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2000 Maryland Terrapins - 5-6/3-5 ACC (no bowl) Head Coach - Ralph Friedgen (1st season at Maryland and overall) What started out as a promising year turned sour for the Terps early. After barely missing out on a bowl game in 1999 with a heartbreaking loss to UVa, Maryland figured the return of All-ACC RB LaMont Jordan would propel them to bigger and better things in 2000. The Terrapins were a popular choice to break out of the also-ran category and make some noise in the ACC, ending a decade of futility. Maryland figured to be bowling somewhere for the first time since 1990. The warning signs that might not be the case started in the very first game. Jordan, who had missed almost all of his offseason workouts to concentrate on academics, was ineffective as Maryland struggled to beat lowly Temple. A week later, a chance to take a late lead on West Virginia failed, and the Mountaineers went on to defeat UM 30-17. That sorta set the tone for the season. Maryland would come up short again against UVa (for the 2nd straight season) and UNC. When the gun sounded on the GT-Maryland game, the Terps had completed a 2nd straight 5-6 season and would be staying at home for the 10th straight year. Exit Ron Vanderlinden. Enter Ralph Friedgen. Fridge finally gets his first chance to call the shots as the head man at his alma mater. Vanderlinden didn't leave him in too bad a shape. Despite the loss of LaMont Jordan, and his backfield mate Matt Kalapinski, Friedgen inherits a solid nucleus of players in which to rebuild the Maryland program. I actually believe Maryland has the potential to be better minus their all-star RB. At times he could be a distraction. At other times, I thought they relied to heavily on him. Like Tennessee (Peyton Manning) or even Georgia Tech (Joe Hamilton), the TEAM might be better minus the individual. Rush Off. - 124 ypg/79th.....Pass Off. - 211 ypg/59th.....Total Off. - 335 ypg/81st Returning Starters Offense - OC Charlie Taafe (1st season at Maryland) Quarterbacks JUCO transfer Shaun Hill unseated incumbent Calvin McCall as the starter in the 2000 spring drills and was promptly injured in the season opener. Even with a golden opportunity to win back his starting job, McCall couldn't get the job done and slowly but surely Hill got the job back, starting the last two games of the season. Unable to crack back into the starting lineup, McCall called it quits to focus on basketball. That leaves Hill as the clear #1 and Latrez Harrison, a popular recruit in 1999 as his backup. Hill ended up playing 6 games last season, missing the really bad part when the Terps went 1-4, the lone win over Middle Tennessee State. He completed 73 passes on 126 attempts for 778 yards in his limited playing time. He had 4 INT's against 6 TD's, and added 92 yards (44 attempts) and another score rushing the ball. Harrison redshirted in 2000 after competing w/ McCall for the starting role in 1999. However, he completed only 5 of 24 passes with 3 INT's in his freshman season. The best QB on the team may be the one nobody's seen yet. Chris Kelley (6-2, 190 lb. R-Fr.) was one the highest rated QB's in the 2000 signing class. He tore up his knee in a high school all-star game last summer and was forced to sit out the season. By all accounts, he has the tools (physically and mentally) to run Friedgen's preferred offensive sets. While I don't expect him to take over for Hill (except in case of injury), I do expect him to eventually move up to #2 on the depth chart so he can be ready to start in 2002. Running Backs Talk about your big shoes to fill. These two players, with a combined 14 games experience, have to step into the roles vacated by a pair of four year starters...one of whom left College Park as the schools all-time leading rusher...the other one of the best all-around fullbacks to ever play for Maryland. Perry, like Latrez Harrison, played in 1999 as a true freshman, then redshirted in 2000. In the '99 campaign, he gained 195 yards rushing on 30 attempts. Perry differs from Jordan in size (Jordan was 5-11, 220 lbs.) and running style. While Jordan liked to bowl people over, Perry is more of a scatback who'll look to take it outside where he can use his speed. Lynch backed up the departed Kalapinski last season, playing in 7 games, but only carrying the ball 4 times for 6 yards. At 270+ pounds, it's obvious he's going to be called on in short yardage situations, and is no threat to break one down the sidelines. Challenging Perry for the starting role will be Marc Riley. (6-3, 225 lb. Sr.) In fact, Riley is likely to get plenty of playing time regardless of who actually starts. With Perry redshirting, Riley was a backup to Jordan in 2000, playing in all 11 games. However, he only got 15 yards on 6 carries in all that time. Chad Killian (6-2, 256 lb. R-Jr.) and Bernie Fiddler (6-1, 241 lb. R-So.) will be the primary backups to Lynch. Both players have very limited playing time, mostly on special teams. Wide Receivers We all know how important the wide receiver position can be in Friedgen's offense, so these guys are in for a change of a pace after playing second fiddle to LaMont Jordan the last few years. Gary has led the Terps in receiving the last two seasons, pacing the squad with 40 catches for 568 yards and 7 TD's in 2000. If he can match those numbers while the supporting cast improves, then the Terps could develop a rather potent aerial attack. Former split end Scooter Monroe will move over to flanker and back up Gary this season. As a starter in 2000, he recorded 14 receptions for 179 yards. This is an effort to stretch the field a little more. Only Duke and Wake averaged less yards/pass play then Maryland did in 2000. That opened things up for a battle to start on the other side of the field. Jafar Williams, with 9 receptions for 113 yards in 10 games of playing experience, was expected to nail down that position in spring practice, but Abiamiri really impressed some folks and is pencilled in as #1. Ofcourse, who starts at this position is really academic. In an effort to spread the field, you know Friedgen will employ three and four wideouts at a time, so all four of these players will get extensive playing time. A trio of redshirt freshman hope to step in and provide some depth at WR. Maurice Shanks (6-4, 185 lb.), Ike Roberts (5-11, 170 lb.) and Steve Souter (5-9, 185 lb. - fastest 40 on the team) should factor in the mix as well. Tight End Dugan came to Maryland with a reputation as a blocking TE. All he did in his freshman season was finish second on the team with 25 receptions for 319 yards and a TD. Having already started 10 games in his collegiate career, Dugan should give the Terps a real weapon at the TE for 3 more seasons. While Friedgen was impressed with his TE's blocking skills and athleticism, he said at the conclusion of spring drills there was plenty of room for improvement on the young man's routes and catching abilities. That's a scary thought for the rest of the ACC. Matt Murphy will hold down the #2 TE spot after bouncing around from the offense to the defense and back again for most of his career. He did not catch pass when playing TE in 2000. Also backing up Dugan is Eric James (6-2, 263 lb.), another R-Sr. He had 6 receptions in 2000 for 72 yards. The staff has mentioned the possibility of using him in an H-back role. Offensive Line Maryland inexperience in the backfield will be helped greatly by the veterans returning up front. The lone loss was LT Tim Howard, who started all 11 games in 2000. Still, Dumas found his way into 5 games, so he doesn't come in completely raw. Besides, it's not like he doesn't have some help. Wike started every game in 2000 at LG and has a string of 21 straight starts. Not to be outdone, Fowler has started every game of his career; 33 straight entering his final season in College Park. Bryant is practically a baby compared to them. He took over the starting role in game 5 last year. Dumas is recovering from a broken foot suffered in April. Besides Dumas' ability to protect the QB's blindside, the biggest question mark facing the Terrapin OL is the health of Matt Crawford. He tore up his knee practicing for the UNC game last year, forcing him to miss the final two contest. That snapped a streak of 20 straight starts for him. The injury also forced him to miss spring practice. In Crawford's absence, C.J. Brooks (6-5, 304 lb. R-Fr.) made the most of an opportunity to impress the coaching staff. He'll back up Crawford, and may even start if his recovery from that knee injury takes longer than expected. Kyle Schmitt (6-5, 298 lb. R-Fr., RG), Ed Tyler (6-3, 300 lb. R-So., LG), Brandon Miller (6-2, 290 lb. R-So., C) and Lou Lombardo (6-6, 301 lb. R-Fr., LT) round out the two deep depth chart. Like I said to start, the loss of Jordan should not impact this team too much. The loss is minimized by the change in offensive scheme that will spread the field more. If the WR's can step up their level of play, forcing opponents to respect their ability to go downfield, then the OL is good enough to give Perry/Lynch/Riley enough room to run. If they don't, then opponents will just key in on the run and the Terps will struggle to put many points on the board. Just like we learned at GT, the key is going to be proper execution and disciplined play. Maryland is a very young team offensively. They have an opportunity to get off to a fast start if those youngsters mature in a hurry. Defense - DC Gary Blackney (1st season at Maryland) Defensive Line Blackney and Friedgen have apparently decided to keep the 3-4 defensive alignment run by their predecessors...at least until the Terps can get some more talent and experience along the defensive front. This unit figures to be the biggest concern for the new staff. Hill is the lone returning starter. He started all 9 games he played last season, recording 43 tackles, 6 TFL. As the center of the defensive line, he'll be counted on heavily by position coach Dave Sollazzo to help his teammates on the field. At the DT position, Feldheim is a former DE who's just barely beat out Landon Jones (6-4, 256 lb. So.) for the starting position. The staff has been busy beefing up C.J.- he's added over 30 pounds in order to make the switch. Roundtree was engaged in a spirited battle with Scott Smith (6-4, 260 lb. R-So.) for the DE role during spring practice. Both players have some playing experience. Roundtree had 22 tackles in 2000 while playing in 10 games; Smith recorded 12 tackles in 5. William Shime (6-4, 285 lb. Jr.) will relieve Hill at NT. He saw limited playing time in 2000 at both the end and tackle positions, notching 5 tackles in 7 games. Linebackers The fortune's of Maryland's defense will rise and fall with the linebacking corps. If 2000 was any indication, then Blackney's first season as DC in College Park may be a successful one. This unit is talented and deep. MLB E.J. Henderson is the on-field leader of the group, "making plays all over the field" according to Friedgen. In 2000, he led the team with 109 tackles, good for 7th in the ACC. Included in that total was 13 TFL and a fumble recovery. Backing him up is R-Sr. Montae Graves. (6-0, 238 lbs.) He played in all 11 games last season, picking up 8 tackles off the bench. Maryland can also call on Kevin Bishop (6-2, 223 lb. Sr.) who saw time in 6 contest in 2000 and made 9 tackles. At the SLB position, Aaron Thompson will hold down the starting position for the 4th straight season. He has made 33 consecutive starts. In 2000, he placed 4th on the team w/ 81 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries. R-So. LeRoy Ambush (cool name for a LB!) will be Thompson's primary relief for another season. Last season he saw time at LB for 9 games, totaling 9 tackles and played extensively on special teams. If there are any question marks in this unit, it's at WLB where the offseason arrest of Marlon Moye-Moore (6-1, 230 lb. Sr., 108 tackles in '00) for 1st degree assault and theft opened up the position. He's currently suspended from the team. Given the severity of the charges, if there's any truth to them at all I imagine Mr. Moye-Moore's days in a Terp uniform are through. Leon Joe used his opportunity in spring practice to emerge as the #1 WLB. As a redshirt freshman in 2000, he played in all 11 games and collected 31 tackles. However, he'll have to compete with R-Sr. Reggie Lewis (6-0, 233 lb.) in summer drills. Lewis is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery after recording 3 tackles in 7 games last fall. The 4th LB, or the "LEO" position in Maryland's terminology is manned by 2nd year starter Mike Whaley and backed up by Ryan Swift (6-1, 238 lb. R-Sr.). Whaley emerged as a real force in his redshirt-freshman season, racking up 68 tackles, 12 TFL, and 5 sacks. Swift has appeared in 25 games over the last 3 seasons, but only 3 in 2000 as he battled injuries. Defensive Backs Tony Jackson and Tony Okanlawon return for their final season in College Park looking to improve significantly on some poor showings last year. Individually, they did fine. Jackson was 3rd on the Maryland team w/ 101 tackles, while Okanlawon had 40 as a first year starter. Each intercepted one pass. However, as a unit, this group was terribly inconsistent. They allowed only 165 yards passing to West Virginia...then gave up 342 yards through the air to Middle Tennessee St. (I don't care how much they passed...that's bad!) They held Phillip Rivers and NC State in check to the tune of 183 yards, but let the Deacons go up top for a season high 354 yards. (GT matched that, FSU went for 353.) Randall Jones steps into the FS position vacated by Shawn Forte. Coming of the bench in 2000, Jones had 41 tackles. Curome Cox, 33 tackles last season, completes the starting lineup. Dennard Wilson (-CB- 5-11, 183 lb. So., 16 tackles), Rod Littles (-SS- 5-11, 204 lb. Sr., 44 tackles), and Tyrone Stewart (-FS- 6-0, 199 lb. R-Jr., 2 tackles) give Maryland some decent depth in the secondary. Littles was a starter at the safety position in 1999. However, projected CB backup Andrew Smith was involved in the same incident that got Moye-Moore suspened. That leaves the second string duties behind Okanlawon to true freshman Dominique Foxworth (5-11, 175 lb.) Special Teams With the graduation of kicker Brian Kopka, Maryland must enter the 2001 campaing w/o a kicker who's made a real-game field goal. Siljkovic (e-mail me if YOU know how to pronounce it!) made his only extra point attempt, but missed on his only FG attempt, in 2000. Obviously Novak has yet to play. Like Tech does, Friedgen will put his specialist in pressure situations during practice and whoever responds best, wins. Fortunately, the Terps don't have the same worries at punter. In fact, if anyone is going to beat out Dan Dyke for All-ACC, watch for Barnard to do it. The Oklahoma transfer ranked 5th in the country last season with a 44.7 yards/kick average. However, those stats were padded a little by the fact that Siljkovic is a pooch punting specialist called on when it's too far to try a FG, but Barnard would boot it out of the end zone. WR Guilian Gary will handle punt return chores for the 3rd straight year. Scooter Monroe will be the point man on kickoff returns. Coaching I'm also glad that Friedgen had some good success in hiring his staff. Charlie Taafe was successful at the Citadel, and his most recent job w/ the Montreal Alouettes (CFL) garnered him Coach of the Year honors. Since Friedgen respects him so much, I imagine that the offensive guru will back off and let Taafe do his thing. That's what a head coach should do. Blackney is also a good hire. He quietly built a respectable program at Bowling Green, going 60-50-2 in 10 seasons...but missed the one-on-one teaching that comes with being a position coach. Once again, it gives Friedgen an assistant who knows what is expected of the head coach and can help out in many ways beyond the X's and O's. Friedgen appears to have gotten off to a good start with this head coaching thing. Schedule Both teams are going to have to work short weeks for this game, but at least Tech doesn't have to travel on Wednesday. We'll get that last walkthrough practice. Hopefully Tech can take care of Duke the way we should and be ready to go for this ESPN contest. What this all means... Maryland padded their stats last year against GT. In the 1st half, the Jackets held them to 5 first downs, only 95 total yards. Although Maryland ended up with 318 yards, most of that came as Tech protected a large lead with 2nd and 3rd team players. There's little reason to expect the Terps to have much more success this year. The flip side of Friedgen knowing our tendencies, is that O'Leary, O'Brien, and Roof know his. Our defense has been practicing against this guy's schemes for 4 years. Even with the Terps spreading the field, I expect our defense, with improved play in the secondary to slow 'em down. Defensively, we present some tremendous matchup problems for Maryland. Their defensive line is going to make them more susceptible to the run than they were last year. Without All-ACC Kris Jenkins on the DL, one wonders where the pressure is going to come from. Opponents will be able to focus more on containing Whaley this season. And the secondary is going to desperately need that pressure because I don't think they have the speed or the depth to hang with Tech's corps of receivers. As good as Maryland's LB's are, they lack the support in front of and behind them to be as effective as they could be. They'll likely spend more time trying to cover for other positions. Even Maryland's punting game is not a distinct advantage with Dan Dyke back for the Jackets. And Luke Manget is clearly better than either of the Terrapins' present alternatives. There's enough talent on this team to believe the Terps can make a minor bowl in 2001, but I don't think 2001 is their best chance to win that first ever game in Atlanta. 7 down...5 to go. Let's see if ya'll are more interested in this one than you were with Duke. Next up is the homecoming edition - NC State.
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