SB Nation - Da'Rel Scott

Maryland Football Season Review: RB

Ben Broman — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:27:59 -0000

about 1 month 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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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. Today, we review the running backs.

There were three positions Maryland knew they were loaded at coming into the season: running back, wide receiver, and safety. None turned out as well as they had expected, but it could be argued that, of them all, the running backs were the most disappointing.

Was it the running backs themselves? The terrible offensive line? Something else entirely? We can't quantify how much of what is to blame, but it's safe to say the first two definitely contributed. Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggett didn't become entirely ineffective on their own, but Bruce Campbell wasn't stripping Scott, either.

Da'Rel Scott

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
2009 - Da'Rel Scott	7	85	425	60.7	5	4	12	101	14.4	8.4	0

Maryland's leading rusher, star player, and darkhorse ACC POY candidate (yes, really), Scott's season was supremely disappointing. Not necessarily because he was bad, but rather because he was hurt.

Scott was on target for a great year coming into the season, and it never really materialized. Despite a few nice games against Cal (most of which didn't matter) and MTSU and an average one against JMU, he failed to impress like he did last year. Those issues were compounded by constant fumbles, which prompted him to get benched for much of the following game. Then, against Clemson, he got hurt, and was out until the Florida State game - that's five games. He looked good against FSU, and okay against Boston College. Still, when reviewing the whole thing, it wasn't a great year for DRS, injury or not.

The question is, as I said above, whether or not that's on him or the line. Certainly, he can't be expected to excel when there's no wholes. At the same time, the fumbles that were ultimately his downfall weren't the line's fault, and you just have to hope that that's not a recurring issue.

He'll be the starter next year, I'm almost certain. He deserves it, and without C.J. Spiller, will be one of the best backs in the conference if the offensive line shows up, provided he holds onto the ball.

Davin Meggett

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
2009 - Davin Meggett	12	99	337	28.1	3.4	6	14	175	14.6	12.5	1

Remember this play? This play set off the legacy, so to speak, of Meggett, who had an outstanding freshman campaign. Just about everyone fell in love with his downhill, no-nonsense style, and I considered him as a possibility to challenge for the starting spot. Regardless of his position on the depth chart, it was clear he deserved a lot of carries.

Well, until he started the season. Despite Scott's absence giving him the starting spot for most of the year, he was quiet and mostly ineffective. Unlike last year, he seemed tentative, not quick and decisive, and the oh-so-commong ten-to-twelve yard runs were few and far between.

Much like Scott, I don't think it was his doing. A solid OL gave him the comfort of being able to be decisive and quick; with a poor offensive line, he had to wait longer for holes to develop, and they just weren't there. Like Turner, his disappointing season wasn't entirely on him; he's just not that elusive, and that doesn't go well with a poor offensive line.

I hope to see a return to the Meggett of old next year, and I think we'll get it. He was a joy to watch last year, but a pain this one. With a full-strength Meggett and Scott, Maryland will be loaded at RB again next year. Again, though, this will all be dependent on OL improvement.

Gary Douglas

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
2009 - Gary Douglas	5	16	81	16.2	5.1	0	6	78	15.6	13	0

This one's tough. Douglas showed some stuff when Scott was injured and Meggett was ineffective; he's shifty and probably the most complete back out of everyone on the roster. He had 81 yards of total offense against Wake Forest, and looked plenty good doing it. He would slowly drift away to Caleb Porzel, who we'll get to later, and eventually get injured against Duke. After the injury, he was done for the year, despite being healthy against VT.

Douglas will be facing an uphill battle to get any playing time from now till when he graduates. D.J. Adams and Porzel are there, and will dominate the playing time in the future. Next year belongs to Scott and Meggett. Douglas, despite his complete game, won't see much PT unless he's surprisingly impressive.

Caleb Porzel

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
2009 - Caleb Portzel	5	30	75	15	2.5	0	3	24	4.8	8	0

Ah, the dreaded Porzel redshirt. Porzel burnt his redshirt, worth its weight in his gold - not saying that much, he barely reaches 150 - on 30 carries and 75 yards. I would've been fine with it had he been used more, but he rarely got carries, and it's tough to call his burnt redshirt anything other than a waste.

Next year, with all the RBs back and the introduction of D.J. Adams, Porzel won't see a lot more time. He's extremely dangerous, though, and it's up to the coaching staff to find ways to get him the ball in a Brian Westbrook sort of way; slot receiver, screens, anything.

Morgan Green

Who? Green, despite below-average performances from everyone else, never saw the field, and the curse of Steve Slaton continues.

The Future

It's bright. Everyone returns, and D.J. Adams makes his debut. If the line is okay, these guys could be very, very good. Multiple back sets should be common, because they have the depth to do it. As I said earlier, Porzel should be a slot receiver and get a lot of screen passes and punt returns. Adams very well could be the goal-line back. I wouldn't mind seeing Meggett and Scott in the backfield at the same time.

The possibility of a triple option attack has been bandied about, but I don't think it's possible, nor would it be particularly effective. That said, a few triple option and spread plays will likely find their way into the playbook if the starter turns out to be Robinson, Brown, or Burns.

Could Yow and Fridge be Talking Buyout...of Franklin?

Dave Tucker — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:23:13 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen is probably listening to a lot of options right now as he discusses the future of the Maryland Football Program with AD Debbie Yow (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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The rumor mills are churning right now as Athletic Director Debbie Yow meets with head football coach Ralph Friedgen about the state of the football program. Football Coach Scoop is reporting that if Fridge wants to keep his job, Franklin has to go. As Ben B. said in a post earlier about this speculation, we're not sure how seriously Terps fans should take this, but maybe they know something we don't. We know the discussion between Dr. Yow and Ralph Friedgen is moving forward and will probably be concluding soon, but aside from that, we haven't heard too much, so take anything else you hear with a grain of salt. No one is really sure when or what the outcome of these meetings will be, but I'd like to put on my speculation hat for a moment and think about what a buyout of James Franklin and not Ralph Friedgen would mean for the Maryland football program. Is that the best solution moving forward?

Buying out just Franklin might seem a little crazy, but most people seem to think that paying Friedgen $4 mil to leave isn't really feasible in this economy. But at the same time, supporters of the football program want changes after the first 10 loss season in school history. Paying $1 mil to buy out Franklin would cost them only 20% of what it would be buyout both Fridge and Franklin ($4 mil to buy out Friedgen and another $1 mil to buy out Franklin). While many people are going to want to start over completely from top to bottom, this still articulates that things needed to change going forward, shows that someone paid for the failures of this season and saves Maryland $4 mil. I'm not sure Franklin ever deserved the "coach in waiting" deal he was awarded and I think others have realized this as well. If the school isn't happy about the Franklin era starting in a few years then they need to rip off that band aid now so they can develop a new plan moving forward. The longer they wait to make that decision, the more it will hurt the program and recruiting. If they still think Franklin is the answer moving forward, then perhaps they sit on their hands and don't do much in terms of assistant coach firings this off-season.

I think one question that has to be asked, if Friedgen is retained, is when does he plan on stepping down? What if the Terps have a successful year next year (8-10 win season)? Will Fridge want to then continue on through 2011 and beyond? He seemed to indicate that he might want to continue coaching longer than he originally thought, partially because he was able to lose 100 lbs this offeason and improve his overall heath. But if Ralph wants to continue coaching (assuming he produces success for the program in 2010 and 2011), he needs to come to a decision and stick to it. Remember, Ralph approached Dr. Yow about the coach in waiting idea, indicating that he thought Franklin should take over the program and that Ralph was likely going to retire in a few years. But Ralph has to know that he can't Brett Farve this decision year to year (and yes, I just made Brett Farve into a verb). Doing so will hurt the program that he is so passionate about building.

I don't think Ralph wants to go out like this. I think he wants to go out on top and he thinks the players he has returning next year and for 2011 can help him do that. What if Maryland buys out Franklin and then the Terps go out and steal Ivin Jasper, Navy's offensive coordinator, who has helped them run the option the past few years, and have him develop an option type offense for Maryland for 2010? Think about it - Robinson has clearly shown his ability to run. We have multiple talented running backs in Scott and Meggett, and we have a wide receiver with talent and speen in Torrey Smith. We could run a wildcat type offense and I think be very successful doing it. We have Robinson, Smith and Meggett for two more seasons and in that time, if we can find a good recruiter, we go after similar, fast guys, to continue that offensive trend into the future. Jasper has shown his ability to run and develop this type of offense while at Navy. And while he is the offensive coordinator at Navy, he's not as high up on the coaching tree there as you might think. There are 6 assistant head coaches in front of him, so while it might not sound like a promotion going from Navy's offensive coordinator to Maryland's offensive coordinator, he'd be getting a big promotion and going to a bigger program. Now I'll complete this whole hypothetical and throw in Ben B's ideal situation and say that Friedgen would then retire after the 2011 season and the Terps hire former Ravens head coach Brian Billick to be their new head coach.

What do you think? If the Terps cleaned their coaching house, sans Friedgen, would you be happy with the program going into 2010? Or do you want Dr. Yow to completely clean house? Or do you think Franklin is the answer and that Ralph should step down and let him take over now?

Maryland Can't Hold Fourth Quarter Lead, Falls to FSU 29-26

Ben Broman — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:15:21 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

about 1 month ago: Florida State running back Jermaine Thomas scores a touchdown as Maryland defensive back Cameron Chism tries to make the tackle during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, in Tallahassee, Fla.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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Maryland had a fourth quarter lead and nearly pulled off their first win ever in Doak Campbell Stadium, but they were unable to squash a fourth-quarter comeback as E.J. Manuel led a last minute TD drive and FSU topped the Terps, 29-26.

Plenty of good things happened for Maryland. Da'Rel Scott looked great in his first game back, Davin Meggett scored two TDs and looked like the Meggett of old, and Jamarr Robinson threw his first passing TD in his career. In the end, Maryland's defense, which made a few big plays, was the killer, as they gave up two 40+ yard runs, more than 350 yards of total offense, and couldn't come up with a stop on FSU's final game-winning drive.

On the good side, the offense was actually pretty effective. There were plenty of missed opportunities, but considering the recent performances, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm sure most of it had to do with FSU's porous, slightly better than NCSt-level defense, but I was still encouraged. The offensive line had its usual moments of mediocrity and occasional terribleness, but they also had a few times when they gave Scott and Meggett holes and Robinson time. Robinson was actually very impressive and efficient - he connected on his short throws, was 19-23 (not counting the doomed final possession), and threw his first TD of his career.

On top of that, Scott was great, and Meggett was even better. I was very impressed with both of them, and this was what we thought Maryland's running backs would be like when the season started.

Also, to be fair, Maryland's defense did make three interceptions. Those were nice.

On the bad side, the defense was absolutely horrendous outside of that. FSU put up more than 375 yards, and I wasn't even sure Maryland's defense was on the field during that final drive. They had great field position, granted, but it was still completely unacceptable. Most of the game was like that - outside of the three interceptions, FSU punted just twice.

You know the drill: some more thoughts tonight, some good, some bad, and grades tomorrow morning.

I'll leave you with this: this loss will be extremely hard for most fans, donors, and probably administration to swallow. I'd be surprised if this didn't cause some repercussions, especially with the buyout talks possibly already begun.

2009 Virginia Tech Football: Maryland Game Guide

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

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

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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.

Maryland Links

Testudo Times
Turtle Waxing
Around the Harbor

We're Only Mostly Dead

Akula Wolf — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:54:32 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

"Why can't I move? Why am I up against this wall?" (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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Russell Wilson insists that there is no friction between the offense and defense, and Jarvis Williams is reminding everybody that the team isn't dead yet because bowl eligibility is still technically possible. But if the Pack cannot find a way to slow Maryland's anemic offense, which is the second-worst unit they're going to see in conference play this year, all of this maybe-there's-a-chance business ends. Maryland represents the last should-win opportunity on the Pack's schedule; that failure here effectively ends the season is nothing if not appropriate.

In terms of completion percentage, yards per attempt, TD-INT ratio, and quarterback rating, Chris Turner is the same as he ever was, and thus so too is the Maryland passing game. Capable if not consistent, Turner generally completes a good percentage of his throws for modest yardage per attempt. In the place of departed receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey and Danny Oquendo are Torrey Smith and Adrian Cannon, both of whom have been good for about 4 grabs per game. Smith ranks 5th in the ACC in receiving yards, 9th in receptions, 8th in yards per catch, and he leads the Terps with 4 TD receptions. He's the guy to watch.

The offense's production has dropped from 5.5 yards per play in 2008 to 4.8 in '09, and with production through the air remaining similar in both years, that leaves the running game. Running back Da'Rel Scott, who piled up 1133 yards on just 209 carries in 2008, went down with an injury at the start of conference play and hasn't seen any action since October 3rd (he won't play against NC State). The Terps weren't as effective running the ball as they were last season even with Scott, and their problems have only worsened in his absence. They've also been without freshman RB Gary Douglas, who could be back to provide some help this week. Davin Meggett was left to pick up most of the slack, though Maryland hasn't been giving him feature back-level touches. Meggett should bet most of the work, but keep an eye out for Caleb Porzel, a 5-8, 170 pound freshman that has big time speed.

Maryland	Yds/Play	OppYds/Play	Net Yds/Play	Yds/Rush	Yds/PassAtt	OppYds/Rush	OppYds/PassAtt
2008 Overall	5.5	5.2	+0.3	4.3	6.7	3.9	6.6
2009 Overall	4.8	5.6	-0.8	2.8	6.8	3.8	7.7
2008 vs. ACC	4.9	5.1	-0.2	3.4	6.3	4.2	6.3
2009 vs. ACC	4.4	5.0	-0.6	2.3	6.6	2.4	7.5

Deacon Dump 10/8: Teague leads Hawks, Maryland injuries

WakeJake — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:27:58 -0000

Teague hits the right mark in Hawks debut | ajc.com
Teague led the Hawks with 19 points off the bench and a team-high 33 minutes as the Hawks' starters built a huge lead and the second unit cruised, for the most part, over the Hornets.

Jon Greenberg: Chicago Bulls' rookies look ready for the spotlight - ESPN Chicago
Johnson, who probably can play all three frontcourt spots, is a load. Given his extensive martial arts background, the Wake Forest star likely is starting with a competitive spirit, and ability to focus on the court, that has been lacking in past rookie big men on the Chicago roster. Sure, Eddy Curry could do a backflip, but when you forget to jump when standing upright, all the freaky athleticism in the world won't help you under the basket.

Chris Paul tells his story through children's book - ESPN
Chris Paul wrote a children's book he hopes will show them the meaning of perseverance.

Wake Forest Basketball Preview: #44 | College Basketball by Collegehoops.net

Wake Forest knows what they are going to get out of Aminu and McFarland, so the most important players to watch are the other frontcourt players. David Weaver has experience and Tony Woods was pretty productive last year when he was given the opportunity. And there is sophomore Ty Walker who is full of potential and is expected to at least turninto a great shot blocker at some point in his career. Aminu and McFarland will not be able to play 30 minutes a game and at least one of those three has to step up and become a major contributor off the bench.

Maryland (2-3) at Wake Forest (3-2) - CharlotteObserver.com
The Demon Deacons have had to scratch and claw their way to a 3-2 record. But with the offense now rounding into form, and the home crowd behind them, this could be the game where they make a statement in the ACC. Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Wake Forest 41, Maryland 17

Two key Terps could miss game
■ Running back Da'Rel Scott and left tackle Bruce Campbell, two of Maryland's best offensive players, are expected miss Saturday's game at Wake Forest.

New Deacon Podcast Available - WAKE FOREST OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

More on the Running Back Situation: Coaches Sending Conflicting Messages

Ben Broman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:14:11 -0000

Okay, on one side we have Ralph Friedgen, the head honcho, who says:

"I don't know. We'll have to see [about playing the freshman]," Friedgen said. "They're progressing, but they're still blowing a few pickups. They're working hard. I don't think we'll start them, but we may play them. I don't know how long."

Doesn't exactly sound like Ralph is planning on playing either D.J. Adams or Caleb Porzel. Not closing the door, but it's safe to say they aren't in the plans at the moment.

On the other hand, we have offensive coordinator James Franklin, who says:

"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.

So MG is definitely still out, but it sounds like D.J. is 100% penciled in, while Porzel is a definite possibility. Before you write it off because Ralph has dominion, remember that Franklin can make personnel decisions, too, and at the very least, Fridge will take his opinion into consideration.

If I had to bet on it, I say D.J. Adams gets in the game next week, but that's just a guess.

Now, here's one plea: please, please, please do not burn both of their redshirts. That's a huge waste, messes up the spacing of the roster, and deprives both them of an extra year of development when it's unnecessary to use both of them. Scott is only one back, and Green is still on the team, right?

Also, if they get used, they need to be used. They need to get some kind of meaningful playing time. Burning redshirts isn't something that should be done lightly; actually, that's how Wake Forest does it, and that's why they're actually good. We don't need another Cameron Chism or Matt Furstenburg situation on our hands here.

Okay, off the soapbox. Betting on Adams, hoping for Porzel, and praying against both.

Injury Notes: Scott Might Be Not Be Out For Year, Campbell Out This Week

Ben Broman — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:12:16 -0000

First, the good news: sounds like Da'Rel Scott may not be out for the rest of the year, which was what we hearing earlier. Per Patrick Stevens:

The major news of Ralph Friedgen's Sunday teleconference was that tailback Da'Rel Scott could in fact return in time for Maryland's late-November date with Florida State.

Not exactly the most info in the world, but that could be a huge boost in a game that, if the ACC continues looking like it does right now, could have serious conference implications.

On that note, Inside MD Sports reports that Ralph mentioned that Caleb Porzel will likely be off the injury list this week, and might actually work into the rotation.

Some people had been wondering if he or D.J. Adams would burn their shirts to replace Scott; if Porzel actually gets playing time, I'm all for it. He's at a C.J. Spiller or Jahvid Best level of explosiveness and escapability - he's not as complete as either of those backs, mind you. That presents something that Maryland doesn't have even with Scott on the field.

It also presents the opportunity to use him on punt returns with Tony Logan, who has proved himself completely capable of being a big-time PR already. That doubles the explosiveness and makes it impossible (well, very difficult) to kick away from them.

If he's not ready to go, though, then don't push it. If he is, don't be afraid to burn the shirt, as long as he gets used.

Now, onto the bad news: Bruce Campbell is definitely out for this week. He's Maryland second-most irreplaceable player (behind only Chris Turner) and the line will suffer because of it. It's time to find a capable backup - Paul Pinegar looked okay against JMU and MTSU, but will probably get torn apart against an ACC school. Is it R.J. Dill? Does a freshman burn a redshirt? Would they be any better? That's a rough situation.

Maryland Sneaks By JMU: It's a Win, But Worries Remain

Ben Broman — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:37:49 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

3 months ago: Maryland kicker Nick Ferrara (43) jumps up as he celebrates his field goal against James Madison during overtime of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in College Park, Md. Maryland won 38-35. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Bottom line: it was a win. I was among the masses that wanted a blowout, and this didn't satisfy that desire. But it could've been much worse: it could've been a loss.

Much like the California game, it didn't really break one way. You can't flat out say Maryland showed nothing positive in the game and Ralph Friedgen should be fired immediately...well, you can, but you'd be wrong. Likewise, you can't view the win as a win and write off the performance.

I'll be frank: Maryland probably shouldn't have won this game. If JMU had a decent kicker, or if they didn't commit 105 yards of penalties, or if they didn't - for some reason I am still yet to grasp - share phenomenal QB Drew Dudzik's time on the field with Justin Thorpe, James Madison probably wins the game.

Both the offensive and defensive lines were manhandled by smaller, less athletic players. Sure, the OL was without Bruce Campbell, but they were facing a much smaller opponent, and one with less natural talent. There were several occasions when Chris Turner had to make a hurried throw and was under pressure, and there was a gaping lack of holes for Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggett. That hurts Meggett especially - he's a downhill, run hard type of back, and needs holes to succeed.

Defensively, there was nothing up front. James Madison put up a ridiculous 268 yards on the ground, and much of the blame goes on a virtually invisible defensive line. There was never any penetration into the backfield, and they put up an O-fer in the sack category to boot.

Really, the defense as a whole was just demolished. Dudzik put up 141 yards through the air, a modest number until you realize it was done on only 9 completions, but 268 is the number to remember. The demolition on the ground will be difficult to forget. 417 yards is way too many to give up to an FCS team.

The performance in the second and third quarters is hardly encouraging, either. After a rushing touchdown very early in the second quarter, the next half of the game went like this for the Maryland offense: punt, punt, punt, interception, punt. The whole team just didn't show up for an entire half of the game. It wasn't just poor play - they were out of it mentally, too. They got lucky today - if they take two quarters off against Clemson or FSU, they won't come back.

Perhaps the worst part of it all is that James Madison isn't even an FBS team. We can talk all we want about the CAA, the ACC, and whatever other acronym you want to bring, but the fact of the matter is that they aren't what could be described as a "quality opponent", even if it's only because of that label. It's definitely a psychological negative that Maryland got outplayed by a D-IAA team.

Okay, so there doesn't sound like there's any reason to be optimistic. But don't worry: there are several.

First and most importantly, they fought back. Yes, they got down, yes, they looked like they weren't there for several quarters, and yes, they gave up 22 straight points. But through all that, they came back and won. There were a lot of times they could've given up: after James Madison took the lead, for instance, or after Dudzik broke a 70 yard run. They didn't, they persevered, and they fought back to get it to overtime. It's a cliche, but that will come back to help them later on this year.

While I already addressed the lines, it's important to note that the OL is seeing some improvement. There was only one sack today, for example. Scott had a few lanes to hit during OT. And during the final few drives, they started to keep JMU out of the backfield on both the pass and the run. That probably had a lot to do with a smaller JMU team getting fatigued, but I'll take what I can get with this group. There are still a lot of negatives here, but there are some slivers of hope that they're starting to come together.

If they are truly gelling, or at least getting there, remember how talented Maryland's skill players are. Torrey Smith made it clear today that he can be a gamechanger. Adrian Cannon caught a TD pass. Ronnie Tyler had an amazing 4th down conversion (and also a huge 3rd down drop, but that's a discussion for another day). There's no doubting the talent level of Da'Rel Scott or Davin Meggett. Give Turner some time to find them or Da'Vin Sceggett (?) some holes to run through, and the offense could be dangerous.

On defense, it's still early. It's a new scheme with a lot of new starters, and these issues were to be expected. I don't think anyone expected them to be this bad, but it's feasible that they just aren't used to playing aggressively. At the very least, the jury should remain out for another two weeks or so.

Also, keep in mind that JMU is a good FCS team. The Dukes are a legit team in the same conference that houses teams that easily beat Duke and Virginia. I'm not saying they just beat USC, but JMU is a quality football team. The FCS label hurts mentally, no doubt, but in reality, they may be better than several FBS team.

The slow-starting principle still applies in week 2, too - Maryland lost to MTSU last year in the second game, and JMU would put up a great fight against them, if not win, if they were to go head to head.

I'll be the first to admit it's not a very convincing argument for remaining calm. But it's better than what I could come up with after Cal, which rested on historical anecdotes. The play is slowly but surely coming along, but a lot of work still needs to be done.

Maryland Staves Off James Madison in Overtime, Win 38-35

Ben Broman — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:41:22 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

3 months ago: Maryland running back Da'Rel Scott (23) rushes against James Madison defensive tackle Ronnell Brown, second from right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Maryland needed a win. Most thought they needed a blowout win.

Objective one: mission accomplished. Objective two: uh, not really.

After a slow start, James Madison came out and, outside of a few select drives, handed Maryland their lunch for two quarters straight, and threw up three touchdowns and a two point conversion on a helpless Maryland squad. The Terps were just good enough at the end of the game to make up for the 22 unanswered points, get it to overtime, and let Nick Ferrara sneak an extra point length field goal inside the left upright to win it.

Maryland's offensive line was pushed around. Maryland's defense was manhandled. Chris Turner threw a killer pick six. And Maryland allowed 22 points in the second and third quarters. But they came out with the win, and that's the most important thing.

James Madison beat themselves as much as the Terps beat them. Two missed field goals (one blocked, one wide right in OT), a KR TD given up to Torrey Smith, and a plethora of painful penalties kept Maryland in the game at key moments. Maryland was able to convert on their opportunities and came away with a win.

Maryland took a 21-6 lead on the strength of a Da'Rel Scott TD run, Smith's kick return for a touchdown, and a nasty Chris Turner pump fake-turned 3 yard TD run. Then Drew Dudzik, who - foolishly, in retrospect - shared time with Justin Thorpe at QB, led the Dukes to two TDs to tie the game, and Turner threw his pick six shortly after, giving JMU a 7 point lead. Torrey Smith helped lead the Terps down the field for a TD to tie the game, but Dudzik responded with a 70 yard run to regain the lead. Maryland came back with a 27 yard TD pass to Adrian Cannon to tie the game and send it to overtime. After JMU mustered only a yard on their OT possession and missed the ensuing FG, UMD moved the ball to the ten to let Ferrara hit the gamewinner.

The big positive for Maryland, other than getting the win, was Torrey Smith. He proved that he can be a consistent threat with two TDs, some nice receptions, and a big drawn pass interference call. Here's a new rule for Maryland's offense: when Torrey Smith touches the ball, good things happen. He needs to be a focal point of the offense. The whole perserverence aspect, Chris Turner at certain moments, Adrian Cannon, and Da'Rel Scott were the (very) few other good things on the day.

There's not much else positive. Both lines were dominated. The defense in particular looked bad. Off the top of my head, Alex Wujciak and Demetrius Hartsfield stood out as guys who missed tackles and plays they should've made. The secondary, particularly Anthony Wiseman, got burned a few times, too.

The offensive line looked pretty bad, particularly on big plays, though they did provide a decent amount of protection on the final few drives.

More analysis will be on its way tomorrow, maybe later tonight if I feel up to it.