Interview With Joseph Giglio

Continuing with our semi-weekly interview series (we weren't able to get anyone for the Wake game last week in a timely fashion) we are joined this week by Joseph Giglio of the Raleigh News & Observer. Giglio writes the paper's ACC Now Blog and was nice enough to take time out of his schedule to answer some questions about North Carolina State and tomorrow's match up with the Terps.

WMUC Sports: What has been the biggest struggle for NC State in ACC play thus far?

Giglio: The pass defense is brutal. USF, and Matt Grothe, chewed them up for 275 yards and 41 points, then BC, and Chris Crane, who's not Grothe, came in and threw for 428 yards and put up 38 points.
They played better against FSU because FSU's line stinks (the Terps will beat FSU at Byrd, by the way) but ultimately the team is so thin, because of injuries and program attrition, the defense gets the fourth quarter and is physically exhausted.

WMUC Sports: Do you get a sense the team is frustrated after losing two close conference games in the 4th quarter?

Giglio: I don't think frustrated is the word because they're improving. In the first three weeks of the season, Russell Wilson's health kep the offense in neutral. Since his return, the passing game has come alive and the offense is functional. The return of tight end Anthony Hill and running back Jamelle Eugene have been big for Wilson, who can make plays but he needs players to get the ball to.

WMUC Sports: How has redshirt freshman quarterback Russel Wilson helped to breathe some life back into the offense?

Giglio: The kid's got a great arm and he's learning every week how to use it. He's not quite there on his decision-making, he has missed two and half games in his first season, so that's understandable, but his natural talent is undeniable.
Should be interesting next year when Mike Glennon's off the redshirt and they have to decide between the two — Wilson, the holdover from Chuck Amato's recruiting and Glennon, the hand-picked QB of the future by Tom O'Brien and offensive coordinator Dana Bible.

WMUC Sports: Give me someone that might be flying under the radar for the Wolfpack on either side of the ball that people should know about.

Giglio: Hill caught his first touchdown pass of the season against FSU and should be as close to 100 percent as he has been since the 2006 season. He missed the 2007 season with a torn ACL and then missed four games with a strained chest muscle.
He gives Wilson a target in the seems, which is especially important against Maryland's 3-4 defense.

WMUC Sports: Who is NC State most concerned with as far as Maryland's personnel?

Giglio: Gotta be Hey-Bey, he's Maryland's best playmaker. Fridge certainly made an effort to get him going against Wake. I suspect he'll do the same on Saturday against State's soft pass defense.

WMUC Sports: What is the biggest key in your mind for NC State this weekend?

Giglio: The only way State wins is with its offense. It has to beat Maryland in a shootout, kinda like the Boston College game, only with a stop on the final drive. But a game in the 30s would be State's best shot. That's 30s on both sides, unlike last year's 37-0 Maryland romp.

WMUC Sports: How do you see the game playing out?

Giglio: State's playing better. Wilson will make some plays, hit some deep balls, but Maryland should be able to run with Da'Rel Scott and if Chris Turner's ever going to post back-to-back strong games, this would be the one. Without linebacker Nate Irving, State's defense just doesn't have a playmaker who can force turnovers and get the offense off the field. We can only hope it's better than the 37-0 clunker we saw last year at Carter-Finley.

Light Thursday For Terps

With their final practice before the homecoming match up with North Carolina State the Terps held a light practice, making their final preparations.

After a few standard individual drills, the team ran full 11 on 11 plays for the remainder of the open session. The offense looked very, very good in the plays that the media was allowed to watch. Chris Turner was very efficient, completing every pass he through in a 15-minute span save for one, that was the fault of the receiver who dropped it. Turner completed a variety of passes, hitting receivers open the middle for big gains, and throwing a couple of nice deep lobs to Darius Heyward-Bey.

Now while this wasn't a full on pressure defense he was facing this afternoon, Turner looked to be continuing his impressive play from the Wake Forest game. Should he continue to play at this level against the Wolfpack on Saturday, chances are he will eclipse 300 yards passing again and the Terps will be in great shape to come away with another win.

Additionally, the run game looked good today as the offensive line was opening up some big holes for the Terps backs.

That's all from today, check back tomorrow for an interview with Joseph Giglio of the Raleigh News-Observer about the Wolfpack and Saturday's game.

Terps Readying For Wolfpack

Ralph Friedgen addressed the media earlier this afternoon at his weekly press conference. The head coach was clearly pleased with his team's performance this weekend in a shutout victory over Wake Forest, but was also quick to make sure the Terps are ready for Saturday and not taking North Carolina State lightly.

As it stands the Terps have won four out of their last five games and are currently the only team in the country to have defeated three ranked opponents this season. Now, on to the news and notes.

• Kevin Barnes will be out this weekend after undergoing an MRI on the shoulder he injured in Saturday's game. Friedgen said he didn't want to go into any more details about the severity of the injury or the length of time Barnes would be out until he got further confirmation from doctors. He further added that at this point Jamari McCollough will probably move to the corner position. "Michael Carter, Trenton Hughes and Cameron Chism are all going to have to step up," he said.
  
• Friedgen said one player to keep an eye on offensively for the Wolfpack will be redshirt freshman quarterback Russel Wilson. "He's a good athlete and is very mobile," Friedgen said. "He's given some life back to their offense." Friedgen later mentioned that he had concerns with NC State's return game, saying it was one of the best in the ACC.
• Friedgen was happy with the defensive plan put together this past Saturday by Chris Cosh and the defensive coaches. "But like all good plans," he said, "they have to be executed. I think our players played very well, I thought our effort was excellent. This is something we need to build on."
• When asked about the lack of bigger crowds for the last couple of games, Friedgen said he hoped that having won four out of five games and with this weekend being home coming, a larger crowd would turn up. "I hope they can be a positive influence at the end of the game," he said.
• The Terps went with a much more pass oriented offense against Wake Forest and when asked about the offensive philosophy this weekend Friedgen said the goal was to be balanced. "That doesn't mean we're going to throw fifty percent of the time and run fifty percent of the time. We're able to do both equally well. Going into the game they knew a lot of our tendencies; we would run with certain personnel and run with others. I think coach Franklin did a great job of being able to throw when running personnel were on the field and running with passing personnel."
• The players are ready and waiting for NC State as well. Senior center Edwin Williams said he felt the Terps would need to be playing at their very best to beat a team that has lost a pair of close contests in the past two weeks.
  

Lessons from Wake Forest

Well it's been a little while since there was any new material on the blog, so what better reason to write than a 26-0 win over another ranked opponent. The enigma that is Maryland football continued on Saturday with the Terps playing their most complete game of the season to improve their record to 5-2 (2-1) putting them atop the ACC Atlantic Division for the time being. With that, here are some thoughts from the weekend.

Turner Big Against Another Ranked Team
The junior quarterback had one of his best games ever in a Maryland uniform, completing 28 of 41 passes for 321 yard, a touchdown and no interceptions. Turner is now 5-0 all-time against ranked opponents having thrown 7 touchdown passes and no picks. This performance comes on the ankles of a poor showing two weeks ago at Virginia, in a pattern that has become the norm for the California native; bad games against bad teams, great games against good teams. Which Turner will show up on Saturday for the homecoming game against NC State? Your guess is as good as mine.

Heyward-Bey Finally Gets His Touches
Maryland fans who have been waiting for Darius Heyward-Bey to be the focal point of the Terrapin offense for one game, finally got their wish on Saturday. The junior hauled in 11 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. It was a career high in receptions for Heyward-Bey and was almost two-thirds the number he had recorded in the previous six games. The two biggest differences in this game as opposed to the those earlier in the season had to do with coverage schemes and pass routes.

In every game prior to Saturday defenses dealt with the issue of covering Heyward-Bey by having two defenders follow his every move. With All-American cornerback Alphonso Smith in the secondary though, Wake Forest felt comfortable leaving Heyward-Bey in single coverage. In addition, Maryland ran many more short routes for Heyward-Bey in this game than they had in games earlier on in the season. Rather than trying to hit him down field play after play, they set him up in the flat and on short slants a lot more often.

Defense Comes Alive
The Terps have done a solid job defensively for the majority of the season, but this was by far their most complete effort. A season high four sacks, coupled with good coverage in the secondary, kept the ACC's top quarterback, Riley Skinner, in check all afternoon. Skinner never really got comfortable at all, and was only able to drive the Demon Deacons inside the Maryland 30-yard line once the entire afternoon. The other two times Wake was that deep down the field was as a result of fumble recoveries.

In all, this was a very encouraging performance from the Terps. This is the kind of game that leads one to believe they are capable of reaching the ACC Championship; then you remember the inconsistency. Every game left on their schedule has to be viewed as a big game, especially with the amount of parody the league is proving to have this year.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for news and notes from Ralph Friedgen's press conference.

Men's Basketball Media Day

A change of pace today as we switch briefly from the gridiron to the hardwood. Today was media day for the men's basketball team with players and coaches addressing the press for the first time since the end of last season.

Head coach Gary Williams, entering his 20th season, addressed the media and fielded questions for about a half hour on topics ranging from tomorrow night's Maryland Madness to the Terps inexperienced front court. Here were some of Williams' comments from the press conference.

On the Big East and NCAA Tournament Bids:

Let's see...the Big East will have their media day in a couple of weeks, they'll say they deserve nine in the NCAA Tournament. For the ACC I'll say we deserve six; six out of twelve, we'll go fifty-percent too.

On Maryland Madness and the season starting three days later than last season:

We start a little bit later because of how things fall this year. We have to have Maryland Madness on that Friday, we can't have it during the week because the NCAA is worried about college students staying up late. So here we are.

On the style of play changing this year with the possibility of going smaller in his line up:

Whether we play three or four guards...most teams play three, depending on what you call your wings. But we all know for example, last year a team like Memphis was very successful. I think you have to look at your talent and see how to get the best players on the court most of the time. I've played that way several times in my career before. When I was at American we were able to recruit better at guard than inside players, and at Boston College a few years we were small, my one year at Ohio State we were small. So you have to figure out how to win.

On the development of the younger big men and what he expects from them this year:

Braxton Dupree lost twenty pounds since the end of the season last year. We have guys that have gone through that before. Lonny Baxter lost twenty playing a lot at Cole Field House where the air condition was broken at that time. That's what it takes. I think all players have to earn the right to have the confidence that they're good. I think Braxton has done that, to earn the confidence that he can be a very good player for us this year.
Guys like Jerome Burney...he's been working hard, he's in great physical condition. All those things are good, but it comes down to can you play. Can you play in those games? You don't know, you don't know until you start to play games. We lost two really good inside players in James Gist and Bombale Osby. So that's the key, can those guys step in.

On addressing the turnover problem from last season:

Well...don't turn it over as much (laughs from press). We tried to make hard plays last year at times. When you're really playing well it seems like the ball always gets to the guy who is open, but their easy passes. Just the basic stuff is what you need. We were guilty of turning the ball over a lot last year at times. Hopefully, a lot of that will come with the experience of the backcourt. We had guys like Cliff Tucker and Adrian Bowie coming off the bench last year as freshman; now they're sophomores. We're always going to turn the ball over because we like to run. If you want to score 80 points you're going to have twelve turnovers in a game, that's part of what we do.

On Eric Hayes and possibly being back on the ball this season:

I think you'll see a lot of people with the ball, I think we have a lot of people who can handle the ball this year. Adrian Bowie, obviously Greivis Vasquez can play there, Sean Mosley could pop out there once in a while depending on what we want to run. But I think Eric is a very good point guard, he's better sometimes I think at playing that spot. He played there in high school so that's where he is comfortable. But we'll see what happens.

On Sean Mosley:

I think he's going to play a strong role for us, whether he starts or not, time will tell. He does have a shot to start though. He was the player of the year in Baltimore. He's got a very good personality. In terms of playing, he reminds me of that guy sitting over there, Keith Booth. He's got that same toughness, that same ability to score inside. He has a lot of the things that Keith had that made him a great player.

In other news, Dave Neal, Greivis Vasquez and Landon Milbourne were voted as the team's tri-captains this year.

Terps Back to Regular Schedule; Ready For Wake Forest

Ralph Friedgen had his weekly press conference this afternoon after taking last week off due to the bye. Friedgen said he felt the team got a lot accomplished during the bye week in practice and is calling the match up this weekend with the Demon Deacons, "maybe the most important game of the season." Here are some other news and notes from today.

• Friedgen was full of praise for the Wake Forest defense, particularly their secondary. "I think they do a good job of messing with your reads. They play their coverages very well and do a good job of reading the quarterback. You better not be late with your throws, especially on [Alphonso Smith's] side."
• When asked about the breakdown of the rest of the team's schedule, Friedgen was very adamant in stating that the Terps are very much alive after the tough loss to Virginia. "We're still in this race," he said. "The team that wins the most games here on out will probably win the division."
• Edwin Williams, Mack Frost and Kevin Barnes were all available to the media after Friedgen's press conference. When asked, all three said that the game with Wake Forest is one the team has been looking forward to. Both Barnes and Frost referenced the loss to the Demon Deacons last year as the game that threw off their season.

Terps Show Some Pep In Practice

After a couple of days off from the football field the Terps returned to practice today and showed quite a bit of life. This may have been the most energetic practice I have seen from the team in a while, at least in the last few weeks. Maybe it was the rest, maybe it was the burning image of the Scott Stadium scoreboard showing 31-0 in favor of Virginia. Whatever it was, the Terps had energy today.

The defensive lineman were whooping it up during their drills, sprinting from spot to spot with fervor. The tight ends, fullbacks and safeties were attacking blocking drills with great intensity, and the wide receivers were going all out in their 10-yard sprints.

In other news, Jordan Steffy was taking reps and throwing with the rest of the quarterbacks for the first time since he injured the thumb on his throwing hand in the Middle Tennessee State game. Steffy's hand was still taped up but he seemed to be getting good zip on the ball and had a tight spiral. His accuracy wavered a few times when throwing into the flat, but otherwise he looked just fine.

In scout watch, the Rams were at practice this afternoon.

After practice I spoke with a few of the guys to get a sense of how they were spending their down time with the bye week. It's clear this team isn't happy with this past game. Kevin Barnes said a large portion of his time will go towards reviewing the Virginia game tape and prepping for Wake Forest.

The blog will be a little sparse this week since there isn't a whole lot going on and today was the only day that practice was open to the media. I'll try to post some Terps links later in the week.

Lessons From Virginia

There's no real way to sugar coat a game like this and I don't intend to. I will point out a few things that shouldn't have come as quite a shock to people, while also point out the things that surprised me.

Virginia's Defense
Did I expect Maryland to be shutout? Not a chance. But I did expect them to have a fight on their hands with the Cavaliers. All week long the Terp's players and coaches continually said that UVA had an underrated defense; it was much better than people were willing to give it credit for. Is 128 points allowed in three losses bad? Of course it is, but let's take a look at the opposition. USC and Connecticut are two teams that put big point totals up on the board, yes they manhandled the Cav's, but that was to be somewhat expected. The third loss on the docket for Virginia was Duke. Everyone looked at that and instantly thought the worst of Al Groh's squad. The Blue Devils are a much improved team this year and I don't care who you're playing, if you turn the ball over six times, your opponent is going to score on you.

With all of that said, Virginia also trotted out some pretty good personnel against Maryland's offense. Clint Sintim is an excellent linebacker who gets overlooked most of the time because he's playing on a weaker team and in a conference that is loaded at his position. Sintim came into the game leading all linebackers nationally in sacks with four and added another one to go along with his seven tackles. Additionally, Virginia has good size in their D-line and some real athletes in the secondary including Ras-I Dowling who came away with a nice interception.

So was I surprised the Terps were shutout? Yes, but this Virginia defense has been waiting for an opportunity to make some things happen all season.

Marc Verica
You want to talk about a surprise performance? A week after he threw four interceptions to Duke and got absolutely rocked, the sophomore put on a clinic. Not only did he throw a pair of touchdowns (the first two passing TD's of the season for Virginia), but he ran for one as well and completed 73.5% of his pass attempts.

This is the one that got me. Virginia had shown no real semblance of a passing game up until point in the season (you might be able to make the case that the UConn game was a decent showing) and suddenly Verica can do no wrong. When your quarterback is playing that well and hitting your receivers way down field (52-yard TD to Kevin Oggletree) it just makes everything that much easier.

Additionally, the fact that the Cav's were able to put up 201 rushing yards didn't hurt matters either. Virginia just handed the ball to Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson and let them run off of tackle Eugene Monroe all night. Monroe showed why he is the top player on Mel Kiper's board for the 2009 NFL Draft; Peerman and Simpson could have turned the corner walking on their hands at points during the game.

Turner Looking Flustered
Once again the enigma that is Chris Turner continues. During the week offensive coordinator James Franklin said that for most players the big games are the ones that are hard to perform well in; that hasn't been the case for the junior quarterback. In fact, things have been almost the opposite and Franklin said that Turner needs to learn how to perform well against team's in games that aren't classified as "big". Now, the numbers aren't atrocious: 22-34, 223 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. There are worse games certainly, the issue here was the type of mistakes Turner was making and the timing of them. The Terps were just 4 of 13 on third down conversions and many of these failed conversions came on overthrows by Turner. Initially I thought that these passes were sailing high because he was a little too amped up, but as the game progressed he just seemed to be uncomfortable in the pocket; you can give credit to the Virginia pass rush here.

Heyward-Bey A Non-factor
Every week more and more questions about getting the talented junior receiver more touches come up. The blame can't always go on the coaching staff, it can't always go on the player, sometimes the defense just does a solid job on coverage. When Heyward-Bey is held to just 17 yards on one touch, the offense isn't going to be as effective as it can be. In order for this team to be as efficient as it can and has proven to be, Heyward-Bey needs to break off a big play, it's as simple as that.

Positives
Sure, it may seem pointless to look for positives in a game like this when so many issues arose, but I believe in always looking for something good. Ronnie Tyler had his best game as a Terp, hauling in five catches for 56 yards and making some tough receptions in traffic. Linebackers Alex Wujciak and Moise Fokou each had solid showings once again. Wujciak led all players with nine tackles and Fokou had two tackles for a loss, including a sack.

The Terps have a chance to recuperate and get their heads straight with a bye week now; Chris Turner after the game said this is probably the perfect time for a bye. Up next is a tough Wake Forest team who has given Maryland trouble in recent memory. By no means are the Terps in panic mode. Yes, the just suffered their second tough loss of the season, but they are very capable of knocking off Wake, which would be the third win over a ranked opponent this year.

Interview with Jerry Ratcliffe

We were lucky this week in that we managed to get two interviews with writers that cover Virginia football. Jerry Ratcliffe covers the team for the Charlottesville Daily Progress and was nice enough to take the time to answer some questions regarding Virginia, the Terps and this weeks game.

WMUC Sports: In your opinion, what has been the biggest trouble spot for Virginia this season?

Jerry Ratcliffe: Two things: Virginia's offensive line and the quarterback situation. Coach Al Groh recognized quite some time ago that this offensive line, which has three new starters (guard, center, guard) would struggle with run blocking. Knowing that he had a strong-armed quarterback who could make all the throws (Peter Lalich), and a bevy of wide receivers and tight ends, plus backs who could catch the ball, Groh put together an offense that featured the passing game.

It was somewhat similar to that of when Matt Schaub played for Virginia and broke all the school passing records. However, this scheme had more spread plays and more four- and five-wide formations than when Schaub was around. All this went POOF when Lalich got into trouble for underage drinking, broke his probation, had his "Facebook" page discovered by UVa officials and he got the boot by athletic director Craig Littlepage. Current starter Marc Verica, a redshirt sophomore, wasn't really prepared to start, but had to be thrust into the job, much like Jameel Sewell was in early 2006. Sewell, by the way, was supposed to be back for his third year as starting quarterback this season but ran into academic problems after the Gator Bowl and was suspended for a year. He is eligible by NCAA academic standards, but not UVa's. He is supposed to return to school in January.

WMUC Sports: This team is young at some key spots (QB, O-line, D-line, Secondary) and has 15 players who have made their first career start this season. How have you seen the newer players developing so far?

Jerry Ratcliffe: I guess we should label it a work in progress. Verica has a level head and is a smart kid with talent, but he has to go through the same maturation process as any young quarterback. The offensive line hasn't been very good. The d-line shows promise but might struggle against Maryland's physical running game. The secondary has been decent ... it's actually the younger players who have executed better in the secondary than most of the veterans. Dowling, Mosley, Minnifield, and Parker have been pretty good back there.

Wide receiver Jared Green has been decent (Darrell Green's son). Punter Jimmy Howell has been pretty good. There's a lot of talent amongst these younger guys, but it may be the second half of the season before we notice serious progress.

WMUC Sports: People know about WR Kevin Ogletree from previous success; who is someone on the offense people don't know about that they should?

Jerry Ratcliffe: Fullback Rashawn Jackson is decent and his backup Keith Payne, both big backs that can run and catch. Tight end John Phillips can make things happen. Cary Koch is a good possession receiver and Kris Burd is starting to come around at wide out. Maryland fans didn't see Cedric Peerman last season at tailback, but he is a tough, physical runner if he can overcome a leg injury that has hobbled him recently. He was UVa's top rusher last season until he was injured and Mikell Simpson took his place and had a breakout game at Maryland.

WMUC Sports: Where does Clint Sintim stack up with other ACC linebackers in your opinion?

Jerry Ratcliffe: I haven't seen all the rest of the ACC's linebackers, but Sintim is high quality. Groh predicted a few years ago that Sintim would be one of the best to come through the program and he's living up to that prediction. Last year he led the nation in linebacker sacks with nine. He had three at Duke and missed 21 plays when he was cramping up last week. Should have had four, but the refs blew a call. He also had six or seven pressures where he nearly got to Duke's QB.

He's a tough kid, good speed, could improve his open-field tackling a little, but smart. He was Chris Long's roommate and benefitted greatly from seeing Chris' motor 24/7.

WMUC Sports: Is Darius Heyward-Bey the biggest concern for Virginia this weekend? If not, who is?

Jerry Ratcliffe: Well, he's certainly one of them. I would thing Virginia's greatest concern is Maryland's offensive line and tailback Da'Rel Scott because if the Terps can establish a running game, the Cavaliers could be in trouble. Heyward-Bey is a guy that Virginia is going to have to pay special attention to on evey play ... they can't afford to let him burn them for a big play with his speed. Another concern is whether or not Virginia's offensive line can punch any holes in Maryland's defense. If they can't, and if Virginia can't run the ball, it could be a long, long night for the Cavaliers. Good teams can run the ball and stop the run, and thus far this season, Virginia hasn't shown that it can do either.

WMUC Sports: Share your thoughts on the rivalry between these two teams. With Virginia struggling has the luster of this game died down?

Jerry Ratcliffe: Actually, I think the rivalry is very healthy because the last two games have come down to the wire with Maryland winning here and Virginia winning in College Park.

For the longest time, I don't think Virginia considered Maryland that big a rival even though they border. Virginia had always considered North Carolina its rival because it is the oldest rivalry game in the South. For years, those two teams would play on Thanksgiving and it was a big deal. However, when Virginia Tech began pounding UVa, the Hokies became a big rivalry. Maryland was kind of there on the backburner, because, really, how many rivalries can you have? But I think it has picked up recently with Groh and Friedgen. I'm not sure how much those two guys like each other.

WMUC Sports: How do you see this game playing out?

Jerry Ratcliffe: I would say that Maryland being a two touchdown favorite makes sense. Virginia traditionally plays much better at home, but I don't know if there's enough quality veteran players on this particular UVa team to get things turned around. Like I mentioned earlier, if the Terps get the running game going early and if Virginia can't get its running game going, this game may not be close.

Interview with Norman Wood

We continue our ACC interview series with Norman Wood of the Daily Press in Virginia. Wood covers both Virginia and Virginia Tech football for the Press and blogs about the conference on his ACC All Access Blog as well. Norman was nice enough to take the time to answer some of our questions leading up to game day between the Terps and Cavaliers tomorrow night.

WMUC Sports: In your opinion, what has been the biggest trouble spot for Virginia this season?

Norman Wood: The offense has been incapable of producing big plays in the passing game (ZERO touchdown passes so far this season). U.Va. has only had four plays of 20 or more yards, including two passing (longest play has been 25 yards - a completion from Peter Lalich to Kevin Ogletree). I have to think U.Va. is at least optimistic about getting some semblance of an aerial attack going against Maryland, which enters the game last in the ACC in pass defense (surrendering an average of 254 yards per game...of course, that includes games against pass-happy Middle Tennessee State, California and Eastern Michigan, all of which attempted at least 40 passes). A big play through the air might really help loosen up the running game for the Cavaliers, who have just 264 yards rushing in four games and are averaging 2.5 yards per carry. Of course, only having running back Cedric Peerman available for a total of two carries in the last two games hasn't helped either.

WMUC Sports: This team is young at some key spots (QB, O-line, D-line, Secondary) and has 15 players who have made their first career start this season. How have you seen the newer players developing so far?

Norman Wood: Two of the biggest bright spots have been freshman left guard Austin Pasztor, who will probably start Saturday in place of injured senior Zak Stair (knee), and redshirt freshman defensive end Matt Conrath, who has two sacks and is tied for fifth in the ACC with five tackles for loss. Conrath isn't making anybody in Charlottesville forget about defensive end Chris Long just yet, but he has shown promise. At 6-foot-7 and 269 pounds, Conrath is an imposing figure on the line. Sophomore quarterback Marc Verica has been tossed into a difficult spot (i.e.-starting in place of the dismissed Lalich). Verica has struggled at times (four interceptions against Duke). Redshirt freshman safety Corey Mosley has worked himself into a starting role. Despite missing the game against Southern California and being limited otherwise due to a leg injury sustained in August, sophomore cornerback Ras-I Dowling leads the team with two interceptions.

WMUC Sports: Who is someone on the offense people don't know about that they should?

Norman Wood: Well, if you don't know about senior left tackle Eugene Monroe by now, you're behind. He's considered by many draft gurus to be a potential first round draft pick, and maybe the first tackle taken. He has very quick feet for a 6-6, 315-pound dude and uses his hands inside well.

WMUC Sports: Where does Clint Sintim stack up with other ACC linebackers in your opinion?

Norman Wood: That's an interesting question because in a conference that actually has great depth at the linebacker position (Duke's Michael Tauiliili, Boston College's Mark Herzlich and Brian Toal, Maryland's Dave Philistin, U.Va.'s Antonio Appleby, Wake Forest's Aaron Curry, Florida State's Derek Nicholson, etc.), I'm not sure Sintim is even first team All-ACC this season...but he's close. He's still one of the nation's top 25 linebackers. He leads the ACC with four sacks, which is also the most in the country for a linebackers. His 21 career sacks also leads all current college linebackers, too. He's 6-3 and 254 pounds and could actually find himself getting moved to defensive end in the NFL if he keeps growing.

WMUC Sports: Is Darius Heyward-Bey the biggest concern for Virginia this weekend? If not, who is?

Norman Wood: No question. Neutralizing Heyward-Bey is job number one. There was a lot of discussion early in the week about how dangerous Heyward-Bey is on reverses and end arounds, so I suspect U.Va. will gear up to keep his big play potential to a minimum. Da'Rel Scott is also a major concern for a rushing defense that's 11th in the ACC (giving up an average of 173 yards per game).

WMUC Sports: Share your thoughts on the rivalry between these two teams. With Virginia struggling has the luster of this game died down?

Norman Wood: I think this season's game could do a lot for the rivalry, especially if Maryland slips up against what appears to be a bad U.Va. team (which I think is possible). Maryland has lost in seven of its last eight trips to Charlottesville. Can you imagine how much heat there might be on Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen if he loses THIS season in C'ville? Given the results of the last two meetings (18-17 U.Va. win last season via a last minute touchdown and 28-26 Maryland win two years ago with the help of a 21-point outburst in the fourth quarter), I don't think the luster will be off unless Maryland crushes U.Va. on Saturday.

WMUC Sports: How do you see this game playing out?

Norman Wood: Way to put me on the spot...I see where Maryland is a 13-point favorite in this one. I'm not a gambling man, but wow, that seems like a LOT of points to me (even considering how rancid U.Va. has been this season). Prior to the season, I picked U.Va. to win this matchup. I'm NOT sticking with that pick, but I think it's destined to be a lot closer than expected. Maryland wins 24-21 on a late scoring drive.

Turner Credits Personal Success to Teammates

Nothing too exciting to report on the front today, particularly with dreary weather making practice a bit slow. I did have the opportunity to talk with Chris Turner this week about the tremendous success he has had in his career against ranked opponents.

As I mentioned a few days ago, Turner is 4-0 against teams in the top-25 in his career and has a TD-INT ratio of 6-0 while completing nearly 70% of his passes. When I asked him about how he is able to step up in these tougher games, he pointed to his teammates saying, "I think everyone steps up their game."

I followed up by asking if playing a ranked team and seeing a number in front of an opponent changes his mindset going into game day. "It probably shouldn't. It might have early on like last year, but no really anymore." After both of his responses he was quick to throw out that he thought Virginia was a solid team and that their defense was underrated. Clearly, Turner and the Terps are trying to avoid a letdown on Saturday.

Offensive Coordinator James Franklin says he has been happy with the way Turner steps up in the bigger games, but that he needs to do it versus all opponents now.

Starting center Edwin Williams also chimed in on the junior quarterback, saying that the team has benefited greatly from having a presence like Turner on the field in big games this year.

That's all for today, remember to keep an eye out for my interviews with some of the UVA Football writers and a scouting report on the Cav's later in the week.