2010 Maryland Terrapins Football Preview

2009 Results: 2-10, No Bowl

Head Coach: Ralph Friedgen (10th year @ Wake Forest, 66-46 Overall)

Home Venue: Byrd Stadium (51,500), College Park, Maryland

Last season was a major flop for the Maryland Terrapins, as their 2-10 campaign was by far the worst in the Friedgen era. How bad was the season? Maryland needed overtime to defeat D-1AA James Madison at home! However, the Terps did lose five games by a touchdown or less, so maybe the cupboard isn’t as bare as their record would indicate. Can the Fridge lead his team to a rebound season this fall?

OFFENSE

To be quite frank, there wasn’t a lot to like about this offense last season. They scored the 2nd fewest points in the ACC, they allowed the 2nd most sacks and only two teams ran for fewer yards! The good news is that a lot of players return this season with significantly more experience and that could be the catalyst for a turnaround.

First of all, the running backs had trouble staying healthy last season, as senior Da’Rel Scott (425 yards, 4 TDs) only played in 5 games coming off a 1st Team All-ACC campaign in 2008. That left junior Davin Meggett (338 yards, 6 TDs) to carry the load. However, both players will be much more effective as a tandem this year since they will be significantly fresher rotating onto the field. I expect both to be much more productive in 2010.

The skill positions are going to be a strength for the Terps this season, as their receivers also look to be very solid. Junior Torrey Smith (61 catches, 824 yards, 5 TDs) was a 1st Team All-ACC selection last year and fellow wideouts Adrian Cannon (44 catches, 468 yards, 4 TDs) and Ronnie Tyler (28 catches, 346 yards, 1 TD) should provide great depth. Another thing to consider: Meggett is a good receiver out of the backfield and should catch a lot more passes than the dozen that came his way last year, as I think that the Maryland coaches were trying to protect him at times since he was their only legitimate starting option in the backfield.

But who will throw the ball to this talented group? Junior quarterback Jamarr Robinson (459 yards, 2 TDs) was the backup last season and he played well enough in limited action to be considered the favorite to start this fall. I think he will be particularly effective throwing on the run, as he finished 3rd on the team in rushing in 2009 with 229 yards. He certainly has the potential to be a solid dual threat quarterback this season.

My biggest concern about this offense is the play of the offensive line, which brings back three starters from a unit that had a miserable 20009 campaign. Paul Pinegar is the only returning senior starter and he will officially have started at all five spots on the line in career when he opens the season at center in September. That kind of shuffling is a big concern and I’m very worried that a talented group of skill players will be held back by an ineffective front.

What I expect to see from this group in 2010 is an improved rushing game with a healthy Scott. On top of that, expect Robinson’s mobility to add another dimension to the attack. I also think that his running skills will help him avoid the waves of defenders that will crash through the weak line in front of him and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Terps put together a solid passing game. Expect this team to improve on the scoreboard in 2010.

DEFENSE

This was the conference’s worst defense in 2009, allowing opponents to average 31 points per contest. They also allowed the second most yards in the league and were the worst against the pass! Clearly, the Terps have to get better this fall if they want to avoid repeating a ten loss campaign.

Unfortunately, I’m quite concerned with the D-Line. Sophomore A.J. Francis (31 tackles, 1 sack) is the only returning starter after a strong freshman campaign and while he should have another effective season this fall, the rest of the line is largely unproven. This group is the biggest question mark on defense.

The good news is that the linebackers are proven studs. Senior Alex Wujciak (131 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INT) was a 1st Team All-ACC choice last season and is the best player on the entire team. Classmate Adrian Moten (68 tackles, 6 sacks) is very effective when rushing the quarterback and sophomore Demetrius Hartsfield (64 tackles, 3.5 sacks) showed star talent last season as a freshman after taking over the starting spot at midseason. This is a very strong and versatile unit of linebackers that are among the best in the ACC.

Unfortunately, the linebackers are also the only part of this defense has a lot of major contributors returning. While junior corner Cameron Chism (66 tackles, 4 INT) is a very solid player, he is the only returning starter among the defensive backs! However, I think that this secondary will play better than most would expect with only one starter back. Why? Because the safeties both played extensively last fall. Senior Antwine Perez (45 tackles) and junior Kenny Tate (47 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) combined for half of a dozen starts last year and both are very athletic. While I am worried about the other cornerback position, there are some great athletes in the secondary and Maryland should be improved against the pass this season.

I can say with good confidence that this will not be the worst defense in the league for the second consecutive year. I really like their depth at linebacker (Wujciak is one of the league’s best defenders) and I think that their secondary will be greatly improved as they have some quality athletes. However, their D-Line is going to be a serious liability with their lack of experience. I think that they have plenty of talent but they are going to need some seasoning before they will be truly effective. Expect the Maryland defense to be improved but their run defense is going to be a serious concern that will hold them back from being among the best in the conference.

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SCHEDULE

Maryland plays a very interesting schedule this season. Out of ACC play, their toughest two opponents are West Virginia and Navy, both of which are road games. Meanwhile, their two weaker opponents, D-1AA Morgan State and FIU, come to College Park. In conference, they get a really good draw as weaklings Duke and Virginia both dot the slate. The toughest stretch is undoubtedly in October and early November, where four out of five games are on the road. However, this is about as favorable of a schedule as a team in the ACC could realistically hope for.

OUTLOOK

The Terrapins look significantly stronger this season than they were in 2009. First of all, they have a lot of talented skill position players on offense and a good young quarterback to distribute the football. Their defense also has a strong set of linebackers and an under the radar secondary that should surprise a lot of people.

However, with the good comes the bad and there is one major negative to this Maryland squad: Their play in the trenches. Simply put, both lines are going to be full of underclassmen and experience is scarce on both sides of the football. One of the golden rules of football is when you win the trenches, you win the game. Maryland simply doesn’t have the big bodies to compete for the division title and their non-conference schedule is just tough enough to keep them out of postseason action for the 2nd straight season: I just don’t see this group stopping WVU or Navy on the ground. The Maryland Terrapins are my choice to finish in 5th place in the ACC Atlantic Division.

PREDICTED RESULT: 5-7 (3-5 ACC)