared, he wouldn't go as far as to say this was the low point of his tenure in College Park.

Trust me, it is.

Friedgen tried to compare losing to a below-average Middle Tennessee team with the youngest personnel in the country to losing at Northern Illinois to open the 2003 campaign, a season that saw the Terps go on to win 10 games and the Gator Bowl.

Northern Illinois was a pretty good team, with a star named Michael (The Burner) Turner. On top of that, the Terps lost in overtime on a controversial play.

The 2003 Maryland team was also coming off an 11-win season in 2002 and was two seasons removed from a 10-win, ACC championship year. This team is coming off a 6-7 year in a stretch of three losing seasons in four years; That team had a solid quarterback in Scott McBrien, a solid kicker in Nick Novak and the best defense in the ACC. This team has none of the above.

As for it being the worst loss ever, I'm trying to come up with another possibility.

Can you?

-- Don Markus

Posted by Don Markus at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (58)
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I was struck by Chris Turner's reaction to being named the starting quarterback for Saturday's game against Middle Tennessee State.

He must have been excited to get his chance. But there was also a sense that this moment wasn't as sweet as it might have been.

For one thing, he felt bad that last week's starter, Jordan Steffy, who has endured well-chronicled concussions, suffered a serious thumb injury.

But I suspect Turner's mixed feelings were also about not being named the starter originally.

"It's almost like you didn't earn it. It's almost like you don't deserve it," Turner said of advancing to first string after Steffy went down.

Turner may seem laid-back, but he's deeply competitive. He really wanted to win the job outright and on merit.

Might he have been named the starter eventually -- perhaps even for Saturday's game -- had Steffy not been hurt? That's something we'll never know.

I profiled Turner in a story that is currently online.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

* You may know Chris Turner's father, John, was the original drummer in Ratt, a hard rock band whose motto was "Ratt 'n Roll."

One of the band's better-known songs is "Round and Round," which could describe Maryland's quarterback situation.

* Terps fans obviously are hoping kicker Obi Egekeze is still confident after missing three field goals Saturday. You can't help but note that he has a new holder this year, Travis Baltz. The program couldn’t find room for last year’s holder, walk-on Matt Goldberg. Goldberg accepted a scholarship in March from the university's M Club, so he would have counted against the team’s scholarship limit. I profiled him last month.

Coach Ralph Friedgen said he has faith in his kicker.

* Maryland was pumping in crowd noise at practice today. That’s not unusual. If they really wanted to duplicate last Saturday’s experience, they’d need to pump in some boos.

* Friedgen said he’s certain Middle Tennessee State will be primed for Saturday’s game. The teams have met twice before, but never in Tennessee.

“This is a game I worry about quite a bit. It’s going to be a different environment. They’ll be like this is their Rose Bowl,” Friedgen said.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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We all know coach Ralph Friedgen hadn’t committed to starting Jordan Steffy at quarterback this Saturday even if he was healthy enough to play.

Now, the choice has been made for him.

Steffy's thumb injury will sideline him for a "minimum" of three weeks, but it's looking like it'll be a little longer.

Some fans may be pleased to see Chris Turner back on the field. No matter which quarterback you preferred, there's no question Maryland's depth has been diminished.

Now Friedgen has to worry about whether he should continue plans to use Josh Portis occasionally as a dual threat at quarterback. Portis ran four plays against Delaware.

Suddenly, Portis is closer to being a starter. Friedgen said it crossed his mind to be more careful with Portis, keeping him on the bench where he can't get hurt. But the coach said he decided to continue his plans to use Portis in certain situations.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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No definitive word yet, but it’s looking increasingly like quarterback Jordan Steffy won’t start at Middle Tennessee State on Saturday.

The math simply isn’t in his favor.

He hasn’t practiced since the Delaware game due to injury, and offensive coordinator James Franklin says it’s highly questionable he’ll practice Wednesday. Franklin says he thinks coach Ralph Friedgen is generally reluctant to start a player who still can’t practice the Wednesday before a game.

Franklin said Steffy wanted to practice Monday but that he wasn’t physically ready. The quarterback’s attitude is a big reason the coaches like him so much.

Maryland has kept Steffy from the media since he injured his thumb in the Delaware game. We're still waiting for the X-ray results.

Friedgen said he didn’t want to subject the quarterback to media scrutiny after two interceptions (and some vocal displeasure by the home fans) against Delaware. I don’t doubt the coaches’ motives, but wonder if their strategy is helpful to Steffy or not.

If Steffy had been available to be interviewed Tuesday, the media would have written one story containing Friedgen’s comments about Steffy -- and Steffy’s comments about himself.

Since Steffy wasn’t available, the media wrote about Friedgen’s comments one day and now will focus on Steffy’s comments when he’s available the next day (Wednesday).

It may have been better for Maryland to get it all over with as quickly as possible -- instead of prolonging the drama -- and let the media and the team and the kid move on.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
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