 |
|
Thursday, August 16
Maryland football preview
By Mel Kiper
ESPN.com
Ralph Friedgen has the potential to do a remarkable job as the head coach at Maryland. He has never been a head coach, but as offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, he put together one of the most diverse and sophisticated offenses in college football. In another year or two, once the players learn the offense, the Terrapins should make progress.
|
Terps at a glance
|
|
2001 schedule
Sept. 1 vs North Carolina
Sept. 8 vs Eastern Michigan
Sept. 15 vs West Virginia
Sept. 22 at Wake Forest
Oct. 6 vs Virginia
Oct. 11 at Georgia Tech
Oct. 20 vs Duke
Oct. 27 at Florida State
Nov. 3 vs Troy State
Nov. 10 vs Clemson
Nov. 17 at N.C. State
2000 results
(5-6, 3-5 ACC)
Temple W 17-10
at West Virginia L 30-17
Middle Tenn. St. W 45-27
Florida State L 59-7
at Virginia L 31-23
at Clemson L 35-14
Wake Forest W 37-7
at Duke W 20-9
N.C. State W 35-28
at North Carolina L 13-10
Georgia Tech L 35-22
|
When Friedgen coached under Bobby Ross at Maryland, the Terrapins were speculated as one of the nation's elite teams. Both coaches moved on to Georgia Tech, where they won a national championship, and then the San Diego Chargers. Friedgen then went back to Tech under George O'Leary. But wherever Friedgen has been, the offenses have been productive, and the teams have won.
It will be difficult for Friedgen to implement his entire system the first year, but Maryland has a very bright future.
OFFENSE
At quarterback, senior Shaun Hill is a solid, but spectacular, signal caller who works hard. As long as the offensive talent improves around him, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder has a chance to be a reliable player. Maryland also has high hopes for sophomore Latrez Harrison, especially with the injury to redshirt freshman Chris Kelley, the supposed QB of the future.
The big question mark is who will step in to replace running back Lamont Jordan, who moved onto the NFL. They will go with sophomore Bruce Perry (5-9, 190) and senior Marc Riley (6-3, 225) as well as big freshman Jason Crawford. The 6-2, 220-pounder will be a player to watch in the near future. Still, for the time being, the running game is suspect.
The receiver position is average. Senior Guilian Gary is the top wideout and the leading the receiver the last two years, but the 6-foot, 187-pounder is not a big-time performer. The Terrapins need junior Scooter Monroe (6-1, 185) to step up, as well as redshirt freshman Rob Abiamiri (6-3, 215), who has great size and will compete for playing time.
Tight end is one of the strongest positions on the team. The player they have high hopes for is Matt Murphy, a former defensive end. The 6-5, 260-pound senior has tremendous physical ability. He could stretch the field and be a new impact standout in the ACC. Murphy lacks playing experience, but the coaching staff feels he could be a star. Jeff Dugan (6-4, 263) is a big, gifted sophomore. He's an excellent blocker who has made strides as a pass receiver. With Eric James (6-2, 263) as the H-back, the Terps are three deep at the position.
The offensive line has talent and size, but it could be more of a strength next year or the year after, even though this is their last year with Melvin Fowler at center. Fowler (6-3, 292) has been the anchor of the line for three years. Everybody but Fowler will be back next year. This year the line has a chance to be decent, and Fowler could become an All-American.
DEFENSE
The defensive line could be a question mark if the Terps have any injuries. They have talent, but little depth. Sophomore Mike Whaley (6-1, 233) is a defensive end/outside linebacker who had an excellent freshman year, finishing with five sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Defensive end Durrand Roundtree is physically impressive. Pound for pound, the 6-3, 257-pound junior may be the strongest player in school history. He bench-presses 460 pounds and squats 710 pounds to go with 4.68 in the 40 and a 36-inch vertical leap. He has a chance to shine on the defensive line. Senior DT Charles Hill (6-2, 292) has done a solid job and is a veteran performer.
The strength of their defense is at linebacker, led by E.J. Henderson. The 6-1½, 240-pound junior led the team in tackles a year ago despite missing more than a game with an injury. He is a tremendous player with a great motor, ball-location skills and instincts. He will be a major force, one of the best linebackers in the country and certainly one of the best in the ACC. Another player to watch is senior Aaron Thompson (6-1, 234), a good performer who needs to show more consistency. But in some games, he's looked like one of the best as well. Again, Whaley is a combination DE/LB type off the edge.
In the secondary, senior Randall Jones (6-2, 223) is a former QB now playing free safety. The strong safety, senior Tony Jackson, is all over the field and has excellent ball skills. The 6-1, 210-pounder was the third-leading tackler last season. They also feel coernerback Curome Cox, a sophomore with good size at 6-1, 190 pounds, has a chance to be a strong player if he can develop more consistency and become more productive.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Junior Brooks Barnard is a good punter with a strong leg. His mechanics needed to improve a bit, but the team feels he could be one of the ACC's best punters. The kicking game is inexperienced. They lost kicker Brian Kopka to graduation, so the placekicking job will be a battle in the fall between have senior Vedad Siljkovic and redshirt freshman Nick Novak.
OVERVIEW: There is a lot of enthusiasm with Friedgen coming back home to his alma mater. He has a winning track record and a great history of success. Everyone has said he is a great hire for Maryland. Now the Terps need to keep the enthusiasm going.
The schedule gives them a chance. The pivotal game is the opener Sept. 1 against North Carolina in College Park, Md. Even though the program will be building and growing, it's crucial for Maryland to start strong. On paper, the Terps have a good chance to win the first five games. After North Carolina, they host Eastern Michigan and West Virginia, another team in a transition year under new coach Rich Rodriguez. Then, they are at Wake Forest and home against Virginia.
They may not win all five because it's a transition year. The Maryland players will be learning the offense and will need to step up as the season progresses. But if they can win four, or at worst, three of the first five, they are in pretty good shape. Maryland could potentially win six or seven games, or maybe even eight, in Friedgen's first season. That would put them in a bowl situation. After Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech, there is no reason why Maryland can't be the fourth-best team in the ACC.
 Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
|
|
