SB Nation - Alex Wujciak

Maryland Football Season Review: Linebackers

Ben Broman — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:00:28 -0000

by Nick Wass - AP

2 months ago: Virginia fullback Rashawn Jackson, left, rushes against Maryland linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield (59) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in College Park, Md. Virginia won 20-9. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Behind Penn State and Miami, Maryland has very quietly become a legitimate Linebacker U (they also have earned the title of Punter U, but that's not quite so good). Ever since the great E.J. himself, Maryland has had a history of solid linebackers who would be great in college and/or the pros: Leon Joe, Shawne Merriman, D'Qwell Jackson, Erin Henderson, and Dave Philistin have all graced Byrd stadium the past decade.

This year was little different. Despite having a nonexistent defensive line in front of them and an average secondary behind them, the linebackers were still the strong point of the defense and a new name might be entering that pantheon mentioned earlier: Alex Wujciak.

Alex Wujciak

131 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 1 sack, 2 INT

I've always held that Wujciak isn't quite as good as his stats indicate because he's able to rack up tackles thanks to a poor defensive line that allows running backs to get to the second level. While I still believe that he becomes vulnerable in space and can give up big plays against the pass, you'd be a fool not to recognize that he's the best defender Maryland has against the run and is one of the best run support linebackers in the country. Even though he hurt Maryland at times, he helped far more and was key in keeping them in most games they were able to stay in.

Thankfully, Wujciak will almost certainly return next year. His starting spot is secured and he'll be an award contender.

Demetrius Hartsfield

63 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks

I saw a tweet from Hartsfield today (on his awesomely named CinquanteNeuf Twitter account) that told Shawne Merriman he'd be the best LB ever to come out of Maryland. As strange as it sounds, he's got a shot.

Hartsfield started from day one his redshirt freshman season, and was no question the starter every single week until injury. Although he showed some problems early on, he was one of the best players on Maryland's defense before too long and was absolutely instrumental in the Clemson win. Similar to Wujciak, he has a nose for the ball, but has above-average physical tools. Some of the issues - focus, finishing plays - will work themselves out, and when they do, Maryland will have a very good linebacker on their hands.

Like Wujciak, he'll be back next year to make for an exciting corps.

Adrian Moten

68 tackles, 9 TFL, 6 sacks

The most entertaining of the group, Adrian Moten is the edge pass rusher of the bunch. He wasn't as spectacular and consistent as I remember him being in his freshman and sophomore years, but, then again, this was his first year as a full starter. He was solid against the pass when in coverage and was easily Maryland's most effective rusher - it's a wonder he wasn't placed as DE in obvious passing situations more often.

Against the run, he was rather quiet. He's not a big guy and that did hurt, but his quickness made up for it. Like Wujciak, he had a hole in his game, but an outstanding stat - this time, 6 sacks on a team that had trouble getting pressure from the front four - outweighed it.

Moten will come back and join Wujciak and Hartsfield as a starter to complete the trifecta. The defensive second level will be extremely tough next year - if the line comes together, the defense could be very good.

Ben Pooler

5 starts, 43 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3 sacks

Pooler replaced Hartsfield when he went out with an arm injury for several weeks, and was pretty darn impressive doing it. I was never as comfortable with him back there as I was with Demetrius, but he might've been more productive in less time.

Returning from a leg injury that kept him out all of last season, Pooler was a question mark. He made his living rushing the passer and clogging the running lanes admirably - he was mighty impressive for being thrown in on short notice. Like the rest, he wasn't perfect - he was easily beaten on crossing routes when in zone and got called for two PIs, I believe - but he was unexpectedly good.

Here's a shocker: he'll return too. He should man the primary backup role at all three spots.

Darin Drakeford

18 tackles, 1 TFL

At the outset of the season, most people believed that Drakeford's redshirt would have to be burned for special teams and backup purposes. While he was out there a decent amount on ST, the backup PT wasn't quite as plentiful. He saw about four plays a game, generously, and some (me, for instance) question the redshirt.

Actually, it stings because you realize Drakeford has the potential to be special. In his most memorable play in the final game of the year, he showcased his speed, instincts, and strength by leveling Montel Harris on a 3rd and short. Playing time will be difficult to come by next year, unfortunately - or, at least, I hope it will be - but Drakeford will see an increased role his junior season.

Avery Murray

7 tackles

See above. Murray, like Drakeford, burnt his redshirt in the first game - I don't really understand why both of them did - and spent the entire season almost exclusively on special teams. Irresponsible policy aside, Murray rarely saw the field on defense, despite bringing in solid strength and speed. Like Drakeford, he'll be competing for a spot by his junior year.

Ryan Donohue

4 tackles

See above, again, only this time less sensible. Another freshman burning, Donohue lost his shirt rather inexplicably in the middle of the year on special teams. I only remember one play on regular defense, and he was relatively quiet then, too.

Basically a Wujciak clone, Donohue is slower and bigger than you might like, but instinctive and tough. He'll wrack up tackles if he replaces Wujciak instead of Murray or Drakeford.

The Future

Much like the wide receiver spot across the line, all of Maryland's LBs return for another season, and all of them should be greatly improved. You can throw in redshirt freshmen Bradley Johnson and Marcus Whitfield, too. Needless to say, linebackers will be stocked well, and the talent runs deep.

The key will be the performance of the DL. If they can just reach average, running on these Terps will be a tough proposition. The 'backers are evenly distributed, too: a run stuffer in Wujciak, a more pass-oriented guy in Moten, and the coverage/balance man in Hartsfield. Can't ask for much more.

Penn State can take the name, but Maryland just may be Linebacker U, too.

Two Terps Named to All-ACC Teams: Wujciak to First Team, Smith to Second Team

Ben Broman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:30:26 -0000

Congrats to both, the full rosters are at the official ACC site.

Alex Wujciak did get the least votes of the four first team linebackers, but he was still in by a pretty comfortable margin. I know I said yesterday I wasn't sure he really deserved it, but after looking at the second teamers, I've reconsidered. He's better than Vincent Rey.

Torrey Smith got 2nd team in two places, WR and specialist. I firmly believe that if he didn't drop off in the second half of the year he would've been first team in WR easily and would've challenged C.J. Spiller for first team as a specialist.

I don't know if/when they'll have an All-Freshman team, but if they do I'd expect Nick Ferrara to make it as a kicker. He'll probably make the second team next year.

Overall, I don't really see any Maryland snubs. Da'Rel Scott probably would've made it if he was healthy, but that's not a guarantee. Same with Bruce Campbell. Adrian Moten probably could've snuck into the second team, but that's iffy at best. I'm pretty contended by the job the writers did, even though none of them are from the area.

Post-Year Stream of Consciousness: Random Thoughts on Maryland's Season

Ben Broman — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:03:35 -0000

I'm not yet prepared to go down the road of a ton of research and the like to review the year with basketball on it's way, but I am prepared to publish a few, mostly random thoughts on the season that was and the season that will be (that is, next year). This isn't real analysis, just whatever came to my mind. (BTW, this will be the last thing on football for awhile except Fridge). Without further ado:

First ten loss year ever. Worst year since 1967. No analysis needed.
Maryland won two games by a combined six points. Both games were won by 3. In both games, the opposing team's kicker missed two (not one, two) FGs, at least one of which definitely should've been made.
That said, Maryland also lost five games by less than a TD. A few of those games (BC) weren't all that close, but some were a play or two away.
Don Brown's first year was...okay. I don't think the problems Maryland had stemmed from the scheme, but rather the athletes and talent in house. Most of these guys were recruited and raised on Cosh's zone system, and making them go man-to-man and attack doesn't work well.
James Franklin, on the other hand, was extremely unimpressive. I'm reminded of the days when Ralph was his own OC. Offensive line aside, playcalling was so awkward - one-play Wildcats, the Jamarr Package, passing in run situations, ultra-conservative playcalls on 3rd and long - that I have no confidence in his decision-making ability as a future HC.
I love Chris Turner, but this wasn't his year. If Jamarr Robinson was back at QB the entire year, Maryland might pull out an extra win. That's nothing against Turner, but rather the OL. With Robinson, though, Maryland might not win JMU or Clemson, in which Turner was at his best. Regardless, Robinson was better suited to this patchwork OL.

On the topic of QBs, how about next year? I can't wait for the position battle brewing already. Robinson is the most experienced, but his performance this year shouldn't have given him the spot. Clay Belton looks talented and I love his potential. Danny O'Brien is the smartest of them all, but has the least physical tools. C.J. Brown is the opposite - he's fast with a cannon arm, but people have questioned his decision-making. Don't forget about Tyler Smith - who has amazing tape but average stats - and Devin Burns, who's really grown on me in his senior year as a possible starter from day one.
We can't even handicap this race, though, until a coach is decided. If it's Friedgen, the starter will likely be O'Brien or Robinson. If it's Franklin, the starter will probably be Robinson. If it's someone else, well...
The offensive line will be improved, yes, but don't think they'll transform into greatness overnight. Part of the problem was experience, yes, but another part was talent. For a former OL, Fridge has never really attacked OL recruiting, and it's hurt.
Torrey Smith's second half of the year was supremely disappointing, but his first half was wonderful. If he can put together an entire season like that, he'll be an All-American contender.
Don't sleep on Adrian Cannon or Ronnie Tyler, either. Both have shown a ton of potential. Get Tyler to catch the easy ones and don't let Cannon disappear so easily, and Maryland is absolutely loaded at WR. Remember, LaQuan Williams, Kevin Dorsey, and Kerry Boykins will all return, too.
Maryland's still loaded at RB, too. Da'Rel Scott is one of the best in the ACC, and Davin Meggett will be better with him healthy. Porzel should see time as a slot receiver once in a blue moon and get a few carries a game. Gary Douglas, unfortunately, will probably be relegated to backup status. D.J. Adams should be the goal line back. That's five guys that were three stars or better.
Does this seem overly positive? Maybe, but Maryland's stacked at WR and RB next year. Find a decent QB and an OL that isn't blown over by the wind, and next season could be very fun, especially if they land an "offensive genius" like Mike Leach.
On the other side, I'm not sure how much the DL will improve. The talent will be the same, except they'll be even less experienced, if that's possible. They lose both starting DEs in Jared Harrell and Deege Galt; you won't find me singing their praises a lot, but who's behind them are questionable. Derek Drummond was average this year. DeOnte Arnett is talented but unproven. Carl Russell couldn't get on the field. Justin Anderson and Masengo Kabongo saw most of their time at DT. I'm not enthralled with the ends unless freshman David Mackall can make as early an impact as some people think.
The DTs are slotted to be a bit better, but not a ton. A.J. Francis thankfully returns and looks to be pretty good, but the other slot is open and gaping. Travis Ivey wasn't amazing, but he was consistently solid. There's no one definitely slotted to take that spot over. Much like last year, the entire DL will probably be a position battle.
Alex Wujciak will probably be All-ACC, though I'm not sure he deserves it. Tackles are an overrated stat when the guy's behind a terrible DL, and Wujciak racked them up with ease. He's good, don't get me wrong, but he's not as outstanding as a lot of people assume. His athleticism isn't top-level and he's vulnerable in coverage and in the open field. Still, he's the best Maryland has against the run up the middle.
I'm very excited about Demetrius Hartsfield. Cinquante Neuf has the potential to be very, very good. He's athletic, physical, and is ahead of where Adrian Moten and Wujciak were their freshman years.
Cameron Chism is a legit #1 corner in the ACC (he has the talent and the playmaking ability), but who's the #2? This year, it was Anthony Wiseman, and that didn't turn out too well. My money's on the big, physical Travis Hawkins, who will probably be better than Chism eventually.
This year wasn't quite what we expected from the safeties. The seniors were okay, but Antwine Perez and Kenny Tate - the starters next year - were inconsistent. The pair is definitely talented, I won't argue that, but both have made questionable decisions and are inconsistent. If they can patch that up, they'll be among the best in the country. If not, teams will beat Maryland deep on a consistent basis.
Is Nick Ferrara really the MVP? If not for Torrey Smith's decline, I would've said no, but he just might be. Great year from the freshman. He'll be a stud in the coming years.
Some quick thoughts on the likely coaching search: Billick, Leach, London, Strong, Golden, Gill, Foster, Nuimatalolo. In that order.

Maryland-Florida State Report Card and Helmet Stickers

Ben Broman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:42:32 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

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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QB: B

Jamarr Robinson wasn't amazing yesterday, but if 20-27 (19-23 before that final drive) isn't good enough, I don't really know what be. Franklin/Friedgen called a lot of quick plays - bubble screens, hitches, slants - and most of them worked. They were easy throws - not gimmes, but they weren't difficult - and Robinson connected. He even hit most of his intermediate stuff, too. Not to mention that he nearly had a TD to Torrey Smith; that ball was thrown perfectly, and Smith just went the wrong direction. Oh, and he had 60 yards on the ground.

Pretty nice second game for Robinson.

RB: A

Maybe this grade is a little inflated because I missed them for so long, but this is what we expected from the running backs at the beginning of the year. Da'Rel Scott was awesome in his first game back from injury, and something definitely changed with Davin Meggett. Maybe it's the presence of Scott, but he looked completely different than he has this entire year - more decisive with the ball and more open to contact. The two combined for nearly a 150 yards on 4.6 yards per carry - this from a team that had refused to run the ball against almost every team they've played since Scott's injury.

WR: B-

Torrey Smith led the group again with seven catches for 74 yards, but could've done much better if he had hauled in the touchdown pass that went right through his hands. LaQuan Williams reintroduced himself to the stat column with two nice catches for 29 yards. Adrian Cannon showed his skill with that bubble screen - he can make just about anyone miss with that simple stepback juke. Other than that, it was a pretty quiet day for the group - Ronnie Tyler fell down on a quick slant once, but he wouldn't have been able to get to the first anyway.

Cannon's TD and Smith's consistent numbers keep this from a C, but Torrey's missed TD hurts, and most of the yards and receptions came from the scheme.

OL: B

To be honest, I'm a little torn here, because Maryland still had to gameplan around the line for large periods of the game, but they really did what they were expected to do for the most part. It wasn't a perfect game - twice they completely ruined screen plays, and FSU getting into the backfield wasn't unseen - but they only allowed one sack (for just one yard), usually gave Robinson enough time to make his reads, and opened enough of a hole to allow Scott and Meggett to put up more than 4.5 yards per carry without any huge runs bringing the stats up. After what we had been experiencing with this group, I was pleasantly surprised.

DL: D

Terrible showing from this group yesterday. FSU gashed them for 198 yards on the ground, including two longs runs, didn't have a sack, and rarely got to Manuel to make him force even more mistakes than he did, at least not without a couple of linebackers flanking them on a blitz.

If you want specific plays, well, Deege Galt missed his contain on the option TD run (not quick enough to match Manuel), so whoever the corner or safety was (didn't see, might've been Wiseman or Skinner) had to pick either the QB or the RB, and chose to go after the QB. Manuel pitched it and Pryor had no one in front him. On the Bert Reed TD run, Derek Drummond bit hard on the fake and never had a chance to get back in his lane and at least stretch out the play.

LB: C

Alex Wujciak's INT and ensuing return saves the day for this unit. Outside of that giant, gamechanging play, the linebackers were largely quiet. Wujciak had just 6 tackles and didn't do anything to stop the field day that FSU was having on the ground. Hartsfield still looks a little rusty compared to what he was before the injury. I actually forgot Adrian Moten and Ben Pooler were on the field at times.

Oh, actually, props to Darrin Drakeford for making the most of his playing time. Huge hit and a forced fumble in one of his three plays on defense. Why don't we use him more? We already burnt his redshirt.

DB: B-

Terrell Skinner's pick and Cam Chism should've-been-game-sealing interception were more than you can usually count on. Antwine Perez had a coming out performance in place of Kenny Tate; I think I know why he was a 5 star who saw a little bit of playing time at USC as a freshman. Actually, Chism has blossomed into a legitimate #1 corner, or is at least close. Happy with that performance.

Manuel's 17-27 performance wasn't great, but it wasn't all that bad. Anthony Wiseman is partially responsible for that - every time he's on the field it seems like he gets picked on now. Skinner gave too much cushion on his guy more than once, too, and that led to a TD. Everyone was pretty bad on the first and last scoring drives for Florida State.

Special Teams: C

The good: two Nick Ferrara field goals and a mostly stellar day punting.

The bad: a quiet KO return performance from Torrey Smith and a long Greg Reid punt return that started Florida State's game-winning drive.

The bad is worse than the good is good.

Coaching: C-

Torn here, too. On the one hand, I was pleasantly surprised by the playcalling most of the day, and Friedgen even showed some balls when he went for it on 4th once or twice. In fact, for most of the day, this was a B+ performance, especially on the offense. Then came the end of the game. Actually, first off, FSU didn't have trouble moving the ball through the course of the game, partially due to Brown's more conservative than usual playcalling. That final drive was absolutely horrendous, though; Maryland went to a prevent defense the entire time, and Manuel ate it up.

Then there was conservative playcalling on Maryland's second to last possession and some weird choices on their final one (five yard comeback with 30 seconds left?). There were some questionable time management choices, too, and whether or not Ferrara should've punted it out of the endzone is debatable.

Pretty respectable coaching job until crunch time. This team will just about always lose close games, and that definitely reflects back on the staff, both in game-time and practice.

Helmet Stickers:

Jamarr Robinson, QB - Props to JRob for the great day and first passing TD in a Terps uniform.
Alex Wujciak, LB - Broke the all-time Maryland record for interception return yardage.
Da'Rel Scott, RB - No one on special teams deserves it, and Scott was great.
Davin Meggett, RB - Even better than Scott, he looked like Meggett from the end of last year. Two TDs, too.

The Preview: Maryland Terrapins @ Florida State Seminoles

FSUncensored — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:04:10 -0000

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Time: Noon
TV: Raycom Sports - Tim Brant (pbp), Doc Walker (color) and Mike Hogewood (sidelines) will call the action. The game can also be seen on ESPN Gameplan or ESPN360.com.
Line: FSU -18.5
Forecast: Rain? No Rain? Looks like heavy rain in the afternoon but it should hold off for the first half.

The Maryland Terrapins are coming off a 36-9 home loss to Virginia Tech. They sit at 1-8 on the year against D1 teams. Their coach, Ralf Friedgen on that loss:

"I thought we improved in our offensive line play. Andrew Gonnella played probably his best game and I thought Terrell Skinner played a fantastic game. He had 13 tackles and really played well. We defended the run well, but what we didn't do was defend the big plays and the passing game. We have to make some more plays in our offense. There are some plays out there that we need to make and we didn't make them. On Monday night I showed about eight plays to the offense where we are very, very close to just sustaining the block, breaking the tackle or making the catch to make a difference."

Maryland Offense v. FSU Defense

As you can see (click to enlarge), Maryland's offense isn't very good. 83rd in the country and significantly worse than North Carolina (the next best offense FSU has played). But they are better than USF, and like USF, they are starting a young running quarterback for the first time.

And Florida State's defense...

As you can see (click to enlarge), FSU's defense is 90th in the country. Maryland put 31 points on NC State's 85th ranked defense on the road, and dropped 32 on Wake's 46th ranked unit, also on the road. But that was with their quarterback. Let's see what they are currently working with.

Here's Maryland's offensive depth chart:

WR-X 7 Adrian Cannon 6-2 204 Jr.-2V
LT 74 Bruce Campbell 6-7 310 Jr.-2V
LG 71 Paul Pinegar 6-4 290 Jr.-2V
C 72 Phil Costa 6-3 300 Sr.-2V
RG 77 Andrew Gonnella 6-6 305 So.-SQ or 78 Justin Lewis 6-4 320 Fr.-RS
RT 76 R.J. Dill 6-7 320 Fr.-RS
TE-Y 34 Devonte Campbell 6-2 250 Fr.-RS
QB 11 Jamarr Robinson 6-0 190 So.-SQ
TB 8 Davin Meggett 5-8 215 So.-1V & 23 Da'Rel Scott 5-11 200 Jr.-2V
FB 38 Cory Jackson 6-1 245 Sr.-3V
WR-Z 82 Torrey Smith 6-1 200 So.-1V
WR-F 24 Ronnie Tyler 5-11 190 So.-1V
TE-F 80 Lansford Watson 6-4 260 So.-1V

And FSU's Defensive Depth Chart:

LE 95 Kevin McNeil 6-2, 257, SR
DT 93 Everett Dawkins 6-2, 258, FR & 72 Budd Thacker 6-2, 276, SR
NT 90 Moses McCray 6-2, 298, SO & 99 Jacobbi McDaniel 6-0, 267, FR
RE 98 Markus White 6-4, 261, JR & 49 Brandon Jenkins 6-2, 240, FR
SLB 36 Dekoda Watson 6-2, 226, SR
MLB 29 Kendall Smith 6-1, 224, JR
WLB 13 Nigel Bradham 6-2, 235, SO
Backup LB 12 Nigel Carr 6-3, 230, SO
CB 15 Ochuko Jenije 5-10, 188, JR
FS 20 Jamie Robinson 6-2, 188, SR
RV 22 Korey Mangum 6-0, 202, SR & 10 Nick Moody 6-2, 228, FR
CB 21 Patrick Robinson 5-11, 194, SR
Nickel Corner: 5 Greg Reid 5-9, 175, FR

Phillip, a friend of Tomahawk Nation, will be helping us out with the Maryland team.

Jamarr Robinson is the new quarterback. He runs a 4.66 in the forty yard dash so he'll give your defense all types of problems scrambling but at this point he's just not a good passer. In six quarters he is 17-43 for 130 yards, no TD's and no pick, though he has thrown a couple balls that could have been picks and a couple that could have been TD's if the receiver makes a play. Robinson won't throw over 200 yards against FSU in all probability no matter what the circumstance. Robinson is mobile, but not so mobile he's a game changer. He can't read coverages and hes pretty inaccurate.

But in the rain with FSU's defense over-pursuing like crazy, this running back playing QB could give FSU some trouble. I'd actually rather face Turner. I talked to the Va Tech guys and they said Robinson is extremely erratic. FSU is facing a less talented B.J. Daniels. Maryland has always run some option and they rep the option in practice so I think FSU is in for a heavy does of option. It would fit this kid's skill-set well.

Tough to evaluate this running back group cause of the bad O-Line. Da'Rel Scott, a first team all ACC guy should return from injury after missing the last five games. Hes our best runner. Hes averaging over 5 yards a carry when nobody else is over 4. He was fumbling the ball before he got hurt, so that could be an issue. The backups who played the last couple weeks were banged up themselves. They are not bad players they just don't have big holes to run through. Also with Jamar Robinson playing you can crowd the box, thus the RB's only got 7 carries against VT, the QB did most of the running (25 carries for 127 yards). Without a healthy Scott this group is pretty average. If they played with a good line they would get decent yardage, but they don't and aren't good enough to make things happen on their own. Scott put up big numbers earlier in the season, but in fairness to the other rb's, Scott played against a couple weaker defenses, (James Madison and MTSU) when he put up his numbers. Our fullback, Cory Jackson, might be the best blocking fullback in the ACC, but without an O-Line that only gets you so far.

Remember Dave Megget of the Giants? That's his son. A similarly fashioned scat back. Scott is not a receiving threat but Megget has good hands. If Maryland wants to use a fullback, that's fine by me. FSU will play 8 men in the box like they did last year early on.

This wide receiver group is talented. Torrey Smith, Adrian Cannon, and Ronnie Tyler the top 3 guys are all good. If Turner is the QB this group could cause your secondary problems. This group is probably in the top third of the ACC. If we had a good O-Line or a run game to balance the pass, UMD could put up big passing numbers with these guys. Torrey Smith is a sophomore but probably has a future in the NFL. He broke the ACC KO return yards as a freshman and broke that record this year and has put up very solid receiving numbers. Smith has soft hands, good cutting ability, and low 4.4 speed. Adrian Cannon is a good possession WR. He runs around a 4.6 so not a deep threat that can stretch the field vertically, but hes got a thick body and very strong hands. Hes good after the catch, okay elusiveness and is strong and will break a lot of tackles by db's. Tyler is the slot, short at 5'9, hes an explosive athlete that is a good college receiver.

I agree with Phillip here. FSU CB Patrick Robinson, one of the best corners in the nation and a likely first round choice should be able to limit Smith. Jenijie should be okay against the other their #2. Maryland doesn't have a tight end who catches a lot of balls, so that is a plus.

I would say the worst O-Line in the ACC by quite a bit. We struggle to pass block and we struggle to run block. Its not clear which we are worst at. Occasionally they will have a good series or two, but this O-Line has yet to really put together an entire game, so FSU doesn't have much to worry about. The O-Line started out young and inexperienced and has been exacerbated by injuries. Bruce Campbell the best O-Lineman is playing pretty hurt. Due to injuries 9 different guys have gotten starts this year on the line and another has played significantly. Your D-Line will have its best game.

This is true. Maryland's offensive line is highly questionable. Campbell is actually a tremendous talent at left tackle, but as Phillip said, he's been injured. Last year Maryland was one of a few teams to not double team Everette Brown and Brown absolutely abused the Terps. They have struggled with quick rush ends so far this year and as Phillip said, FSU might have a good day. I don't think he understands just how poor FSU's defense is, however, so don't get too excited, 'Nole fans.

Maryland runs a pro-style offense. It's West coast based. They typically man block, not zone block (FSU zone blocks). If I was running Maryland's offense, I would probably use 3 wide receivers and two running backs, mixing in a lot of option looks for the young quarterback who is basically a running back under center. The rain probably plays to Maryland's advantage if they elect to run some of the zone-read plays we've come accustomed to seeing teams run against Florida State, often with great success. It's one thing to overrun a play. It's another to overrun a play in the rain and be unable to recover in time. I expect FSU to run more of the cover-2 stuff they ran against Wake Forest. This should help because it allows FSU to keep all 11 eyes on the "quarterback". It also will force the quarterback to work with his receivers. FSU did not do this well against USF, and pair dearly for it via two bombs and multiple scrambles. Playing an excess of man coverage in this game is a poor choice. Maryland has some good skill guys and if FSU lets them play street ball, this could be interesting. Against Zone, receivers must sit down in the voids, and the quarterback must recognize where these voids will be and throw the ball to the spot. I do not think Maryland's guy under center can do that consistently. FSU must make him do things at which he is not comfortable, and not allow him to hit the high-risk, high-reward stuff. A good cover-2 or cover-3 zone can help with this. In addition, FSU should refrain from excessive blitzing. If there is any offensive line that FSU's defensive line can get pressure against, it is this group. Maryland won't consistently beat a conservative FSU defense, but they could beat an aggressive FSU defense. They have a veteran center who can make the calls and FSU's schemes aren't fooling anyone. It's best to be very conservative, contain Robinson, and let him make mistakes. I worry about this because it is defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews' last game. Will the players be too hyped up to play good assignment football? I don't know.

Working off a 68 play projection (about average), I expect Maryland to put up about 5.5 yards per play. That's 375 yards. 24 points seems reasonable. I'll go with that. Can FSU top that? Continue reading to see.

Maryland Defense @ Florida State Offense

The Terps defense is not as bad as their offense.

From their media guide:

They've actually been sort of solid on defense for most of the conference season (Cal housed them 52-13), though they struggled aginst the Hokies last week. They are allowing an average of 113 rushing yards per game (second in league play). LBs Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten have been the top playmakers on a defense which has just four starters back from last year. Wujciak, a second-team All-ACC selection last year, has a team-high 113 tackles, including 11 vs. Virginia Tech last week. Moten has 58 tackles (second on the team), including team highs in tackles-for-loss (8.5) and sacks (6.0). Freshman LB Demetrius Hartsfield, was the third-leading tackler until he broke his hand and missed two games. He was back in action last week. First-year defensive coordinator Don Brown has a veteran secondary, though there have been injuries at that position. Senior Nolan Carroll, the team’s No. 1 cornerback, was lost for the season vs. JMU with a broken tibia. Senior SS Jamari McCollough missed two games with a foot injury and played sparingly the following two weeks. Top safety reserve Kenny Tate sprained an ankle last week and will miss the rest of the season. CB Anthony Wiseman has a team-high eight PBUs and CB Cameron Chism has a team-best three interceptions. Seniors Travis Ivey, Jared Harrell and Deege Galt are veterans on the defensive line. The Terps are tied for second in the ACC in sacks (2.5 per game).

As you can see (click to enlarge), Maryland's defense is 69th. NC State is the worst defense FSU has faced this year. But Maryland is on par with BYU, and definitely worse than Wake Forest.

As for Florida State's offense? Click to go full-screen and you'll see FSU sits at 5th in the country. This is an elite unit.

Maryland has faced the #9 rated NC State attack. Without Ponder, I believe FSU's offense is probably top 25 but definitely not top 5. These ratings reflect performance to date. They can't account for the future impact of injuries. They also played Va Tech, who like NCST, also put 35+ on them. #27 rated Wake Forest put 30+ on these guys. But I don't remember any of those teams playing in a downpour.

Maryland Depth Chart

DE 57 Jared Harrell 6-5 265 Sr.-1V or 44 Derek Drummond 6-4 250 So.-1V
NT 96 A.J. Francis 6-5 315 Fr.-RS
DT 90 Travis Ivey 6-4 325 Sr.-2V
Anchor (DE) 56 Deege Galt 6-4 264 Sr.-SQ
SAM 54 Adrian Moten 6-2 230 Jr.-2V
MIKE 33 Alex Wujciak 6-3 255 Jr.-1V
WILL 42 Ben Pooler 6-3 235 So.-SQ or 59 Demetrius Hartsfield 6-2 230 Fr.-RS
CB 6 Anthony Wiseman 5-10 185 Sr.-3V (Starter lost for year)
FS 1 Terrell Skinner 6-3 214 Sr.-3V (Starter lost for year)
SS 4 Jamari McCollough 5-11 200 Sr.-1V
CB 22 Cameron Chism 6-0 185 So.-1V

FSU Depth Chart

WR 80 Jarmon Fortson 6-3, 223, SO & 9 Richard Goodman 6-0, 190, SR
LT 67 Andrew Datko 6-6, 283, SO
LG 57 Brandon Davis 6-2, 281, JR (Replacing AA Rodney Hudson)
C 60 Ryan McMahon 6-3, 282, JR
RG 79 David Spurlock 6-5, 285, SO
RT 77 Zebrie Sanders 6-5, 288, SO
TE 88 Beau Reliford 6-7, 241, SO (Starter Caz Piurowski lost for year)
QB 3 EJ Manuel 6-4, 223, FR (Starter Christian Ponder lost for year)
FB 24 Lonnie Pryor 6-1, 195, FR
TB 38 Jermaine Thomas 6-1, 190, SO & 23 Chris Thompson 5-8, 173, FR
WR 86 Rod Owens 6-0, 183, SR & 83 Bert Reed 5-11, 165, SO & Taiwan Easterling

And FSU's Injury Report:

Out
76 OT Garrett Faircloth (hip)
70 OT Antwane Greenlee (knee)
51 LB Aaron Gresham (knee) (For career)
44 LB Maurice Harris (neck; out for the season)
62 OG Rodney Hudson (knee)
97 DT Demonte McAllister (knee)
94 DT Justin Mincey (knee)
81 TE Caz Piurowski (knee; out for the season)
7 QB Christian Ponder (shoulder; out for the season)
74 OT John Prior (knee)
27 CB Xavier Rhodes (thumb)
11 LB Vince Williams (back)

Questionable
9 WR Richard Goodman (groin)
Mister Alexander is also banged up but FSU didn't list him.

Let's see what Phillip has to say about Maryland's defense.

Probably the worst in the ACC. The DT's are so-so, maybe the 7 or 8th best group in the ACC as far as DT's go. The DE's are awful. The rush end position (Harrell and Drummond) has yet to record a sack this season after 10 games. This group generates no initial pass rush. The strongside DE (Deege Galt) is a 100% effort type player and got a couple sacks by continuing to work and getting a sack after the play broke down, but this group is really awful. Our DE's are by far the worst in the ACC from what I have seen at generating pass rush. The DT's don't help with pass rush. They use a three man rotation of guys weighing 330, 325, 310 (Ivery, Kerr, Francis) so they are okay agianst the run, teams have not really gash us by running right at us, but they contribute nothing to a pass rush. Therefore you have four guys totally not capable of getting any pass rush. The D-Line is serviceable against the run, but you want to be more than serviceable when that is the strength of the unit.

I think he's pessimistic here. These guys actually do a decent job stopping the run. They are massive inside and have good but not great size on the outside. He is right though about their pass rush ability. Maryland's pass rush from the front-4 is just not there. In addition, FSU's offensive line is excellent in pass protection. I do have some concerns about Davis working together with the other guys picking up the blitz. Speaking of blitz...

LB: A solid, but not great unit. At MLB, 255 Alex Wujciak is big and strong and good in run defense. Hes not very agile or fast so you can pass on him, though he has improed his awareness there a little. Still, his pass coverage is the type thing that Jimbo will take advantage of. With Ponder you would have burned us like crazy passing over the middle with him cause Ponder is accurate. Wujciak is not fast or agile, buts aware and he took an inaccurate pass by Russell Wilson to the hosue on a 70 yard interception return the other week. Still hes probably one of the slowest MLB in the ACC if not the slowest. He leads the ACC in tackles and is fourth in the nation. Its hard to run against him cause he can off blocks well even if you get a O-Lineman to him cause of his size and strength. Running up the middle against us is maybe do-able, but with so many other weaknesses, teams don't even really bother to try. Adrian Moten one of the OLB's is very verstaile. Hes solid in pass coverage, blitzing, and against the run, but is not great at any of them. He leads the team with 6 sacks. I see him in the NFL eventually, not necessarily as a high pick, simply cause at the least he would make a good backup because hes no real weakness. Hes also a vocal leader of the D. The third LB is Demetrius Hartsfield a RS freshman. Hes got solid quickness and average straight line speed, and like a lot of freshman is inconsistent. At times he shows good instincts and an aggressive instinct that makes him effective. Other times he looks lost. As the season went on he got a little bit more consistent, his worst games as far as missed assignments were his first. FSU will be his second game back from injury after missing three games.

Moten is undersized and doesn't do a great job of getting off blocks. Otherwise, I agree with this. FSU has a very good run game that has been steadily improving since Rick Trickett took over the running back coaching duties. The backs now understand what hole to run through, an important part of being a running back.

The DB's are average to below average which is a surprise as many fans expected them to be good. We lost our top corner, Nolan Carroll, in the second game of the season. That hurt a lot. Sophomore Cameron Chism may have NFL talent but hes still learning the ropes. He's very good when the ball is in the air, has three picks, and is excellent in run help. That said he gives up some big plays and is susceptible to double moves and the like at this stage in his career (hes a true soph. who only played special teams last year). Wiseman the other corner is one of the worst starting cb's in the ACC. A three year starter who never has gotten an interception, hes a bad tackler, who is really bad when the ball is in the air. Hes is very suspectible to the long ball. Against the short ball, like slants, hes okay and will get some pass breakups, but hes such a bad tackler thats hes still not great there becaue those missed tackles turn into 40 yard players. The third and fourth corners, Richad Taylor and Trenton Hughes are about what you expect from backup corners. I think they are both slightly better than Wiseman, but there is inertia with returning starters and they are not that much better anyways. At S, we just lost Kenny Tate for the season at SS. With McCollough, who will be the strong safety agianst FSU, you got a saavy player capable in pass coverage, but not great in run help. At free safety you have Terrell Skinner, who had had a better junior year than senior year so far, except for the fact hes had his best two games of the season the past couple weeks so he may be coming on.

I have nothing to add to that. A huge thanks to Phillip for his help!

I watched a bit of Maryland this week. They blitz a lot. I feel bad for this defense. They get no pass rush, so they are forced to blitz. But their secondary has really struggled due to losing two starters and just generally not having a ton of talent. They are hurting either way.

So, how to attack Maryland's defense? We know that their front can't rush the passer but is very big. And we know that their best linebacker is a liability in coverage. They love to blitz. And we also know that they are incredibly thin on the secondary. So, how would you attack this?

I would spread them out and pass on early downs. This puts pressure on already thin secondary. It will tire out their big defensive tackles who certainly don't want to rush the passer. It will stress their excellent linebacker who is sort of a stiff. There is no reason to run right at Maryland, especially not without Rodney Hudson. FSU needs to run at the edges and attack the undersized outside linebackers or defensive backs. By throwing on 1st down, FSU can keep Maryland off balance. The bubble-screen game could play big in this contest. Anything to simplify the reads for freshman QB E.J. Manuel. Most teams don't blitz much on 1st down, making it an ideal down to throw on because of the added time in the pocket. Also, many teams are reluctant to blitz the spread because the blitz comes from a greater distance than against a traditional formation, thus taking longer to get there, being more readily identifiable, and affording the offense more time to react.

But undoubtedly Maryland will have some success with the blitz. I doubt Manuel stays clean in this game. But I do think he can hit a big play or two, interspersed with some less than desirable plays. I don't think FSU can run quite like they did against Wake Forest. FSU must pick up the blitz. And if Maryland goes a little more conservative, then Manuel needs to be in sync with the receivers.

Assuming FSU gets 68 plays, I think they can average about 6.75 per snap. That comes out to 460 yards. I like FSU to score 40 points. And to be clear, I definitely think rain is a disadvantage for the 'Noles here.

FSU 40, Maryland 24 Maryland is the worst team FSU has faced to date, and though I expect Manuel to look rough at times, I will still project the big win.

Chance of Victory: 88% (the exact percentage I predicted before the season).

Maryland-Virginia Tech Report Card and Helmet Stickers

Ben Broman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:30:23 -0000

by Rob Carr - AP

about 1 month ago: Maryland's LaQuan Williams (3), Adrian Cannon (7) and Torrey Smith stand in the huddle during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia Tech, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in College Park, Md. Virginia Tech won 36-9. Maryland players wore special jerseys in honor of the wounded warrior program. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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One word can describe Maryland fans' spirit after this game: basketball!

QB: C

This gets saved by a few things that Jamarr Robinson just can't control: the playcalling and the offensive line. Why would you let your debuting QB pass the ball upwards of 40 times (he had 32 attempts and at least 8 scrambles) against the 8th best passing defense in the country? I guess we can get to that later, though.

Robinson was very average, or below average, when passing. Of course, that might be because he had no time and was going up against a very good defense. His big strength was his scrambling ability - he went over 100 yards on the ground and was pretty much the only effective player Maryland had on offense thanks to that. You could still see that he had talent and an arm, but they got overshadowed by his jitters/poor offensive line and his running ability.

RB: INC

Sorry, RBs, you were a non-factor. I'm not sure if you played, actually. I just can't grade 6 rushes, especially because they were usually taken out of the ridiculous spread offense, so I can't even grade blocking.

WR: C-

Torrey Smith and Adrian Cannon had two nice plays off screen plays, with the traditional step back juke and 15 yard run after the catch, but that was it. Smith dropped two catchable balls in the end zone and was basically a non-factor. Actually, just about all of the receivers were non-factors. Part of that has to do with the fact that Robinson completed 12 passes, but part of that also has to do with the receivers not getting open and some dropped passes.

OL: F

You can't really attack the run blocking - because they didn't run - but you can definitely attack the pass blocking. Tech had a ridiculous 6 sacks, and if it wasn't for Robinson fleetness of foot it would've been at least 8. The scary thing is that Tech isn't particularly adept at getting to the QB - before this game, they were in the 70s in QB sacks. It wasn't always a blitz either - I can remember times when they got to Robinson rushing 4.

I really can't single anyone out here, because no one in particular stood out to me, but it was a pretty awful performance.

DL: D-

The entire defense was pretty terrible; the DL didn't particularly stand out to me. They rarely got pressure on Tyrod Taylor, and when they did it came with the linebackers' assistance. Ryan Williams ran all over them: 128 yards on a 5.5 average. The group rarely got penetration to force Williams into a different direction; the only one I remember was a few times by Travis Ivey. Other than that, very lackluster performance.

LB: D

This grade is surprising. The LB corps is usually the strong point of the defense, if not the entire team, but they didn't come up very big today. Granted, they had no support from the DL, which can make it tough to be effective, but they were pretty bad regardless. Despite Tech's 47 rushes, Alex Wujciak had just 11 tackles - usually he racks up the tackles against heavily rushing teams. It feels weird to say "just 11 tackles", but it makes sense with Wujciak. And besides just looking at tackles, he wasn't nearly as effective at stopping the run as he usually is. To make matters worse, Adrian Moten was quite, too. Demetrius Hartsfield didn't make a lot of noise, but it was his first game back.

The biggest problem was on the defensive back 7 as a whole, so the DBs got taken down for it, too: poor tackling. The two plays that stand out in my mind were the two Williams 20+ runs - both of them were made possible by more than one missed tackle. That just can't happen.

DB: D-

This was very much like the LB's performance, except they got burned through the air, too. Even though Taylor was just 13-23, VT put up 268 yards through the air. That's just one more completion than Jamarr Robinson, yet 134 more yards and 3 more TDs. That was mostly the result of a few big TDs from Jarrett Boykins and Dyrell Roberts, and in both cases those benefited from poor coverage. Safety help over the top was lackluster, and the corners themselves were rarely effective. Anthony Wiseman was the one that stuck out in my mind, but that's nothing new: we've known for awhile that Wiseman was a #3 guy.

Couple that with tackling that was as poor as the linebackers', and you have a D- grade.

Special Teams: C+

Well, Nick Ferrara made one of his FGs, which is more than you can say about most of the rest of the team. He also did decently punting, although the loss of Travis Baltz hurts again. Other than that...yeah, not much. Dan Bonato had one nice KO return, but Torrey Smith was quiet in this regard when Maryland most needed it. Tony Logan had two punt returns for a combined -7 yards. Tech, meanwhile, averaged 14 yards on punt returns and 25 yards on KO returns.

Coaching: D

Two reasons for this: the playcalling and the motivation.

On the first mark, I already addressed this, but who thought it would be a good idea to call passing plays at least 40 times against the 8th best passing defense in the country with basically a freshman QB? It didn't work at all, yet but the time the coaches were able to realize this, Maryland was losing by too much to start running. The Terps should've been running the ball the majority of the game, not abandon it after it stopped working once, which is what they did.

The second part, motivation, was just as much of a problem. There's no way to look at this team and say they came out motivated and ready to play. VT dominated from the kickoff. Maryland didn't even put up a fight. It's tough to get something out of players in a lost season, but, while wearing words like "Courage" and "Commitment" on their backs, I definitely expected more out of these guys. That's partially on the players, but it's more on the coach.

Helmet Stickers:

Jamarr Robinson, QB - First Maryland QB in a long time to get over 100 yards on the ground, especially not in his debut.
Terrell Skinner, S - He was average in the passing game, but was one of the few Terps who knew how to tackle yesterday - he had 13 of them.
Dan Bonato, KR - This is a feel-good pick, and because no one else really deserved it; Bonato did have a 33 yard KO return, and, sadly, I can't remember a time when there was more hope than that return.
Torrey Smith, WR/KR - Because there was no one else.

Maryland-Virginia Tech Gameday Guide

Ben Broman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:45:12 -0000

by Gerry Broome - AP

about 1 month ago: Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams (34) gets a a block from Ed Wang (77) as East Carolina's Nick Johnson, left, looks for the tackle during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Greenville, N.C., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009. Virginia Tech won 16-3. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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What: Maryland takes on Virginia Tech in Jamarr Robinson's starting debut

When: 1 pm.

Where: Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium, College Park, Maryland

In a Nutshell:

Maryland Offense vs. Virginia Tech Defense: Tech's passing defense is notoriously solid - 8th in the country, as a matter of fact. It's a good thing that Jamarr Robinson, who's never had more than a half of real PT (and that half came last week), is making his debut as a starting QB against them, right? Yeah, the passing game will be tough to watch. Thus, it makes sense that Maryland would run the ball, especially because VT's running defense is good but not great (69th). In fact, that's how teams have stayed close to the Hokies in the past few games - stuffing the ball in the middle of the line. The problem there is that the defense probably won't be able to slow Tech's offense, so they'll be in a hole all game. It's both common sense and a notrious reputation of Maryland's coaches to abandon the run quickly, so we'll have to see how committed Ralph Friedgen and James Franklin are to keeping the ball on the ground.
Virginia Tech Defense vs. Maryland Offense: Ryan Williams has led the Hokies to the 21st ranked rushing attack in the country, and I was surprised to see it that low. Every time I see VT, it seems that they really do well on the ground. Alex Wujciak, the best run defender on the team, will have his hands full with Williams, but it's games like these that make you really appreciate Wujciak. Tech doesn't turn away from the run very often (they're 103rd, but not for lack of execution - it's for lack of passing the ball a lot), but if they're forced to, they can do some damage. Tyrod Taylor is 32nd in the nation in passing efficiency, and he can make plays with his feet if Maryland's able to collapse the pocket. The problem here is that the only way to effectively stop Williams is loading up the box, and then Taylor can make the easy throw. Don Brown has to cook up something special for this one.

Keys:

Pound the Rock: Give the ball to Davin Meggett, Gary Douglas, and Caleb Porzel. All. Game. Long. The offensive line will have to show up for this one, but if Maryland can make a dent in the middle of the Tech DL, they'll have a shot.
Prevent Williams, Contain Taylor: I'm not a DC, but if the way I look at stopping Tech's offense is to keep Ryan Williams in check as much as possible while giving Tyrod Taylor some open receivers, but preventing the big play. Taylor's not perfect, and if he has to throw too much, he's liable to make a mistake.
Special Teams and Defense: Maryland's offense isn't good enough to straight up stand up to VT. We'll need at least 14 points from the defense or special teams to stay close in this one.

Players to Watch:

Caleb Porzel, RB, Maryland - Ok, so I call it every single game, but I'm seeing a big run for Porzel today. Gotta happen eventually.
Whoever Lines Up at Guard - Does this make sense? Maryland needs to attack the middle of the line like the last few teams did. They don't have the pedigree to do it, but you never know who might have a good day.
Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech - Worilds' stats have been lackluster compared to what most expected out of him, but he's still really talented. It's another marquee matchup for Bruce Campbell.
Kam Chancellor, S, Virginia Tech - He's a risk-taker - he might come up with a big play, or he might take a chance and give up a big play.
Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech - It's definitely obvious, but it's also right: if Williams is contained, Maryland has a chance.
Dyrell Roberts, WR, Virginia Tech - Tech's version of Torrey Smith, Roberts is a playmaker both at WR and on the kickoff return team.
Alex Wujciak, LB, Maryland - The team's (ACC's?) premier run defender, Wujciak is due for a 15 tackle day. He'll have to have a solid one to keep Maryland in it.
Kenny Tate, S, Maryland - Maryland's version of Chancellor, we'll need another big play from Tate today, and not a poor angle on Williams.

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. Maryland

furrer4heisman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:21 -0000

by Gerry Broome - AP

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The Team

I'd like to see the Hokies take care of business in this one. It's been a while since Tech really laid the wood to a team on the road. We allowed Duke to hang around way to long earlier this year. Last year, we lost three conference road games and needed a big comeback to beat UNC.
The last road beat down the Hokies issued in conference play was 2007 against Georgia Tech, Duke and Clemson. Maryland is a team Tech SHOULD beat easily. But few things have been easy for this team the last month.
I hope to see the Hokies stop puckering up like they have been since the kickoff of the Georgia Tech game and start playing loose like they were against BC, Duke and Miami. TCB, Hokies.
The argument has been made that Maryland is better than its 2-7 record indicates. After all, it beat Clemson. But the Terps two wins were also by three points each. Maryland may be thiiiiiis close to being in contention for a bowl, but its also thiiiiiis close to being 0-9.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. Maryland Defense

Maryland's pass defense has been awful this year. While the short passing game was open against East Carolina, I think we'll be able to get guys open deep against the Terps. The injury to Nolan Carroll really hurt Maryland's secondary and while I think free safety Terrell Skinner is a decent player, he can't be everywhere.
The other Maryland defender I like is Alex Wujciak. He and two other Terps had interceptions against NC State, which helped move Maryland to +1 in turnover margin in conference games. The Terps are -9 in turnover margin in all games, thanks in large part to a five-turnover day against Rutgers.
Amazingly, Maryland's run defense isn't terrible. You look at the roster and other than Wujciak, there isn't a guy that pops out at you, but they are holding conference opponents to under three yards per carry, the best in the ACC.
Clemson, Virginia and Duke really struggled running the ball against Maryland. But Wake Forest and even NC State saw some success. Good running backs can get yards against this defense. Hell, James Madison had over six yards per carry against them.
The key to keeping Maryland from hanging around will be converting when we get deep on its side of the field. That's something the Hokies have struggled with lately, but have been largely successful with over the span of the whole year.
Maryland is one of the worst teams in the conference defending in the red zone. Opponents score touchdowns nearly two-thirds of the time they get in the Terps' red zone.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. Maryland Offense

We will likely see Jamarr Robinson at quarterback for the Terps. Robinson saw his first significant time in a Maryland uniform last week after the injury to Chris Turner.
Robinson is an elusive quarterback who didn't do anything special against NC State, but didn't do anything incredibly stupid either. As the guys from Testudo Times pointed out, he looked very confident at QB.
Then again, I'd look pretty confident, too, facing NC State's defense. The goal for the Hokies should be to force Robinson out of his comfort zone, but not let him get free and make plays with his feet.
Cody Grimm should be able to put pressure on Robinson from the whip position in this game. But at the same time he can't let Robinson get to the outside where he can pick up extra yards.
If we see a big game from Stephan Virgil it will be good day for the Hokies. The Terps have a playmaker at wide receiver in Torrey Smith, but I think there's a better chance of him scoring on a kick return than on offense. But he's still dangerous in space like Darrius Heyward-Bey was last year scoring Maryland's only touchdown.
We'll get to see a good battle of kick returners between Smith and Dyrell Roberts. Both a very dangerous.
The Terps will be without Da'Rel Sc'ott at running back so I don't expect them to be able to accomplish much on the ground. They averaged 4.0 ypc against NC State, but haven't been able to establish a run game without Scott.
The one thing about the Terp RBs is that they are difficult to bring down in the backfield. Their 24 tackles for loss against in league games is the fewest among ACC teams.
The Terps haven't made many trips to the red zone (only 14 in five ACC games), but they've scored eight touchdowns and four field goals in those trips. That's not bad at all.

Outcome

Just a walk in the park, Kazansky.

Watch the Box Score For:

Virginia Tech yards per carry
Virginia Tech sacks
Maryland return yards
Maryland first down yards per play

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

5 - Tyrod Taylor, Jr., QB
34 - Ryan Williams, Fr., RB
22 - Stephan Virgil, Sr., CB
26 - Cody Grimm, Sr., LB

Maryland Players to Watch:

11 - Jamarr Robinson, So., QB
82 - Torrey Smith, So., WR
33 - Alex Wujciak, Jr., LB
1 - Terrell Skinner, Sr., FS

Final Score

Virginia Tech 34, Maryland 14

Virginia Tech at Maryland: Q&A with Testudo Times

furrer4heisman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:35 -0000

by Ethan Hyman - AP

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We haven't seen the Hokies play the Terps since 2005. So to get a better feel for the reeling Maryland team we'll see on Saturday, I turned to bbroman from SB Nation's Terp blog Testudo Times. My answers to his questions are hyah.

GC: Which of the losses this season has been the toughest to swallow this season and is this team really as bad as its record indicates?

TT: There hasn't been a single loss that was particularly easy to swallow, so this is a tough choice. At the time of the game, I felt worse about the Duke loss than any since or before, but it's clear that this Duke team isn't terrible. Looking back, I have to say Middle Tennessee State, simply because we lost to them last year in Murfreesboro. I was expecting revenge, and it didn't happen. Worse, we lost a series to a directional.

As for Maryland being as bad as the record indicates: no. They're worse. Both of Maryland's wins - one against James Madison in overtime, the other a squeaker against Clemson - came by 3 points. In both games, the opposing team's kicker had two makeable FG attempts that they missed. That's not to say this team is as bad as some of the winless Duke teams from earlier this decade, as all the games have been close, but they're not good.

How hot is Ralph Friedgen's seat right now as Maryland's head coach?

Short version - from the fans: pretty darn toasty. From the administration:...well...

Most fans are pretty fed up with the big man. Everyone appreciates what he did for this team, but he's lost his mojo, and it's painfully obvious.

Unfortunately, he has a rather hefty buyout, and Debbie Yow, for all she's done for the Olympic sports at Maryland, has been lax to move on some of the revenue sports. Her position is iffy, considering the economic conditions right now. And sadly, if she's not gung-ho on getting rid of the Fridge, Maryland's boosters are too basketball-centric to make it happen on their own.

What do you expect out of quarterback Jamarr Robinson in this game?

You're guess is as good as ours. He's a big question mark for us, too. The little that we do know is that he has a lot of athletic talent, quick feet, and a strong arm, though he's notoriously unfamiliar with the playbook and slower mentally. His mental shortcomings shouldn't matter too much - James Franklin should alter his playcalling a bit, and the pocket will collapse without seconds anyway. Robinson will either have a surprisingly good game and keep Maryland in it with his feet, or he'll be demolished and look lost. Neither would absolutely shock me.

We know Alex Wujciak (and his dreadlocks) is a beast, but give us another reason Hokie fans should be concerned about facing Maryland's defense.

First off, Wujciak gets a lot of credit around ACC circles for his tackles, as he deserves, but he's not nearly as good as his numbers indicate. Good, but not great or All-ACC worthy - he's not athletic enough or savvy enough against the pass for that.

Now, moving on to the question: Maryland can get to the QB when they want to. Don Brown tends to confuse even Maryland fans with his playcalling, sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad (like not blitzing NCST at all). But if he decides to try to get to Tyrod Taylor, he will, probably with Demetrius Hartsfield, Adrian Moten, and Kenny Tate. If Taylor wants to keep VT going, he'll have to make quick decisions against what could be a soft secondary.

This game has been sold out for a while, but what percentage of Byrd Stadium do you think will be Hokie fans on Saturday? Are a lot of Terp fans dumping their tickets because of the way the season's gone?

I wouldn't be surprised if it was above 50%. Most Maryland fans got in it for basketball, not football. When the gridiron side of things starts going wrong, they have a terrible tendency to simply become apathetic about football. Calling this a road game might be a stretch.

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.

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