Sept. 2, 2009: Stability Will Be Key To Terps’ Season
By Matt Zenitz
Maryland has been a difficult team to gauge during the Ralph Friedgen era.
After posting 10 wins in each of Friedgen’s first three seasons as coach, the Terrapins have been relatively average, posting a 33-30 record since 2003.
Only time will tell if quarterback Chris Turner can have the same success his predecessors Scott McBrien and Shaun Hill had as seniors. But one thing is for certain: Turner must be more consistent if Maryland is going to return to winning form in 2009.
Turner has always taken it to another level in big games, owning a 5-1 career record against Top 25 teams. However, he hasn’t been nearly as effective against seemingly lesser opponents, serving up multiple interceptions in four games last season. The Terrapins were just 1-3 in those games, including an upset loss to Middle Tennessee State. In all, Maryland is 3-8 in games where Turner has thrown an interception over the last two seasons, compared to 10-2 when he doesn’t throw a pick.
Turner has lost his top three targets from last season, but the Terrapins have a wealth of talented, young receivers ready to step up and fill the void left by Darrius Heyward-Bey, Danny Oquendo and Isaiah Williams. Redshirt sophomore Torrey Smith emerged as a starter over the last six games of 2008 and his combination of athleticism and work ethic has coaches optimistic he can step in as Turner’s main target in the passing game.
Smith flashed some of his potential in the regular season finale, hauling in eight catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in a narrow 28-21 loss to Boston College. Emani Lee-Odai and Ronnie Tyler are expected to step into larger roles while former four-star recruit Kevin Dorsey, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound redshirt freshman, will vie for time as a starter opposite Smith after battling injuries for most of last year and into the spring.
A major concern will be replacing three starters off an offensive line that paved the way for first-team All-ACC running back Da’Rel Scott to rush for 1,133 yards and eight touchdowns in his first season as a starter. Giving Turner time to throw will also be a priority as three of his four multiple interception games last season came when he was sacked three or more times. In comparison, Turner was sacked just nine times in Maryland’s eight wins but was brought down 18 times in the Terrapins’ five losses.
Defensively, Maryland will be making the switch to an attacking 4-3 base defense under new defensive coordinator Don Brown in an attempt to create more pressure and turnovers. Brown will be trying to replace seven starters from last year’s unit that ranked third worst in the ACC.
Linebacker Alex Wujciak emerged as a rising star in 2008, racking up a team-high 133 tackles, while outside linebackers Adrian Moten and Demetrius Hartsfield possess the size, speed and athleticism to provide pressure in Brown’s blitz packages.
Meanwhile, cornerbacks Anthony Wiseman and Nolan Carroll will be asked to play a lot more press-man coverage for an experienced secondary that hopes to improve after giving up 20 touchdowns through the air while pulling in a meager 10 interceptions last season.
Posted Sept. 2, 2009, 10:00 a.m.
