SB Nation - Chris Turner

Maryland Romps Over Wake Forest 62-14, Attains Bowl Eligibility in Style

Ben Broman — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 22:48:06 -0000

It's been a hectic week for ACC football; N.C. State upset FSU on Thursday, Virginia toppled Miami, Boston College beat Clemson, and UNC had to come back to sweat out a win over William and Mary. But Maryland not only avoided the upset bug against Wake Forest, they blew it out of the water.

The Terps dominated literally every facet of the game: they outgained the Demon Deacons 437 to 155; Danny O'Brien threw four touchdown passes; eight different players found the end zone; Maryland's defense returned two interceptions for touchdowns; heck, they even blocked two Wake Forest punts. All that combined for a dominant 62-14 win to raise the Terps to 6-2 and bowl eligibility.

Of course, that bowl eligibility thing is one of the big deals here, particularly just a year after going 2-10. They should've had a shot at it anyway, but I don't think a lot of people expected it and most certainly didn't expect it this early. So get ready for the EagleBank Bowl, or maybe something a little better.

Sure, they've beaten five teams that combine for an 11-19 record (plus Morgan State), and sure, they got easily handled against the only two truly good teams they've faced, but they played (and lost to) plenty of awful teams last year. This is progress. It might not be enough progress to save Ralph's job (more on that later, probably Monday) but it is progress.

But back to the game. The dominance Maryland played with was extraordinarily impressive. The 62 points Maryland put up equaled the total they scored on Morgan State; it's still the most since the Ford administration. Wake Forest isn't a great team, but there's no team in the ACC so bad that they'd be beaten this badly by another run-of-the-mill ACC squad. It says as much about where Wake stands as it does about Maryland, but it still says a lot about both. Wake Forest played below their capability today and not much went wrong for Maryland, but it was still mighty impressive.

Outside of a single, 85-yard, touchdown-scoring drive for Wake Forest late in the first quarter, Maryland's defense was outstanding. It's not like the Deacons were some kind of otherworldly offensive force here, but they did have their strengths, namely a running game that gutted Virginia Tech just two weeks ago. Star running back Josh Harris - that dude that ran for 241 on VT - was limited to 27 yards and QB Tanner Price was kept similarly in check. WF had a grand total of -3 rushing yards. Kenny Tate and Ryan Donohue both had a pick-six. Tate was fantastic, pitching in a sack, a PBU, a few timely tackles to go along with that pick-six.

Danny O'Brien continued his strong rookie year with a 3 TD performance in the first half, adding another early in the third quarter. He wasn't spectacular but had a few great throws, continued to show major poise, and was helped out by some great field position. His touchdown throw to Quintin McCree was a thing of beauty that showcased his field vision, patience, and arm strength, all of which are better than Maryland's since maybe the sophomore Chris Turner.

To top it off, the Terps also got their running game going again, which was a must after they've gone the past couple weeks without a ground game at all. Davin Meggett had 94 yards and a touchdown, and Da'Rel Scott pitched in 50 more. D.J. Adams came in during garbage time and actually looked great; he had 84 yards a TD, and I wouldn't be surprised if he started to steal some carries.

The losses of FSU earlier in the week and Clemson earlier today make Maryland a sleeper contender for the ACC title. Sure, you can say that Maryland's three ACC wins have come against the three worst teams in the ACC - and you'd be right - but they're essentially tied for first place with FSU and N.C. State thanks to their 3-1 conference record.

With both of those teams still on the schedule, Maryland weirdly controls their own destiny. The odds that Maryland stays in the chase for long is slim to none, but the win here gives them a fighter's chance. We'll know more when the Terps take on Miami next week, potentially on ABC.

As always, grades tomorrow.

Five Good Minutes: Maryland Preview With Testudo Times

Brian Favat — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:45:15 -0000

To preview this weekend's game between the Terrapins and Eagles, we welcome back to the blog Testudo Times, SB Nation's excellent Maryland blog. In exchange, Jeff and I answered some questions on the Eagles over on their site. Head on over and check 'em out.

Welcome!

BC Interruption: It looks like Maryland is going to go with true freshman Danny O'Brien at quarterback this weekend. What can you tell us about O'Brien's performance thus far this season? How does his game differ from that of Jamarr Robinson's? In what ways are the two QBs similar?

Testudo Times: O'Brien's played surprisingly well, albeit inconsistently. He's had some seriously brilliant moments; his throws against Morgan State were absolutely beautiful, he was great against Florida International, and his first half against Clemson last week was one of the best halves a Maryland QB has played since Sam Hollenbach. He's also had just as many moments that tell you he's a freshman: when Clemson started to pull away in the second half, he started forcing the issue and threw three interceptions in quick succession; earlier in the year against Duke, he was constantly inaccurate and seemed rattled. He's not there yet, but he's getting there.

It's all relative, because almost anyone would take his play over what Robinson did earlier in the year. No one can really figure out what happened, because Jamarr was pretty good last year and showed a lot of promise. For whatever reason, he looks extremely skittish in the pocket and is inclined to throw horribly ugly passes. O'Brien's better at deep balls and at reading the field, though Robinson's faster (O'Brien can still move around and avoid sacks, but Robinson has WR speed). And don't listen to anyone who says "you'll see both" - you'll see O'Brien with two random plays of Robinson that don't work.

BCI: Friedgen -- in his offensive game plan -- always seems to have Frank Spaziani's number. Anything to this phenomenon?

TT: I'm not quite sure that phenomenon actually exists - since the two started playing six years ago, Maryland has topped 20 points just twice, and won just once. The game when Maryland put up 42 on the Matt Ryan team was a perfect storm: Chris Turner was young, healthy, and still had his visor, fans still cared about the program, and it was Senior Night. Take out that game and the Terps only average 17.5 points a game against the Spaz-led Eagles.

I will say that we thought the same thing happened with Clemson, against whom Maryland was 3-1 in the C.J. Spiller Era, but the Terps didn't put up much of a fight last week on the scoreboard. So if Fridge does have Spaz's number, he might lose it.

BCI: What can you tell us about the Terps' defensive performance this season? Is Maryland's defense any good, or do they look better than they are statistically by winning games against cream puffs like Morgan State, FIU and Duke?

TT: Until last week, I was almost certain that Maryland's defense wasn't as good as it seemed. Not only were the teams Maryland played pretty bad, they benefitted from unexpected stops in the red zone and a lot of timely turnovers. But the Clemson game started to win me over; Clemson literally did nothing offensively, barely topping 100 yards passing and lacking a 100-yard rusher, and Maryland's defense had a lot to do with it (so did a lot of other factors, but I'll take what I can get). And as far as cupcakes go, Duke has a pretty formidable offense (ask Wake Forest) and FIU outgained Rutgers, put up 20 on TAMU, and are in the 60s nationally in most offensive categories.

I'm still not sold entirely, but I'm coming around. (And if you want someone to watch out for, keep your eyes on Kenny Tate, Adrian Moten, and Antwine Perez. Alex Wujciak gets a lot of talk, but those three are the best, most active, and most dangerous players on Maryland's defense.)

BCI: Moving on to special teams play. Maryland currently ranks 1st nationally in punt returns, yet 119th nationally in kickoff returns. How is this possible? Who are the Terps BC needs to watch out for on special teams?

TT: Well, aside from the fact that punt returns and kickoff returns are very different, it comes down to Torrey Smith's injury. For the first two years of his career, Smith was one of the most prolific kick returners in NCAA history. But Navy kicked away from him and he wasn't electric against Morgan State early on. He got banged up against Morgan St. (returning a kick in the third quarter of a blowout; wonder why we don't like our coaching staff?) and has had a variety of nagging injuries since. The injuries are visibly affecting him; he hasn't played particularly well on offense, either, and he's lost a lot of his burst. I expect you'll see someone else out there against BC, probably Trenton Hughes or maybe Tony Logan.

On the punt returning side, well, that's just the magic of Tony Logan. When he plays with confidence - like he did against Navy, Morgan State, FIU, and Duke; he didn't against Clemson - he's Devin Hester good. And I say that without bias.

BCI: For the first time since BC joined the conference, the BC-Maryland game won't be played in mid-to-late November. Do you like this spot on the calendar for this series? Or would you rather have the game moved back to November as it has been for BC's first five years in the league?

TT: I really liked it in November. I came to identify this game as a late-season game and it just felt right that way; I feel like Maryland-BC should be played with the Terps in black on a cold night. For whatever reason - probably the 2007 win - that's how I see this game. In mid-October? Meh.

BCI: After Maryland's fast 4-2 start, what are the expectations for the Maryland fan base? I guess technically the Terps can still win the Atlantic Division. What is the fan base thinking at this point - ACC Atlantic Champions? Or a 6-6, 7-5-type season and a trip down the road to the EagleBank Bowl?

TT: I said this in one of the ACC Roundtables and I stand by it: what Maryland fans expect and our expectations, in the general senses of the words, aren't really the same. I think at the start of the year most people had an artificial expectation of a bowl appearance, but they didn't actually think Maryland and Ralph Friedgen would live up to it. I certainly didn't. But it looks like it's a possibility.

Make no mistake, though; unlike two years ago, when Maryland was an average team that won their early ACC games, this fanbase harbors no hopes of the ACC Championship Game. Partially that's because there's not a lot of interest right now anyway, but most fans recognize that Maryland's wins (Navy, by a matter of inches, Morgan State, FIU, and Duke) aren't impressive. This team isn't fooling the fans into believing they're good. So yes, I guess EagleBank is probably the "expectation" at this point, though I wouldn't be shocked if they didn't make a bowl at all (it's looking like Friedgen's losing the locker room again).

BCI: Last one. Prediction time. Who ya got in this one? What's the final score?

TT: This just looks like a terrible matchup to me, especially because I believe that BC is a lot better than their record indicates. I have no faith in Maryland's ability to run the ball against BC's front seven, and James Franklin won't even pretend to try to establish the run after the first quarter. Instead, Danny O'Brien will throw a lot, which will ensure him getting hit a few dozen times and probably throwing a pick or two to BC's turnover-forcing defense. The same might happen on the other side, but I have much less faith in Maryland's ability to stop Montel Harris than BC's to stop Da'Rel Scott. Eagles win in a low-scoring, boring affair, 17-10.

BCI: I guess we'll take it. Thanks for joining us!

For more information about the Maryland Terrapins, be sure to check out Testudo Times.

You Tell Us: Robinson, O'Brien, Or Both for Maryland at QB?

Ben Broman — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 23:34:34 -0000

I already talked about Maryland's QB situation at length a few days ago, so I won't do it again. But an option I didn't seriously include there (somewhat stupidly, admittedly) has emerged as a probability: a two-headed QB monster. And not the way I suggested (giving Robinson a shot, but with a short leash); the plan seems to be skewing more towards actually using both QBs on a regular basis. To be honest, I'm not exactly happy with it.

(For the record: I will ask your opinion, obviously, considering that poll down there. I just had to get mine across first, because I'm the one writing this, thank you very much.)

In theory, the plan seems pretty good and on the progressive side, which is a rarity for Ralph Friedgen and James Franklin. Jamarr Robinson can both throw and run; in fact, he might be more dangerous as a runner than a passer. He'd be like a premier version of the ever-popular Wildcat.

Here's my problem: Maryland's tried this before, and it didn't work a lick then. I have no real reason to believe it'd start working now.

Anybody remember the Portis Package? Two years ago, Josh Portis was in the purgatory of being too talented to keep off the field but not experienced enough to give a starting spot, especially not over entrenched starter Chris Turner. So instead, Fridge and/or Frank developed a formation solely for Portis, which seemed pretty awesome on the outside, except for one thing. If the plays themselves were any indication, there were exactly two plays in the package: run right and run left.

Seriously, out of the 20-odd plays or so that Portis had in the package, every last one was a run. I can't remember a single one that actually worked, mostly because it became predictable. Predictability takes out the entire reason to have a package like that in the first place.

The exact same thing happened last year to Jamarr, at least before Turner's injury. The coaching staff wanted to give him experience, but for whatever reason didn't let him throw the ball consistently. Again, he would run the ball, and with little success. Once it becomes clear he's not a threat out of that package, it loses its effectiveness.

I'm not opposed to the idea in theory, but it's failed before and it'll more than likely fail again. Friedgen and Franklin have a very notorious conservative play-calling streak, and it's popped up before prominently in the past. This is one of the best examples of it. Just sayin'.

My preference would be finding the QB that gives Maryland the best shot at winning, and sticking with him. If that's Robinson and his feet, so be it. If that's O'Brien and his arm (which I'm inclined to lean toward for the moment), so be it.

But that's just my preference. And really, I'm no better than you. So what would you like to see?

Poll

What's your preference for the Maryland QB position battle for next week against West Virginia?

Just go with Jamarr Robinson full time.

72 votes

Danny O'Brien, he's a better passer.

179 votes

Both QBs get playing time throughout the game.

234 votes

Jamarr to start, but he gets a short leash.

110 votes

595 votes | Poll has closed

10 Til Kickoff: Watching for the Return of the Option Offense

Ben Broman — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:00:51 -0000

Ever since it became obvious Maryland was struggling offensively last year - that is, day one - the Terps have been looking for ways to shake it up, from the Wild Turtle (which sounds, for some reason, like a delicious dinner) to Caleb Porzel.

Continuing on that, just about as soon as the season ended last year, the one big theme for the future was the return of the option offense. If you listen to the coaches, it might be making a comeback in College Park. And with it, the offense might just see one, too.

There's not a lot of statistical evidence for this storyline, so it's more of an observation/thing to watch for throughout the season. Last year, Ralph Friedgen brought up the potential of bringing back the option offense. It's been parrotted a few times by Friedgen and Franklin since, never really committing to it but always alluding to it.

Maryland's had two QBs I'd qualify as "mobile" as starters: Scott McBrien and Shaun Hill. Both ran upwards of 80 times in each of their seasons in College Park, and that wasn't QB draws. McBrien was famous for his penchant at option play; he didn't often keep it, but he was adept at knowing when to pitch, and when he did keep it he made a big play.

Since McBrien, Maryland's had Joel Statham, Sam Hollenbach, Jordan Steffy, and Chris Turner as starters. If you're picking teams for a track meet, you probably avoid all four, and that makes an option offense problematic. In fact, I can't remember the last time the Terps broke out the option since McBrien.

Now, Maryland was never Navy; instead the option was, uh, an option, which they used to keep defenses off-balance. It wasn't the main offensive scheme or even the main running scheme at any point in Friedgen's tenure. It was simply another method the offense had to work with, and it gave the backs and QB more carries and more opportunities for big plays.

The era is Maryland's most successful of the past two or three decades. Those three seasons, Maryland went 31-8, won an ACC Championship, appeared in the Orange Bowl, and won two high-profile bowl games against major opponents. Since then, they've been a much worse 35-38, and have only seen three bowl appearance. The option wasn't the determining factor, obviously, but its undeniable that Friedgen's offense ran much smoother back then - after all, he was still considered an offensive genius at the time.

Friedgen was forced to abandon it as much as he chose to; not a single QB Maryland's had since McBrien, save ultra-experimental Josh Portis, has had the athleticism to run the option offense. But finally, Friedgen has a few tools at his disposal: Jamarr Robinson is fast and elusive; C.J. Brown is Maryland's second-fastest QB ever, if you count 40 times; and the only one faster than him, Devin Burns, is also a true freshman on the squad. Even Clay Belton and Danny O'Brien have been cited as players with just enough speed to make it work.

The question now becomes if Friedgen will break out his somewhat-newer habits and revert to the option now that he has the talent to do it. We're not entirely sure one way or the other; Maryland kept their spring game and, if stats are any indication, scrimmages pretty vanilla. That doesn't tell us a lot, but it may indicate they have something worth hiding. Either way, they haven't broken it out much, if at all, in practice.

Then again, Robinson's arm is still in question, and you'd think the offense has to have at least one or two more offensive strengths than "run middle." The Terps have been recruiting more mobile offensive linemen as of late, and in an option offense like what Maryland would implement, they'd be a big bonus. There's a trend there, and there's hopefully a reason for it.

Again, I doubt we'll be seeing several a game, but don't be shocked to see it pop up a couple times here and there.

12 Til Kickoff: Torrey Smith's Record-Breaking Campaign

Ben Broman — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:00:43 -0000

You get it. I like Torrey Smith. Not quite at man-crush levels, but I'm a Torrey Smith fan. And yes, I think he's a tad on the underrated side. After all, this (and what's above) is my handiwork, and I spent plenty of long, hard hours (er...minutes) working on them.

Yeah, Smith's one of the few proven bright spots on this team. He's a kickoff return fool, a surprising weapon in the passing game, charismatic and a good face of the program: all that happened with Chris Turner, who for all his strengths probably had a broken arm last year, and James Franklin, who for all his strengths probably isn't the world's greatest play-caller. Oh yeah, and he had a legitimately terrible (by his standards) second half of the year, and still ended up with Maryland's most productive season ever. I think he's in for a big year.

And Smith has received a little bit of national recognition, though not nearly as much as I'd like. He's been a constant mention in any Maryland preview, received All-ACC honors, and was even on two award watch lists: the Biletnikoff and the Paul Hornung.

But what far too few people know about Smith is just how close he is to making history...and making it big.

I've mentioned a few times that by the end of the year, Smith will likely hold a half dozen records or so. But let's take a closer look at just how close he is to holding a few:

Maryland Career Kickoff Return Yardage

He already has it, after only two years. Yeah, that's both 1) how good he is, and 2) how little Maryland's had in the way of dynamic kickoff returners in the past. Just imagine how big the gap will be after this year.

Maryland Single-Season Kickoff Return Yardage

Did you really need to guess? Torrey holds both #1 and #2.

Maryland Single-Season All-Purpose Yardage

Yeah, he set that last year, blowing by Lamont Jordan's junior season record. And like I said, his productivity was halfed in the second games. Halfed. His final number could've been waaaaay higher, and that's scary.

Maryland Career All-Purpose Yardage

Leader: 4960 (Lamont Jordan, 1997-2000)
Torrey: 3617 (5th)

That seems like a big gap, but it's really not. Even in his freshman year, he notched 1425 yards, which would be enough to threaten Jordan's grip. Last year, thanks to an increased role in the passing game, he had a crazy 2197 all-purpose yards, which was the best year for Maryland...ever. That would get him over Jordan by the eighth game of this season if he could put up yards at the same rate.

Maryland Career Receptions

Leader: 193 (Jermaine Lewis, 1992-1995)
Torrey: 85 (16th)

Obviously, this one won't be as easy to grasp, and in fact would call for one of the best receiving seasons of all time - by NCAA standards, not Maryland's - to pass Lewis in one year. But if he stays until his senior season, Lewis' record will be well within reach. If he put up 60 catches per year - one less than he did last year - over the next two seasons, he'd have 205 receptions for his career; which would give Smith 12 recs over Lewis and another Terp record.

ACC Career Kickoff Return Yardage

Leader: 2688 (Brandon Tate, UNC, 2005-2008)
Torrey: 2398 (3rd)

If Smith's history is any indication, he should wrap this one up within the third game. There aren't any other active threats, with T.J. Graham of N.C. State the only other active player all the way down at 20th on the list (and he's the same class as Smith).

NCAA Career Kickoff Return Yardage

Leader: 2945 (Jessie Henderson, SMU, 2005-2008)
Torrey: 2398

Seems pretty easy, right? All Smith needs to do is produce at the same rate he did last year, and he'll have the record by his sixth game or so. That's pretty amazing: before Henderson broke the record in his senior year by a few yards, that record had stood for over a decade, nearly 15 years.

But he has competition. Damaris Johnson of Tulsa is the only active player with more kickoff return yardage than Torrey Smith, and he - like Torrey - is a junior. Johnson leads Smith by 115 total yards, or roughly 9.6 yards per game. That's easily attainable, but Johnson holds the upper hand in the race for the record.

The bad news is that Johnson isn't a threat to leave early, at least on the surface, so if Torrey decides to head out, he'll be ceding the record. And considering how long it stood originally, Jackson's name would stand in the record books for awhile.

Okay, we finished? It's obvious that Smith's not only one of the most productive players in Maryland's history, but one of the most productive ever. He's had a lot of attempts, yes, but he's done a lot with them.

So I'll quietly wait for Torrey to start getting mentions on ESPN and in Sports Illustrated. Until then, I'll content myself with the occasional Heisman candidacy poster. Hell, at this point I'll settle for the Hornung, even though no one really knows what that is.

18 Til Kickoff: Finding Carries for Maryland's Stable of Running Backs

Ben Broman — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:00:51 -0000

First it was D.J. Adams. Then it was Da'Rel Scott's return. Now it's Davin Meggett's triumph against the forces of athletic recession. It's safe to say Maryland's running back position is pretty well stacked, with two proven starters and one player that will at the very least steal goal-line carries and could be a future star.

So obviously, the question is raised: where exactly are all these carries for these three guys going to come from?

Last year, Maryland had their fewest rushes by running backs since Ralph Friedgen came to Maryland. Maryland's traditionally been a run-heavy team, and last year saw just 235 attempts by all of Maryland's running backs combined. The reasons for that are varied: a senior QB that gave Maryland a good chance to win, a poor offensive line, injuries, and early deficits that forced Maryland to pass for time reasons.

Friedgen's teams, though, average 350 carries total for every running back combined. With both Scott and Meggett now healthy, an improved offensive line, and a new QB, you'd expect the numbers to rise. But that history says that rise could be pretty drastic.

(First off, a digression: how Friedgen teams do with rushing. Maryland's gone over their average of 350 carries for running backs four times: they're 36-17, have been to a bowl game all four years, and have had three 9+ win seasons. Their five seasons under? A 30-29 record, two bowls, one 9+ win season. To state the obvious, Maryland's most success comes when they have a running game they can lean on heavily and use to control the clock.)

Let's look, for a moment, at Maryland's history when it comes to allocating carries:

	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001
RB Carries	235	322	412	367	329	326	407	410	340
QB	Turner	Turner	Steffy/Turner	Hollenbach	Hollenbach	Statham	McBrien	McBrien	Hill
Record	2-10	8-5	6-7	9-4	5-6	5-6	10-3	11-3	10-2

When Maryland rushes their most - 400+ running back carries, let's say - they tend to have most of their success, with exception of the half-year that Jordan Steffy was in. So, what's in common in those 400+ years? Well, on the surface, not a lot.

In the first two years they cracked 400, 2002 and 2003, the Terps had Scott McBrien at QB: Maryland's most mobile QB under Friedgen, perhaps ever, and a master at running the option. Maryland wasn't a Navy during those years or anything, but option running was a serious alternative to passing and even traditional running. It ate into how much Maryland passed and gave the running backs a few extra dozen carries.

Part of the high total was Maryland's RB talent - Josh Allen, Bruce Perry, and Chris Downs - but there's a reason the carries dropped by 80 once the relatively stationary Joel Statham took over, even though Allen remained and Sammy Maldonado proved a reliable running option.

That explains those two, to some extent. But what about that last one in 2007? Jordan Steffy and Chris Turner are stone-footed compared to Statham. So why the increase?

Pretty simple: Maryland's never had more backfield experience than they did entering into the 2007. When they went into that year, also known as Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball's final seasons, they came in with one runner who had racked up 1700 yards in his career (Ball), one who had racked up 900 (Lattimore), and a highly-regarded, four-star redshirt freshman named Da'Rel Scott. With that much talent, combined with an uncertainty at quarterback, Maryland turned to the ground. And despite an iffy passing attack, it got them into a bowl game.

Hold on, does this sound familiar? Well, it should, Maryland's situation this year: Friedgen's most mobile QB since McBrien, maybe ever, figures to start at QB. There's uncertainty regarding his passing ability, and Maryland may be forced to turn to an experienced, talented backfield. Oh, and that backfield has one runner that has racked up 1700 yards in his career, one that has racked up 800, and a highly-regarded, four-star redshirt freshman named D.J. Adams.

It's a combination of all three of those years, really. Maryland's backfield is more experienced and talented than ever (almost), they'll be forced to run thanks to a mediocre passing game, and they'll have a mobile QB that can run the option. A .500 year and a bowl big might not be the final result, especially considering that in 2007 Maryland was coming off of a 9-win the campaign the year before. But after a measly 235 RB carries, don't be surprised to see around 400. No promises, but history often repeats itself.

The interesting thing about that: here's the breakdown of carries in 2007:


Ball	182
Lattimore	213
Scott	14

In other words, if this really something you can expect to happen, then don't expect a lot more than goal-line carries and the occasional carry for D.J. Adams. The majority of the work will still fall upon Scott and Meggett, at least if history is any indication and they can stay healthy. In fact, the most carries a full-time third string running back has received at Maryland: Josh Allen's 33 in 2006, when he was behind Ball and Lattimore as juniors. Of course, he was also a fifth-year senior and one of the most productive runners of the past two decades or so when he started, which Adams can't yet claim.

So, if you're worrying about how Maryland can get touches to both Scott and Meggett while integrating Adams into the offense, don't worry. Friedgen's done it before. Only Adams' integration might have to wait for a while.

21 Til Kickoff: Maryland's Battle For (And Importance Of) #2 Quarterback

Ben Broman — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:23:25 -0000

For all intents and purposes, Jamarr Robinson is the starter for the Maryland Terrapins, and it will probably stay that way. After getting playing time in four games last year after Chris Turner was injured, Robinson is the most experienced and knowledgeable of Maryland's wealth of quarterbacks. He was named the starter (tentatively) out of spring practice, and early on has already impressed in the fall.

Of course, Danny O'Brien and C.J. Brown will (nominally) be given a shot to start, if they can impress enough. But it seems that Robinson has the position pretty well locked down. So all that position jostling and what-not will probably be for naught.

Or maybe not. Now that Robinson is moderately well-entrenched, the real battle isn't to see who will be the #1 QB, but instead the #2. After all, recent history isn't on the side of the starter going into the season starting every game.

As a statement, that might be pretty obvious for a lot of teams. But since 2004 - also known as "The First Year After Scott McBrien", Maryland's had just one season with one starting quarterback, due either to injury or ineptitude: Sam Hollenbach's senior season. And that was after Hollenbach already put 10 games under his belt as a starter the year before.

(In fact, Ralph Friedgen has a pretty poor track record of picking the "right" starter after an established winner leaves. After McBrien, he picked Joel Statham, who was a pretty big failure outside of one great Florida State game. After Hollenbach saved the day, Friedgen picked Jordan Steffy, who was almost as bad as Statham. Chris Turner, of course, ended up being the right choice there.

Interestingly enough, it's tough to fault Ralph on not choosing Hollenbach or Turner, both of which were third- or fourth-stringers going into the fall. In other words, C.J. Brown and Tyler Smith, we have good news!)

Or, if you want it more statistically, Maryland's starter of the first game of each year since 2004 ended up starting about 82% of the games. Over the course of a twelve-game season, that's 9.83, or roughly 10, games, leaving two games up for grabs.

That's even a tad generous, since I gave Chris Turner the "opening day starter" spot in 2008, even though Jordan Steffy started the opening day there (Turner ended up starting every other game after Steffy was injured). Plus, Hollenbach's full season was included, and of course this was to see how many games the starter doesn't start, so including it was questionable. If we only switched Turner (and kept Hollenbach the same) the percentage drops to 68% - or roughly eight games out of 12.

The reason for most of the second-string starts is, admittedly, injury, so this may seem like a bit of a pointless exercise. But there is a different angle this time, too: the heat of Friedgen's seat.

Fridge said he ignored most of the criticism last year and will do it again this year, but based on his reaction after a single, overdue win, that's clearly not true. He obviously knows how fragile his job security is. What happens if a Jamarr Robinson-led team falls to 1-3 after losses to Navy and West Virginia (especially if they're bad), or ends up losing the ACC opener to Duke at home? What if Robinson doesn't look good in those games?

Traditionally, Friedgen has given a long leash to the guys that he likes, but I don't get the feeling that Robinson is a coaches' pet, ala Staham and (especially) Steffy. If games start to drop, the heat might just be enough for Friedgen to make a change - and a last-ditch attempt at keeping his job.

There's also, of course, the potential that Jamarr Robinson does just fine, or even finds success. He seems to have the natural talent, and if he masters the playbook and gets time to throw, he has the potential to be a threat.

But then there's the danger of injury, which has afflicted four of the past five opening-day QB starters for the Terps. With a shaky offensive line, the potential for more than a few sacks, and Robinson's penchant for scrambling (and potentially leaving himself open for hits from blood-thirsty linebackers), there's definitely the potential that he ends up worn down or hurt in some fashion.

Actually, a little part of me would be surprised if Robinson made it the entire way through the season - not because I don't quite have confidence in him, but rather because the past six years have made it seem almost impossible. It's a rather difficult task to begin with, and Maryland doesn't have a great history with it.

There's a little bit of bonus importance for the #2 candidates. With odds on Friedgen's and Franklin's returns low, any appearance would be a nice campaigning point for a spot starting for the new regime, even if Robinson only missed a start due to injury.

So, if he goes down or gets the hook, who takes over? That will be decided this fall and in practice.

Danny O'Brien has been the coaches' favorite since day one, mostly thanks to his quick wits. He's a Hollenbach type of QB with an accurate, if not powerful, arm and an ability to make smart decisions. His ability to pick up the playbook got him the early lead over his more highly-recruited classmate, C.J. Brown. In fact, if you asked me three weeks ago who would start if Robinson got hurt, there's no doubt I'd answer O'Brien, and feel very comfortable.

But with some recent developments, that might be changing. Brown holds an athletic edge over O'Brien, and is one of the fastest QBs Maryland's ever had. His arm is stronger, too, and that makes him sort of similar to Robinson. There have been indications that he's started to pick up the playbook, and Friedgen said he showed "marked improvement." It's too early to tell if he can make a move on O'Brien, but if Robinson stays the starter long enough in the season, Brown has the physical tools to close the gap.

A story about Clay Belton impressing always seems to pop up once every couple of months. And who knows, maybe even Tyler Smith could factor in if he grasps the playbook fast enough.

When looking at injury reports, passing statistics, and national recognition for Torrey Smith, I'll always be keeping one eye on that QB depth chart. Because any change at #2 will probably have effects that reverberate far past a simple backup-switch.

Maryland Minute 8.13.10 - Another Terp TE Gets Hurt: Will Yeatman to Miss Six Weeks

Ben Broman — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 02:56:53 -0000

Will Yeatman Breaks Finger, Will Miss Six Weeks
If Lansford Watson's injury opened up playing time for Yeatman, then I guess Yeatman's injury opens up playing time for Matt Furstenburg. Even if Watson doesn't miss any playing time, one of Maryland's deepest positions has transformed into one of thinner ones, at least for the first few weeks. Yeatman would return around Week 4, against Florida International.

Cam Chism Pulls Hammy, Too
That's usually a minor injury; hopefully it is this time.

Clemson to retire C.J. Spiller's No. 28 when Terps are in town
Which relatively ensures that the Tigers, who were 1-3 against Maryland during Spiller's time in Clemson, will lose. Again.

Local Standout OT Donovan Smith Cuts List, Terps Make It
Cyrus Kouandjio he ain't, but Donovan Smith is still one of the top 5 players in Maryland and one of the better OTs out there. Maryland made his twelve-team list alongside UConn, Illinois, Michigan State, UNC, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, UCLA, UVA and VT. Not the worst list in the world, as far as Maryland goes.

A.J. Francis Would Be a Fortune 500 Company Owner Right Now
If he could invest in words.

"That’s all we heard, all year," Francis said. "I wish you could invest in words, because if I could invest $20 into the 2-10 stock, I’d be the owner of a Fortune 500 company right now. It gets to the point that you get so tired of hearing about 2-10 that you have no option but to work to make sure it never happens again, and it never will happen again."

Ranking the ACC's quarterbacks - Dinich
Hrm.

11. Jamarr Robinson, Maryland: He takes over for Chris Turner, and should provide more options in the playbook because of his athleticism. Robinson ran for 129 yards against Virginia Tech, and in the two games he started last year threw for 459 yards and ran for 229 more.

Wel, he has more experience than Sean Renfree at Duke, and most people would think that Marc Verica at UVA shouldn't be anywhere near 8th, but there are some talented QBs in the league. Sadly, this ranking isn't that bad.

ACC Rivalries....of the Future: Maryland and UNC? Maryland and GT?
These would be rivalries because...?

Maryland vs. North Carolina - This one is placed all the way down at No. 10 because the reason for restoring this game as an annual rivalry are simple. The two teams are traditional ACC foes (and we want to keep Maryland out of the Big Ten, don't we) and the two are the flagship universities of their respective states; quick, someone make a trophy.

Yes! We're using the threat of leaving as a carrot...to get a trophy with North Carolina? Eh, progress.

Maryland vs. Georgia Tech - The theme here, if you haven't caught it yet, is the build up of traditional ACC rivalries. These two schools represent the extreme North and South of the pre-1990s conference. This rivalry probably won't bud to Civil War proportions, especially with the Terrapins down football program, but the game will always be an enjoyment to watch.

Sorry, it doesn't work like that. There has to be a legitimate reason for the dislike. I just feel apathy towards Georgia Tech.

Big Ten's Jim Delany on players being bought: 'It's happening' - The Dagger
That's a rather bold statement.

"I'm talking about the corruption of the youth basketball program, the money that's used to influence recruiting. And ultimately the buying of players, either through third parties or through coaches or coaches and third parties — agents. I can't tell you if it's three institutions or whether it's 15. But make no mistake about it; it's happening.. .. It's a corruption issue."

I bet Gary Williams would like this guy.

Recruiting Report: Weekly recruiting roundup
You know what to do. The most interesting thing, to me: apparently we're in Desmond Hubert's top four.

Where I Come From: Maryland's Season Expectations

Ben Broman — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:03:49 -0000

This is the sixth of a series of posts sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 11.

Expectations are a tricky thing.

I, for one, thought that Maryland football was going to be fine last year. Sure, the offensive line looked a little weak and the defense was questionable, but Chris Turner and Da'Rel Scott were back, and I was already on the Torrey Smith bandwagon. A bowl game and 6-6 seems reasonable, I thought.

I was wrong then. Very wrong, as you probably know. So when I saw today's Where I Come From prompt, I wasn't exactly thrilled. But like a valiant, blogging soldier, I worked through my disappointment.

This season is incredibly important for Ralph Friedgen and James Franklin. We didn't really know what Debbie Yow required from her football coaches for them to retain their jobs for another year, but we do know that Debbie Yow is now gone. And it's highly unlikely that whoever new comes in to replace her, especially a big name like Joe Castiglione or Jeff Hathaway, will tolerate a coach that has turned in two unspectacular (or downright bad) seasons in the school's biggest moneymaking sport.

They'll have even less reason to keep either of them considering neither is their own choice. They have no reason to defend these selections; they didn't make them. And if last year was any indication, they'd have no way to defend them even if they wanted to. Friedgen's seat is burning, and Franklin - HCIW and buyout in place or not - is not far behind him. So when I say this season is absolutely pivotal for both of these guys, I really do mean it.

My thoughts on the upcoming year, in a far longer form than necessary, with prediction at the bottom, are below. Feel free to skip it all and just share your thoughts/predictions, if that's how you roll.

The defense will be fine. It usually is and it was middle of the ACC pack last year in almost every conceivable state, even if at times it seemed worse. Don't believe me: check out the detailed stats, via Tomahawk Nation. Virtually every more advanced matrix than "yards per game" pegs Maryland somewhere in the middle 6 of the conference. Considering their record, they could've done a lot worse.

It's also worth mentioning that no one from last year's defense left that was irreplaceable. Nolan Carroll could've been until Maryland had to play 3/4s of the season without him after his injury. Both of the safeties that left had very talented, highly-touted backups that remain in place. No one on the defensive line at all last year, returning or not, was anything close to a star or irreplaceable - they were all good enough, mind you, but "good enough" is easier to find than "outstanding." There's little-to-no rebuilding to be done on defense.

Meanwhile, it's Don Brown's second year at Maryland, which means his vastly-different-from-Chris-Cosh scheme should no longer be as foreign. It also means that the sophomores, redshirt freshmen, and true freshmen on defense weren't recruited to play Cosh's defense - which emphasized zone defense and sitting back - but instead Brown's, which requires speed and aggressiveness.

Put those three facts together, and Maryland's defense will be good enough, probably middle of the ACC. Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten are two of the best linebackers in the ACC, Cameron Chism is set for a breakout year, and I doubt you'll find a more naturally talented pair of safeties than Kenny Tate and Antwine Perez.

But defense was never the question with Maryland's team this year. Perhaps in a fit of irony, it's the offense that figures to plague Maryland again. For all their stars - Torrey Smith, Da'Rel Scott, Davin Meggett - and the "offensive genius" their coach was so lauded for earlier in the decade, the Terps' offense has a large set of relatively large problems.

Don't forget Maryland's awful offensive performance last season: 98th in scoring offense, 105th in rushing offense, 102nd in total offense. The only decent stat on the year was passing offense - 68th, hardly good - but only 5 schools below Maryland on that stat attempted as many or more passes than they did. No, this offense wasn't a work of art.

That's reason #1 for worry. Reason #2 is that the two biggest causes - a porous offensive line and an iffy quarterback situation - haven't worked themselves out.

Jamarr Robinson was forced into a tough position last year, and did pretty well considering the circumstances. But, frankly, he didn't light the world on fire: as I've said before, he was good enough not to ruin his chances at a starting spot, but not good enough to secure it. That he seemed to earn it in spring ball is another matter: what we know right now about Robinson's ability doesn't amount to much. Robinson hasn't yet proven that he's a starting-level QB in the ACC, and to be honest (I'm going to be criticized for saying this) I'm not sure if we fans have all that much reason to believe he'll turn into one.

Now a lot of QBs that become successful (most?) are just like that. Chris Turner was. Sam Hollenbach was. Damn near every successful signal-caller Ralph Friedgen's had was just like that. Riley Skinner, from Wake Forest. Kyle Parker, from Clemson. I can go on. It's not meant to be critical.

That said, Jamarr has three-and-a-half games under his belt, one of which was legitimately, undeniably good, one of which was average, and one-and-a-half of which weren't great. He never caught the eye of Ralph Friedgen and James Franklin before he was forced into the backup role unexpectedly; on the contrary, they worried over him more than anything. Remember, he was this close to changing positions. And he was never particularly highly-touted out of high school. (Again, these aren't meant to be criticisms, they're observations, which lead to what I'm about to say)

Point being, Robinson is a gamble. It's a gamble Maryland probably needs to take considering its not like they have any better options right now - every player behind J-Rob on the depth chart has never stepped foot on the field in a Maryland jersey - but its a gamble nonetheless. Maryland has to roll the dice on an unproven, untouted quarterback turning out okay, and they don't really have any other options, Danny O'Brien notwithstanding (is he better?). It may not be ideal, but its time to hitch our wagons to Jamarr Robinson (unless O'Brien pulls out a fall stunner to grab the spot, in which case he is to whom our wagons shall be hitched) and hope for the best.

As if that wasn't enough sunshiny optimism, let's turn to the offensive line. If Robinson turns out okay (a definite possibility) or even great (less probable, but still possible), Maryland still has this problem to deal with. In essence, they stopped recruiting linemen at a high rate and paid the price after injuries wreaked havoc on the line's depth to leave Maryland with a patchwork line made up of inexperienced players that were forced into playing time far too early.

As expected and as you know, the results were less than fantastic. Since the season started last year, not much has changed for the better: a few depth players are gone, Bruce Campbell declared for the draft, and Phil Costa graduated. Some of the calvary arrived in the form of Sal Conaboy, Max Garcia, and potentially Nate Clarke, but they won't be ready for some time. So Maryland will be relying upon natural progression and chemistry for offensive line improvement.

There's not much else to say past that; you know how bad the line was, and you probably know that its not a whole lot better right now. There's some bright spots - particularly the fact that Jamarr Robinson is at quarterback, who unlike Chris Turner showed that he knew how to avoid the rush - but by and large the line doesn't seem vastly improved on the surface.

So Maryland's going to have to hope for some magic turned in by Tom Bratten and Ralph Friedgen in developing the same players that struggled last year into starter-caliber linemen. And who knows, maybe they did? Unless that happens, though, Robinson's success suddenly means a lot less. Same goes for the rest of the talent on offense, like Scott, Smith, Meggett, Cannon, Ronnie Tyler, Caleb Porzel, and D.J. Adams. Maryland's offensive success, like it did last year, will ultimately rely upon the offensive line.

Now, maybe that's again a little too pessimistic; there have been definite offensive strides. Da'Rel Scott is healthy and hopefully fumble-free this year. Robinson shouldn't get hit and sacked as much as Turner did last year, meaning more opportunities for positive yardage and maybe a few more chances for Torrey Smith to turn in big plays. Robinson also shouldn't be hurt; Turner was, which limited his passing strength. There are improvements, but unless the line gets better, they'll be minor ones, not major ones.

So there we have it. A defense that will probably be good enough and an offense that has the potential to be great if two very crucial positions turn out okay. Part of me wants to say 4-8 is a probability, and maybe that's the part of me that wrote this entire preview. And for part of me, that's what my prediction is.

But this team could go 6-6 just as easily as they could 4-8. There are without a doubt 6 winnable games on the schedule, and Maryland's line improving enough to be decent isn't a stretch of the imagination. And being a fan is a lot more fun when you have hope (as the Orioles have proven to me time and time again).

So where on the spectrum do you fall? Be heard!

Poll

What are your expectations for Maryland football this year?

3-9 or lower

58 votes

4-8

102 votes

5-7

135 votes

6-6

113 votes

7-5 or higher

116 votes

524 votes | Poll has closed