SB Nation - Chris Turner

Maryland Football Season Review: QB

Ben Broman — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:52:23 -0000

Starting today, we're going to run down the season, unit-by-unit, reviewing Maryland's worst season since the Civil Rights Era. We'll finish off with the reader-voted Terperlatives. We're starting out, however, with QB.

One position that Maryland considered completely settled coming into the season was quarterback. As it turned out, that wasn't the case; the questioning quickly rose as the losses piled up. Chris Turner, despite all he's done for the program in past years, just wasn't a good fit for this porous offensive line with his lack of escapability and gimpy knees.

We'll never really know if Ralph Friedgen or James Franklin would have voluntarily pulled the plug on Turner in favor of the more mobile Jamarr Robinson had Turner not gotten injured against N.C. St., but that might've actually been the best thing for the Terps. They got to see Robinson and found out he might've been the best fit all along.

Chris Turner, QB

No widget, but he threw for 2069 yards on 59% passing with 10 TDs and 10 INTs.

Turner came into the year with big hopes for his final season. Hampered by a terrible offensive line leading to constant sacks and frequent injuries, he never got off the ground (literally and figuratively). Despite a few good games against Middle Tennessee State, Clemson, and Duke, the season can't be considered anything other than a failure, even if it wasn't entirely his fault. He finally succumbed to injury for the final time against the Wolfpack, and though he got a little bit of PT against Boston College, everyone knew it wasn't his team anymore.

Turner probably doesn't have much a future in football, unfortunately. He could find a job as a backup in the NFL or CFL because he's smart and has had a decent career, but that's far from guaranteed. More likely, I could see him going into politics - he had an internship on Capitol Hill last summer.

Jamarr Robinson, QB

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
2009 - Jamarr Robinson	6	50.0	46	85	54.1	460	76.7	5.4	2	0	53	229	38.2	4.3	0	-	-

Robinson saw a bit of playing time early on in the Jaguar - that is, Jamarr Wildcat; shut up, that's what I'm calling it - which really wasn't much different than the much-maligned Portis Package. Despite coaches asserting they would give him a look for next year, they never really did, until they had to.

As it turned out, they had to against North Carolina State. Robinson played the majority of the N.C. St. game after Turner's injury, started the following two matchups, and might as well have been the starter against Boston College. He was a defensive lapse away from beating Florida State, and was only inches away from touchdowns on more than one occasion. It was clear after the first few games that he was the best fit for this type of offensive line - he, unlike Turner, was entirely capable of throwing on the run and improvising to make plays on his own.

He was impressive, but not overly so. He displayed a strong arm, but it wasn't always that accurate. He made quite a few plays on his feet, but it got to the point where you were wondering if he was becoming single-minded, like people often complained about Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick. He did well enough for me to have some confidence in him, but not well enough for me to declare him the starter for next year.

The Future

The early money on the starter for next year, and who will probably be the starter on the depth chart on Day One, is Robinson, as he and Clay Belton are the only ones with any type of experience. Robinson has been in the system longest, and Friedgen is most comfortable with him. He's also expressed a desire to move back to a Scott McBrien-type QB, and Robinson would be that.

Other options include the aforementioned Belton and redshirt freshmen C.J. Brown and Danny O'Brien. Belton transferred over from Miami (OH) and might have the best physical tools of the bunch: he's big, tall, strong, and his feet aren't made of steel. More than once he's drawn comparisons to a slimmer Byron Leftwich. If Maryland wants to go West Coast, he'd be a main contender.

Brown would challenge Belton in the physical tools category, except he's significantly faster. Out of everyone, he might be the most reminiscent of McBrien himself. If they want to go mobile, he'd be #2 behind Robinson.

O'Brien was the one who might've started had they felt bad about Robinson, but they luckily avoided burning his redshirt. He's the slowest out of all the QBs on the roster, but probably the smartest. If there's anything we know about Ralph, it's that he loves smart QBs, so he'll have a shot. Speed and other physical tools are a big minus for him, meaning he's much more like a Sam Hollenbach than a Scott McBrien. If they are truly searching for McBrien, they don't have it here.

Two other options are true freshmen Tyler Smith and Devin Burns. Smith has gotten rave reviews from ESPN and seems to be a great fit for the West Coast offense of James Franklin: tall, quick release, and zippy, accurate ball. Burns is a tough call who's had a fantastic senior year; if they went with more of a spread set, he would be a great choice. He's athletic with a strong arm and good elusiveness, although that arm - like Robinson, isn't always the most accurate. Ending up at WR, ala Latrez Harrison, wouldn't be a stretch.

I'll say this, though: at least one, possibly two, of these guys will leave. One of O'Brien or Brown, and probably one of Smith or Burns, if Burns stays at QB, will transfer - there's just too many cooks in the kitchen.

The Regular Season Finale and the Big Finish

Brian @ BCI — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:12:41 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

2 months ago: Maryland's Tim Downs (92) celebrates with the crowd after they beat Clemson 24-21 in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, in College Park, Md.(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Brian: This is probably the least meaningful game that BC has played in a long time. Do you think the team will be motivated to play in this one? What do you expect tomorrow?

Jeff: This game is no less meaningful than any non-conference game against a team other than Notre Dame. I expect the Eagles to play well and I expect a win since Maryland is the weakest team in the league this season and certainly worse than Central Michigan. I imagine many people are thinking that the Eagles might mail it in just like Miami did a few weeks ago after Georgia Tech clinched the Coastal Division. I don't see BC doing that because that is not behavior we have ever seen from a BC football team and I also wonder if all the players in that locker room had a Tampa or bust type mentality.

Brian: The last time the Eagles went into College Park to face a Terrapin team with just one ACC win, the Eagles were 8-1 and ranked 8th in the nation. Chris Turner had a huge day against the Eagles defense and the Terrapins upset BC. How much will redemption be on the mind of the Eagles tomorrow?

Jeff: Not at all. BC got their redemption last year when it was more of the same players, the same coach, and the Atlantic Division was on the line.

Big Finish

Jeff: The women's soccer team was bounced from the NCAAs yesterday in a 3-1 loss to Stanford. Your thoughts?

Brian: No shame in losing to a team that is 24-0 on the season. A great season for the women's soccer team.

Brian: With 19 tackles last week, Luke Kuechly moved into the nationwide lead in tackles with 126 tackles, five ahead of Brian Wagner of Akron. Chances Kuechly finishes the regular season in first?

Jeff: ESPN.com has Kuechly in fifth place with Carmen Messina (New Mexico) leading with 146 tackles. Regardless, I'll say 1%.

Jeff: Mark Herzlich is now officially getting ready for next season after his successful surgery on Monday. Who has more tackles next season, Kuechly or Herzlich?

Brian: I'll go with Kuechly and will be content with seeing Herzlich back on the field next season.

Brian: Will this be the last game for Ralph Friedgen?

Jeff: No. Maryland can not afford to buy out his contract. Maryland needs to set realistic expectations for their football program.

Jeff: BC men's basketball travels to Providence (4-1) tonight. Can the Eagles right the ship without Sanders?

Brian: I expect a hard fought game but I think the Friars are the better team. Besides, the Big East has been on fire to start the season.

Brian: BC is making plans to build a 160,000-square foot academic building called Stokes Commons on Newton Campus. As a fellow Newton Campus alum, putting undergrad academic buildings on Newton Campus … your thoughts?

Jeff: BC is building it on College Road in Newton so it will be on Middle or Upper Campus in Newton. I know, it is confusing.

Jeff: Time to jump on the BC men’s soccer bandwagon? They host Drake on Sunday in the NCAA Sweet 16. Do they advance to the Elite 8?

Brian: Yes, the Eagles will advance to the 8s to play the winner of North Carolina (a team the Eagles have already defeated this season) and Indiana.

Brian: Last one, HD with the surprise upset pick this weekend. Make a prediction and prove her wrong. Who ya got? What’s the final score?

Jeff: Boston College 34, Maryland 7. Thanks to an improving team and weak competition, the Eagles finally put together a complete game and win easily. I didn't want to jinx BC by taking them in Pick 5, but I feel good about this one.

Pick 5

Jeff:

Pittsburgh (-1) at West Virginia
Nevada (+13.5) at Boise State
Wake Forest (-4.5) at Duke
Clemson (-3) at South Carolina
Notre Dame (+10) at Stanford

Brian:

Temple (-2.5) at Ohio
Rutgers (-3) at Louisville
Virginia Tech (-16) at Virginia
Boston College (-6) at Maryland
Georgia at Georgia Tech (-7.5)

Boston College-Maryland Preview: Friedgen's Last Stand

Ben Broman — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:38:27 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

2 months ago: Boston College safety Wes Davis (45) celebrates with teammate Clarence Megwa after Davis recovered a fumble in overtime to defeat Wake Forest 27-24 in a NCAA college football game at Alumni Stadium in Boston Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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Ralph Friedgen is running out of time. If you were to ask him, he wouldn't tell you that (though he might get very upset with you), but the longtime (comparatively) Maryland HC very well might be coaching his last game for the Terrapins this Saturday. For this reason alone, I'm hoping for a competitive matchup, but honestly, I don't entirely expect one.

Boston College Offense vs. Maryland Defense: If there's one area Maryland should be confident in, it's defending Boston College, especially through the air. QB Dave Shinskie hasn't looked good in weeks (not since the Florida State game in the beginning of October) and his past couple of outings against decent teams have been nothing less than horrendous - against UNC last week he was 12/28 for 101 yards with 4 INTs. BC ranks 116th in passes had intercepted (the fewer the better) and 99th in passing offense; controlling that area of the game shouldn't be a problem, even for an embattled secondary

Cameron Chism, who's quietly had a solid sophomore year, should come up with at least one pick; he seems to do well against below-average QBs. You'd think that Jamari McCollough and Terrell Skinner, in their final game, would come up big, too. Shinskie should make it easy for them.

On the flip side to the terrible air game is a pretty dangerous running attack, headed by overlooked Montel Harris. While Harris is capable of laying eggs (Notre Dame, VT) but is also capable of dropping huge games (179 against FSU, 250+ against N.C. St.). Against a rush defense ranked 71st in the nation, I'd bet that this game would be one of the latter. Harris, who has 1213 yards on 5 ypc, is a bit remiscient of Davin Meggett - built more like a scat back, but has surprising power. His balance will make it tough for a weak Maryland front 7 to stop him. Alex Wucjiak will need to have a big game as Maryland's primary run defender if the Terps are to stay close - BC leans on Harris, and leans on him hard.

Maryland Offense vs. Boston College Defense: A team with an offense incapable of consistently passing the ball won't go far unless they have a great defense, and because Boston College is headed to a bowl game, they probably have a really good defense. They're in the top 25 in run defense and in the top half in pass defense; they're a balanced defense without a big weakness. They're 28th in scoring defense, too, and that only gets better if you look at teams of Maryland's offensive caliber. UVA put up 10; Central Michigan had 10 as well; N.C. St. scored 20; FSU 21. Maryland, worse than all those teams in terms of putting up points, will have to have a very out-of-character offensive explosion to have any shot.

The good news is that if Maryland decides to go with the injured, questionable Chris Turner on senior day (as they should, in my opinion, if he's ready to go), they won't have to worry as much about his lack of mobility. Turner's not the fleetest of foot, which has caused major issues in the past, but BC is just 108th in sacks; without sack monster Mark Herzlich, their front 7 is adequate at not letting teams run over them and keeping up just enough pressure to not leave their DBs out to dry. They lack, however, a big game-changing sack monster, so they rarely get into the backfield; Turner shouldn't get pummeled.

The thing about BC's defense is that - outside of getting to the QB - they do everything well. There's no real weakness, but no dominating strength. Maryland should be able to move the ball some against them, but putting up a lot of points may be a challenge. A complication of BC's solid rushing attack is that they'll be able to run the clock and control the game - when Maryland gets an opportunity, they'll have to take it, because they won't get too many.

FWIW, if Turner's healthy, he'll probably start, which is probably the right choice. Love him or hate him, he's done a lot for this program during his time here, and deserves to start on senior day. I'm still expecting a lot of PT for Jamarr Robinson, who also deserves it, but Turner earns the start if he can.

Prediction: Boston College 21, Maryland 17. I'm changing it up from a few days ago. Maryland scores ten in the first half on the strength of two long Da'Rel Scott stretch runs while BC racks up just 7. Shinskie throws a pick six on BC's first drive the second half, but it's all Boston College from there. Harris takes over and BC scores two TDs in the second half to win it.

I have no reason for this being as detailed as it was.

Five Good Minutes: Testudo Times

Brian @ BCI — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:42:32 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

24 days ago: Maryland running back Davin Meggett, center, runs for fourth-quarter yardage as Florida State defensive tackle Everett Dawkins, left, and linebacker Nigel Carr, right, move in to make the tackle during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State won 29-26.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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First, a programming note: posting will slow over the next five days for the holiday. We wish everyone safe travels this week and hope you all have a great holiday!

To preview this weekend's regular season finale between the Eagles and the Terrapins, we welcome the SBNation Maryland blog Testudo Times for Five Good Minutes.

In exchange, we also answered some questions for Testudo Times and they will be posted later today. Welcome!

BC Interruption: Eagles fans are very familiar with Chris Turner (having faced him in 2007 and 2008) but know virtually nothing about Jamarr Robinson. What can you tell us about him, and what current college or pro QB does he most resemble?

Testudo TImes: James Franklin, poor decision maker though he may be, made a lot of sense when he said that Jamarr Robinson should've been playing well before Chris Turner's injury. Turner is the superior QB, but with this wet paper bag OL, he was entirely ineffective. Robinson has literally all the physical tools to succeed: he's quick on his feet, can make guys miss, and has a great arm - he's been inches away from long TDs on more than half of his deep balls. The problem with his is mentally; he has trouble with decision making sometimes, and tends to get nervous easily, leading to overthrows and underthrows. When he has a clear purpose - like in a two-minute drill - he's tough to beat. He deals well with a thing like making two reads and taking off if the they aren't there, but he's not a pro-style, pocket passer.

Everything about him, from that hint of swagger and confidence when he's comfortable, to his athletic ability, to his slightly big windup, reminds me of Jacory Harris, especially the freshman version of Harris. Robinson needs more experience to fully match up with Harris and does't have Harris' talent, but that's a good comparison.

BCI: How did Da'Rel Scott perform last weekend after being out for five weeks with a broken wrist? Was Davin Meggett a suitable replacement for Scott, or did the Terrapins rushing game suffer in Scott's absence? Do you expect the Terps rushing attack of Scott + Meggett to have success against a BC defense that is very tough against the run?

TT: Scott was surprisingly great, actually. It's not very surprising he was so good against FSU's almost non-existent run defense, though; Davin Meggett's average went up in that game, too, no doubt partially due to FSU's weak front 7.

Maryland's running game most definitely suffered in those five weeks, but not particularly because of Scott's absence - believe it or not, there's a group of sensible Maryland fans that think Meggett is better than Scott, and they might be right. The problem has been the offensive line.

They'll continue to mix the two, like they did last year, and you might even see some Caleb Porzel and Gary Douglas as change-of-pace backs.

BCI: Maryland almost pulled out the win in Tallahassee last weekend. How were they able to hang with Florida State? Do you expect the Terps to be motivated to play in an otherwise meaningless regular season finale?

TT: Even I was surprised by how well Maryland played against FSU. A combination of three interceptions and FSU's poor defense kept Maryland in it; Jamarr Robinson had a career day off quick passes and Maryland's running game easily ran over the Noles. Really, though, that's not a surprise - FSU hasn't had a great defensive performance all year, and their freshman QB was due for mistakes. Maryland made the most of them, and almost won thanks to them. In reality, though, Maryland's defense was pretty bad, and that was the killer.

Maryland's motivation depends on how much the players like Ralph Friedgen and James Franklin. Neither have been able to motivate or connect to the players at all this year, so I'm not sure why it would change now. The players that really like Fridge or Frank might try to save their jobs with a convincing end of season win, but I don't think too many do. They'll fight because it's what their supposed to do, but I'm not expecting to see any emotion.

BCI: What do you think will happen to Maryland football in the offseason? Will the program buy out Fridge? Will James Franklin take over, or will the school conduct an external coaching search? Handicap the coaching search for us.

TT: If Maryland buys out Fridge, the only sensible thing to do would be buying Franklin out with him. The problem is that Franklin has a very long, very expensive contract, and if Maryland's anything less than certain that he'll do well, it would be ridiculous to put him in charge because the buyout would be gigantic. Right now, it's about $1mil; it would be $10mil if we tried to fire him after a year or two of being HC.

That being said, there are a couple of names that Maryland fans are extremely interested in, mostly Brian Billick and Mike Leach. Billick lives in the area, and Ravens owner (and still Billick friend) Steve Bisciotti is a Maryland donor. If he wants to get back to coaching, this would be a logical place to start, and he could build an absolute monster of a team with players just from the area by name-dropping Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Randy Moss, etc - all people he coached. There have been rumors of his interest, and his possible hire have Maryland fans dreaming of Pete Carroll-level teams. That said, they're nothing more than rumors.

Leach wants out of Texas Tech bad and would probably be option 1A if Billick isn't available, but his price tag might be too much. Other possibilities are Mike London (Richmond's HC), Charlie Strong (Florida's DC), Turner Gill (Buffalo's HC), and Ken Nuimatalolo (Navy's HC). Not to be too out there, but there's a reason all are minorities - few places are as racially aware as the DC/Baltimore corridor, and firing a black coach "before giving him a chance" wouldn't go over well. Billick and Leach could fix that up quick because they're charismatic, but otherwise, Maryland will probably need a minority coach to avoid a controversy.

BCI: While the rest of the ACC faces in-state rivals this weekend, Maryland draws ... BC. Do you like the conference annually force feeding a late November game between the Eagles and Terps? If Maryland could schedule any program it wants to wrap up the regular season, who would it be and why?

TT: Maryland has no football rival. We don't like UVA, but they have Tech. I hate Duke basketball, but have no emotion for their football program. West Virginia would probably be the most sensible one, but they have Pitt. We just don't have a rival. We could start up a rivalry with you guys, but Maryland and BC are kind of like the in-laws of the conference - the "real family" just keeps to themselves, so we just huddle together and commiserate. Unless there's a fight, on the field, I just can't dislike Boston College, because they feel like Maryland's biggest ally in the deal.

I'd just like a bye week, please.

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

TT: Boston College 31-20. Maryland goes through the motions, except for Jamarr Robinson, who's fighting for his job next year. Robinson will run for a score and pass for another, but no one else gets involved much.

BCI: Thanks for joining us!

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

Ralph Friedgen Keeps His Dream Alive, Still Refuses to Rule Out Playing Danny O'Brien

Ben Broman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:12:20 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

Jamarr Robinson has had better days, but would he really be worse than a true freshman?

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I don't know what it is about Ralph Friedgen and Danny O'Brien, but the big man sure seems to love the North Carolinian true freshman QB. In fact, he loves him so much that he'll happily burn his redshirt with just two games left in a lost season. At least, that's what Prisbell's reporting.

Burning a QB's redshirt in the final few games is just flabbergasting to me. I mean, if Maryland had five wins right now, then okay. I mean, a bowl's the goal, right? But Maryland has two wins and no shot at anything in the postseason. Jamarr Robinson didn't look great, yes, but he didn't look awful, and I'm not sure why O'Brien would do better. I'm also not sure what DOB performing better than Robinson does, anyway. Lord knows it doesn't increase Ralph's job security - if anything, that should be the last straw.

I just don't get Ralph Friedgen that much anymore. Playcalling, personnel decisions, recruiting - none of them make sense. The worst of it is redshirt management. I'll have a post in the coming week running them down, but I can think of literally just one redshirt - Nick Ferrara's - that has been justifiably burnt. Burning O'Brien's would be criminal and pointless, especially because Chris Turner is a week from returning.

It sounds like Friedgen doesn't need to wait for a Robinson injury to make the switch. So, with a healthy QB on the bench, would you potentially trade a fifth-year senior's 720 snaps for a true freshman's 100 or so? The payoff? You're 3-9 instead of 2-10.

Not to mention that Chris Turner might be just a week away from being able to play, and you know he would against Boston College if he's able. So that 100 might transform down to 50 or 60. I simply don't get the reasoning.

Of course, it hasn't happened yet, so maybe this is a slight overreaction, but his refusal to deny it is disconcerting, and I need somewhere to vent, dammit. Am I in the wrong here, or does this anger anyone else?

NCAA10 Sim: Hokies 42, Terps 35

Hokie20 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:44 -0000

Tyrod Taylor led a game-winning drive in the final minute and a half to help Virginia Tech fend off Maryland in a high-scoring affair in College Park, 42-35.

Maryland marched down the field on the legs of Davin Meggett starting with just under four minutes to play. Meggett carried the Terps on his back carrying the ball on the five final plays of a 14-play touchdown drive with fewer than two minutes to play.

Maryland tied the game at 35, but left too much time on the clock for Taylor and the Hokies. Taylor went 6-for-7 passing on the game-winning drive including a 25 yard dump-off pass to Ryan Williams. With no timeouts remaining, the Hokies worked their way into the Maryland red zone to kick a field goal. However, Tech went for the score and Taylor hit Jarrett Boykin for an 8-yard strike to put the Hokies up for good.

Taylor and Maryland counterpart Chris Turner passed for big numbers and several touchdowns. Turner shined early in the first quarter with two touchdowns longer than 20 yards. The Hokies looked like they would struggle staying with the Terps until Dyrell Roberts returned a kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown to spark the Hokies.

Ryan Williams did not have a good day due to Taylor throwing the ball consistently. Williams amassed only 82 yards and one touchdown.

VT 13 7 8 14 -42

UMD 14 7 7 7 -35

Scoring Summary

1^st Quarter

VT:TD 3:40 J. Boykin, 1 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)

UMD:TD 2:00 R. Tyler, 22 Yd pass from C. Turner (N. Ferrara Kick)

UMD:TD 0:37 T. Smith, 26 Yd pass from C. Turner (N. Ferrara Kick)

VT:TD 0:09 D. Roberts, returned kickoff 102 Yds (Missed Kick)

2^nd Quarter

VT:TD 2:32 D. Roberts, 5 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)

UMD:TD 2:05 T. Smith, returned kickoff 102 Yds (N. Ferrara Kick)

3^rd Quarter

UMD:TD 2:51 D. Scott, 2 Yd run (N. Ferrara Kick)

VT:TD 2:54 R. Williams, 1 Yd run (2-Pt)

4^th Quarter

VT:TD 3:22 G. Boone, 10 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)

UMD:TD 1:30 D. Meggett, 1 Yd run (N. Ferrara Kick)

VT:TD 3:40 J. Boykin, 7 Yd pass from T. Taylor (M. Waldron Kick)

Significant Stats

First downs VT: 18 UMD: 20

Total Offense VT:385 UMD: 427

Turnovers VT: 0 UMD: 1 FUM,

Virginia Tech Top Player Stats

Passing: T. Taylor 24-36 for 296 yds, 4 TD

Rushing: R. Williams 19-for-82 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: J. Boykin 6-for-75 yds, 2 TD

Defense: C. Grimm 10 TAK

Maryland Top Player Stats

Passing: C. Turner 18-34 for 314 yds, 2 TD

Rushing: D. Scott 26-for-88 yds, 1 TD

Receiving: T. Smith 5-for-106 yds, 1 TD

Defense: T. Skinner 7 TAK, 1 DEFL

Coaching Updates: Porzel, O'Brien, Option

Ben Broman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:09:31 -0000

Couple of things that missed the MM here but are important enough to be linked to: first up, it looks like the staff is looking to get the ball to Caleb Porzel in as many ways as possible, which is always a good thing. Porzel's extremely dangerous when he gets the ball in the open field, and I can't imagine any field more open than the field in front of him on a kickoff return.

So it makes sense that Friedgen will pair him with Torrey Smith on the return team, especially because coaches have been kicking away from Smith more and more in the past few weeks. This could be a Clemson-type situation of pick your poison - kick it short and give up the field position right away, or take your chances with two ultra-dangerous kick return guys. I definitely like the thinking there.

I don't, however, so much like the thinking here. You now know that Chris Turner is doubtful (if you didn't, you do now), meaning Jamarr Robinson will be the QB barring a shocker. But Friedgen is still sticking to his guns regarding Danny O'Brien, who he insists will burn his redshirt if need be. The interesting wording is from Jeff Barker, who says that Fridge will play O'Brien "if necessary to win." Not if Robinson gets hurt; if it is necessary to win.

Why? If Robinson does terribly, maybe it's because Virginia Tech is going to massacre Maryland's offensive line. Pulling Robinson after a game, or less, of poor play makes no sense - this isn't actually a bad thing, because we get to see an extended look at Robinson. It's not like Maryland could still make a bowl.

Lastly, Barker says that Friedgen believes the option could make a comeback next year. We saw a play of it last weekend on Turner's rushing TD, but I'd be very happy to see a full-blown option return. I don't need Navy's system, but I'd be very happy with a solid rushing attack. He cites C.J. Brown and Clay Belton as the guys most able to run it - surprisingly, he doesn't mention Jamarr Robinson, who looked plenty afleet of foot last week.

Regardless, with how bad the offense has been this year, I'm wondering if it isn't time for a little option this year.

Maryland Minute 11.12.09 - Stoglin Signing Early

Ben Goldstein — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:11:48 -0000

Stoglin to Sign in Early Period

Plus some notes on Terrell - he's been to the Arizona championship all 3 years, and lost all 3 times. That's rough. - Ben Broman

Ashton Pankey Mini-Update

From Zags:

"It was great," he said. "I liked the overall atmosphere of the school. I made some friends on the team. The coaches did a great job of showing me and my mother the campus. They took us to the football stadium. They took me to the business school because I told them I wanted to major in business."

Hurley said Pankey wanted to take a second visit so he had something to compare Maryland with.

"He really liked Maryland and I know he wants to be able to compare Maryland to another school," Hurley said.

- Ben Broman

5 Questions Facing the Terps this Season

Jeff Barker has a nice preview of Gary and Co. including five key questions facing the team. Definitely worth the quick read.

MaxPreps: Maryland's 2010 Class at #10

Pankey will account for at least a one or two spot bump, if not more. Throw in Tobas Harris and its top 5. - Ben Broman

Turner "Doubtful" for Saturday

I guess we know who's starting this week.

Dinich Predicts..

A 17-14 VT victory. Here's what she had to say:

"Regardless of who starts at quarterback for Maryland -- injured starter Chris Turner or backup Jamarr Robinson -- the Terps will keep this game interesting. The defense will blitz and put pressure on Tyrod Taylor, and it’s not as if the Hokies’ offense has been prolific the past few weeks. But the Hokies have more overall talent and experience, and it will show."

Would you take a 17-14 loss on Saturday?

She also gives us a reason to watch on Saturday

Torrey Smith. He's 250 yards away from setting the ACC single-season mark for all-purpose yards.

James Franklin is Raking in the Dough

He's the second highest paid assistant in the ACC and the seventh highest paid assistant in all of college football. Not bad for a guy who's offense is ranked 99th out of 120 Division 1 teams.

Dara Taylor Filling In for Kristi Toliver Nicely

This team will miss Marissa Coleman more than Kristi Toliver. Calling it. - Ben Broman

My Take: Agreed.

Fun With 4th Downs

Akula Wolf — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:48:20 -0000

There's been a lot of good work on the subject of 4th down decision making; most notably, there's this paper by David Romer in which he concludes that going for it is beneficial a lot more often than coaches think it is. I agree wholeheartedly, and I've been outspoken about being aggressive inside your opponent's 40 yard line. I've said repeatedly that it's never a good idea to punt inside the 40, but that is admittedly too rigid a stance, and as Saturday's game illustrated, those 4th down situations can be incredibly nuanced.

Situation #1: Up 14-7 in the 1st quarter, it's 4th-and-11 for NC State at the Maryland 38. NC State initially elects to punt and manages to pin Maryland inside its own 5. But the Terps rough the punter and the coaches decide to take the penalty, which set up 4th-and-6 at the 33, and put the offense back on the field. Wilson's pass is intercepted and returned for a touchdown--doomsday scenario.

Considerations: State's defense is terrible, obviously, so you'd like to be aggressive as much as reasonably possible when State's offense is in decent position to keep the ball in its hands and put points on the board. Maryland's offense is terrible, too, and even before Chris Turner went down, they were moving the ball at an unimpressive 4.6 yards/play clip. We're out of field goal range at the 33, as a 48-yard FG that barely cleared the crossbar later proved. So that's completely off the table.

The disastrous outcome of the 4th down play isn't a factor either. Just like you can't kick yourself for folding jack-ten to a big raise even though you would've ended up with the nut straight, the pick-six is irrelevant hindsight. The key is making the right decision with the data available to you at the time. The fact that we knew we had Maryland pinned is a factor in the process, though.

So, good decision? Let's look at some numbers. On average, teams that start a drive between the 31-40 yard line score twice as often as they do when they start inside their own 10. Based on this fine work from Bill Connelly, we also know that teams convert 4th-and-6s 36% of the time on average. With State's good offense working against Maryland's poor defense, the odds are probably a bit higher than that.

The cost of not converting here and giving Maryland the ball at the 33 instead of the 3 (or wherever it was downed) is about one point, according to Connelly's study. If we do convert, we can reasonably expect to come away with at least three points. Two-to-one odds against converting (probably closer to 3:2), two-to-one odds against Maryland scoring points if they get the ball at the 33. Five-to-one against scoring if Maryland gets the ball inside the 10, and that's the wrinkle that makes this tough. I've gone back and forth so much that I don't think there's a clear cut answer, but I lean towards thinking that going for it was the right move.

Situation #2: Up 38-31 with a little over a minute left, NC State has the ball at Maryland's 31 yard line; it's 4th-and-12. Maryland is out of time outs, so a conversion makes no defensive stand necessary. NC State decides to go and Russell Wilson fires a pass into the end zone; Owen Spencer gets his hands on it but can't hang on. Turnover on downs.

Considerations: Obviously the coaches weren't worried about handing the ball over on the 31, and Czajkowski proved earlier he could hit a field goal from this spot, so why not give that a shot? The doomsday scenario would be a blocked kick, which I wouldn't put past us. And Czajkowski might not get all of the kick this time and come up short. The odds of the offense converting that 4th-and-long were probably in the neighborhood of 4.5-to-1 against. I tend to think the odds of a made field goal were better.

At that late stage of the game, especially with the Terps out of time outs, I think either you try the field goal or you go ahead and take your chances with a punt. Yes, I'm suggesting a Russell Wilson quick kick might've been a good idea. Even if the ball sails into the end zone. Going back to the averages, the odds that a drive starting at the 20 results in a TD are 4-to-1 against. With just a minute to work with and zero time outs, they're probably much longer than that.

2009 Virginia Tech Football: Maryland Game Guide

furrer4heisman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:31 -0000

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Virginia Tech Hokies (6-3, 3-2) at Maryland Terrapins (2-7, 1-4)

Time: 1 p.m. EST
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009
Place: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (54,000), College Park, Md.
TV: None (Broadcast available on ESPN360.com)

Maryland: The Terps are coming off a 38-31 loss at NC State last week ... Maryland QB Chris Turner scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter to put the Terps ahead, 21-17 ... however, Turner was injured on the play and did not return ... after Turner went out, Maryland was outscored 21-10 ... its touchdown came on a kickoff return by Torrey Smith ... backup Jamarr Robinson completed 5 of 11 passes for 27 yards ... he also ran eight times for 46 yards, not including a sack ... running back Da'Rel Sc'ott broke his wrist against Clemson Oct. 3 ... Scott averaged over five yards per carry before the injury ... without Scott, the Terps are 0-4 and have averaged 3.0 ypc and are currently No. 10 in the ACC, averaging 2.9 ypc.

Trends: The Hokies won last week at ECU after losing its previous two games ... Virginia Tech has lost four of its last five ACC road games ... Maryland has lost four consecutive games ... the Terps are 2-3 at home this season, including wins over James Madison and Clemson ... Maryland is 2-6 against the Coastal division in the last three seasons ... Virginia Tech is 4-3 against the Atlantic division in the last three seasons.

History Lesson: The Hokies are 14-15 all-time against the Terps and have won the last four meetings ... the last time Maryland beat Virginia Tech was 20-13 in 1990 in College Park ... Tech is 3-3 all-time in College Park ... the Hokies have won all three meetings since the they joined the ACC in 2004, including on the road in 2005 ... this is the first time Tech's game against Maryland hasn't been on Thursday night since 1993, the last time the teams met before Tech joined the ACC ... last year, Darren Evans ran for a Virginia Tech record 253 yards en route to a 23-13 win.

What to Expect

Don't expect Da'Rel Scott. He's not supposed to play until Nov. 21 at Florida State, but could the team's recent struggles lead to an early return?
Expect Jamarr Robinson at quarterback. Turner is questionable for this weekend's game with an injured MCL, but Terp fans want to see Robinson regardless of whether or not Turner can go.
Expect Robinson to be in scramble mode. The Hokies should be able to stop the Terps' run game, force passing downs and then go after Robinson. However, the elusive Robinson may be able to get yards on the ground.
Expect the Hokies to put some points on the board. Maryland is allowing and ACC-worst 32.3 points per game, including 27.6 in five conference games.
Expect another decent rush defense against Tech. The Terps are allowing 2.6 yards per carry in league games, which is the best in the ACC. This is in large part to linebacker Alex Wujciak, who is one of the best in the conference.
Expect Tyrod to get it done. On the other end of the spectrum, Maryland allows 7.8 yards per pass attempt in league games, No. 10 in the ACC.
Expect a trimmer Fridge. Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen weighed over 400 pounds in October 2008. Since then he's lost over 100 pounds, without surgery.

Hokies win if: Tyrod Taylor has a good game passing and the Hokies don't turn the ball over.

Terrapins win if: Jamarr Robinson can make plays with his feet, Torrey Smith can make plays on special teams and the Hokies have another bad road game in conference.

Dot-dot-dots: The Terps will be wearing special camouflage uniforms to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior project ... the Hokies will be wearing "special" Pro Combat uniforms from our Nike overlords ... Frank Beamer and Ralph Friedgen were assistant coaches together at The Citadel from 1973-78 and Friedgen served on Beamer's staff at Murray State in 1981 ... Virginia Tech has eight players from the state of Maryland, including starters Nekos Brown, Rashad Carmichael and Kenny Jefferson.

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