SB Nation - Josh Cary

UConn Huskies 24, Maryland Terrapins 21: Stock Report and Helmet Stickers

Ben Broman — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:00:28 -0000

Recap here. Stats, too, for those who want them. Big takeaway: Maryland had to lose sometime, and this was far from embarrassing. But it does confirm what was suspected all along: that this is just too early for this team.

STOCK UP

Stefon Diggs: He's good. Borderline absurdly good. He's still young and needs to learn how to fair catch even just occasionally, but his hands are completely reliable and he's every bit as dynamic as we heard. He can truly make something out of nothing and for a Maryland team that so often runs on nothing, that's a great skill to have. His touchdown might've been a bit lucky, but he still had to be completely alert and make a difficult catch to pull it off. And his returns were just something else. Once again, only getting four touches on offense, with one of them not even a target to him, is heinous. Regardless of what the defense does, he needs the ball in his hands more than that.

Wes Brown: Last week he looked like a workhorse, but couldn't hold onto the ball. This week, he did both. On what was supposed to be the best rushing defense in the country, averaging less than a yard per carry, he put up more than five. And despite carrying the ball 14 times, he never once was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. What's probably most striking is how complete a back he is: his vision is top-notch, he has the size to run over guys, but also the speed and elusiveness to function in the open field. He even looked fine as a pass blocker, which should make the staff more comfortable starting him.

He earned next week's starting spot and, like the rest of the freshmen, should get even better as the season goes on. The University of Good Counsel is in full effect.

Perry Hills in the fourth quarter: We jest when announcers fawn over his wrestling experience, but it looks like it's done something for him. Hills has looked looked like a natural in the fourth quarter of all three games: he's gone 11-17 through the air, with 9 of those 11 completions going for first downs, and a QB rating 67 points better than the other three quarters. He was 6-7 on Saturday in the fourth, and the only incompletion was a drop. He has his fair share of problems, but the kid's a gamer, doesn't back down from pressure or from mistakes, and clearly has some kind of command in the huddle (figuratively speaking, given Maryland's offense). Not to mention that awesome wrestler-tough 10-yard touchdown run.

Darin Drakeford: I really doubted if Drakeford was the right fit for the WILL spot in the 3-4 scheme. I was completely wrong. Drakeford was arguably the best player on Maryland's defense on Saturday, active in the pass rush (including a huge third-down sack) and forcing the first turnover of the day with an opportunistic strip. He can't cover, but the WILL is rarely, if ever expected to do so. If he's not going to be blitzing on a third down, there's no reason for him to be on the field, so I don't really blame him too much for the missed coverage on UConn's game-sealing TD drive. Still, he's had a fantastic start to the season, and if he keeps this up he might just play his way into an NFL training camp.

Dexter McDougle: Two solid plays in coverage that I noticed. No blown coverages. That's a big step forward for one of Maryland's most troubled performers in the first two weeks.

Maryland's moxie: It hurts me to say, but Maryland last year would've folded instead of fought, and this year that simply doesn't happen. After the first quarter, I was reminded of last season, with the players not looking all that interested and, down 14, I started to wonder if there was any way back. Then Maryland regrouped in the second quarter and made a game of it. And when Lyle McCombs took in the touchdown in the fourth quarter, I genuinely thought that was it. I just didn't see Maryland getting two scores, let alone doing it after the back-breaker that touchdown seemed to be. But this bunch never gives up. Just like the basketball team last year, that habit will serve them very well once they get a little better.

HOLD

Maryland's front seven: For the most part, the Terrapins' rush defense dominated the line of scrimmage, just as they did against Temple and William and Mary. But this week there were plenty of moments when UConn's line mashed UMD, especially during that final drive. It'll take a bit more for me to truly be worried about this bunch, but this was the first crack in the armor shown all year.

Kerry Boykins: Dropped an easy first down catch on a third down that nearly killed a drive (Stefon Diggs bailed him out on fourth down). But he bounced back with two big receptions on Maryland's final drive, including a hardfought first down. He's probably not a starter with Diggs and Marcus Leak there, but he's a very dangerous 4th receiver.

STOCK DOWN

Maryland's punt team: Were it not for poor coverage on Maryland's first punt, Nick Williams doesn't score the opening touchdown and Maryland probably wins this game. Two punts later, Nathan Renfro's punt went 32 yards to give UConn a short field which they'd convert for another touchdown. This was an Achille's heel last year and it's clearly still a problem now. It's costing Maryland points and, just maybe, wins as well.

Mike Locksley: I may not be an offensive coordinator, but I do know pretty heinous offensive production when I see it. UConn's defense is tough and Locks' hands are still tied to some degree with his personnel, but 205 yards against any defense is a pretty poor showing, especially when you consider that so many of his playcalls made little to no sense. A quick sampling:

His refusal to go with a power run game, instead electing to drive the zone-read option and stretch runs into the ground. That's despite having an offensive line that significantly outweighed UConn's front while facing a defense that's vintage Don Brown: fast and athletic but undersized. The obvious thing to do, with a big offensive line and a big running back, was to try to bulldoze them. Locksley tried to outathlete them instead, and that was doomed to fail; UConn simply had enough speed to shoot the gaps and beat Maryland to their spots.
Or his persistence with the zone-read option, despite Hills' struggles to run it. His reads were often poor and, while he's a fantastic runner, he's much better scrambling when he can take advantage of a disorganized defense. He's not like C.J. Brown, who has the speed and elusiveness to run through a defense; he's more of a gunslinger type, comfortable and dangerous outside the pocket but not a killer on designed runs. Take away the sacks and his touchdown scramble, and Hills was averaging only 3 yards per carry. When Wes Brown was in the backfield averaging upwards of 5 ypc, you'd think he'd be easily the primary option. But he had only three more carries than Hills.
Or his tendency to throw it deep on early downs despite his quarterback not having the arm for deep balls. Heck, chucking it deep any down. Hills' upper limit is about 25 yards; anything over that is usually underthrown and lofted. Less than that, though, especially if it's over the middle, is usually on a rope and fairly accurate. An occasional deep ball to keep the defense honest is okay, but being asked to throw it long so often seemed a waste. That's especially true on the final offensive play of the game, on which there were no intermediate routes (12-20 yds - deep cross anyone?) at all despite "only" needing 17 yards. (Point being that "chuck it into the end zone!" wasn't Maryland's only option.)

Its easy, and maybe a little unfair, to play Monday Morning OC. But Locksley's job is to get Maryland yards and points. However he wants to do that is fine, even if that plan is to misuse his players and "think outside the box" or "be unconventional." Cool. But he better do it. And when he doesn't, he's fair game to be called out for those strange decisions. I hope that as the season goes on, this gets better. He'll learn his players strengths and weaknesses better when he sees them on tape, and he wasn't incompetent at Illinois. But Saturday was a lesson in bad game planning.

Maryland's two minute drill: I think calling it that is a bit of an insult to two-minute drills everywhere. This is where some of Maryland's inexperience really hurts them. There was absolutely no sense of urgency from anyone: not Perry Hills, who in his defense is still young and was just running the system; not Mike Locksley, who didn't want to or wasn't able to scrap his slow-no-huddle system for the sake of time; and not Randy Edsall, who had two timeouts that he didn't use until after Maryland psyched itself out on its penultimate three plays and found itself in 4th and 17.

Again, you want to do things your way, be a little different inventive and different? Fine. But make it work. Maryland had a long but makeable field goal (49 yards; Brad Craddock hit a 47-yarder against Temple), four downs, two TOs, and 1:14 to play. Playing for a field goal at that point - or at the very least attempting to ensure it - would not have been the worst thing in the world, especially with Brown having so much success on the ground anyway. But both the playcalling and execution were found seriously lacking.

Kevin Dorsey: When you're the "reliable senior", you better actually be reliable. Dropping an easy catch that would've given Maryland a 45-yard field goal and a third-and-short on that aforementioned two-minute drill is far from reliable.

Perry Hills in the other three quarters: He's still a true freshman and this was his first time facing a truly aggressive attacking defense. Don Brown knew he he could get to him, and that's exactly what happened. Brown brought any number of blitzes, and had Hills turned around and confused. He often didn't even seem to notice blitzes coming right at him and that clearly rattled him. The offensive line bears a lot of blame in this one, but much like Danny O'Brien last season, he didn't do himself any favors, either through the air or by trying (and usually failing) to escape pressure.

The big hang-ups come with his arm: he finished 10-24 with that pretty terrible interception on the opening play, but even most of the good stuff there came from the final few drives in the fourth quarter. In the first three, he was 4-19 for 45 yards. Freshman or not, tough opposition or not, that's really tough to defend. (Hey, maybe Maryland should go all Northwestern.)

Offensive line: Like Hills, I don't want to be too rough on a young group who was facing an active, swarming defense like UConn for the first time, especially because we knew they would struggle. But with all of the other problems in the offense, they couldn't afford a porous line making things harder for Hills and Locksley. Neither of them covered themselves in glory anyway, but the line put them behind the eight ball to begin with. There's not too much room to play with combinations save for maybe Pete White, Mike Madaras, or Josh Cary, and that scares me; they'll only get so much better with experience, after all. If they don't figure out something by the time they hit that Georgia Tech-Clemson-Florida State three-game stretch late in the year, they'll be eaten alive.

Demetrius Hartsfield: He was still productive with 9 tackles, but two plays defined his afternoon, both on UConn's final touchdown drive. First, on 3rd-and-long with all the momentum heading Maryland's way, he had a chance to wrap up UConn's Michael Smith two yards short of the first down marker. Instead, he got shook and Smith ended up with a first down and then some. Then, on Lyle McCombs' touchdown a few plays later, Hartsfield shot the gap and was set to tackle McCombs for a loss. A quick lateral shift and McCombs hit another hole and was gone. Obviously, the DL holds some blame by failing to plug the other hole, but Hartsfield either needs to make the tackle or identify the run and be a bit more patient. It's harsh, but when you're a defensive rock like Hartsfield is, someone who the defense relies on, those are plays that need to be made.

Justus Pickett and Albert Reid: Combined for 2 yards on 5 carries, while Brown put a vise-like grip on the starting job. They'll get carries situationally, but unless Brown struggles in the future, you have to think their snaps will get cut drastically.

Helmet Stickers:

Wes Brown. Welcome the starting spot, Mr. Brown. (I wish C.J. was still healthy so there could be an all-Brown backfield.)
Cole Farrand. Six solo tackles, nine total, a big TFL and a critical pass break-up. He's proven he's a starter.
Stefon Diggs. Duh. He's pretty good at football.
Darin Drakeford. Got Maryland's only sack of the day, plus six solo tackles. He's been playing very well all year.

Poll

Maryland's MVP against UConn was...

Stefon Diggs.

464 votes

Wes Brown.

72 votes

Darin Drakeford.

15 votes

Somebody else.

5 votes

556 votes | Poll has closed

Maryland Football 2012 Prospectus: The Offensive Line

Ben Broman — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:59:15 -0000

The Quarterbacks (now incredibly out-of-date) | The Running Backs (still valid!) | The Wide Receivers (ditto)

The Players
LT
1 - Nick Klemm (Jr., 6-5, 300)
2 - Ryan Doyle (rFr., 6-4, 295)
3 - Mike Madaras (Fr., 6-5, 293)

LG
1 - Bennett Fulper (Sr., 6-5, 295)
2 - Pete White (Jr., 6-4, 320)
3 - Nick Brigham (Fr., 6-2, 280)

C
1 - Sal Conaboy (So., 6-4, 285)
2 - Evan Mulrooney (rFr., 6-5, 285)
3 - Stephen Grommer (rFr., 6-5, 290)

RG
1 - De'Onte Arnett (Jr., 6-4, 290) or
Josh Cary (Jr., 6-5, 300)
3 - Gary Harraka (So., 6-5, 300)

RT
1 - Justin Gilbert (Sr., 6-6, 300)
2 - Andrew Zeller (rFr., 6-6, 295)
3 - Jake Wheeler (So., 6-7, 300)

The Prospectus: Offensive line is, once again, a tricky situation for Maryland. They've been understocked on the lines for years now, and this year isn't very different; almost everyone on the line has moved positions to where they are now, and few have any real experience.

Klemm, Conaboy, and Arnett are all newcomers to the starting lineup, and Gilbert has played only four games in the past two years due to injuries. Fulper's started 22 games, but only 3 of them came at left guard, his new position. There's some depth at the guard spots - Cary and White have both started multiple games - but everywhere else, they'll be relying on redshirt freshmen. It's not an exciting proposition, especially at an area that will suffer as many as injuries as offensive line.

We've already got a taste of those injuries, with Cary out for the next week or two. That should push Arnett into the starting spot for good, at least for the first few weeks of the season. It also means, unless they're eager to see a walk-on as the primary backup at right guard, that Pete White will be pulling some serious double-duty.

There are some positives, of course; Gilbert is a serviceable, experienced right tackle, and Fulper should be fine at guard. And while guys like Klemm, Conaboy, Arnett, Zeller, and Doyle are new faces, that also means they could surprise us. It's unlikely, but certainly possible - especially for Conaboy and Arnett, who were big names out of high school and have impressed the staff.

But if it sounds like I'm being generally pessimistic, well, I am. At least a bit. The line lacks experience throughout the depth chart, and none of the names here - save Madaras, Arnett, and perhaps Brigham - were big recruits. They'll be a decent, but not necessarily particularly good, fit for Locksley's scheme - few of the projected starters strike me as light, mobile spread linemen, least of all Gilbert, whose mobility has to be limited after multiple leg injuries.

I do expect plenty of movement, though. Most of these guys have been moved around already, and almost everyone will be in play to start somewhere. That makes for a very fluid lineup, so it may be too early to make decisions with any measure of conviction.

A potential x-factor is Mike Madaras, the highly-regarded true freshman. Rarely do freshmen feature on the line, and I'm certainly not expecting Madaras to make the early leap. But I also didn't expect it from Bennett Fulper, and he started the opener against Cal four years back. Madaras could play almost anywhere across the line and is a very good run-blocker, which is big for Maryland's running spread. Even if he only ends up as a reserve, it could be a significant boost to a relatively weak unit.

But when an offensive line has just 30 starts between the projected starters, it's a scary proposition. It's even scarier given that there's no rock anywhere on the line for others to lean upon and key off. Fulper comes the closest, but he's not an all-ACC type by any stretch and is in a new position himself. This could be a very bumpy road, especially in the early days.

That's scary. Because Maryland's just had their offensive paradigm changed, at least somewhat, with C.J. Brown's season-ending injury. They need to rely even more upon the line and skill position players, and I'm just not sure if there's enough talent and experience here to keep the backfield consistently safe. Hope I'm wrong.

The Future: The present may be scary, but in a few years Maryland's line should be quite tantalizing. While it may prove too early for Madaras and Nick Brigham to get serious playing time right now, they should be fixtures in the coming years, Madaras especially. Conaboy, meanwhile, is only a sophomore and could be a three-year starter at center. Then, of course, there's current commitment Derwin Gray, one of the best tackles in the country and a perfect foil for Madaras.

That's the foundation of a very, very good line. But just as promising is the depth that's been built up; Zeller, Doyle, and Mulrooney are young guys who have time to grow and improve, and other commitments like Jajuan Dulaney and Tanner Hartmann should be able to adequately make up the numbers and maybe even challenge for a starting spot.

And if Maryland can land Na'Ty Rodgers to top it all off? Pfff. That's a huge collection of solid offensive line talent. Maybe Madaras would have to move inside, but still, any lineup that looks like Gray - Brigham - Conaboy - Madaras - Rodgers is all-ACC stuff.

Optimism: Gilbert and Fulper have both been around the block a few times, and while Klemm hasn't started he's not exactly a new kid - he's already a junior, so he's soaked up plenty of coaching. While the other two spots lack real experience, there's plenty of talent between former four-star types like White and Arnett. And hey, sometimes guys are best when their backs are against the wall. They certainly are here.

Pessimism: There aren't any real battle-tested warriors you know you can count on (like Andrew Gonnella last year, for instance), and in all likelihood three starters won't have any real experience at all. And if they get hit with injuries, the replacements are even greener.

Random, Baseless Prediction: Klemm, Fulper, Conaboy, Arnett, and Gilbert start against William & Mary, but we see several combinations throughout the year, with Peter White, Josh Garry, and Ryan Doyle all seeing the starting lineup at various points and Madaras seeing the field on more than one occasion. They avoid any serious injuries - because, seriously, we've had our fair share - and get the youngsters some valuable playing time, but do allow nearly 30 sacks and occasionally struggle to open holes for the backs. Both Conaboy and Madaras look promising, though, and end up good bets for the future.

Final Words: Most of these previews, as I noted with the receivers, consist of at least some measure of talking ourselves into Maryland being successful. It's possible to do on the line, too, but it's a lot tougher. I really can't see this being a dominant line; there's just too little experience and no pillar the others can rely upon. They won't necessarily be porous, mind you, but before yesterday's news, this was by far the most worrisome position Maryland had. Factor in a new quarterback, who needs a firm offensive line ahead of him keeping things steady, and it becomes all that much more important that they settle in early. Unfortunately, I'm not confident they will.

Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown To The Football Season: Josh Cary

Pete Volk — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 20:13:18 -0000

A recurring series where we will profile every player on Maryland's roster, counting down to kick-off against William & Mary on September 1. Thanks to OBNUG for the idea.

Today we profile a player who was a surprise starter coming out of spring camp last year.

Josh Cary, Junior (RS), Offensive Guard, #68

via grfx.cstv.com

Stats:

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 300

Major: Criminal Justice

Twitter: None that we could find.

Collegiate Stats: 17 games (nine starts)

High School Stats (Senior Year): N/A

Recruiting Ratings: Two stars by Scout, ESPN

High School: Chenango Forks

Hometown: Chenango Forks, N.Y.

High School Highlights:

None that we could find.

How'd He Get to College Park?

The differences between Josh Cary and Pete White, his likely competition at right guard, are staggering. While they are within an inch of each other, White weighs 40 pounds more. White was a four-star recruit coming out of high school with scholarship offers all over the place, Cary was unranked by Rivals and we’re not even certain if he’s on scholarship to Maryland (although our instincts say yes). White looks like a teddy bear, while we’re fairly certain Cary can kill you by looking at you. Regardless, here they are, competing for the starting right guard spot. More on that later.

As you can probably tell by that last intro, we know very, very little about Cary. He’s not listed on any of Maryland’s commit classes over the past five years, which would suggest he’s not on scholarship, yet they make no mention of walk-on status on his UMTerps page and even laughably say he "considered" Alabama, among other schools. On his Scout page, Maryland’s not even listed as an interested school, and Albany is his only offer. We’re going to assume he’s a scholarship player, as he’s starting and no one has said otherwise.

During his time at Chenango Forks, the Blue Devils went 35-3 and won the 2004 state championship. Cary was named first all-state after his junior and senior years and was All-Metro all three years that he started. As far as we can tell, he was a member of the 2007 recruiting class and then reclassified to 2008, spending a year in prep school (although we have no idea where).

Cary redshirted in 2009, and played in five games as a reserve guard in his freshman year. After a great spring, he became the starter at right guard last year, beating out Pete White for the position. Cary ended up starting the first nine games of the year, coming off the bench for the last three as White (for two games) and Arnett (for the last one) took over. Those last three games officially re-ignited the position battle.

Nickname:

Josh "S"Cary. The dude looks frightening.

Career Highlight:

Starting nine games last year.

Career Lowlight:

Losing the job at the end of the year.

Dream Season:

Cary keeps the starting spot at right guard.

Nightmare Season:

Cary doesn't.

2012 Prospectus:

Josh Cary is listed as the starting right guard on the spring depth chart, with only Nate Clarke behind him. Well, Clarke has moved to nose tackle, meaning Cary will have a new back-up - that is, if he holds on to the position.

There will definitely be one (and likely two) new additions to Maryland's guard depth come fall - Pete White and hopefully Bennett Fulper. White is Cary's old nemesis in position battles, while Fulper is an experienced guy who can play a variety of positions and should be considered a lock to start if he makes the move.

Once again, that means the battle for playing time likely comes down to Cary and White. Last year, Cary won out originally, but White was the starter by the end of the year (until he got hurt).

Cary has the advantage of playing in spring practice, but White is a great talent that Maryland coaches may find hard to keep off the field. Either way, whoever loses that battle will almost undoubtedly be the first guard off the bench, and get plenty of playing time in their own right.

Up Next:

Our next player's hometown shares its name with a town in Louisiana where a famous New Orleans food and spice company was started.

bubbasparks gets his third.

Standings:

Maryland1206 - 8

kbuts151 - 6

Dirty_Terps - 5

bubbasparks -3

ClickClack62 -2

T Free - 1

Terpsfinish - 1

Mdak06 - 1

clevesanterp - 1

CSB Jack - 1

Terpsonfire - 1

Everybody else - 0

On Maryland Football's Scholarship Numbers

Ben Broman — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:50:12 -0000

We have lots to get to today news-wise, including some football staffing stuff and some basketball recruiting stuff. But let's keep the football recruiting train rolling, because this is the first time in years I've actually felt good about it.

Anyway, everybody's really excited about Wes Brown's commitment last night and the ensuing huge impact it could (and perhaps will) have on the rest of the recruiting class. (Stefon Diggs and Eddie Goldman!) I've seen a lot of people question how many more guys Maryland can take in this class, probably fantasizing over a half-a-hundred five-star locals. It's a bit of a stickier issue in football than it is in basketball, mostly because of the sheer volume of players. Anyway, common sense is likely telling you that Maryland has a ton of space in terms of scholarships right now, right? I mean after the Transfer Counter thing and all the attrition and the fact they were already three scholarships short and the middling recruiting class, it would only make sense.

So, is that the case? Well, sort of, but probably not as much as you had thought.

The N.C.A.A. allows 85 scholarships per team; Maryland was sanctioned down to 82 last season, but that's back up to the full number now. By my count, the Terrapins currently have 60 scholarship players returning from last year; that goes to 61 when you count the incoming transfer of Zach Dancel, and then all the way up to 84 when you count Maryland's 22 verbal commitments and one grey-shirt, Quinton Jefferson. If you want to see the chart, check it out here.

Now, two things: first of all, there's always significant attrition in spring ball. There were dozens of guys who would leave during the Friedgen era, and I imagine just as many if not more will bolt in the Edsall era. Right off the top of my head I can think of two players who still might transfer for Edsall-related reasons (no names, but both are from Georgia), another two or three who might have playing time qualms, and of course the loser of the QB battle in the spring might leave as well. Throw in the requisite two or three academic problems, the guys who decide they just don't want to play football anymore, and whoever doesn't qualify out of the recruiting class, and, well, that 85 number usually takes care of itself.

In fact, it was common to go into spring practice practice with 90 (or sometimes more) committed scholarships, a number which always worked its way down by the start of fall practice. If they absolutely must make room, there are options available to them. To start with, two former walk-ons, Ryan Schlothauer and Josh Cary, were both given scholarships last year. It's common practice in basketball to revoke those types of scholarships if they're needed; it's less common in football, but still possible. Schlothauer, in particular, is a fifth-year senior and should've already graduated, so I don't believe that would raise any eyebrows.

Actually, on that topic: it's also not particularly uncommon for fifth-year players to either decide they don't like football anymore or be asked to leave by the coaching staff. Most of the fifth-year seniors at Maryland are expected to be big contributors, but guys like Justin Gilbert (coming off a major leg injury), Devonte Campbell (stuck behind Furstenburg at tight end), or Schlothauer might be possibilities for that sort of thing.

I have very few worries about Maryland's ability to keep it down to 85 scholarships; they could take another 10 guys and I don't think I'd be very worried about their ability to keep it down to 85 scholarships. It's the "taking another 10 guys" that would be the problem.

See, the N.C.A.A. dictates that you can only enroll 25 freshman a year. Maryland currently has 23 with Brown's commitment last night, and they're still going hard after nearly a dozen big-time locals.

So how do they all fit in? Much like fitting in to the 85, there are a few options. The first is to do what's called "back-dating." Basically, if someone enrolls in the spring, a team can count their enrollment toward last year's class instead of the next year's class; that is, for 2011's instead of 2012's, assuming there's room. By my measure, there should be nine more spots in the 2011 class, which means there could be as many as nine early enrollees in the 2012 class that don't count against the 25 number.

Isaac Goins, the JuCo cornerback transfer, Levern Jacobs, the prep school wide receiver, and Quinton Jefferson, who grey-shirted (more on that in a second), will all enroll in the spring semester. That would give Maryland three more spots in the 2012 class, knocking that number down to 20. I wouldn't be surprised if guys like Madaras, Brigham, or Dean - all pretty smart guys who, I believe, go to privates - enrolled early, either.

The other option is grey-shirting, where some of the less-finished products take a year at a prep school and wait until the 2013 class to enroll. Joe Vellano did it, but it can be a little risky; players have been known to decommit over being asked to do it, and even if they don't that means there's another year of them being on the open market. Joe Riddle, Shawn Petty, Avery Thompson, and Malcolm Culmer could all be possibilities there, and that would open up basically as much space as the Terrapins needed.

So while Maryland isn't exactly floating in unlimited scholarship space, they're not really squeezed in that regard either. They could still take another five guys without blinking, and I wouldn't be nervous even if they went higher than that. Between the grey-shirt candidates and the more potential transfers, there's enough space to take anyone talented enough they want to take.

Virginia Football Week 9: Maryland Preview

TikiUVA — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:00:23 -0000

A couple of weeks ago, the Hoos upset Georgia Tech, and things were looking up. Then the Hoos were outplayed by a not-really-all-that-good NCSt team, and things were looking bad. Then, last week, the Hoos beat Miami, and now things are looking up again.

It has most definitely been a roller coaster season, but I guess that was to be expected with so many young guys in big roles. This week, the roller coaster heads to College Park to face the Terrapins, who are 2-6, and 1-2 in the ACC. The Terps lone conference win was the season opener against Miami, and the Hurricanes were without a bunch of their starters who had been suspended. Their only other win came over Towson, an FCS team.

So, does the roller coaster continue? Does Maryland hold down the fort at home? Or can the Hoos get on a winning streak, and become bowl eligible in the process? Check back after the jump to find out...

Virginia on Offense

Last week was kind of a strange week for the Virginia offense. We rushed for 207 yards, and threw for 263 yards. But, we had twice as many rushes as passes. This is because of big plays in the passing game. The Hoos scored 3 TDs, all of them in the air, and all at least 37 yards. This from a team that came in with nearly twice as many rush TDs as pass TDs.

The Hoos offense has become a big play offense. It is the kind of thing that we haven't seen here in over a decade. We have scored on a play of over 20 yards in 7 of the team's 8 games. WR Tim Smith has a TD catch of at least 37 yards in each of the past 3 games, and all 3 passes were thrown by different players.

All told, the Hoos are the 47^th ranked offense in the nation. They are 37^th in rushing and 62^nd in passing. Turnovers and penalties have been the only thing really stopping them, and that is the reason behind their 80^th ranking in scoring offense. (All ranks are courtesy of ncaa.org.)

Comparing those numbers to Maryland's defensive ratings is promising for the Hoos. Maryland has the 118^th ranked rush defense, 64^th ranked pass efficiency defense and 103^rd ranked total defense. They are 87^th in scoring defense. The one scary figure is that Maryland is 8^th in the country in turnover margin.

As evidenced by the rank of their rush defense, Maryland's defensive line isn't all that good. Junior DT Joe Vellano was honorable mention All-ACC a year ago and he's pretty good, although undersized. Vellano is actually 2^nd on the team in tackles, although that's largely due to injuries. Next to him is senior Maurice Hampton, who is bigger, but not better. I don't expect either of them to provide much trouble for the interior of the UVA offensive line.

On the edges, the Terps start a freshman and a converted LB. Keith Bowers is the freshman and sophomore David Mackall is the converted LB. Mackall is a pretty good pass rusher. He has excellent speed for a DE, and we've seen the Hoos struggle to contain some of the quicker DEs they've faced, so that is something to watch this week. Bowers has yet to really impress. (Ed note: On Wednesday, Randy Edsell suspended Mackall indefinitely for violation of team rules. He is not expected to play this week, so sophomore Cody Blue will probably start.)

The LBs were supposed to be the strength of this team, but the unit has struggled without STAR Kenny Tate. Maryland calls their strong side LB the STAR, and I don't know why. Anyway, Kenny Tate was a very good player, so the moniker fit. Darin Drakeford is the STAR now, but he's nothing special, so they should change the name back to SAM. Drakeford is a little bit undersized, but does possess good speed. The MLB is junior Demetrius Hartsfield, who was the team's third leading tackler last year, and is the team's third leading tackler this year. Hartsfield is a good steady MLB who knows his reads and makes sure tackles. On the weak side, Maryland has true freshman Alex Twine starting. Twine has a lot of potential, but he has looked overmatched at times.

By the process of elimination, the strength of this defense is the secondary. The CBs in particular have been solid. Senior Cameron Chism has 5 turnovers on his own (3 INTs and 2 FR) as well as being the 5^th leading tackler. On the other side, sophomore Dexter McDougle has also been outstanding, and he has 3 INTs also. We will also see a fair amount of senior Trenton Hughes at CB. All 3 CBs are 5'10 or 5'11, so this may be a game where we miss a guy like Matt Snyder.

The safeties aren't quite as good, and they haven't performed well. Junior Eric Franklin is the team's leading tackler, but really a lot of those tackles are on RBs who are 10 yards downfield. Freshman Titus Till starts on the other side, and he has been solid. Again, we will also see some of A.J. Hendy at S. Franklin and Till are bigger than the CBs, but still are on the small side. This could be the game where we finally see a breakout by TEs Colter Phillips or Paul Freedman. Assuming they can actually catch the ball.

If our OL comes out and plays like they are capable of playing, there is no reason that Maryland should be able to stop us. Even if they put 8 or 9 in the box, we should be able to pick up yards on the ground. The strength of Maryland's defense is on the interior, so the perimeter runs that we have seen throughout the year should be successful. I, for one, can't wait to see Clifton Richardson running on the trap play. I also fully expect Perry Jones to have another big game. And considering how well Michael Rocco played last week, I would be confident letting him throw the ball a little bit over the top when Maryland is pushing defenders forward.

The most important thing is going to be not beating ourselves. Penalties and turnovers will stop us this week. Maryland will not.

Virginia on Defense

Maryland's offense isn't all that dissimilar from ours. They have been messing around with 2 QBs, like we have. They have a strong ground game, like we have. And they have had trouble converting yards into points, like we have. Maryland ranks 48^th in the country in rushing offense, 78^th in passing offense, and 69^th overall. But, they rank 85^th in scoring offense.

QB Danny O'Brien was ACC all-Freshman last year, but new head coach Randy Edsall has been experimenting with fellow sophomore C.J. Brown, a dual threat QB. (Sound familiar?) Brown started last week, but was terrible, so O'Brien came in and was also terrible. I think O'Brien starts this week, but we will definitely see Brown as well.

Maryland's running game isn't bad, and is led by senior Davin Meggett. Giants' fans, like myself, will remember Meggett's dad as one of the better scatback and punt returners from the early 90s. The younger Meggett is nothing like that. Much more of a bruising back, despite being only 5'9". His running style is similar to Kevin Parks. The elder Meggett is in prison. Behind Meggett is true freshman Justus Pickett, who is kind of a lightning bug at RB, small and quick in space, and with excellent top end speed. Neither of them are great receiving threats, but still they must be watched on screens.

Maryland will play a 2 back set a lot, with true freshman FB Tyler Cierski. Cierski is a big guy, and a good blocker, but has just 1 reception and 0 carries on the season.

One of the reasons the Maryland passing game has struggled of late is an injury to top WR Kevin Dorsey, who will be back for this week's game. Dorsey, a junior, is the team's leading receiver despite missing 2 games. Dorsey has 29 catches for 361 yards and 2 TDs. Partially due to the injuries, Maryland has a lot of receivers with a similar number of catches. The other starting WR is senior Quintin McCree . We will also see junior Kerry Boykins and senior Ronnie Tyler. Boykins and McRee have 23 receptions each. Maryland's TE is Matt Furstenberg, who has 24 receptions. Furstenberg is 6'7" and creates huge matchup problems, especially in the red zone. He is one to keep an eye on.

The other reason that Maryland's passing game has struggled is that their OL isn't all that good. Much of that is due to injuries, as they expected to return 4 starters from last year's unit. As it turns out, there is really only 1 returning starter, because LG Andrew Gonnella and RG Justin Lewis are out with injuries.

The OL is reasonably big, especially sophomore LG Pete White, who checks in at 6'4" and 330 pounds. White is a pretty solid run blocker, but can be beaten by quicker pass rushers. Will Hill may enjoy that matchup. The other guard is another sophomore, Josh Cary, who isn't nearly as big, but is much more adept at pulling on outside run plays. The starting tackles are junior R.J. Dill and sophomore Max Garcia. Dill is the lone returning starter, although junior C Bennett Fulper also started last year, but not at center. I guess you could say there are 2 returning starters.

Our DL has been playing well, and Maryland's OL isn't really good enough to stop that trend. If the DL continues to play well, and shuts down the run game, we should be successful. Maryland passing game will improve with the return of Kevin Dorsey, but they aren't good enough to consistently beat us. When C.J. Brown is in the game, we need to be wary of his running ability, because he will look to run at every opportunity. He actually has more carries this year than competed passes, which is aided by his 47% completion rate. He is a very good runner though, actually 2^nd on the team in rushing.

Conclusion

As I said, Maryland's defense shouldn't be good enough to stop our running game. The only way we don't score consistently is if we beat ourselves. Maryland offense is decent enough, so our defense will have to play well. That means containing C.J. Brown and Davin Meggett, and forcing Maryland to try to beat us through the air. If that happens, we will win, because our pass rushers are good enough to get to O'Brien and our CBs are good enough to contain the WRs.

I am concerned about a letdown, because we have seen it so many times. On paper, we have the advantage and we should be able to come out on top. The crowd should be a non-factor because of the team's struggles this year. The weather will also be a non-factor as it is expected to be sunny and in the 50s.

We are 2 point favorites, and I think that is underselling us a bit. We are on the rise, and we are going bowling.

Prediction: Hoos 31, Maryland 21

Poll

What will be the outcome of this week's game against the Terps?

Virginia wins in a blowout

37 votes

Virginia wins a close game

49 votes

Virginia loses

63 votes

149 votes | Poll has closed

Maryland Terrapins at Florida State Seminoles game preview

Bud Elliott — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:42:14 -0000

The Maryland Terrapins roll into town to face the Florida State Seminoles for a 3:30pm kickoff. The 'Noles sit at 3-3, the Terps at 2-4, and both have 1-2 records in conference. However, FSU's three losses have come by an average of less than a touchdown against three teams with a combined record of 17-2.

For an excellent preview from the Maryland site (Testudo Times), go here.

Randy Edsall is no stranger to Northeast colleges and universities. Edsall spent his playing days at Syracuse ('76-'79) playing quarterback then stayed with the Orangemen coaching various positions through the 1990 season. Edsall was then the DB's coach and Boston College and for the Jacksonville Jaguars then spent a season as Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator ('98) prior to taking his first head coaching gig at UConn in December 1998 following the resignation of Skip Holtz (though Skip won there, he wanted the OC job at SC). Edsall led the Huskies from the 1-AA ranks to 1-A then into the Big East and, following the 2010 season, to the Fiesta Bowl. There he ran a conservative I-formation offense that was very fundamentally sound, though low on outright talent. -ShakinTheSouthland (SB Nation Clemson Site)

How Maryland got to 2-4

These are my writeups from each week on Maryland

-Barely beat a Miami team missing most of its starters due to the NCAA suspensions.

	WVU	MD
Plays	77	87
Yards/Play	6.3	5.5
WVU outgained MD by 15% per play
Avg Field Position	WVU 24	MD 34

-The Maryland Terrapins lost a home game to the West Virginia Mountaineers, 37-31. This was a battle of good offenses and bad defenses. Played at a fast pace, WVU was simply better. 6.3 yards allowed per play is not very good by Maryland. The issue seems to be really poor defensive back play, complete lack of pass rush, and the need to over-involve the safeties in the run defense, exposing those defensive backs. I think Maryland will need Danny O'Brien to play out of his mind each week if the Terps are going to win more than 7 games. That didn't happen yesterday, and part of it is due to Maryland suspending two of its top receivers. Stock Report & Helmet Stickers: http://www.testudotimes.com/2011/9/18/2432153/west-virginia-37-maryland-31-stock-report-and-helmet-stickers

	Temple	MD
Plays	53	59
Yards/Play	6.4	3.3
Temple outgained MD by 94% per play
Avg Field Position	Temple 40	Maryland 20

-Maryland was demolished at home by Temple 38-7. Want a good example of a team losing the same game twice? This is it. Maryland didn't recover from the loss to WVU last weekend. Does Temple have better players? Of course not. You'd be hard pressed to argue that Maryland took Temple seriously.

Oh, and this was not a turnover fest! Maryland only gave Temple a single turnover. Ben Broman said the Terps were Shell-Shocked. Here are the helmet stickers and general observations. Maryland is far from a powerhouse team, but do not expect them to come into the FSU game totally unprepared.

Maryland fans were unimpressed. Didn't they bring in Edsall to make a splash and sell tickets? Oops.

-The Maryland Terrapins beat Townson, 28-3. I did not and will not watch this game, so Testudo Times' recap and game balls will have to suffice.

	MD	GT
Plays	64	79
Yards/Play	5.23	4.93
MD outgained GT by 5% per play
Field Position	MD 26	GT 35

- Maryland went down to Georgia Tech, got down big early and then fought back to lose 21-16. Maryland slightly outgained Georgia Tech, but Tech ran 23% more plays and had almost a 10-yard edge in starting field position. Maryland's passing game is a total mess. They pulled Danny O'Brien (2010 rookie of the year) and the quarterbacks combined to go 5-23 for 53 yards and two picks. That is one of the most awful stat lines of the year. Did Georgia Tech take its foot off the pedal? I didn't watch this game yet, so I cannot say for sure, but up 21-3 entering the 4th quarter, Tech's offense basically quit. Credit to Maryland for not giving up. Game story here from Testudo Times

	CU	MD
Plays	80	83
Yards/Play	7.2	5.6
CU outgained MD by 29% per play
Field Position	Own 41	Own 31

Maryland Blows 18-Point Lead to Undefeated Clemson, Falls in 56-45 Barnburner - Testudo Times
Maryland held a 35-17 lead in the third quarter, but an outpouring of Clemson scoring led to yet another disappointing defeat. Maryland seems to have found its new quarterback in C.J. Brown, who was 17-35 for 177 yards. He was the victim of several drops, so his stat line was better than that.

Maryland's defense is a bit of a mess as well, obviously.

The major thing to take from this game is that Maryland really didn't do anything special. Rather, Clemson was really unfocused for much of the game. Boyd threw a pick-6 right to Maryland (one of the worst you will ever see). Clemson also muffed a punt at its own 9. Those were 14 points for Maryland in which MD really didn't have to do a thing.

Clemson Tigers 56, Maryland Terrapins 45: Stock Report and Helmet Stickers - Testudo Times
Taking stock of Maryland after their close, disappointing loss to #8 Clemson.

The game was not all that close. Maryland did very little to Clemson. Clemson did a lot to Clemson.

Florida State Defense v. Maryland Offense

For the first time in a while, FSU's defense is better than its offense, thus having the honor of going first in the preview.

But for all of the talk about Edsall going conservative, I-Formation, that was not the choice he made in an offensive coordinator:

Maryland's offense is directed by Gary Crowton. Crowton has been a lot of places as offensive coordinator, including LSU, Oregon, Chicago Bears, and Georgia Tech. Crowton has two stints as a collegiate head coach: Louisiana Tech (1996-'98) and BYU (2001-'04). LSU won the national championship with Crowton running the offense in 2007. His scheme there was a blend of a no-huddle spread with a lot of carryover of NFL and BYUish principles. BYU guys generally prefer to throw the ball around, and at La Tech, where he really made his mark as an offensive guru, he threw it around a ton. He later grew to absorb whatever worked best for him, and the technical difficulty of an NFL scheme's formations and shifts did influence his offensive philosophy to the complex side. As a result, wherever he goes, he has had success and then later faltered. In Chicago he was one of the first guys to really try the bubble screens in the league. Once they were onto him, he got out. At LSU, his offense worked only with Quarterbacks that Jimbo Fisher had taught fundamentals to, and the offensive execution degraded from 2007 onwards steadily. Most of it apparently because it was too complex for the team to figure out. Sometimes it'll look great, and sometimes they look completely lost, because he doesn't do a good job of keeping it simple for the players. Crowton values complexity to confuse a defense, as opposed to keeping it simple and executing several plays really well (like Morris).

Still, it could be said that he is a strong influence on (Oregon HC) Chip Kelly's offensive scheme. Kelly is from NH, and his passing game is basically Crowton. Crowton's offense at La Tech, New Hampshire, Oregon, and later did influence several guys. He basically made the constraint plays popular again. The guy is not dumb, but his brilliance does not translate in every situation to the field.

In our minds, Crowton's success at Maryland will depend on Edsall's use of restraint. If Edsall keeps him from overcomplicating his offense, he can do really well. However we do not believe him to be a great QB coach. This year, he's gone away from his 2-back/1-2 TE sets to more of a 3-wide, 11 personnel shotgun scheme that emphasizes the zone read. They run the zone read a lot, and Meggett is suited to the RB spot in such a scheme and benched the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year in favor of C.J. Brown because O'Brien didn't fit the system.

Look for Maryland to show typical spread plays. Inside and outside zone, read option, zone read, midline a variety of screen passes, etc. I saw a ton of short passes and little screens from UMd in my limited film study. - ShakinTheSouthland

Clemson was pretty shocked that C.J. Brown started at QB for Maryland, as evidenced by the ill-fitted gameplan and Brown's incredible rushing performance against the Tigers.

Brown is a runner who can throw. Maryland is going to feature his "4.4" speed (read: 4.5 or 4.6, but still very fast for a QB). Expect them to run this kid into the ground with lowly Boston College on deck.

They'll be using three plays to do so:

Zone Read

I won't reinvent the wheel. Read all about the zone read here.

This video is incredibly simplistic.

Midline

Excellent posts on the midline play here and here.

Speed Option

Here's your explanation of the speed option.

Maryland OFFENSE

WR 82 Marcus Leak 6-0 195 Fr.-HS

13 Kerry Boykins 6-0 190 Jr.-2V

LT 73 Max Garcia 6-4 290 So.-1V

LG 67 Pete White 6-4 330 So.-1V

C 63 Bennett Fulper 6-4 295 Jr.-1V

RG 68 Josh Cary 6-5 290 So.-1V

RT 76 R.J. Dill 6-7 300 Jr.-2V

TE 89 Matt Furstenburg 6-4 245 Jr.-2V

34 Devonte Campbell 6-2 255 Jr.-2V

QB 16 C.J. Brown 6-3 200 So.-1V

5 Danny O’Brien 6-3 215 So.-1V

TB 8 Davin Meggett 5-9 215 Sr.-3V

44 Justus Pickett 5-10 175 Fr.-HS

FB 49 Tyler Cierski 6-0 255 Fr.-HS

WR 17 Quintin McCree 6-1 190 Sr.-3V

1 Tony Logan 5-10 180 Sr.-3V

Mark Stoops has seen some of this before when his Arizona defenses faced Oregon. Always outgunned, his teams nonetheless did well against Oregon, and Ohio State copied Arizona's gameplan in defeating Oregon in the 2009 Rose Bowl.

What are the general keys to playing against this spread option attack?

Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline Discipline.

Ok, got that? Two years ago, this attack would have dropped 50 on FSU's defense and everyone would have stood around after the game wondering what happened (unless they read Tomahawk Nation, that is, in which case we would have told you what was coming.)

FSU's defensive line and linebackers will be key in this game.

I'll start with the defensive line. FSU's defensive line is much improved from last season, even with the loss of Jacobbi McDaniel to an ankle injury. Still, this will be a different test for them. They need to forget about sacks. Just forget about sacks in this contest. Forget about flying off the ball and getting around blockers.

This will be about power. It will be about controlling the blocker in front of you. That means playing low, with leverage, and not trying to go around him. If a defensive lineman tries to shoot to one side of a blocker, Maryland's QB will simply go to the other side of that blocker and use him as a shield. FSU should absolutely be able to control these blockers, but that must be the focus. Sacks, tackles for loss, etc are not en vogue this week. Don't give Brown anything to read. Bjoern Werner has a chance to really hurt Maryland by dominating the tackle on the edge, not allowing a read, and just gumming up the works. Jenkins needs to turn in an acceptable game against the run. Youngsters Cam Erving and Timmy Jernigan must be disciplined on the interior.

The same goes when pass rushing. Ends need to bull rush and not get upfield. The absolute worst place to be for a pass rusher is behind a QB. That's especially true with Brown. Brandon Jenkins needs to ditch the spin move in this contest as well. That's fine if the QB is a stationary target, but not when he can move like Brown. So bull-rush, do not pick a gap, and try to contain brown.

Patience is key against this scheme. I worry about this a bit with a defense like FSU that racks up tons of tackles-for-loss. FSU really needs to trust its plan and not get too aggressive. Maryland will pick up first downs against FSU, but the 'Noles must prevent the big play.

Brown is an unpolished thrower and his receivers are inexperienced and new because some of the regulars are suspended or injured. FSU should and likely will give him the short pass if he can throw it, betting that he will not always be on the same page with these receivers. Having only started one game, that seems like a good bet. Let that lack of cohesion show through, which could lead to an interception. And when he completed some of the short stuff (particularly the screens), FSU must tackle. This seems similar to Oklahoma, but missed tackles make Maryland's offense go.

Expect primarily zone defense in this game. Playing man defense against Brown is a fool's errand. Zone allows all 11 eyes to face forward and on the QB. It could also lead to an interception if Brown is as inaccurate as he was against Clemson -- a game in which Tiger defenders dropped two gift interceptions.

With its secondary apparently healthy now, I'd expect to see more Nickel coverage, and perhaps more Telvin Smith.

FSU has seen this pace before, so it shouldn't be anything new. This is where the defensive depth really pays off.

Davin Meggett is a very good runner, and a real threat. They hit the tight end for over 100 yards against Clemson, but FSU definitely should be ready for that.

FSU Defensive Goals

- Hold Maryland to less than 50% TDs in the red zone

- Hold Maryland to no more than four plays over 20 yards & zero scores of more than 20 yards. (Allows FSU to go big in the red zone and use its size advantage).

- Force Two Turnovers

Florida State Offense v. Maryland Defense

Maryland DEFENSE

DE 11 David Mackall 6-3 240 So.-1V

41 Marcus Whitﬁ eld 6-3 230 So.-SQ

DT 72 Joe Vellano 6-2 285 Jr.-2V

97 Darius Kilgo 6-3 290 Fr.-RS

DT 90 Maurice Hampton 6-2 295 Sr.-2V

96 A.J. Francis 6-4 295 Jr.-2V

DE 91 Keith Bowers 6-2 260 Fr.-HS

54 Cody Blue 6-4 260 So.-SQ

STAR 15 Mario Rowson 6-3 190 Fr.-RS

6 Kenny Tate 6-4 220 Sr.-3V

MIKE 53 Lorne Goree 6-1 230 Fr.-RS

47 Cole Farrand 6-2 233 Fr.-HS

WILL 52 Darin Drakeford 6-0 240 Jr.-2V

35 Alex Twine 6-0 220 Fr.-HS

CB 25 Dexter McDougle 5-10 190 So.-1V

14 Jeremiah Johnson 5-11 170 Fr.-RS

S 48 Eric Franklin 6-2 205 Jr.-2V

29 Austin Walker 6-0 195 Sr.-3V

S 27 Titus Till 6-2 195 Fr.-RS

19 A.J. Hendy 6-1 195 Fr.-HS

CB 22 Cameron Chism 5-10 190 Sr.-3V

21 Trenton Hughes 5-11 190 Sr.-2V

The two M.A.S.H. Units here, as FSU's offense is missing four starters, while Maryland's defense is missing five. FSU should have the advantage here because it has better talent and depth, but the losses have significantly hurt both sides.

As seen above, Maryland's new 4-2-5 scheme under Todd Bradford has not been great this season. Allowing more than 6 yards/play three times this season, this unit definitely misses its injured players, but it also desperately misses its excellent defensive coordinator Don Brown. I guarantee you Jimbo Fisher and co. were happy to see Brown leave. Yes, FSU had good success against Brown, but he was a pain to prepare for.

Maryland has a quality defensive tackle rotation, featuring superstar Joe Vellano, who made 22 tackles against Georgia Tech. I've never heard of that outside little league. Francis and Hampton are pretty good inside as well. FSU's new G-C-G trio of Jacob Fahrenkrug, Bryan Stork and Garrett Faircloth just need to hold their own against Maryland's defensive interior. I don't expect them to dominate.

The same can't be said for the battle between FSU's offensive tackles and Maryland's defensive ends. Zebrie Sanders and yes, Bobby Hart, should have the advantage over Maryland's Mackall and Bowers (Bowers was playing HS ball on Nick O'Leary's team last season).

The Terps' linebackers are no great shakes either. Just like last week, Tate and Hartsfield are doubtful. But Darin Drakeford will go for Maryland, which is better than what the Terps had against Clemson. Still, Maryland starts a true freshman and a red-shirt freshman, neither of which were highly recruited. You can bet Jimbo is eager to attack this combo. Perhaps more balls to Nick O'Leary?

Last week FSU went back to more of its zone-based running attack and scrapped much of the man stuff they tried to put in over the off-season. I'll have an article on this next week, but you should expect more of this as FSU is comfortable running out of these looks, and they've dominated the ACC on the ground the last two seasons with these zone looks. The return of E.J. Manuel makes this all the more effective.

Maryland will bring the blitz, which means you might see more Ty Jones and Jermaine Thomas, and a bit less of Devonta Freeman. That is, unless Freeman has his pass protections down. Can't have a freshman blowing blitz pickups and getting the QB killed.

Maryland's corners are not bad, but the safeties are quite suspect. In addition, Maryland's corners are quite aggressive, so don't be surprised to see some double moved on the outside, perhaps to Rodney Smith.

Offensive Goals

- No more than 1 turnover

- 66% or better TDs in the red zone.

Special Teams & Other Considerations

Tony Logan is probably the only returner in the conference I'd consider taking over Greg Reid. FSU will need to be on its cover game against Logan. He's special.

On the other hand, Maryland's kick coverage team is not very good. Don't be surprised to see FSU have a decided advantage in field position on the day.

Prediction

FSU has more talent than Maryland. Both teams are banged up. Playing at home, with better depth, FSU should have the advantage over a Maryland squad playing without the element of surprise that the Terps sprung on Clemson with C.J. Brown. Maryland 14, FSU 38

Maryland Releases Depth Chart For Florida State Game

Bud Elliott — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:55:41 -0000

Maryland released its preliminary depth chart for the Florida State game. Like the 'Noles, the Terrapins are also quite injured.

WR 82 Marcus Leak 6-0 195 Fr.-HS	DE 11 David Mackall 6-3 240 So.-1V
13 Kerry Boykins 6-0 190 Jr.-2V	41 Marcus Whitﬁ eld 6-3 230 So.-SQ
LT 73 Max Garcia 6-4 290 So.-1V	DT 72 Joe Vellano 6-2 285 Jr.-2V
74 Nick Klemm 6-5 290 So.-1V	97 Darius Kilgo 6-3 290 Fr.-RS
LG 67 Pete White 6-4 330 So.-1V	DT 90 Maurice Hampton 6-2 295 Sr.-2V
71 Nate Clarke 6-3 295 Fr.-HS	96 A.J. Francis 6-4 295 Jr.-2V
C 63 Bennett Fulper 6-4 295 Jr.-1V	DE 91 Keith Bowers 6-2 260 Fr.-HS
65 Sal Conaboy 6-3 270 Fr.-RS	54 Cody Blue 6-4 260 So.-SQ
RG 68 Josh Cary 6-5 290 So.-1V	STAR 15 Mario Rowson 6-3 190 Fr.-RS
70 De’Onte Arnett 6-4 275 So.-SQ	6 Kenny Tate 6-4 220 Sr.-3V
RT 76 R.J. Dill 6-7 300 Jr.-2V	MIKE 53 Lorne Goree 6-1 230 Fr.-RS
61 Jake Wheeler 6-7 275 Fr.-RS	47 Cole Farrand 6-2 233 Fr.-HS
TE 89 Matt Furstenburg 6-4 245 Jr.-2V	WILL 35 Alex Twine 6-0 220 Fr.-HS
34 Devonte Campbell 6-2 255 Jr.-2V	52 Darin Drakeford 6-0 240 Jr.-2V
QB 16 C.J. Brown 6-3 200 So.-1V	CB 25 Dexter McDougle 5-10 190 So.-1V
5 Danny O’Brien 6-3 215 So.-1V	14 Jeremiah Johnson 5-11 170 Fr.-RS
TB 8 Davin Meggett 5-9 215 Sr.-3V	S 48 Eric Franklin 6-2 205 Jr.-2V
44 Justus Pickett 5-10 175 Fr.-HS	29 Austin Walker 6-0 195 Sr.-3V
FB 49 Tyler Cierski 6-0 255 Fr.-HS	S 27 Titus Till 6-2 195 Fr.-RS
39 Jeff Hernandez 5-11 235 Jr.-TR	19 A.J. Hendy 6-1 195 Fr.-HS
WR 17 Quintin McCree 6-1 190 Sr.-3V	CB 22 Cameron Chism 5-10 190 Sr.-3V
1 Tony Logan 5-10 180 Sr.-3V	21 Trenton Hughes 5-11 190 Sr.-2V

Our friend Patrick Stephens of the Washington Times and D1scource has a great look at the new changes to the depth chart.

The really important thing to note is the absence of receiver Kevin Dorsey, who was injured in the second half of Maryland's loss to Clemson.

Make sure to check out Patrick's article for the rest of the changes.

The biggest thing that sticks out to me here is the lack of experience at defensive end and linebacker: sophomore, red-shirt freshman, red-shirt freshman, true freshman, true freshman.

Will this depth chart be accurate come Saturday? I don't know. I have a hard time seeing Tate or Darkeford not playing if they can physically go at all.

Think Jimbo was enjoying himself watching three freshmen linebackers and two underclassmen at defensive end against Clemson? Yeah, me too.

Perhaps this will be an even matchup for FSU's offensive line, which features four first-year starters.

Maryland-Miami Preview: And So Begins the Edsall Era in College Park

Ben Broman — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:00:45 -0000

What: Maryland begins their season - and the Randy Edsall era - against a suspension-ravaged Miami Hurricanes team

When: 8:00, Monday night

Where: Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD

Where to Watch: ESPN, ESPN3D, WatchESPN.com; streams will be in the GameThread

Gameday Weather: 71 and rainy

Spread: Maryland -3.5.

Notes/Storylines:

Beginnings. This game offers two teams both beginning new coaching eras: Al Golden at Miami, and Randy Edsall at Maryland. I imagine that's a fairly unique phenomenon. It does make it a little tough to know what to expect out of the opposition, if nothing else.
First looks, too. This perhaps goes with the above, but it's more unique to Maryland: the first look at Gary Crowton's offense, at Todd Bradford's defense, at the new uniforms in action, at Kenny Tate at STAR ... lots of new things to see in this one.
Injuries. Maryland will be without Justin Anderson on the defensive line, Justin Gilbert on the offensive line, and perhaps Adrian Coxson at wide receiver. That, along with D.J. Adams' suspension, is about it as far as losses go, while Miami is without ... well, you know.
College Football Live! That's cool. It's also a pretty big deal on ESPN as the only game of the day; top billing and a moderate national audience is to be expected.
About that Shapiro thing ... Yeah. I'm assuming some people will discuss that, too.

In a Turtleshell

Maryland Offense vs. Miami Defense: Coming into the year, Miami's defense looked to be the strong suit of the team. While star defensive end, lead pass rusher, and Hulk look-alike Allen Bailey has moved onto the Kansas City Chiefs, almost every other big piece was back: Sean Spence, the team's MVP last season at outside linebacker; experienced secondary mates Vaughn Telemaque and JoJo Nicolas; three starters on the defensive line, including promising DT Marcus Forston; and the sensational safety Ray Ray Armstrong, the heir apparent to the Ed Reed-Sean Taylor safety legacy at The U.

Then that happened.

The NCAA suspensions from ShapiroGate could've been a lot worse, but still shattered Miami's defense. Spence, Armstrong, Forston, and starting DEs Adewale Ojomo and Olivier Vernon are all being held out by the NCAA, and another starting 'backer, Kelvin Cain, is suspended for separate violations committed back in May. So, instead of eight or so returning starters, they get three: Telemaque, Nicolas, and defensive tackle Micanor Regis.

The big hit comes on the defensive line. There were already questions about who would provide the pass rush without Bailey's team-leading seven sacks, but now they're missing #2 (Vernon with 6 sacks), #3 (Ojomo with 5 sacks), and one of the three tied for #4 (Forston with 3). In short: the defensive line alone shouldn't provide much of a pass rush on Danny O'Brien.

Farther back, Miami looks more secure, although that's not saying much. The losses of Spence and Armstrong hurt, for sure - they're the traditional extremely athletic, flashy Miami defenders, guys who just make stuff happen. On a good day, they can win Miami a game, and they'll miss their special performances.

The back seven has its fair share of experience problems, as well: the Canes are going to breaking in two new linebackers - with a combined 17 tackles - and two new cornerbacks - with a combined one career start. But the saving grace is that there is some experience in the back seven with guys like Telemaque, a two-year starter at safety; Nicolas, a senior who's been a starter for two years; and Ramon Buchanon, their fifth-leading tackler from last year. When you remember that, unlike on the DL, the back seven's depth wasn't destroyed, it's enough to provide some stability, for which the defense is crying out.

But I think you get the gist: Miami's defense has really been gutted. Even without much analysis, it's clear to see that Maryland has the advantage in pure numbers alone. If you do want the analysis, the real advantage comes in the trenches, where the Canes are missing both talent and depth. The aforementioned pass rushing problems are at the forefront. If Gary Crowton's offense spreads the field as much as it's expected to, it could be a serious issue. Blitzing against a spread is a tough task, particularly when the quarterback is as quick-witted as O'Brien, but then again giving him all day to throw the ball isn't a recipe for success either. It's a real conundrum, assuming Maryland does spread the field and throw the ball.

Which, of course, is no guarantee. Crowton ostentatiously hasn't run his offense since the 2006 season in Oregon, which was the beginnings of the crazy spread perfected by Chip Kelly. Something tells me that his look won't be nearly that out-there; maybe it's Edsall's hyper-conservative background, or maybe it's the fact that there's been seemingly little indication that Crowton is going with a rebuild project that ambitious. Bottom line: what we'll see out of Maryland's offense is a bit of a question mark, albeit not as big of a question mark as the quality of Miami's ravaged defense.

One thing we do know: Maryland's offense should be high-tempo, given how much Crowton has mentioned it over the past several weeks. That's another problem for Miami's front four, because not only are they missing three starters, they're also missing two main reserves. ~~Very few~~ No defensive lines can absorb five losses without depth trouble, and Crowton and Maryland will look to exacerbate those troubles with a quick tempo that will keep the big guys up front tired.

O'Brien should, in all honesty, have a bit of a field day. He's no doubt been studying his playbook all summer, and has probably had his eyes glued to whatever film he can find. An inexperienced defense breaking in eight new starters - five of them with about a week of prep time - is exactly what he wants to hear.

Everything else is a little more questionable for Maryland. The wide receivers will be glad to go up against some inexperienced cornerbacks, but let's not forget that they're fairly inexperienced themselves. Same goes for the offensive line: I'm sure that Josh Cary is glad that he won't face the former #1 DT in the country, but he's a sophomore walk-on in his own right.

All in all, Maryland's own inexperience, as well as the giant question mark that is Gary Crowton's scheme, makes this a little difficult to forecast. But with Miami's struggles, it should be safe to say that Maryland won't be at a disadvantage. I fully expect Crowton to throw the ball quite a bit, taking advantage of his quarterback, the lack of an opposing pass rush, and inexperienced cornerbacks.

Miami Offense vs. Maryland Defense: I believe we're all acquainted reasonably well with Stephen Morris, Miami's de facto starting QB since Jacory Harris, who may or may not have started, was sidelined by the NCAA suspensions. Morris, after all, made his first career start against Maryland last year, making a last-minute TD throw to give the Canes a win. He was good, going 18/30 for 286 yards and a touchdown. In truth, I wouldn't have minded seeing the mistake-prone Harris out there instead, but it wasn't to be.

In truth, Miami's offense wasn't hit nearly as hard as their defense. Suspending Harris is saving Miami from themselves to begin with, and the other losses - reserve TE Dyron Dye and starting WR Travis Benjamin - are hardly crippling. Benjamin is electric, true enough, and was Morris' favorite target against Maryland last time, accounting for about half of Miami's passing yardage. But Dye wasn't expected to see the field, and that was all the NCAA saw fit to suspend. Seantrel Henderson, it should be mentioned, will also be out - he was suspended by the team forever ago, and is injured besides.

Other than that, Miami's offense is intact. Worse, the ground game that hurt the Terrapins so much last time - the Canes rushed for 218 yards - returns almost entirely: Lamar Miller and Mike James, the main culprits at RB, are both back this season, All-ACC center Tyler Horn is still in the side, and both left and right guards are back. In fact, it's basically entirely unscathed: Harris and Benjamin are only used in the passing game, and Henderson at LT is much more important for his ability to protect the QB than open up holes for RB.

As such, it's pretty safe to expect Al Golden and Miami to rely upon the ground game much more than they do the passing game. It's not as if he needed any extra incentive. After all, the running game is college football's answer to the three-pointer: it's the great equalizer. If Maryland's advantage on offense is as big as it might be, Miami's best chance at this will be to slow the game down, hold the ball, control the clock, and eat up yards on the ground. If they're anything like last year's team, they'll probably be able to pull it off.

That's going to be the real key for Todd Bradford and Maryland's defense: can they stop the run and force Miami to pass? Thing is, they have the personnel to do it. Alex Wujciak was a big part of stopping the run last season, but was often a liability when he was stretched wide. Joe Vellano is a match for any interior offensive lineman, and A.J. Francis is quite good as far as #2 DTs go. Maryland's linebackers are experienced, and their safeties are big and like to play close to the line of scrimmage. Of course, that was much the case last year, and we saw how it all worked out.

Actually, the passing game was nearly as effective for Miami last season, though much of that was thanks to Travis Benjamin's heroic run-after-the-catch efforts and some uncharacteristic mistakes from Trenton Hughes, whom, if you believe the depth chart, won't be starting on Monday anyway. In truth, it's a little difficult to believe that Maryland's secondary has gotten much better with its two best members, Kenny Tate and Antwine Perez, moving elsewhere. Still, I'll roll the dice with the knowledge that Maryland's front four should be able to pressure Morris thanks to Henderson's injury and the addition of David Mackall on Maryland's front line.

But just to spit in the face of the past several hundred words I just wrote: the best defense is still a good offense. If Maryland can't stop the running game, as they had trouble with last year, they'd could be just as well served by getting out to a quick lead that might force the Hurricanes to abandon the running game earlier than they'd like.

Players to Watch:

Kevin Dorsey, WR, Maryland: Dorsey is getting the first start of his career on Monday. It's a good situation for him, as he'll likely be going up against an equally inexperienced CB. He'll get a lot of looks if Maryland passes as much as I think they will.

David Mackall, DE, Maryland: Miami's offense was fantastic last year, both on the ground and in the air. One sure-fire way to disrupt the latter aspect is putting pressure on Morris, and there might be no easier way than lining up HS sack machine and human hit stick David Mackall across from Seantrel Henderson back-up Joel Figueroa.

Laron Byrd, WR, Miami: I was tempted to go with Lamar Miller or Mike James, Miami's top two running backs, but I think we already know their importance. Byrd will be far and away Miami's top receiver, with Benjamin suspended and Leonard Hankerson with the Redskins. Can he step up and be a reliable target for Morris?

Brandon McGee, CB, Miami: McGee is going to be across from Dorsey, but also more importantly across from Danny O'Brien. He's making just his second career start at cornerback, and I expect O'Brien to look for him to make mistakes.

Prediction: In all honesty, it's a game Maryland should be winning. There's too much going in their favor: a home game, the distractions at Miami, and the fact that they, unlike their opposition, don't have to replace half of their starters with only a week or two of notice.

Much of this, of course, will depend on how Miami reacts. Generally, teams use adversity like they've faced to come together, and that alone often makes games against teams like this treacherous. (Think of it like a Gary Williams team when the Washington Post writes a hack piece about them.) I can't count the number of times something like that's happened - UNC-LSU last season is probably the most recent example.

But Randy Edsall, for all of his supposed shortcomings in recruiting and coolness, should be able to focus a team. I would think that would be one of his big draws, in fact. So long as Maryland remains as keyed-in as Miami the Terrapins are the favorites, simply based on personnel. I'm going Terps, and relatively comfortably. Maryland by 10, 27-17.

Maryland True Freshmen Status Update

Ben Broman — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:45:59 -0000

Before the season, we ran down the true freshmen and their chances at playing. Not all of our predictions have come true, but I enjoy talking about true freshmen, so I'm giving it another go.

With Maryland's season teetering on the brink, it's not irrational to expect quite a few true freshmen to burn their redshirts in the coming weeks. Here's an overview of where the young'uns are right now.

D.J. Adams, RB - Yet to play. He's moving up the depth chart, but is still behind both Morgan Green and Gary Douglas. Seeing how Douglas dominated the scrimmages and still hasn't seen the field, it's safe to assume he won't see any PT this year.
Justin Anderson, DE - Yet to play. Fridge indicated he might play next week, and to be honest, that's surprising. I was expecting Arnett to get the first shot, though I've heard good things about Anderson. It looks like he won't keep his redshirt.
DeOnte Arnett, DE - Yet to play. I think the coaches really want to keep his redshirt, as he's more naturally talented than Anderson, who is likely to play, and Ross, who already has played. I would wager against seeing him anytime this year.

Cody Blue, OL - Yet to play. Maryland needs OL big-time, but the problem isn't with the talent-level of the OL (well, not as much with the talent level) as it is with experience. Sticking a guy with even less experience isn't helping matters. Blue will sit.
C.J. Brown, QB - Yet to play. Chris Turner is one of the few guys who's done his job correctly on offense, and won't be seeing the bench anytime soon. Worse, Brown is behind Danny O'Brien for the #3 QB job.
Josh Cary, OL - Yet to play. A walkon, Cary won't see the field this year.
Pete DeSouza, OL - Yet to play. One of the more talented freshman OL at Maryland this year, DeSouza might have a shot if the other, more established options don't improve. Even still, I don't think his redshirt gets burnt.
Ryan Donohue, LB - Yet to play. One thing Maryland needs on defense is speed. Seeing how Donohue is an Alex Wujciak clone, I don't think he's helping the Terps out in that category. Plus, a few LBs have already burnt their shirts.
Darin Drakeford, LB - Has seen time on special teams and a few defensive plays. Drakeford is being slowly brought into the defense, but his reps should heavily increase in the coming weeks. He brings speed and athleticism, something Maryland needs. If the reps don't increase, then this is Cam Chism Pt. II.
Nick Ferrara, K - Won starting job. Ferrara has had a few big makes (JMU winning kick) and a few big misses (MTSU 43 yarder). Overall, he's done about what I and most others expected him to do. He shouldn't lose his job unless his performance gets worse, so this was a smart burn.
Alex Fletcher, WR - Yet to play. A walkon, he's not cracking Maryland's stacked WR corps for a few years.
Eric Franklin, S - Yet to play. Honestly, I expected Franklin's shirt to be burned last week. Jamari McCollough has been out since Cal, and Franklin was expected to step into the 4th safety spot. Even if he doesn't, he might see time on ST.
Bennett Fulper, G - Has started twice. Fulper must've really impressed the coaches in order to gain the starts against JMU and MTSU, and his pull block in the first quarter against the Blue Raiders paved Da'Rel Scott's way to a 48 yard TD. However, he has been pulled out late in both games, so whether he'll start the rest of the way or not is a bit iffy.
Avery Graham, CB - Yet to play. While CB is a position of need, I don't think Graham will be the true freshman to step in. I can't know what's on the coaches' minds, but I'd assume McDougle and Hawkins would be ahead of Graham in line.
Travis Hawkins, CB - Yet to play. Speaking of THawk, the physical corner might fall into the same trap as DeOnte Arnett: the coaches are trying to avoid burning his redshirt. I'm not sure that's what they're doing, but Wiseman is getting beaten badly, Chism isn't yet reliable, and Hughes and Taylor are unproven. You'd think the talented and strong Hawkins would be able to crack the lineup, but I wouldn't bet on it right now.
Bradley Johnson, LB - Yet to play. I'm yet to hear Johnson's name mentioned by any practice report from any outlet. Probably won't see time this year.
Zachariah Kerr, DT - Has seen time in a few defensive plays. Kerr should start seeing heavy rotation. A.J. Francis and Travis Ivey haven't been too bad, but Kerr is very talented and is the future at DT. This was a smart burn.
Nick Klemm, OL - Yet to play. Very similar to Blue, he's talented and at a weak position, but the OL needs more inexperience like Mark Mangino needs a Baconator.
Dexter McDougle, DB - Yet to play. McDougle's biggest plus is his versatility - he can play at either CB or S. If McCollough's injury lasts even longer, McDougle will challenge Franklin for that 4th spot. If Hughes or Taylor prove unable to be a reliable cover corner, he'll fight with Hawkins for that spot. One way or another, it's likely McDougle sees the field.
Avery Murray, LB - Has seen time on special teams. I'm actually surprised Murray hasn't seen the field on defense yet. He's done well in practice and the coaches are looking for linebackers. He has Drew Gloster in front of him, but he should still get a few reps. Otherwise, I'm not sure I like the burn.
Danny O'Brien, QB - Yet to play. See C.J. Brown. Unless there's an injury, in which case he'd battle Jamarr Robinson, O'Brien is keeping his shirt.
Caleb Porzel, RB - Yet to play. Porzel's been hurt for several weeks now, which has to have been a set-back to his development. He'd have trouble seeing the field healthy - he has almost no chance while fighting off an injury.
Isaiah Ross, LB/DE - Has seen action in a few defensive plays. He's been effective and productive in his few plays, so don't be surprised to see him get a few more reps.
Dave Stinebaugh, TE - Yet to play. He's behind Lansford Watson, Tommy Galt, Matt Furstenburg, and Devonte Campbell, all of whom have seen decent PT. A fifth TE isn't necessary; his redshirt is safe.
Pete White, G - Yet to play. His situation is very similar to DeSouza's, though he has a slightly better shot at playing. If Justin Lewis, Andrew Gonnella, Bennett Fulper, or Lamar Young can't come through, the huge, talented guard might be pushed into action.
Marcus Whitfield, LB - Yet to play. I'm a Whitfield fan, but with three LBs already having their shirts burned, I'm not sure he'll have his name called.

Okay, so that leaves Anderson/Arnett, Franklin, Hawkins, McDougle, and White as the freshmen who are most likely to play. At least one of the guys whom I said wouldn't play will play - that's just the way it always ends up. My guess, with absolutely no logic behind it, is Bradley Johnson.