The Atlantic Coast Conference will announce its 2010 football schedule at 2 p.m. today. Check back after 2 p.m. for updates on the Terps' ACC slate.
Maryland will open the season against Navy on Sept. 4 at M&T Bank Stadium.
Here are some quick hits on Maryland's officially-announced recruiting class. Matt Bracken's Recruiting Report has had much of the info already, so I picked what I thought was new or particularly interesting:
*Toughest get? Ralph Friedgen said it was Max Garcia, a 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive lineman from Norcross, Ga.
Said Fridge: "We were in a very, very hard-fought battle for Max. I think Alabama was very strong with him early. He’s passionate about being a journalist. It really came to us and Clemson."
*One that got away? One that hurt was Brandon Coleman, a wide receiver from Maryland's Bishop McNamara. He committed to Rutgers. Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin said there will be soon a day when Maryland doesn't lose in-state players to other schools. "Coming soon," Franklin said.
*Overall view of the class? "I think we’ve upgraded our speed—we were looking for that -– our athleticism and our pass rush," Friedgen said.
*Did last season's 2-10 record hurt recruiting? "I think it had some effect but I'm very pleased with what we were able to get out of this recruiting class," Fridge said.
*Most interesting position? Quarterback, perhaps. Terps will have six guys at spring practice. Jamarr Robinson begins atop the depth chart. But watch out for Clay Belton, a transfer who played on the scout team last season. Tyler Smith, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound quarterback from Easton, Pa., is in the new recruiting class. "He has that confidence, he has that swagger to him," Franklin said.
*Any surprises? Maryland said Will Yeatman, who plays attack on the lacrosse team, will also play football. He had played tight end at Notre Dame.
Everybody remember Notre Dame 22, Maryland 0?
It was the 2002 Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium, and it marked the debut of Tyrone Willingham as Notre Dame's coach. Feels like ages ago given what's happened since to the Irish, with their coaching carousel.
The Terps may finally get their shot at revenge. Maryland and Notre Dame are negotiating for a possible meeting at FedEx Field in 2011, according to an official familiar with the talks and several online sites.
Fed-Ex Field, the home of the NFL's Redskins, is increasingly becoming a venue for high-profile college matchups. Maryland isn't commenting on the negotiations.
The Sun reported recently that Maryland and Morgan State have agreed in principle to play in College Park this season. And Maryland will play Navy at another off-campus site -- M&T Bank Stadium -- this year. Maryland has one more opening to fill in next season's nonconference schedule. Florida International won't confirm that it will fill that final spot.
I wrote in today's paper that Maryland and Morgan State have reached an agreement in principle to meet in football this fall. Contracts must still be signed before the deal becomes official and is announced by the schools.
I like Maryland's nonconference schedule so far. Each game in its own way has an interesting story line.
*Maryland-Navy: First, there is the proximity of these schools. Then there is the history. Factor in that Navy is coming off a bowl season. What more do you need?
*Maryland-West Virginia: The Terps don't play Penn State anymore, but here's another border rivalry to get the respective fan bases jazzed up...
*Maryland-Morgan State: Assuming the contracts are signed, this would be a first-ever matchup with local flavor.
Who is Maryland's fourth nonconference opponent? Not yet divulged. I have calls in to Florida International -- no response yet -- to see if that might be the fourth.
Maryland offensive tackle Bruce Campbell has told the school he intends to come out early and enter the NFL draft.
Campbell, a junior from Hamden, Conn., was one of the anchors of Maryland’s young offensive line this season along with senior center Phil Costa. Campbell’s season was shortened by injuries (knee, turf toe) and he often played hurt.
“I felt like it was the right time for me to enter the draft,” Campbell said in a statement. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I feel like I’m ready to compete at the highest level.”
Campbell’s size (6-foot-7, 310 pounds) and pass-protection skills make him an NFL prospect. Officials in Maryland’s football program knew there was a good chance he would forgo his senior season. Coaches said they would support him in whatever he decided.
Still, Campbell’s departure is a blow to a line that struggled much of the season. The team will rely heavily next season on young players such as R.J. Dill, who was named this week to the Rivals.com freshman all-conference team.
Maryland said Campbell was completing paperwork today to make his departure official. An announcement is expected later today.
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If Maryland football is to rebound next season, it will rely on the maturation of a number of young players.
Several of those did well enough as freshmen to earn postseason honors.
The school said today that PK Nick Ferrara and DL A.J. Francis were named to The Sporting News freshman All-ACC team. It said Ferrara was also on the Rivals.com freshman all-conference team with OL R.J. Dill and LB Demetrius Hartsfield.
Ferrara was 18 of 25 on field-goal attempts and made 7 of 10 from 40 yards or more. He could end up as one of the school's best kickers ever.
Largely lost in a downer of a season was the way he filled in at punter when Travis Baltz was injured. He never looked like a backup punter.
Here is what I like about Ferrara:
*He has a strong leg
*He is an athlete, not just a kicker
*He does hot yoga, is something of a character, and has an accent that makes him sound like a cast member on HBO's "Entourage."
Think it will be hard for Maryland football to rebound from a 2-10 season?
Al Golden knows something about coming back from a disastrous year -- or many years.
Golden coaches the Temple Owls, who recently accepted a bid to play in the EagleBank Bowl on Dec. 29 at Washington's RFK Stadium. The Owls will play Army or UCLA. The matchup will be determined by the winner of Saturday's Army-Navy game.
Until this season, Temple (9-3) hadn't had a winning year since 1990. The Owls hadn't been to a bowl game since 1979.
So how do you turn things around (besides recruiting, which is the obvious answer)?
"We had to change the culture," Golden told me recently. "There was a losing mindset."
The turnaround season has made Golden one of America's hot coaches. "I think there is probably speculation about 75 coaches in America (changing jobs), and about 70 aren't really candidates," he said.
Terrapin Club president Rick Jaklitsch calls it the “keep the faith” message.
He’s referring to a pitch from Ralph Friedgen that Jaklitsch says was just e-mailed to season-ticket holders and club members. The club, as you know, provides scholarship funds.
The message basically makes a case for optimism on the heels of a downer of a season. It talks about the team’s youth and building blocks for the future.
Said Jaklitsch: “They’ve found the quarterback who can do the job for next season and
their lineman are going to mature.”
Maryland will obviously be making a big push for season tickets, which have dropped the past five years.
With the Terps eagerly seeking more wins next season, I glanced ahead at what I know about the next schedule.
Here's what I know:
Non-conference: Navy (in Baltimore), West Virginia.
ACC road games: Clemson, Boston College, Virginia and Miami.
ACC home games: Wake Forest, N.C. State, Florida State and Duke.
Please chime in if you know more. I've heard about other possible non-conference opponents, but don't know if they got locked in.
This schedule looks a bit easier to me than this season's (no Virginia Tech), and the Terps again avoid Georgia Tech.
--Jared Harrell, a senior defensive lineman, obviously won't be around for another Terps season. But he says he's pleased to see Fridge return. "We never took a day off. And a lot of that is because of the big guy," Harrell said.
--Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller is nothing if not candid. This is what he said about Friedgen's recruiting:
"Ralph is an alumnus, he's a fine person, he's a good role model. He has let down in terms of recruiting the past five years."
Miller said Maryland coaches aren't nearly visible enough recruiting in the D.C. region. "They (kids) have got to be sold and they’ve got to be approached," he said.
--We'll never know exactly what was said in the meetings between Ralph Friedgen and Debbie Yow. We can make educated guesses. Clearly, Yow was concerned that losing seasons (four out of six years) not become the norm. I asked Friedgen's attorney Tuesday about the debate surrounding his client and what specific arguments he would make for Fridge's return. Here is some of what attorney Jack Reale said---his "argument."
"Dating back to 1987, 14 seasons, Maryland experienced only two winning seasons before Ralph’s arrival," Reale said. "Both were 6-5 and they participated in one bowl. This was the body of work of three different head coaches. The combined record from 1991-2000 was 35-64 for the decade and they had not had a winning season (6-5) since 1995. Coach Friedgen’s teams, in nine years, have won 31 more games (66-46) than in the previous 10 years."
Reale also brought up attendance, saying Maryland averaged about 30,000 in the five years before Friedgen and about 50,000 in the Friedgen-coached seasons before last year. "So, I am puzzled," Reale said in conclusion. "Who is it that sees the cup as half empty?"
My story for tomorrow's paper attempts to look ahead at challenges that Ralph Friedgen faces -- with his staff, his team and in his relationship with athletic director Debbie Yow.
Friedgen said today he would evaluate “everything” – including his staff and recruiting efforts.
“I’m always going to do what I have to do to make the program better,” he said. He said he was not ordered to make staff changes.
His contract, which pays about $2 million a year and expires in January 2012, says the coach “shall have the right to select and retain nine assistant coaches, subject to the approval of the athletic director.”
Ralph Friedgen is returning as Maryland coach. I presume he's happy about that because it beats the alternative. But his task won't be easy.
For one thing, his relationship with athletic director Debbie Yow is strained. We've reported on that before.
Also, he knows he needs to get his young team to gel in a hurry. No doubt there is talent. There hasn't been much written about him, but I think running back D.J. Adams, a redshirt this season, is potentially a top back. But he'll need an offensive line. And Maryland's defense needs to stop giving up so many big plays.
Yes, there is talent. There are also a lot of moving pieces that need to mesh together quickly.
"He has assured the University and fans of his intentions to do whatever is necessary to become a top 25 program again," Yow said.
Yow's prepared statement:
“Coach Friedgen and I are in complete agreement on the expectation to return the football program to its competitive stature. He has assured the University and fans of his intentions to do whatever is necessary to become a top 25 program again."
Friedgen's statement:
"Keep the faith. We have a lot of guys coming back next year and I believe in this team very much. I think the future's pretty bright. We have three impressive young quarterbacks that are pretty good. We have all our running backs returning, as well as our wide receivers. All of our offensive linemen are back, except one, with a full year of experience under their belts. We had a very young team this season. We took our lumps this year, but we won't be taking our lumps next year."
Friedgen will be available to the media this afternoon.
Coach Friedgen found out in a phone call this morning from athletic director Deborah Yow that he was being retained as coach.
He planned to spend much of the day calling recruits and telling them he was returning.
This will be his 10th season at Maryland.
We have no evidence of any shakeups on Friedgen's staff.
Ralph Friedgen is returning as Maryland football coach.
We are posting a story now and will have details very soon.
I've been thinking about how many ways you can dissect Ralph Friedgen's record. Here are some:
*You can say that Maryland has had losing seasons in four of the past six years.
*You can say that Fridge has taken Maryland to bowl games in six of his nine seasons, winning four.
*You can say that he's 35-38 since the three double-digit-winning seasons in 2001-3.
*You can look at the ten years and three coaches that preceded Fridge. Their combined record was 37-73.
Some of you have been speculating about how the coach-in-waiting plan developed.
Let me tell you what I know:
*Head coach Ralph Friedgen, athletic director Debbie Yow and coach-in-waiting James Franklin were all involved in the negotiations.
I can't look into Friedgen's heart and tell you exactly how he feels about it.
I do know that Friedgen likes Franklin, and that Franklin considers him a mentor.
I interviewed Friedgen and Yow together over the summer and he told me that Franklin was considered a candidate for the head coaching job almost from the day he returned to College Park. Friedgen said the plan was "that I would bring him in and show him things and try to groom him for that position."
Said Friedgen then: "The reason I consented to this is because I think it's a way for us to do well for many more years, long after I'm gone."
I do think that head coaches can feel boxed in by succession arrangements that have a strictly defined timeline. Friedgen is no different. He suggested during that interview that he wanted to leave on his own time.
I've been wondering who has the right to hire and fire assistant football coaches -- head coach Ralph Friedgen or athletic director Deborah Yow.
Let's go to the contract language.
Friedgen’s contract gives him a limited right to hire and fire assistants. He can't buck her wishes.
“The coach shall have the right to select and retain nine assistant coaches, subject to the approval of the athletic director,” the contract says.
Ralph Friedgen met with athletic director Debbie Yow for a second day today with no announcement on his job status.
There is no evidence that any of Friedgen's assistants have been fired either.
I believe this will be resolved soon -- tomorrow perhaps? -- since I can't imagine anybody wants to stretch this out much longer.
Talks continue today between coach Ralph Friedgen and athletic director Debbie Yow over his future.
We'll provide updates when we get them, but it may be awhile..
I wouldn't read anything into the length of the discussions. I think this was always intended to be a lengthy review. The discussions began Sunday.
Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen today began discussions with athletic director Deborah Yow about his future.
The talks are expected to continue as soon as Monday. I've filed a story on this.
A few points:
*We asked Yow about the job security of Friedgen's assistant coaches and she replied in an e-mail that Friedgen “is the person you should talk to about any potential staff changes, since those choice(s) belong to the respective head coach in each of our 27 sports."
Might there be pressure on Fridge to cut loose an assistant or two? We don't yet know.
*Doesn't it sound to you like Fridge is proposing an option-style offense assuming he is the coach next season? Keep in mind that he said on Saturday that he had some "ideas" to share with Yow during their meetings about the offense and the defense.
Friedgen said he had talked to offensive coordinator James Franklin about some changes in Maryland's approach. He said the plan wouldn't have suited outgoing quarterback Chris Turner, who is not particularly mobile. Pretty clear that the Terps want a dual-threat sort of attack next season that could utilitize Jamarr Robinson's quickness.
Franklin, by the way, once informally ranked the quarterbacks for me in terms of speed. He said Robinson was fastest, followed by C.J. Brown, then Danny O'Brien and then Turner. He didn't rank transfer Clay Belton.
Here's more from Friedgen on what he told his players:
"I told them that I expected to be back and that if I'm not, that I wanted to tell them how much I love them and appreciate them."
"Because sometimes when things happen you don’t get that opportunity.
But that’s all I said to them. But I do expect to be back."
Ralph Friedgen just said he expects to be coaching next season.
He said he told players that as well.
Athletic director Debbie Yow is here listening at Gossett Football Team House.
Redshirt sophomore Jamarr Robinson came in at quarterback following Maryland's third series. He completed his first four passes and is now 4-for-5 for 51 yards.
He led the Terps on their only touchdown drive.
This is senior quarterback Chris Turner's last game, and he is 5-for-8 for 55 yards. Is he done for the day? His sprained knee may be bothering him (he's wearing a brace). Or Fridge may decide that Robinson's mobility is needed, or that he wants to think about the future and go with Robinson the rest of the way.
Boston College 16, Maryland 10 halftime
Senior Chris Turner, playing his last college game, gets the start at quarterback.
It's his first action since spraining his knee in the second quarter of the N.C. State loss on Nov. 7.
Turner was 3-for-4 passing and led the Terps on a 66-yard, seven-play drive on the first series, culminating in a 32-yard field goal.
Good chance that quarterback Jamarr Robinson also sees action today if he is healthy.
Maryland 3, Boston College 0 first quarter
*Logically, a win by the Terps today against Boston College shouldn't matter all that much in the larger scheme of Ralph Friedgen's career and his future. I mean, it's the difference between finishing 2-9 and 2-10 this season. But I can't shake the nagging feeling that it matters to Friedgen's fate, if only a little.
Don't coaches get judged partly on whether they retain a hold on their team -- whether the team is still motivated and on an upward arc? Maryland looked a little lost against Virginia Tech two weeks ago but showed improvement last week against Florida State in a game the Terps should have won.
If you were about to meet with the athletic director about your job, wouldn't you want to be coming off a win instead of a seven-game winning streak? Friedgen urgently wants to win.
*I'm not expecting a decision on Friedgen's fate for a few days, by the way. This is going to take a little time for athletic director Debbie Yow to render her decision. And what if Fridge had to make some concessions (such as staff changes etc.) to keep his job? That could take some time to sort out as well.
I wrote a story for today's paper on the latest involving coach Friedgen's future.
I'm going to let the piece speak for itself. http://bit.ly/61behA
But I will say this: all the drama is sure going to make Saturday's Boston College game more compelling.
How will Friedgen, fans and players react to the possibility that this could be his last game at his alma mater? Of course, the focus has to be on football. But we're all human. And there are lots of passions being stirred as this plays out.
Let me repeat something -- given all that has transpired this week, how badly do Fridge and the Terps want to end this losing streak on a drama-filled day on the last day of the season?
Some developments to look for this week, not all of them on the field...
Monday: Athletic Director Debbie Yow said she plans to attend the Monday meeting of the football team to thank the players for their efforts as they prepare for Boston College. This will occur about a week before she sits down with coach Ralph Friedgen at a meeting to discuss his future.
I get the sense this meeting will be wide-ranging. Lots to talk about, right? Won-loss records, number of postseason appearances, ticket sales, direction of the team, players' academic performances, Fridge's fund-raising and image, recruiting and more.
I've talked to a half-dozen boosters who have said they knew of no private efforts to raise money to buy out his contract. Of course, they can't rule out that the university might come up with the funds on its own if Friedgen were let go.
I'm not invited to the meeting, by the way.
Tuesday: Quarterback Chris Turner (knee) may be able to practice. He could try to play Saturday in what would be his final college game.
Here's the weird part: until Saturday, you'd have thought Turner gave the Terps the best chance to win. He still has experience and poise and toughness, of course. But mobile Jamarr Robinson was so much better reading the defense against Florida State than he was against Virginia Tech. Of course, Florida State's defense isn't quite as fierce as the Hokies'.
I'm guessing Turner, if healthy, gets the start as thanks for his career. But it sure would be tempting to play Robinson given his perfornance against the 'Noles and the fact that you want him to continue to develop for next season.
This looked like a win. I think the key play was when freshman kicker-punter Nick Ferrara -- who has had a very good season -- couldn't punt the ball out of bounds with the Terps leading and about two minutes left.
Florida State's Greg Reid, the ACC's leading punt returner, took it back 48 yards and the Seminoles were in great position to score the game-winning touchdown.
Having said that, how many backup punters in college football can do it as well as Ferrara (who averaged 43 yards) did Saturday?
Here are some random notes:
*Maryland tried in any way possible – including swing passes and a handoff -- to get the ball to wide receiver Torrey Smith, the school’s career leader in all-purpose yards.
Smith had seven catches for 74 yards and three kickoff returns for 62 yards.
But Smith appeared to miss a scoring opportunity.
In the second quarter, Smith took a pass from Jamarr Robinson 37 yards before slipping on a cutback at the Florida State 43 with loads of running room in front of him.
Said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen of the play: “Smith is out in the open and trips and falls.”
Friedgen cited another play in which he said Maryland endured bad luck. In the first quarter, Florida State running back Jermaine Thomas bobbled a handoff, recovered it on one bounce and scored to make it 7-0.
Said Friedgen: “They fumble the ball on the goal line and it bounces right up into their hands and they score.”
Some more notebook items and an updated game story should be on the site soon.
With Maryland trailing 14-13, receiver Adrian Cannon caught a swing pass, slipped a tackler and raced into the end zone for a 20-yard score on the opening possession of the fourth quarter. A two-point conversion pass failed, so Maryland led 19-14.
Offensive lineman R.J. Dill cupped his hand to the ear hole of his helmet as if it to say to the Florida State crowd, “Where’s the noise now?”
But, just like that, the noise returned. The Seminoles regained the lead on their next possession when receiver Bert Reed raced 42 yards on an end around. A two-point conversion pass to Taiwan Easterling put Florida State ahead 22-19.
Florida State 22, Maryland 19 fourth quarter
Maryland had practiced during the week by piping in audio of Seminole fans’ “war chant.’
But the crowd of 66,042 – capacity is 82,300 – is not one of the school’s biggest or loudest. There are plenty of open bleacher seats in the end zones and corners, despite it being “Senior Day” and the final game for longtime defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.
Florida State 14, Maryland 13, third quarter
Maryland scored an offensive touchdown. I promise.
It was the first such touchdown for the Terps in almost eight quarters since starting quarterback Chris Turner sprained his knee in the second quarter against N.C. State two weeks ago and Jamarr Robinson replaced him.
It was set up by the defense.
The Terps trailed 14-6 in the second quarter when linebacker Alex Wujciak intercepted E.J. Manuel’s third-down pass and ran 82 yards to the Florida State 7. Wujciak had returned an interception 70 yards two weeks ago.
Three plays later, Maryland had a fourth and goal at the 1 and opted to go for it. Running back Davin Meggett plowed into the end zone, cutting the deficit to 14-13 in the final minute of the first half.
Florida State 14, Maryland 13 halftime
Running back Da'Rel Scott got the start for Maryland today against Florida State after missing five games (wrist).
Maryland has run Scott a bunch with only moderate success. He has six carries for 16 yards.
The Terps are now "working" on a streak of seven straight quarters without an offensive touchdown since Chris Turner sprained his knee in the second quarter of the N.C. State game and was replaced by Jamarr Robinson. Robinson got the start again today.
Florida State scored on its second possession after Greg Reid took Nick Ferrara’s 54-yard punt back 33 yards to the Maryland 41.
The Seminoles moved to the 3, where Jermaine Thomas bobbled a handoff, recovered it one bounce and scored to make it 7-0.
Maryland didn’t make a first down until the final moments of a first quarter in which the Terps totaled 11 passing yards.
The Terps won't have a chance unless Robinson, in his second career start, can hit a few passes .to loosen up the Seminoles defense.
Florida State 7, Maryland 0, second quarter
The latest NCAA graduation success rate figures are out, and two Maryland teams – women’s soccer and women’s swimming – recorded perfect, 100-percent scores.
Some other sports, including men’s basketball and football, didn’t fare as well. The team’s coaches said both programs have made progress that is not reflected in the current figures but will be in future years.
The data released this week covers the four freshman classes who entered from 1999 through 2002.
“We’ve graduated eight of our last 10 players and our three seniors are on schedule to graduate, and our underclassmen are doing very well,” men's basketball coach Gary Williams said.
Maryland has said in the past that the rates for men’s basketball were lowered by players leaving to pursue professional careers. Men’s basketball’s rate was 8 percent, men’s tennis was 17 percent, men’s cross country-track was 57 percent and football was 60 percent.
Last year’s announced rates were 10 percent for men’s basketball and 68 percent for football.
“It varies year to year when you have attrition,” football coach Ralph Friedgen said. “I think you have to look at the whole body of work. This year is probably a little lower. Next year I think will be higher.”
The so-called “Graduation Success Rates” counts incoming transfer students and mid-year enrollees. It does not penalize schools for transfers who leave in good standing.
QB Chris Turner (knee) has been ruled out of the Florida State game. That means another start for backup Jamarr Robinson.
"They told me Sunday there is a 50-50 chance he (Turner) could be ready for the last game," coach Friedgen said.
But RB Da'Rel Scott (wrist) may return. Scott will practice today (non-contact) with a brace that allows motion in his hands.
Coaches will assess how Scott is faring and whether he can hold on to the ball adequately enough coming back from his injury. Then a decision will be made on whether he can play.
Also out are safety Kenny Tate and punter Travis Baltz.
You know the numbers: Maryland has been on ESPN360.com seven times this season.
But the Terps game against Florida State on Saturday will be on television locally. Specifically, it's on WJZ-TV (CBS 13) in Baltimore and on WTTG-TV (Fox 5) in Washington. Kickoff is at noon.
It's the fourth TV game for Maryland football this season. The others were California on ESPN2, and Virginia and Clemson (both ESPNU).
Here is Fridge on the loss:
ON THE 'GAP'
"There is a gap (between Maryland and Virginia Tech) right now. One of the things that I hope that will close it is when some of our younger guys mature and grow up. We have to go out and recruit (too)."
ON MARYLAND'S ATTITUDE
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"I don’t see guys with attitudes, I don’t see guys pointing fingers. I’m waiting for it to collapse, I really am.But they keep coming back"
ON WHAT HE SAID AT HALFTIME
"I said, 'We're better than we’re playing right now. I’m disappointed in our energy."
Safety Kenny Tate (high ankle sprain) is probably lost for the season, coach Friedgen said.
Also likely lost is punter Travis Baltz (broken finger).
Can things get any worse for the Terps this season?
Said Fridge:" I’m seeing plays I haven’t seen in my whole coaching career. You just wonder what spell are we under."
Virginia Tech 36, Terps 9 (final)
And the beat goes on.
Virginia Tech has four first-half touchdowns and 12 first downs. The Terps have seven first downs, zero touchdowns.
Jamar Robinson (73 passing yards, including a 21-yarder to Torrey Smith) can't get the offense going, although he is improving
Meanwhile, the Hokies made it 20-3 on a 10-yard swing pass to Dyrell Roberts with 11:37 left in the second quarter. The extra point failed.
The lead became 27-3 after Tyrod Taylor threw over the middle to Jarrett Boykin midway through the second quarter. Safety Jamai McCollough swiped at the ball and missed, leaving Boykin to race into the end zone to complete a 64-yard play.
Virginia Tech 27, Terps 3 second quarter
Terps turnovers: zero
Could Maryland run a Paul Johnson-style option offense next season?
Coach Friedgen isn't ruling it out.
The subject of the option came up at Fridge's media availability today during a discussion about Georgia Tech's success with it this season.
Fridge, who has used a variation of the option when he was offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, said he'd think about it for the Terps next year.
"(Redshirt freshman) C.J. Brown and I think (transfer) Clay Belton could do it," the coach said. "
"I’d like to get back to doing some of that stuff if you can get the right guys."
Starting quarterback Chris Turner (knee) is doubtful for Saturday's game against Virginia Tech.
That means Jamarr Robinson will likely make his first start.
Here is coach Friedgen on Turner::
"Chris is doubtful so we’ll have to see at game time how we make that decision."
Here is Friedgen on Robinson:
"He's had a good week of practice. Some things are not as fast as they need to be."
Robinson completed five of 11 passes for 27 yards against N.C. State and ran nine times for 54 yards, excluding yardage lost in sacks.
Friedgen said he wouldn't anticipate playing freshman Danny O'Brien but wouldn't rule it out if playing O'Brien were necessary to win.
So who do you like at quarterback on Saturday?
*Chris Turner? You can make a case that the fifth-year senior -- if his knee allows him to play, and that's a very big "if" -- has earned the right to try to finish out his college career on an up note. Coaches have obviously felt all season that Turner's experience at running this offense gives the Terps their best chance to win. Turner has had interception problems this season, though.
*Jamarr Robinson? He could be the future, at least in the near term. No doubt he is the most mobile of the quarterbacks, according to offensive coordinator James Franklin. So he gives Maryland a dual-purpose threat -- which is important when your offensive line is porous. But how effectiely can he pass and manage the offense? We don't know yet.
*Danny O'Brien? Playing the freshman sure would be interesting in that coaches rave about his acuity. Said coach Friedgen: "He's very mature for his age. He's very bright. He would have been accepted here at Maryland as a regular student. Came here early, went to summer school. He's in here watching tape all the time." But do you want to burn O'Brien's redshirt in this of all seasons?
Fridge has also said that freshman C.J. Brown should be ready to play. You may list him as a "write-in" on your ballots if you wish.
This is not meant as deep analysis, but just consider:
*After eight games last season, the Terps and the NFL's Redskins were each 6-2. Each faded in the second half. Each won exactly two more games.
*This season, each lost their opener. Each has won two games since. Each has lost their last four. Both lost their quarterbacks this past weekend, although Washington's Jason Campbell returned. A principal problem for each: a struggling offensive line.
*A welcome bye week? Naturally, they had the same one -- Halloween weekend.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Maryland safety Antwine Perez lay on the field after a head-first tackle with 49 seconds to go in the first quarter.
Head coach Ralph Friedgen came out to midfield to see his player. Perez was immobilized and taken out on a stretcher.
Duke began the game with 12 straight pass plays. Harder to pass now that the rain has intensified, but it's what the Blue Devils do.
Maryland, which started Caleb Porzel at running back, forced the only turnover so far -- a Duke fumble.
Duke 7, Maryland 3, 0 Maryland turnovers (second quarter)
*It’s raining off an on here at Wallace Wade Stadium (umbrellas popping up in he bleacher seats). Could keep the crowd down and – possibly – affect the passing game.
*From the press box, the Blue Devils uniforms look like the old Baltimore Colts – similar color blue and similar dual shoulder stripes. If I see “41,” I’m going to think it’s Tom Matte.
*I expect to see Maryland finding inventive ways to get the ball to Torrey Smith, who played some quarterback in high school.
*The early world is Caleb Porzel might start at running back. He'll play plenty either way.
*The Duke press box is incorporated into a building that also houses a medical complex. A sign coming up the elevator asked “patients” to sign in at the desk. This is a first for me – sports writers sharing space with people who have been diagnosed as ill. The positive dimension here is that there are plenty of hand sanitizers around.
Maryland 0, Duke 0 Terps turnovers: 0
*RB Gary Douglas (shoulder) won’t play, leaving the running load largely to Davin Meggett and freshman Caleb Porzel, who is expected to get more action than last week’s six carries. I enjoy watching the speedy Porzel run. Morgan Green and D.J. Adams are the other running backs making the trip.
*Fridge said Terps have practiced well despite their recent play.
“The mood of the team is frustrated, but I haven’t seen it affect their effort,” he said. “It’s more of a ‘Let’s get it right.’ It’s been a very physical week [of practices], and not by design by me. I think we’re mad right now.”
*Duke RB Re'quan Boyette (knee) is out. QB Thaddeus Lewis threw touchdowns to five receivers in a 49-28 win over N.C. State. This is obviously a dangerous Duke offense.
*I expect Terps to try a few direct snaps to Torrey Smith. They're looking to get him the ball as often as possible. Maryland tried it once for no gain last week. Smith has quarterback experience, by the way, from high school.
Quarterback Chris Turner says it was all a misunderstanding.
He says he heard about coach Friedgen's statements after the Virginia game that the coach wanted to get some game time for backups Jamarr Robinson and Danny O'Brien.
Turner says perhaps he was feeling a little insecure. So he needed to check with the coaches and make sure nothing had changed regarding his starting position.
Turner said he learned that the plan -- as it had been for some time -- was to bring in Robinson for a series from time to time and perhaps get a look at O'Brien. But Turner's status had not changed.
"It's over," Turner said of the little drama.
Now, Turner says he simply needs to relax and play football. He said he believes he's a better quarterback than last season and hopes the results the rest of the season will bear that out.
Quarterback Chris Turner's father, John, has posted frequently on insidemdsports.com. He writes about the play of the Terps and defends his son. In September, he posted about his experiences at the Cal game and how he believed some of the fans in Berkeley were rude to his family.
But no post is likely to get as much buzz as his thread over the weekend saying that Maryland should replace athletic director Debbie Yow.
I contacted him to verify that it was indeed his post. He told me that he was making a stand on behalf of the football program. He seemed surprised that his thoughts were worthy of much attention.
John Turner is often referred to in the media by his former occupation -- the original drummer in Ratt, a hard-rock band whose motto was "Ratt 'n' Roll."
I had seen John Turner featured on the Ralph Friedgen television show and I knew he was a vocal fan. Never more so, it seems, than last weekend.
Here's the link to the scoop in today's paper, with Yow's response.
Offensive coordinator James Franklin says he assured Chris Turner that he is the starting quarterback.
"Chris texted me Sunday and wanted to know if anything had changed, and I said, 'No,' " Franklin said.
Franklin said the plan all season has been to find playing time for backup Jamarr Robinson in the right spots.
Robinson had been set to play some against Clemson a few weeks ago, Franklin said. But the quarterback strained a back muscle prior to the game.
Franklin said there "is no doubt" that Turner as a starter gives the Terps the best chance to win.
Here is Torrey Smith's take on Maryland quarterback Chris Turner.
“From the outside looking in – with the media and fans – it might look like he’s doing a terrible job,” the wide receiver said.
“More than likely it’s a lot of stuff that isn’t him,” Smith said. “Chris is a guy, when he’s confident and protected, he’s one of the best quarterbacks out there.”
Coach Friedgen said today he is worried that senior quarterback Chris Turner misunderstood comments the coach made indicating he might want to play two of his younger quarterbacks this season.
“I’m going to talk to Chris. I think he misconstrued some of the things I said,” Friedgen said at team’s media lunch on Tuesday.
Friedgen had told reporters Sunday night he intends to play sophomore quarterback Jamarr Robinson -- and perhaps freshman quarterback Danny O'Brien -- sometime soon. He said “it’s a not a reflection on Chris” but that coaches need to begin to assess their young quarterbacks and provide them game experience.
Today, Friedgen emphasized that he wasn’t dissatisfied with Turner.
“I’m not down on Chris at all. I think he’s one of our leaders, one of our captains. It wasn’t any disrespect towards Chris,” the coach said.
Turner ranks fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in passing. He has completed 141 of 244 passes (57.8 percent) with nine touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He has been pressured more this season than last – and the running game has been less effective – because of the team’s inexperienced offensive line.
Asked today whether other quarterbacks might get a shot, Friedgen replied: “We’re going to do what we’ve got to do to win games right now. We’re not disenchanted with Chris. If we’re not doing better, then it’s a thing where we’ve got to look at next year.”
Coach Friedgen said he intends to play backup quarterback Jamarr Robinson -- and perhaps freshman quarterback Danny O'Brien -- sometime soon.
He said coaches need to begin to assess their young quarterbacks and provide them game experience. Starting quarterback Chris Turner is a fifth-year senior.
"Its not a reflection on Chris. We’re not winning and we need to make some plans for the future," Friedgen said today.
Robinson is a redshirt sophomore. O'Brien is a freshman who has impressed the coaching staff.
"We don’t start doing better, we’ve got to start looking at the future, too," Fridge said. "We’re definitely going to use Jamarr. It's just a question of whether we use O'Brien too."
Injury updates:
*LB Demetrius Hartsfield, who played Saturday with a broken hand, had surgery Sunday and is out about four weeks -- longer than coaches had anticipated.
*Punter Travis Baltz (ankle) is due back against Duke on Saturday. He played as a holder against Virginia on Nick Ferrara's field-goal attempts.
*Running back Gary Douglas (shoulder) is questionable for Saturday.
What else can you look at tonight but turnovers?
Virginia couldn’t navigate up and down the field on its own. It needed some help. It got it.
Consider that the Cavaliers finished with 201 yards. It was the lowest total offense by a Maryland opponent since Florida International got 163 yards in 2007.
Virginia had all of nine first downs. The Cavs also were without their starting tailback due to injury and lost quarterback Jameel Sewell near the end of the third quarter.
Virginia coach Al Groh said the Cavs were playing for turnovers. Was this because the weather conditions were sloppy or because the Terps have acquired a reputation for putting the ball on the turf? It wasn't clear.
“I think the weather was a big factor. The balls were pretty slick,” said Maryland quarterback Chris Turner.
But he also said the team “can’t make excuses right now.”
With Maryland leading 9-6, quarterback Chris Turner’s pass was tipped and landed in the hands of Virginia defensive end Nate Collins.
Collins returned it 32 yards for a touchdown with 1:43 left in the third quarter.
The Maryland turnovers are really what's keeping Virginia in the game.
The question is, can the Terps overcome themselves and find a way to win?
By the way, Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell was injured on a running play and was helped off the field. Junior Marc Verica entered and missed his first two passes.
Virginia 13, Maryland 9, fourth quarter
The Terps had four sacks and a fumble recovery in the first half. That's my big halftime statistic.
Virginia has only five first downs and minus-two net rushing yards to go along with 107 passing yards.
Maryland can run a little -- 81 yards in the half. If they can avoid turnovers, they should win. But I've been saying that for most of the season.
Halftime-Maryland 6, UVA 3.
Maryland is applying pressure on Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell.
The Terps have four sacks in the first half and have forced a fumble. In other words, the blitzes are working today.
But...
Running backs Davin Meggett and Gary Douglas have fumbled for Maryland. Virginia couldn’t directly turn either turnover into points.
A third fumble by Kerry Boykins was recovered by Maryland’s Torrey Smith.
Maryland entered Saturday’s play with 16 turnovers in six games.
This is a field-position game, and the Terps will give away huge swaths of yards if they keep turning it over.
UVA 3, Maryland 3, second quarter
Somehow, the Terps are going to have to protect quarterback Chris Turner against Virginia and create some holes for the dormant running game.
In other words, I see the key to the game as how effective -- or not -- Maryland's offensive line can be.
That's a concern in every game, of course. But blocking for the run game is especially important on Saturday because the Cavaliers have a pretty good pass defense.
Virginia hasn’t allowed more than 190 yards passing in a game this season and surrenders an average pf 163.2 passing yards per outing -- 15th fewest nationally.
But teams did have some success running against the Cavs, at least earlier in the season. Virginia’s rush defense gave up more than 200 yards in losses to Southern Mississippi and TCU.
By the way, it's looking like Virginia RB Mikell Simpson will not play because of a neck injury.
Maryland is looking at playing linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield on Saturday with a broken hand. Hartsfield would have the hand encased in a club-like wrap or cast.
Hartsfield suffered the injury last week at Wake Forest.
"If he starts favoring it and can't tackle, then I’ll get another guy in there," coach Friedgen said today. "I am a little concerned about it. He's basically playing with one hand."
Also: Defensive tackle Joe Vellano (stress fracture) has been practicing "at full speed," the coach said.
The Terps would need to go 4-2 over their last six games just to be bowl eligible. The odds of that happening may seem steep, but Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen can't help thinking about it. That's his job.
"If there’s any strength I draw from our players, it’s the fact that it was 35-10 [at halftime vs. Wake] and everything was going wrong and we had some injuries and yet we played a lot better in the second half,” he said. “That game could [have] come down to an onside kick with us three points down."
More Fridge: “I draw strength from that because of the type of players we have that they hung in there. I’ve been in other situations where that wasn’t necessarily the case. I still have a lot of optimism about this season and I’m hoping we can get a win this weekend and then see where we are health-wise by the stretch run at the end. I haven’t changed in the way I feel about these guys."
Thanks, as always, to Sun reporter Sandra McKee for her assistance.
Running back Mikell Simpson had four touchdowns in Virginia's 47-7 victory over Indiana on Saturday night.
But Terps fans, of course, remember Simpson for something else -- that nationally televised 18-17 Virginia win in 2007, in which the tailback shredded Maryland with 271 all-purpose yards. And he was still a reserve at the time.
Simpson caught 13 passes in a game that is one of Maryland's most notorious in recent years, because the Cavaliers drove 90 yards at the end to win it. Sorry to remind all of you Terps fans. Not that you'd forgotten anyways.
Simpson hurt his neck Saturday. But coach Al Groh indicates he might play. If he does, the coach said he'll need Simpson to be prepared not only as a runner, but also as a pass blocker against blitzes.
"Maryland does bring a variety of different-looking schemes which will be challenging, not only to the offensive line, but particularly to the backs," Groh said.
Maryland did not enjoy much success in the season's first half, but coach Ralph Friedgen says he admires his team's work ethic. The Terps may be young, weakened by injuries and winners of only two of six games, but Fridge says they are practicing with the same enthusiasm as before.
"I haven’t changed how I feel about these guys. They came out and practiced hard last night," he said.
"If anything, I’m proud of them. We’ve got some guys that are nicked up and I’m trying to take it easy on them a little bit so we can get them well, but yet they still want to go. That’s a thing I appreciate very much and kind of love them for it," the coach said.
And here's Fridge on kick returner-wide receiver Torrey Smith, who has emerged as a star this season:
"The type of individual he is, I would be proud to have him as my son. He’s just a great human being. He’s very popular on the team. He’s a very caring person. Last week in the locker room, in the second half and also after the game, he just refused to quit. He’s very special to me."
LB Demetrius Hartsfield broke two bones in his hand against Wake Forest Saturday night and will require surgery, followed by about three weeks of recovery, coach Friedgen said Sunday. It’s uncertain when he will undergo the surgery and whether he might be able to play beforehand.
LB Adrian Moten, who suffered a thigh contusion against Wake Forest, is probable for Saturday’s Virginia game. Offensive linemen Lamar Young (shoulder) and Bruce Campbell (knee) are questionable.
The losses and injuries are mounting. Coach Friedgen is still optimistic -- what choice does he have?
He notes that despite their lapses, the Terps still have only one conference loss -– the same as Atlantic Division rival Wake Forest and fewer than the other division teams.
“I don’t think were out of this thing,” Fridge said.
Some of this will appear in my updated game story, but here it is for you now:
It's one thing for Maryland’s blitzing defense to bewilder a freshman quarterback in a win over Clemson.
It's quite another to shut down a poised, senior Wake Forest quarterback who entered Saturday night’s game as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s hottest passer.
Quarterback Riley Skinner made the Terps pay for their gambling defense.
“They threw a lot of screens into the pressure and Skinner is good about seeing the pressure,” coach Friedgen said. “They’ve got a veteran offensive line that gave Skinner enough time to look downfield.”
The Demon Deacons surpassed 500 yards in a game for the first time since 2005.
“He (Skinner) is probably the best quarterback we’ve played,” said linebacker Alex Wujciak, who had 11 tackles.
Too often for the Terps, blitzes fell short. Downfield, Maryland defenders were getting faked out, missing tackles or both.
“We’re better than this. We know we are,” Wujciak said.
Maryland's offense improved in a second half in which Chris Turner had three touchdown pases. Turner finished with 307 passing yards and was credited with 16 runs.
But, after seeming to grow up the past few weeks, the defense is again a concern, particularly with injuries to linebackers Demetrius Hartsfield (hand) and Adrian Moten (thigh contusion).
.
Maryland LB Demetrius Hartsfield broke his hand and LB Adrian Moten suffered a thigh contusion -- more bad news for a beleaguered defense.
That came on top of losing 42-32 to Wake Forest and surrendering 516 total yards.
"We obviously played poorly in the first half," coach Friedgen said of the opening 30 minutes that saw Wake take a 35-10 lead.
I had said before the game that I was interested to see how fifth-year Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner would handle Maryland's blitzes.
Terps fans, you know the answer but you don't have to like it.
How did Skinner do?
He led touchdown drives on the Demon Deacons’ first five possessions of the game.
The drives went 67, 80, 66, 57 and 77 yards to give Wake Forest a 35-10 lead in the second quarter.
Wake had only one punt in the first half, and it came with under two minutes remaining.
Maryland's gambling defense needs to be sharp or else it gets burned. Tonight, it's gambling -- and losing. The blitzes are falling short. Downfield, Terps defenders are getting faked out or missing tackles or both.
Wake Forest 35, Maryland 10, halftime
QB Riley Skinner, Wake Forest's fifth-year senior, has led touchdown drives on his first three possessions.
The drives went 67, 80 and 66 yards and Wake Forest leads 21-7 early in the second.
How badly does Maryland a stop?
The 21 points were Wake's highest in the first quarter this season.
Total offense? Wake had 213 at the end of the period and Maryland had 22.
Wake is using quick passes and draw plays to neutralize Maryland’s frequent blitzes.
For example, on Wake's second possession, QB Riley Skinner threw 25 yards to Josh Adams on a play in which safety Kenny Tate blitzed.
Wake has nearly 150 yards on its first two possessions.
Caleb Porzel made his first carry for Maryland and lost three yards.
Wake Forest 14, Maryland 7, first quarter.
With Maryland down 7-0, Torrey Smith took the ensuing kickoff 85 yards, setting up Maryland on the Wake 15. The Terps scored in five plays on a 1-yard Davin Meggett run to tie the game.
Smith is just having a wondrous season.
Relying on the run, Wake Forest drove 67 yards in five plays to take a 7-0 lead on its first possession.
Josh Adams took a handoff, bounced outside and took off down the sidelines, evading Demetrius Hartsfield to score from 48 yards out.
Other notes:
*Terps all in white tonight -- white jerseys and white pants. Demon Deacons in black pants and black jerseys. Wake Forest has won eight of its past nine games wearing all black, so the Terps are in a heap of trouble tonight (that was a joke).
*It was raining early here at cozy BB&T Field (cap. 31,500) but now it's merely cloudy, so the weather doesn't appear to be a factor.
*Meggett carried the Maryland flag onto the field, waving it at the red-clad Maryland section in the corner of the stands.
Maryland 7, Wake Forest 7, first quarter
I wrote a story for today on Maryland's defense, which interests me because it's obviously a work in progress.
Defensive coordinator Don Brown compared Maryland's defense to what he had at UMass when he was coordinator there.
"When I went in '98 to UMass, it took us about six or seven games, and then over the last bit of the season right through the [Division I-AA] national championship game we played really well," Brown said.
I'm looking forward to...
*Seeing the pressure that Maryland's defense can apply to QB Riley Skinner against a highly experienced Wake line. That's a big factor tonight -- can the Deacons neutralize Maryland's linebacker and safety blitzes that pressured Clemson QB Kyle Parker last week? If Wake can handle that pressure, it could lead to some long plays for Skinner. As you know, blitzes are a calculated risk. Of course, the Terps know that Skinner is a fifth-year senior and a much different player than the freshman Parker.
*Seeing if one of Maryland's freshman running backs -- Caleb Porzel or D.J. Adams -- can make an impact. Offensive coordinator James Franklin likes to say that Adams runs "like he's mad at you." And Porzel is very quick. Coaches have indicated that one of these guys may play.
*Seeing if yet another Maryland game comes down to the last minute. It just seems like that's what happens when you have so many teams in the ACC with little to separate them.
We'll be offering live analysis and statistics during the game.
By the way, look for some Terps basketball predictions on the blog Monday morning.
Starting left tackle Bruce Campbell (knee) won't be able to play against Wake Forest, Coach Friedgen said.
Fridge had been holding out hope that Campbell might make the trip.
Also out is another lineman, backup Danny Edwards (concussion).
Due to popular demand, I just asked Coach Friedgen about running back Morgan Green's status and why he seems to have moved down on the depth chart.
With Da'Rel Scott out, Maryland's main backs are Davin Meggett and Gary Douglas. Freshmen D.J. Adams and Caleb Porzel -- whom the coaches like a lot -- are waiting in the wings.
Here was Fridge's response:
"(There's) not really an issue. We haven't given up on Morgan. We just see these other kids coming on," the coach said. "He's kind of doing the same thing, he hasn’t really progressed."
He said things could change and that Green, who has been practicing on special teams, could still earn playing time.
The Terps will honor the late Jack Heise, the longtime Terrapins benefactor, alumnus and devout fan known as “Mr. Maryland.”
“I’m not sure all the kids today really know who he (Heise) is,” coach Friedgen said. “I’m going to put his initials on our helmets for the rest of the season.”
Heise, 84, collapsed and died Monday of a cranial hemorrhage after driving home from a dinner honoring Marvin Perry, a fellow Terps booster who died in 2006.
Heise, who graduated from the school in 1947 and married a former Terrapins cheerleader, was all about Maryland.
He had attended almost every football and men’s basketball game, home and away, for more than 50 years. The school said he missed only three Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball tournaments since 1946.
There's more on Heise -- and the letters he regularly wrote to Maryland coaches -- in a story I wrote for today's paper.
You may have noticed Maryland has been rotating its running backs. Last week, it was Da'Rel Scott, Davin Meggett and Gary Douglas.
Look for more of the rotations against Wake Forest Saturday, minus the injured Scott.
"We're planning on doing the same thing this week with Davin, Gary and D.J. (Adams) and possibly (Caleb) Porzel playing," said offensive coordinator James Franklin, who didn't include Morgan Green on the list.
Would it be hard for Maryland to burn a redshirt season for one of the freshman backs (Adams or Porzel)?
"To be honest with you, most of these guys want to play," Franklin said.
Franklin said he has no concerns about the play of Meggett, who fumbled last week and hasn't been quite as effective as last season. Franklin said that's a function of Maryland's offensive line needing to open more holes.
Hard to believe Maryland could have a letdown after a single ACC win, but Fridge said he needs to make sure.
“They’ve been working so hard to get better and then the ball finally bounced our way Saturday and we were able to get a win,” coach Friedgen said. “I think it’s human nature to just want to go ‘ahhh,’ you know. And relax. And you can’t relax. You’ve got to keep going and it’s my job to keep us going."
Clearly, this is a team that isn't good enough or established enough to win without playing its best .
As expected, Davin Meggett appears to be the No. 1 running back now despite his fourth-quarter fumble against Clemson.
“I fumbled last Saturday. I forgot it Saturday night,” said Meggett, the team’s second-leading rusher with 134 yards. “I was reminded of it Sunday and Monday. When we returned to practice I was punished for it. Today, Tuesday, there is no such thing as a fumble. I don’t fumble.”
Friedgen said Meggett and redshirt freshman Gary Douglas will help carry the load in Scott’s absence, as will true freshmen D.J. Adams and Caleb Porzel.
And what of running back Morgan Green?
“He isn’t totally out of the picture, but we want to see these young guys,” the coach said.
And one more thanks to Sun reporter Sandra McKee for her help...
There's still a chance that left tackle Bruce Campbell (knee) could play against Wake Forest.
“Right now, Bruce is not out of our plans for this week,” coach Friedgen said. “We’ll see how it develops.”
But the coach said junior right tackle Paul Pinegar, 6-4, 290 pounds, who played for Campbell after the injury Saturday, is working at left tackle.
“I’ve played two games on each side of the line,” Pinegar said. “I’m able to play left and right. We’ve had a few games without Bruce and we know our other guards can step up. But it’s a bad thing with [running back] Da’Rel [Scott] being out. We’ve got to get our running game going and that means our offensive line has to make holes.”
More coming. Thanks to Sun reporter Sandra Mckee for her help with Terps coverage today.
We're all critics, I know. But you've got to concede that Maryland's defense is improving.
Look at it this way:
Maryland's defense gave up 52 points to Cal, then 28 points to James Madison (one of James Madison's touchdowns came with Maryland's offense on the field, so I don't count that against the defense).
Then Maryland surrendered 32 points to Middle Tennessee State. That averages out to 37.3 points given up per game.
But in the last two weeks, the defense gave up 20 points versus Rutgers (two of the Scarlet Knights' touchdowns were defensive) and 15 points versus Clemson (one of the Tigers' touchdowns came on a kickoff return, but I count the two-point conversion against the defense).
That's an average of 17.5 points surrendered the last two weeks -- a vast improvement from earlier poor performances. I'm not saying the defense is perfect, only that it is improving and that it has played two good games in a row. The unit did have a late letdown against Rutgers.
Consider also that Maryland's defense has often been placed in tough positions because the offense has repeatedly turned the ball over. Terps fans can only hope the defense continues this upward arc.
Sometimes I can see things from the press box that you don't see on the TV broadcast. But sometimes, the reverse is true.
So, come on people. Why didn't anybody alert me that Ronnie Tyler's touchdown catch on a low Chris Turner throw at the end of Saturday's first half was, well, perhaps not an actual touchdown. I watched the television replay many times in my basement. It sort of looked like the ball hit the ground. Actually, that's exactly what it looked like.
I guess the Terps, who haven't had the best of luck this season, can count that one as payback.
Maryland (2-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which entered the Clemson game having lost three of its four non-conference games, suddenly finds itself as the only team in the ACC’s Atlantic Division without a league loss. You wouldn't have thought that "Maryland" and "first place" would go together after the first four games.
“This game with Wake (Saturday) is a very big game for us,” Fridge said today. “Clemson and Florida State were the teams to beat in this division, and both of them have two losses now.”
Boston College, Wake Forest and N.C. State all have one loss in the division. The Terrapins and N.C. State are the only Atlantic Division teams to have played just one league game.
*Running back Da’Rel Scott, who topped 1,000 yards last season, will be out at least five games with a broken wrist, and starting left tackle Bruce Campbell will miss Saturday’s Wake Forest game, head coach Ralph Friedgen said today.
Scott broke his radius, a bone in the forearm that extends to the thumb side of the wrist, Fridge told reporters in his weekly conference call. The tailback might be able to wear a flexible cast later in the season, but “we have to see if he can handle the football or not,” the coach said.
A team doctor told Friedgen that Scott might return for the Florida State game on Nov. 21 – the second-to-last game of the regular season. Scott suffered the break when he hit the ground on the Terps' first series of the second half against Clemson. Maryland upset the Tigers, 24-21.
Campbell, one of the anchors of a largely inexperienced offensive line, suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to a knee. He was scheduled to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on Monday to determine the severity. Right tackle Paul Pinegar, a former walk-on, moved from right tackle to left tackle on Saturday after Campbell went down. Campbell is out next week -- and perhaps beyond.
Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin says fans often ask him why Maryland doesn’t try an option attack.
Franklin says he gears his offense to his personnel. The implication has been that quarterback Chris Turner, who is not a fast runner, wasn’t suited to a dual-purpose role.
But Franklin has grown progressively more comfortable with Turner as a runner. That was evident Saturday.The results were mixed.
In Saturday’s first half alone, Turner carried seven times and was Maryland’s leading rusher. A Turner run came up short on a fourth-and-one play with the Terps clinging to a 24-21 lead with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The quarterback finished with 17 carries for 34 yards, not including losses sustained in sacks.
Turner is 6-feet-4 and 210 pounds and uses his size to bull for yards. He admits he doesn’t possess quickness, saying his runs are “pretty funny sometimes.”
Maryland employed a no-huddle offense at times on Saturday – a scheme Turner likes.
“I’m a big fan of the no-huddle offense. It’s a good change-up,” he said.
Maryland field goal kicker Nick Ferrara says he has been punting for years. But the freshman had never started a college game as the punter until Saturday. Ferrara, subbing for the injured Travis Baltz, could hardly have performed better.
Ferrara’s first punt traveled 61 yards, pinning Clemson at its 4-yard-line.His second punt went 53 yards and was angled toward the sideline so that it could not be returned. That was important because Clemson is among the nation’s best teams at returning punts and kicks.
Later, Ferrara kicked a career-best 43-yard field goal.
Ferrara did kick off short in the second quarter – a nine-yarder that landed near the Clemson 35.
But he later pinned Clemson at its 9-yard-line with a punt in the third quarter – all in all, a good (and busy) day.
“Nick just did an extraordinary job,” Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said.
Some of this may appear in a game story and a notebook to follow,, but I wanted to get it you now:
*It would be hard to overstate how badly the Terps (2-3, 1-0 ACC) needed the win, which resulted largely from holding Clemson to 274 yards, the fewest allowed by Maryland this year. The Terps held running back C.J. Spiller, who on Saturday became the ACC’s career leader in all-purpose yards, to 72 rushing yards and held the Tigers to 4-of-16 on third downs.
* Coach Ralph Friedgen had been desperate for his young Terps to find a foothold to lift a team that had been mired in turnovers and penalties. “I was praying we would find a way to win this thing,” Friedgen said. He insisted he was not fazed by Maryland fans’ criticism during the previous four games, but his post-game comments were delivered haltingly and with obvious emotion. “I don’t care about what you say or what you write. I’ve been at this 41 years,” he said.
*. Clinging to a 24-21 lead, the Terps went for it on fourth and one from its 30 with 6:02 left in the fourth quarter. Friedgen questioned his own judgment on the fourth-down decision, which was supported by his top assistant coaches.
“Fourth down was probably not a smart call for me. (Offensive coordinator) James (Franklin wanted to go for it, the kids wanted to go for it," Fridge said. "I knew our defense was tired. I was letting my emotions get involved, not my brain.”
RB Da'Rel Scott broke his wrist.
Coach Friedgen said he's probably out for the season. Scott had over 1,000 yards last season.
Maryland made the decision to go on fourth and one from its 30 with 6:02 left in the fourth quarter and the Terps clinging to a 24-21 lead.
But Chris Turner’s quarterback sneak came up short.
Clemson couldn’t move the ball and Richard Jackson missed a 47-yard attempt that could have tied the game.
But Maryland fumbled the ball right back to the Tigers.
Maryland 24, Clemson 21, fourth quarter
Not that I'm a coach, but I think Tony Logan won Maryland's punt return job, which has been handled by committee so far this season.
With Maryland leading 17-13, Tony Logan caught a punt and appeared to be hemmed in near the sideline. But Logan, employed as a punt returner after Anthony Wiseman’s first-quarter fumble, cut back across the field and went 43 yards to the Clemson 1.
On third down, Chris Turner pitched to Davin Meggett, who cut inside and scored to make it 24-13 with 4:27 left in the third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, C.J. Spiller broke free of Anthony Wiseman’s grasp and went 92 yards for a touchdown to cut Maryland’s lead to 24-19. A two-point conversion made it 24-21 with 4;11 left in the third quarter.
Maryland 24, Clemson 21 end of third quarter
Da'Rel Scott has an arm injury and will not return today.
Gary Douglas and Davin Meggett are now playing running back. Those two were already alternating carries with Scott before the injury.
Maryland 17, Clemson 13 third quarter
RB Da'Rel Scott is injured. He was sitting on the field surrounded by training staff. Scott walked to a cart and was driven away.
Scott said something to his replacement, Davin Meggett, before leaving and waved to the crowd and pointed to his heart as he was carted away.
Maryland 17, Clemson 13 third quarter
Maryland played its most inspired and sharpest half of the season and is leading Clemson 17-13 at the half.
I sensed Maryland began to gain momentum when Clemson was called for two false-start penalties in the waning moments of the first half. The Maryland crowd -- not into it earlier -- got progressively louder.
The Terps took over following a punt and went 81yards in nine plays. On third and 1 from the Clemson 11, Chris Turner kept the drive going by bulling up the middle for seven yards. On the next play, Ronnie Tyler hauled in Turner’s low, four-yard throw in the end zone to give Maryland a 17-13 lead with 35 seconds left in the half.
Maryland has held Clemson C.J. Spiller to 46 yards on 10 carries, and Jacoby Ford to two catches for 21 yards..
The Terps had one first down in the first quarter -- and 10 in the second.
*Terps are right in this game, thanks largely to defense.
*Chris Turner has seemed a little off today. He badly overthrew Ronnie Tyler and then Gary Douglas on medium-range throws.
But then Turner threw 29 yards to all-world Torrey Smith, capping a drive that went 76 yards in nine plays. Smith made a leaping catch in the end zone to cut Clemson's lead to 13-10.
*Terps can't quite running game going -- six carries for 13 yards in the first quarter. They're turned to Gary Douglas to try to get things going.
*Clemson got a lucky bounce, leading to a field goal. On second and 7, quarterback Willy Korn’s pass went off Dwayne Allen’s hands and into the hands of Marquan Jones for a first down on the Maryland 28. Richard Jackson followed four plays later with a 51-yard field goal with 8:29 left before the half.
*Maryland's defense is frequently blitzing the safeties with mixed success. But again, the defense is playing well overall against a dangerous team.
Clemson 13, Terps 10 second quarter
Maryland's defense is improving from week to week. But the Terps simply can't afford to put extra pressure on its defense by turning the ball over.
Maryland had held Clemson to just one first down on the first two series. But, with the Terps about to take possession near midfield after Clemson's second possession, Anthony Wiseman fumbled the ball back to the Tigers on a punt return.
It was the 14th turnover of the season for Maryland, which had five last week – an alarming number that prompted head coach Ralph Friedgen to have his team work all week on holding onto the ball.
The miscue led to a 41-yard field goal by Richard Jackson, making it 3-0 with 6:06 left in the first quarter.
Clemson --beating repeated safety blitzes -- drove 79 yards in eight plays, taking a 10-0 lead on a 17-yard end around to Jacoby Ford with 1:23 left in the first quarter.
Clemson 10, Terps 0 at the end of first quarter
Terps are in black jerseys today for the first time this year. They're wearing red pants, forming a bit of an unusual combination.
Not that I'm a style maven, but I expected black pants with the black jerseys -- which is what we've occasionally seen from the Terps in the past.
This is different, of course, from the "blackout" game in which fans are encouraged to wear the black en masse. Maryland fans today are wearing their red as usual.
Last season, the Terps had one of their best and -- one of their worst-- games while wearing black.
They shut out Wake Forest, 26-0, but lost 37-3 to Florida State.
Running back Da'Rel Scott, who has fumbled three times in the past two games, has been seen walking around campus carrying a football.
Coach Friedgen said he suggested Scott keep the ball with him to focus on guarding against turnovers.
The coach said he got the idea from a football movie. Turns out it was "The Program."
Said Fridge: "I get very upset with turnovers. I’m trying to keep my poise."
Maryland's turnover ratio for the season is minus-10.
Fridge announced, by the way, that Lamar Young and Andrew Gonnella are likely to start at the guards, but that Bennett Fulper would get playing time. Maryland is still looking for the right combination on its inexperienced offensive line.
Field goal kicker Nick Ferrara will also be the punter against Clemson on Saturday.
He'll step in for punter Travis Baltz, who injured his foot last week when hit by a Rutgers player.
Coach Friedgen was asked whether this was a lot to place on Ferrara, a true freshman.
Fridge's reply was, in effect: What choice do I have?
Quarterback Chris Turner says he's been here before -- on a team that seemed to be going nowhere.
It was November 2007, and the Terps were 1-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference following a 16-13 loss to an inexperienced, turnover-prone North Carolina team that hadn't previously beaten Maryland since 2000.
It looked like Maryland had no shot the following week against Matt Ryan-led Boston College -- particularly since the Terps' offensive line had major injury problems.
"We came back and beat Boston College when they were (eighth) in the country," Turner said this week. "I've been down this road before and I'm just trying to preach that to a lot of the guys that it just takes one game."
Is Turner reaching here? There are few games that have surprised me more than that one at Boston College, won by the Terps, 42-35. I believe Maryland is capable of improvement this season. But I'm not sure the progress will be as dramatic as that memorable, one-week turnaround in 2007.
Former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden sure set himself up for trouble last season.
There he was, heading into the Maryland game. Eager for his team to make a statement, Bowden said the Terps were going to be a “test” for his team and a counter to those who contended the Tigers weren’t playing physical football.
Clemson had been manhandled by Alabama in its opener and had won three in a row over less-than-stellar foes heading into the Maryland game.
Clemson looked like it would skate to victory, taking a 17-6 lead. And then the Tigers collapsed.
The big play came when Maryland linebacker Alex Wujciak stuffed quarterback Cullen Harper on fourth-and-inches to protect a 20-17 fourth-quarter lead for the Terps.
Bowden failed his self-described “test” and was gone a few weeks later.
By the way, Maryland coach Friedgen sounded almost defiant today in talking about his 1-3 team playing revenge-minded Clemson on Saturday in the Terps’ first Atlantic Coast Conference game of the season.
“I haven’t thrown in the towel one bit,” Friedgen said. “I’m still thinking about winning. I’m still thinking about winning the ACC. That’s just the way I am.”
You've probably seen the sites that list the college coaches considered to be on the "hot seat."
Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen is among five coaches listed as on the hot seat by the CBS Sports college football Web page. Fox Sports’ site lists Friedgen as No. 3 on the endangered list among 10 coaches. “With a daunting schedule still ahead of them, things are not going to be merry in Maryland come December,” the Fox site said.
These sites are all about speculation, of course. But I was curious when and how Fridge would actually be assessed by Maryland. I wanted to bring some facts into the discussion. After reporting on the subject, I wrote a piece for today's paper.
The story notes an argument of Fridge's detractors -- that Maryland is 33-28 in the five seasons preceding this one and has struggled through four games this year. It also notes the case posed by Maryland Gridiron Network chairman Larry Grabenstein to judge the man on the larger body of work. "There are so many different ways to look at the job he has done -- from graduation rates to long-term performance on the field," Grabenstein said. "I look also at the development of character on the part of individuals. I’ve seen firsthand him relating to these kids.”
The bottom line is that Fridge, like all Maryland coaches, will be reviewed when the season is complete. That would seem to rule out a Clemson situation. You all remember how Clemson and Tommy Bowden parted ways six games into the 2008 season. I believe that Clemson's 20-17 loss to Maryland -- the Tigers blew a 17-6 lead at home -- contributed mightily to Bowden's departure.
Bowden wasn't the first coach to depart -- or at least announce his departure -- before the season was complete. It happened to Tyrone Willingham at Washington and Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee. But it doesn't seem as if it's going to happen at Maryland.
Here is the latest, folks. Much of this will appear in my story for Monday's paper, but wanted to get it to you now.
--More bad news: punter Travis Baltz awoke to find his non-kicking foot still badly swollen. Coach Friedgen said Baltz, an all-Atlantic Coast Conference player who was hit after a first-quarter punt, will be out at least two weeks.
Field-goal kicker Nick Ferrara is Baltz’s likely replacement, although Friedgen said he is concerned about placing too much of a load on the freshman.
--After reviewing video of the game, Friedgen says his players didn’t give up despite watching a competitive game dissolve into a fourth-quarter rout.
“I still don’t see it as lack of effort,” Friedgen said. “I thought our defense played really, really well until the end of the game. Their intensity and their execution was remarkable.”
Maryland held Rutgers to 129 yards total offense through three quarters. The Terps appeared to seize momentum with their defense in the third quarter. Trailing 13-10, the Scarlet Knights elected to go on fourth and goal from the one. Running back Jourdan Brooks was stood up by linebackers Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten and lost a yard. Wujciak sprinted 30 yards downfield to celebrate after the play.
But the Terps were slowed by two penalties on the next series and couldn’t move the ball. On Maryland’s next possession, Chris Turner fumbled in the end zone for a Rutgers touchdown.
And it all spiraled downward for Maryland from there.
--Friedgen said Maryland turnovers – there have been 13 in four games – have led to 61 opponents' points. He said securing the ball has been a focal point in practice.
“We do a lot of drills for it. It was a point of emphasis last week in practice, the scout-team guys stripping the ball,” the coach said.
Maryland also has used officials at practice to make sure the team is sensitive to penalties. But the message is not taking hold. Friedgen, by the way, said that offensive lineman Maurice Hampton, a redshirt sophomore, had three penalties.
