Terps Not Taking Virginia Lightly; Moten Out 4-5 Weeks

Ralph Friedgen isn't taking Virginia's 1-3 record lightly. He won't let the fact that they've been outscored 128-36 by opponents this season allow him to ease up on his team. Not with this team, not with this conference, not with what's at stake.

"We're going to get their best shot," Friedgen said. "We're going into a hostile environment." He later made mention of the Terps tough loss to the Cav's last season saying, "I hope our kids remember how they felt."

Here are some other news and notes from the press conference this afternoon.

• Adrian Moten is out for the next 4-5 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair damaged ligaments in his wrist. The linebacker has recorded 10 tackles, 1.5 for loss, an interception and a recovered fumble for the Terps this season. Despite being limited by injury, he has played well in the last two games.
• Nolan Carroll, Mack Frost, Da'Rel Scott and Danny Oquendo are all listed as questionable for this weekends game. Friedgen confirmed that Oquendo did not suffer a concussion from the hit he took on Saturday at Clemson.
• The subject of Maryland's injury-riddled secondary was another focal point this afternoon. Friedgen said that right now the Terps are going to a lot of different coverage schemes to hide their weaknesses. He has been pleased with the play of Jamari McCollough, but stated getting Nolan Carroll back this Saturday would be a big boost to the team.
• Once again, Friedgen was posed questions about the lack of touches for Darius Heyward-Bey on Saturday. Heyward-Bey had no receptions and on carry for 76 yards in the win over Clemson. Friedgen pointed out that the junior dropped two balls that thrown his way, and that the Tigers secondary did a good job of keeping him from getting open. It has been stated that offensive coordinator James Franklin has a continually growing list of plays designed for Heyward-Bey, and Friedgen added, "Darius is always going to be a major part of our offense."
• In scout watch, the Bills, 49ers and Giants all had personnel at practice this afternoon.
  

Lessons From Clemson

With their win over then 20th ranked Clemson, the Terps have improved to 4-1 on the season, 1-0 in the ACC and have knocked off a pair of ranked opponents. In this weeks AP Poll the Terps are ranked 26th, just a handful of votes behind Wake Forest. So what have we learned about Maryland from this Saturday's win and through this point in the season?

Resume
On paper one can make the argument that the Terps are the best team in the ACC right now. Is that the case on the field? Probably not, even with this weekend's loss, I still think Clemson is a more talented team overall. However, let's look at the facts. Maryland has knocked off Cal and Clemson, both ranked teams. Cal was a very convincing win and Clemson was on the road in a hostile environment with their backs against the wall. Don't forget the 51-point explosion against Eastern Michigan either, that can't be overlooked.


Playmakers
Da'Rel Scott is over 50 yards ahead of the pack with his 446 rushing yards, this despite missing the Eastern Michigan game, and turning in a poor performance at Clemson. In addition, the Terps can lay claim to having possibly the most dangerous runner in the entire conference in Darius Heyward-Bey, who despite only getting the occasional end-around play, has amassed 186 yards on just 6 touches.

Heyward-Bey may be the biggest playmaker in the conference, period, and is almost surely the top pro receiver prospect. The junior is averaging an astounding 24.2 yards per touch; 31 yards per rush and nearly 21 yards per reception. He is capable of breaking off a huge play at seemingly any point and has done so at some opportune times (76 yard run vs. Clemson)

Big Game Turner
Here's a statistic for you: Chris Turner is 4-0 against top-25 teams and 2-0 against top-10 teams in his career with Maryland. The question has been posed several times this season: does Turner get up for big games? It would appear so.

On the season he ranks top 5 in the conference in QB rating and passing yards. But how about this for clutch performances. In his 4 games vs. ranked teams, those being Rutgers, Boston College, Cal and Clemson; Turner has completed 68.8% of his passes for 814 yards, 6 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. While his averages over those 4 games may not be out of this world (203 yards and 1.5 touchdowns) the fact that he hasn't been responsible for a single turnover cannot be overstated. The junior rises to the occasion and plays mistake free football when it counts the most.

Defense Rising to the Occasion
Has the defense struggled at points during the season? Of course. There was the meltdown in the final 7 minutes against Cal in which the Golden Bears put up over 200 yards passing down the stretch. Eastern Michigan also had plenty of success through the air, and of course Clemson ran all over the Terps in the first half on Saturday putting up 200 yards on the ground. Regardless of all that, one has to be impressed with the adjustments that were made at halftime in Death Valley. The Terps shutout the Tigers for the games final 30 minutes (more accurately the final 37 minutes) and allowed 26 yards rushing in the second half.

Defensive coordinator Chris Cosh said he thinks this team can be great and if they continue to play defense like they did on Saturday, that will certainly be the case.

Final Thoughts
Is it time to start the buses for Tampa Bay and the ACC Championship? Absolutely not. Despite Maryland playing a very strong second half on Saturday, the Terps didn't win that game as much as Clemson lost it. At the end of the day though, a win is a win. Maryland is off to it's best start since the 2001 season when the Terps did in fact win the ACC title.

Looking at the rest of the schedule, the Terps are capable of winning every game left on their slate, but are also capable of losing a lot of them. This week's match up with Virginia certainly favors Maryland, though one must always be weary when going on the road. Following in the bye week, then Wake Forest, a team that has given the Terps trouble in recent years, but certainly a game that Maryland can win at home.

That's all for now, check back tomorrow for news and notes from Ralph Friedgen's press conference.

Maryland vs. Clemson Live Blog

Greetings from Clemson, South Carolina Terps fans! Joey Whelan here joined by Dave Vatz and Josh Weisz. Due to the ISP Network deciding to broadcast this game we lost our ability to do a radio broadcast, but we will be here bringing you our thoughts and commentary during the course of today's game.

We arrived here a little late to the press box due to some parking troubles, but we're officially set up and ready to blog. At the present time, Clemson leads the Terps 10-0 with 1:40 remaining in the first quarter. C.J. Spiller has already amassed 70 yards and a touchdown on 6 carries. The Terps currently have the ball in the Tiger's red zone after a fumbled punt return. It's first-and-goal from the 8 for Maryland.

Stay tuned as Dave and Josh will bring you action throughout the next few hours!

14:02 in 2nd Quarter
If Maryland ends up winning this game the turning point is clear. Down 10-0 and punting after another anemic offensive series Clemson muffed a Travis Baltz punt. Maryland recovered at the Tiger 18 yard line and setup an Obi Egekeze Field Goal. Instead of Clemson possibly going up 17 points in the 1st quarter, Maryland gets 3 points and survives a nightmare start.

The bad news is the Terps squandered a touchdown after a false start on 3rd and goal.
The good news is that C.J. Spillar has run for 70 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter and the Tigers only lead by a touchdown.

Clemson 10 Maryland 3

- Josh Weisz

7:59 in 2nd Quarter
Another big break for Maryland. A quick screen from Harper is batted down by Adrian Moten and ruled a fumble. Moten then jumps on the football and the Terps have great field position again, this time at the Tigers 30. A huge play from a guy battling through an injury.

The Football God's are sending the Terps a clear message. Chris Turner overthrows his receiver Ronnie Tyler, it bounces off the back of Isiah Williams and caroms back into the arms of Tyler. I don't remember seeing that play in practice, but reporters are only allowed in for 30 minutes, so its possible I missed it.

After another false start penalty in the red zone, Obi hits a 2nd field goal. He picked a good time to get in rhythm. He may be called all afternoon long with the offenses current red zone problems.

Clemson 10 Maryland 6


- Josh Weisz

5:12 in 2nd Quarter
The scoreboard does not tell the story. When C.J. Spiller is on the sideline leave it to James Davis to deliver a blistering 38 yard run to the end-zone. The Tigers are almost guaranteed two hundred-yard rushers this afternoon and it's only the first half.

Meanwhile any momentum the Terps may have had from the two turnovers is gone. The crowd is back in it and they are treated to an emphatic three and out. Maryland has to start stacking the box and daring Clemson to throw over the top.

Clemson 17 Maryland 6


- Josh Weisz

0:52 in 2nd Quarter
When the Coach Fridgen talks during halftime about what the defense needs to do, they will draw off that last series. Forcing Clemson to travel through the air instead of pounding the ball with Spiller and Davis. The stuffed Spiller on 1st down, forced Harper to scramble on second down, and got an incomplete pass to end the drive. For Clemson there is little reason for them to start throwing the ball.

Meanwhile the Terps start on their own 3 yard line after the punt, which was ruled a touchback, magically comes out the three yard line after some help from the other officials. They survive and shaky three and out and push the Tigers to their own 37 after a holding penalty and another great punt from Baltz.

Clemson 17 Maryland 6


- Josh Weisz

Halftime
I really like the way Maryland has been coached the last couple weeks, but the last Maryland series was inexcusable. With 45 seconds left and three timeouts, the Terps choose to go in shotgun and look for some points to end the half. But instead of opening up the playbook, Franklin calls a couple screen passes and a quick throw to the flats. This does not make any sense. Either you go for points and look for receivers deep down the field, or you run it up the middle and get to the locker room. What good comes of screen passes and quick outs. The result was three electric hits by the Clemson defense and a deflating end to the half.

There was no reason for the half to end like that.

Stay tuned for Dave Vatz who will take you through the third quarter.

Clemson 17 Maryland 6


- Josh Weisz

Halftime Thoughts From Death Valley
It looks like Howard's Rock is feeling a little extra generous today. The memento from the bottom of Death Valley, CA is said to give mystical powers to Tiger players that rub it before games. If that is the case, James Davis and C.J. Spiller likely got a little touchy, feely with their igneous friend.

The Tigers posted 195 rushing yards in the first half, with Davis reaching the century mark on 11 carries and Spiller totaling 93 yards on 10 carries. Both players have already found the end zone and Spiller has eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards for his career.

Maryland on the other hand has mustered just 93 total yards. The Terps look out matched by Clemson right now. The offensive line isn't getting any kind of push and has struggled to open holes for Da'Rel Scott and company. Scott has 19 yards on 11 carries, with half of his yards coming on one run.

The passing game has been horizontal as opposed to vertical. As Josh mentioned just a few minutes ago, Maryland ended the first half throwing into the flat on several consecutive plays rather than trying their luck down field. Darius Heyward-Bey has amounted to 0 catches in the first half. Some credit has to go to Clemson's secondary keeping him in check, but certainly the play calling has been sub par on the part of Maryland.

With how poor the Terps have looked thus far, being down just 9 at the half is a gift. The Terps need a big opening drive in the second half to regain some momentum and to get back into this game. Dave Vatz will be along shortly to bring you through the final 30 minutes of this one.

- Joey Whelan

8:34 in 3rd Quarter
Hey everyone, Dave Vatz with you for the third quarter as the Terps try to fight back from a 17-6 deficit. After a bad kickoff return to the 20, a tackle for loss, a false start, then offensive pass interference (declined), it is 3rd and 17 from the Maryland 13. Turner’s pass on 3rd is well incomplete. It is hard to see the halftime changes; Maryland looks just the same as in the first half. But so does Baltz, with a great 53-yard punt, putting Clemson at the 34.

Key 3rd down after a run and end around puts Clemson with a 3rd and 3 at the 41. Spiller got around on the left side and went the distance, but lucky for Maryland a holding call gets rid of the score. Now a 3rd down and 8, Clemson calls a timeout to regroup. Clemson’s picks up Maryland’s blitz and gets a first down on a 17-yard pass with just under 12 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

Another key 3rd down, Tigers have 3rd and 7 at the Maryland 44. Four-man rush works and forces a low throw, incomplete. Clemson punts too far and gets a touchback, Maryland will take over on the 20 with 9:54 in the 3rd quarter.

Franklin pulls out the end around and a huge run for Heyward-Bey, getting 75 yards, putting the Terps on the Clemson 5. I believe it is the first time he has gotten the ball. Scott loses two on first down, but Turner throws a lob pass to a wide open Torrey Smith for the touchdown, first one for Maryland. Obi extra point is good, despite all the problems during the game, Terps are within one score 17-13 in Death Valley. PA announcer says this is the first touchdown scored on the Clemson defense in ten quarters.

Clemson 17 Maryland 13

- Dave Vatz

7:45 in 3rd Quarter
Kickoff downed for a touchback, so 1st and 10 for Clemson at the 20. Pass on first down was in and out of the hands of the receiver, but pass interference was called on Adrian Moten, so 1st down on the 35.

Huge play for the defense here. Clemson tried a fake run with Davis then real end around to Spiller, Maryland saw it and Spiller had no where to go. He lost seven and went down on the play, and is limping on his left ankle very badly. He needed help off the field.

Clemson 17 Maryland 13

- Dave Vatz

4:38 in 3rd Quarter
Without Spiller, the Terps now have the confidence to rush the quarterback, and sack him on the next play. Clemson fails on the 3rd and 24. The game has gotten very interesting. Clemson doesn't look as aggressive as they did in the first half, and without Spiller, one of the best backs in the ACC, the running game won't be as effective. Davis now has a lot on his shoulders.

At the 6:00 minute mark, injury report on Spiller is that he had a cramp, and should return. It looked worse than a cramp from the press box, but we'll see.

Maryland had a 3rd down and 9 at midfield, and his low pass was deflected. But Baltz, the definite MVP for Maryland so far, punts 44 yards and Clemson fair catches at the 6. Let the field position battle begin.

Clemson 17 Maryland 13

- Dave Vatz

End 3rd Quarter
Clemson's appears to be changing their game plan a little without Spiller, relying on short passes instead of running. But Spiller came back with 2:30 to go in the third and got a 7-yard gain, so he looks all right. The Clemson crowd is now getting upset after a short pass on a 3rd and long. They have a right to be, very questionable play call by Clemson. The offense doesn't look as fluid right now and has three penalties. But the Maryland defense is helping with some good stops.

Turner completes a huge pass across the middle on first down to Gronkowski, his second 1st down completion to Gronkowski of over 10 yards. The third quarter has ended, Terps on the 44 with a 2nd and 12.

The Clemson crowd is real silent, and with good reason, Maryland had a very good 3rd quarter. Clemson up 17-13 with 15 minutes left to play. I guarantee some in the crowd are thinking about the 2006 encounter right now.


Clemson 17 Maryland 13

- Dave Vatz

14:03 in 4th Quarter
Portis came in and had a reverse to Scott. Which only gained a couple yards. The play calling for Portis's time on the field has got to get better.

Baltz had his first mess up of the game, punting the ball into the end zone. With 14:10 left in the 4th and Clemson up by four, it will be interesting to see this next drive. Spiller looks fine and Clemson may go back to running Spiller to the outside. Recently it has been a lot of short passes. But the Tigers really want to get some distance, they don't want a field position battle, because the Terps are looking better on offense.


Clemson 17 Maryland 13

- Dave Vatz

11:31 in 4th Quarter
First Clemson tries a pass, then a Spiller reverse fails to advance to the outside, then Moten nails Harper from behind to force the incompletion. Cosh's defense looks tremendous right now, and the punt was returned to the Clemson 45. This game has been a real tale of two halves. Clemson in the first half, Maryland in the second half.

Key third down and 1 on the Clemson 35, the crowd is deafening, but Scott got the first. Clemson has a video board that says stuff like "Stand Up and Yell" and "Keep up the Volume." I’m not sure Terps fans would react well to that at Byrd.

I just heard a score over PA, Duke 10, Virginia 3. That isn’t a typo.

Maryland may be driving, but they have a few issues focusing, they just used another timeout. They are down to 1 with 11:31 left in the second half. Terps at the Clemson 33 with a 2nd and 10.


Clemson 17 Maryland 13

- Dave Vatz

10:19 in 4th Quarter
An early snap was low while Turner was in shotgun, but he got it and threw it for a huge gain, Terps now on the 1-yard line and a first down, and Scott runs it in for the touchdown. Could anyone see this coming after seeing the first half? Obi's kick is good, Maryland has their first lead, 20-17, with 10:25 in the 4th quarter.

This game seems to be the story of Chris Turner. Sometimes he just has an awful showing, like in the first half. But when he needs a big game, he steps up, like in the second half. But there is still a lot of time left, and Clemson's team and crowd are getting restless.


Maryland 20 Clemson 17

- Dave Vatz

6:15 in 4th Quarter
Another solid kickoff, Clemson must start at the 21. Clemson is getting the ball back to Davis to see if that works. The second half has been full of big 3rd downs, but the biggest one yet here with 3rd and 2 is converted on a short pass. But then a Harper keeper results in a five-yard loss. It seems like Clemson is starting to panic a little, running the quarterback.

Now a 3rd and 7, expect a short pass from Harper. The pass is just enough, and Clemson is starting to drive.

With under seven minutes left and Clemson at midfield, I'll turn it back to Josh Weisz to end the game.


Maryland 20 Clemson 17

- Dave Vatz

5:15 in 4th Quarter
A huge Unsportsmanlike Conduct call makes a Clemson 3rd and 3 into a 3rd and 18 but an incredible effort by C.J Spiller on a pass in the flat makes it 4th and inches setting up the biggest play in this game so far, a 4th and 1 on the Maryland 40. Clemson has no choice but to go for it. As it always happens the 4th down play comes down to the inexact science of the spot and this spot leaves Clemson a couple inches short keeping the ball. It wasn't very generous and as soon as the line judge started running in, the Clemson bench went crazy.

The booth reviews the play and every replay we see up here is inconclusive. The play stands. What more could Maryland ask for than the ball and a 3 point lead in Clemson after a horrific first half

Clemson 17 Maryland 20

- Josh Weisz

Final - Maryland 20-Clemson 17
What an incredible day for the Maryland football program. This day seemed so far away after the Terps limped back from Middle Tennessee three weeks ago. The halftime adjustments that the coaching staff made should draw praise all week. The Terps now have a legitimate chance at going 5-1 playing a sub par Virginia team next week. As bad as the first two weeks have been for this team, the last three have been equally as good. There is no doubt Maryland will now get a piece of the national spotlight after knocking off two ranked teams.

This game is a microcosm of the whole season in its inconsistency but ultimately this game represents how good they can be.

- Josh Weisz

Maryland Excited to Play in Death Valley

Clemson Memorial Stadium, more commonly known as Death Valley, may be one of the largest and most intimidating stadiums in the ACC, but that doesn't mean the Terps aren't amped to play there on Saturday. In fact, they can't wait.

At his press conference on Tuesday, head coach Ralph Friedgen expressed his excitement to return to Clemson for Saturday's game after having coached there several times with Maryland, and having played there during his career with the Terps as well.

During the week several players talked about getting to walk into Death Valley as a visiting team. Dave Philistin shared his past experiences as a sophomore when allegedly when standing on the sideline without his helmet on he had something thrown at his head by a Clemson fan. Philistin looked around in bewilderment for a brief moment before a member of the coaching staff yelled at him to get a helmet on. He also commented that in addition to West Virginia, Clemson is one of his favorite places to play at.

Sophomore linebacker Alex Wujciak got a chance to experience Death Valley as a true freshman in 2006 when he was on the sidelines for Maryland's last second 13-12 win on a Dan Ennis field goal. Wujciak said that while he will have at least some sense of what to expect, being on the field as opposed to watching from the side will be a completely different experience. When asked about the tendency for Clemson crowds to get deafeningly loud Wujciak said, "As a defensive player, I like the noise, it gets me energized.

Also worth noting on Wujciak, he is already making some noise as far as his future beyond the college game goes. NFL Draft Scout has him ranked as the #6 inside linebacker for the 2011 draft and has a couple of nice things to say about the sophomore.

Check back tomorrow for a scouting report of Clemson.

Interview With Clemson Beat Writer Paul Strelow

With the ACC schedule getting started this week for the Terps I thought it would be interesting to set up an interview each week with someone who regularly covers Maryland's opponent for that week. Starting things off this week is Paul Strelow, the Clemson beat writer for The State, South Carolina's largest newspaper; he also posts regularly on his Clemson blog Pawsitive Press. Paul was nice enough to take some time to answer a few questions regarding the Tigers, how they're preparing for Maryland and the advantages of playing in Death Valley.

WMUC Sports: Clemson was a team being talked about in the national title hunt at the start of this season. They've won three straight since the Alabama loss in week one, do you ultimately see this team winding up in the top-10 in December?

Paul Strelow: With the ACC's credibility where it is, the only chance they might have would be to run the table, and that certainly is unlikely. As things stand – and stood in the preseason – the Tigers are a top-25 team, no more and no less. They've got superior talent at running back and some good receivers and defensive backs, plus a QB in Cullen Harper who is among the league's best. But their deficiencies at linebacker and the injury-addled offensive line figure to be an issue when the run into the likes of Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, FSU and Boston College – if not Maryland this weekend.

WMUC Sports: Where do you rank the duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller among running tandems nationally?

Paul Strelow: Talent-wise, I'm not sure there's a comparable duo. Spiller seems headed toward becoming a first-round NFL lock with this year's breakthrough campaign, and Davis should be a second- or third-round guy as well. Seeing as I'd consider Spiller a top-10 back nationally this season, I can't think of any other top-shelf guys (Javon Ringer, Beanie Wells, Knowshon Moreno) who have a similar sidekick. Caleb King could be that guy with Moreno, but he doesn't get enough opportunities yet to prove it.

WMUC Sports: The young offensive line seems to be doing a solid job as Cullen Harper has only been sacked six times this season, but Davis and Spiller don't seem to be putting up huge numbers rushing the football. Any reasoning behind this in your opinion?

Paul Strelow: Well, the line hasn't done a particularly good job of either pass protection or run-blocking, to be honest. Which is probably part of the reason Harper hasn't looked comfortable throwing the ball downfield, and Clemson has relied on even more screen passes than usual. The blocking hasn't been good enough for them to put up huge numbers, and every opponent knows that the key to stopping Clemson is shutting down its base zone runs. That said, the two split carries, and that has meant minimal action against two FCS opponents.

WMUC Sports: Everyone knows about Harper, Davis, Spiller and wide receiver Aaron Kelly. Give me someone on Clemson people might not know as well but they should.

Paul Strelow: Two guys who are going to be key Saturday are defensive ends Ricky Sapp and Da'Quan Bowers. Sapp is a junior who could be a high pick this year as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he is their pass-rushing specialist off the edge. How he holds up in run support will be huge. Same thing goes for Bowers, whom ESPN.com rated as the nation's No. 1 recruit last year. Bowers is a beast and is already starting – a rarity for a first-year lineman on either side of the ball – but he's also still seeing college offenses and college-sized linemen for the first time.

WMUC Sports: From Clemson's perspective, which player on either side of the ball for Maryland gives the most concern?

Paul Strelow: I can't say they've narrowed down one. The only individual whose name repeatedly surfaces is WR Darrius Heyward-Bey – and for obvious reasons, seeing as he's the league's best pro receiver prospect. But while coordinator James Franklin seems to involve H-B more than he had been in the past, he's still not the offense's focal point. Because of its inexperienced linebackers and a defensive interior reduced by two injuries, Clemson is worried about getting blown off the ball like it was against Alabama.

On the other side, where between two and four offensive linemen are out with injury, too, the concern is that Saturday's starting line will be overly confused by the multiple fronts the Terps are going to throw at them under coordinator Chris Cosh, who ran this same scheme against Clemson while serving as South Carolina's coordinator.

WMUC Sports: How much of an advantage for Clemson is it to play their home games in a place like Death Valley?

Paul Strelow: If it was a night game, and a lot of hype and build-up had preceded this game, it would be a huge advantage. But for a noon start and a game Clemson fans think it should win in a blowout, considering last year's result and this year's expectations … there is concern that the Tigers are in store for another stale environment similar to what contributed to the 13-12 loss to Maryland in 2006.

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

Paul Strelow: Can't say I have a strong feel, because it seems it could go in separate directions. Maryland has always shown the ability to dink-and-dunk in the passing game, so Clemson's defensive front could be in trouble in both aspects. And as much trouble as Clemson has had establishing the run this season, the Tigers could easily lay an egg.

Conversely, if the Terps do indeed have trouble stopping screen passes and wheel routes, that plays right to Clemson's strengths. And I like Clemson's defensive personnel, as a whole, better than Maryland's, especially after witnessing last year's mauling in College Park.

I'll throw out Clemson 30-20.

News and Notes From Today's Press Conference

• Richard Taylor and LaQuan Williams are the two big names on the injured list who will not be playing this week for the Terps when they head to Clemson. Nolan Carroll, Mack Frost and Adrian Moten are all questionable, while Travis Ivey, Da'Rel Scott and Tyrrell Skinner are all probable for Saturday.
• Of Clemson Friedgen said, "They're an impressive looking team. They're big, strong and fast."
• Friedgen talked about the strong running game the Tigers bring to the table with James Davis and C.J. Spiller; he also mentioned freshman back Jamie Harper who has been seeing time as well. "These are three really good backs," he said. "All of them can run, they have great speed and acceleration; it's really something we'll have to deal with."
• Aaron Kelly, the 6'5" wide receiver, will be a tough match up on the outside for Maryland's corners.
  
• Friedgen commented on Clemson's young offensive line saying, "They're big and athletic. Overall they have a lot of speed on offense. They're big and strong up front, but they're young and still developing."
• Clemson returns their entire secondary from last season, and Friedgen noted the solid job that group did on Maryland's receivers last year, particularly with keeping Darius Heyward-Bey in check.
• Friedgen stated he hoped that Travis Ivey would in fact be able to play on Saturday having recovered from a broken foot. He noted that Jeremy Navarre has been playing upwards of 70-80 plays a game and that Ivey being able to spell the senior for 10-15 plays during the game would help a lot, especially towards the end of the game.
• The Terps are hurting in the secondary, particularly at the corner spot due to injury. When asked Friedgen was hopeful the team would get help from some non-regulars. "I'm hoping that Michael Carter can come, Trenton Hughes can come on, and Cameron Chism can come on. If we get some guys who can improve there it would help us. On a positive though, I think Jamari McCollough has come in and played very well for us. I think that helps us, having another guy in the secondary."
• When asked about team focus, Friedgen says he was a little concerned about the defenses 4th quarter showing against Cal and the second half against Eastern Michigan. "That's what is a concern for me," Friedgen said. "We'll play real well for a time and then we don't. That's what we need to get corrected and what I've been talking about all along, the consistency."
• On true freshman like Kenny Tate and Davin Meggett getting playing time: "When you have as many seniors as we do, to have these true freshman playing, it means you have a pretty good recruiting class. With Kenny moving to safety, that's a position I was concerned about, so I asked him to move over there and he's stepped up. He played 25 plays Saturday; we expect him to play more and more."
• There were plenty of scouts at practice today. Many weren't wearing clothes with team logos, but I did spot a Dallas Cowboy scout, the rest I can only guess.

That's all for today, check back tomorrow for more from practice.

Touching Story from Practice

Every once in a while events take place that not only put sports into perspective, but also show us the power that athletics can have on our lives. The Terps were joined by a special guest at practice this afternoon; 7 year-old Cole Sterry. Cole's parents are huge Maryland supporters and named their son after the famed Cole Field House on campus.

What makes Cole's appearance at practice so special today is that he is suffering from a fairly rare form of cancer called Wilms' tumor, which afflicts the kidneys, generally in children. Cole got the chance to spend some time with Terrapin players today in an effort to keep his spirits up. Eric Prisbell of the Washington Post had a nice post about the event's of today on his Terrapins Insider Blog.

In other news from practice, it looks like Obi Egekeze will be kicking this weekend against Eastern Michigan. Da'Rel Scott has partaken in non contact practices the last couple of days, but his status for this weekend is still uncertain.

Check back tomorrow for a scouting report on Eastern Michigan.

Scouts on Hand for Practices

Not a tremendous amount to report from practice today, but there were several NFL teams with scouts in attendance observing the team. In all, the Lions, Buccaneers, Browns and Jaguars all had personnel on hand this afternoon.

In light of the lack of news and notes today, here is a nice view of Kevin Barnes' monster hit on Jahvid Best from this past Saturday.

Enjoy and check back tomorrow for more news and notes from practice.

Terps Staying Focused On Eagles Before ACC Slate Begins

Ralph Friedgen addressed the media today at his weekly press conference following Maryland's upset of #23 Cal on Saturday. There is plenty of news and notes from open media availability today so let's get to it.

• Friedgen announced the injury situation for the upcoming game with Eastern Michigan: Travis Ivey, Tyrrell Skinner and LaQuan Williams are all out; Mack Frost is doubtful and Da'Rel Scott is questionable with his sprained shoulder.
• With Scott potentially not playing this week Davin Meggett and newly returned Morgan Green will need to play a bigger role. Friedgen said that both backs practiced well during last night's practice. He also stated that Josh Portis and fullback Corey Jackson will be playing a bigger part in the ground game if Scott doesn't suit up on Saturday.
• The issue of special team's fatigue was addressed today. Friedgen said a lot of it can be attributed to the fact that so many of his special team's players double as starters on either offense or defense. "We had some kids play 80 plays on Saturday," he said. Several younger players who were potential redshirts for this year can likely expect to see some action on special teams now with the ACC schedule just over a week away Friedgen said.
• Obi Egekeze apparently looked real good in practice last night, nailing a 51-yard field goal attempt during his two minutes of live kicking.
  
• The question of team consistency was brought up again today, after Friedgen addressed the issue during Saturday's post game press conference. Friedgen said that lately practices have been tending to drop off during the final 20 minutes as players start to fatigue and let their minds wander. The head coach put it bluntly when he said, "We have to practice with consistency to play with consistency."
• Maryland got some nice ink on SI.com in their NFL Draft Risers/Sliders section. Both OL Jamie Thomas and LB Moise Fokou had some positive things written about them which of course gets one thinking about the 2009 Draft already.
  

Terps Pull 35-27 Upset of #23 Cal

First let me apologize for waiting until today to do a recap of Saturday's game, but to be fair, Sunday is a day of rest. Now, onto the notes!

• The Terps continued their recent trend (by recent I mean the last few seasons) of starting out hot in big games. Jumping out to a 14-0 lead and totaling 21 first half points is always a good way to jump out of the gate when you're playing a ranked opponent on national television. The difference here was that the Terps never really let up, at least not until the very end when it was too late for Cal to pull even. At the half I thought the Terps would absolutely need to put up at least one score in the third quarter in order to ensure themselves a little breathing room. They did, and that touchdown, in addition to their 4th quarter score, proved to be invaluable when Cal decided to wake up in the games final minutes.
• Chris Turner looked like a completely different quarterback this week. The junior was confident, efficient, accurate and he didn't make mistakes. The TD pass he threw to Darius Heyward-Bey may have been the best pass a Terrapin quarterback has thrown all season.
  
• Once again, Da'Rel Scott looked great in his time on the field. Though the extent of his injury isn't too severe (sprained shoulder) it still will cause at least a little concern in the mean time. Davin Meggett did a real nice job filling in for Scott, and the two combined for 169 yards and 3 scores on 32 carries. Interesting side note and additional reading material. Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times had a very interesting blog post on Scott and how explosive of a player he is. According to research done by Stevens, Scott already has nearly as many runs of 16+ yards in his career as Keon Lattimore did in his. This number 16 is significant because it is what offensive coordinator James Franklin defines as an "explosive play". Lattimore had 13 explosive plays on 438 carries, whereas Scott already has 11 on just 70 carries.
• Heyward-Bey further helped his NFL draft stock by hauling in an impressive TD reception in which he went up over the top of Cal's top defensive back Syd'Quan Thompson. I can't think of too many players who can actually improve their stock when only getting 3 touches. Obviously it is hard to complain when Maryland pulls a win like they just did, but Heyward-Bey, as has been overstated all season, needs to get more touches.
• What a tremendous job by the Terp defense. Yes, the secondary fell asleep somewhat down the stretch allowing Kevin Riley to throw for over 400 yards, but how about Maryland holding Cal to just 2-11 on third down conversion attempts. Once again, Maryland's D makes the plays when it counts the most. Additionally, it can't be overstated the job the run defense did, holding a Cal team that had been averaging 297 yards on the ground to just 38 yards. A tremendous job.
• After the game Ralph Friedgen was clearly very happy with the win. He stated that prior to the game he had asked his team, "How many of you have been told you aren't good enough?" After some of the players responded, Friedgen challenged them by saying, "What are you going to do about it?" Short and to the point, I like it.

By winning this game, Maryland sets itself up nicely to enter ACC play with a 3-1 record assuming they knock off Eastern Michigan this Saturday. With that win, the Terps would seemingly need just 3 ACC wins to qualify for a bowl. Looking at their schedule NC State, Virginia and Boston College seem like the games the Terps are most likely to win. Certainly no one on the schedule is out of reach if Maryland plays like they did against Cal, but this has proven to be an inconsistent team.

Check back tomorrow for news and notes from Ralph Friedgen's press conference.

Scouting Cal

Maryland will have their hands full with the 23^rd ranked Golden Bears. Cal made quick work of Pac-10 foe Washington State last week, blowing out the Cougars by an impressive mark of 66-3. In their season opener they took out Michigan State 38-31. This is a very strong, balanced team on both sides of the ball. Ralph Friedgen in his weekly press conference called Cal one of the best teams he had faced in his tenure with the Terps; here’s the breakdown.

Offense

Cal has been about as good as you can be in their first two contests, averaging 52 points and 486 yards of total offense per game. For the Golden Bears it all starts with the running game, which has been rolling to the tune of 297 yards per game. Sophomore Jahvid Best has sprinter speed and along with Shane Vereen has teamed up to form a devastating one-two punch in the backfield for Cal. Both are averaging over 8 yards per carry and Best has already found the end zone 4 times in two games.

The passing game plays off of the run game, often passing out of the backfield as it is (Best and Vereen are tied for a team-high 6 receptions.) While Nate Longshore is getting some snaps, Kevin Riley is the man under center who has been most effective. Riley spreads the ball out and has connected with 10 different receivers and has thrown 3 touchdowns.

Making all of this possible is a dominant offensive line which has led the Pac-10 in fewest sacks allowed in each of the last two seasons. Senior center Alex Mack has helped get Cal off to a strong start in the middle, as the unit has surrendered just 1 sack in the teams first 2 games.

For the Terps to have any chance here they’re going to need to slow down Best and Vereen though. Cal’s bread and butter is the run and everything they do is set up by that.

Defense

Maryland has also relied heavily on the rush attack this season, but now find themselves facing a top-20 run defense. The Golden Bears have held opponents to 69 yards per game thanks in large part to the play of senior linebacker Anthony Felder who has racked up 16 tackles in his first two games. In all, four Cal defenders has already registered double-digit tackles in the early going.

If the Terps do take to the air they will have to be weary of junior Syd’Quan Thompson and a Cal secondary that is second in the nation in interceptions. Thompson himself has already picked off 3 balls, establishing himself as a top flight ball hawk in the Pac-10 Conference.

Prediction

This is going to be a tough one for Maryland. The only thing that seems to have worked for Maryland offensively this season has been their rush attack and now they are facing a strong run defense. Even worse, Chris Turner has struggled turning the ball over through the air, and Cal
has had no problems picking balls off this season.

It will be absolutely imperative for the Terps to slow down Cal’s running backs if they have any hopes of staying in this game. I would expect Maryland to stack the box and to do it often since the Golden Bears aren’t a huge threat to burn teams with the pass.

Maryland will show up for this game, there’s no question about that. It’s a match up on national television against a top 25 team. When it’s all said and done though, Cal is going to take this one by the comfortable margin of two scores.

Terps D Prepares for Cal

There's no question the Maryland offense has been sputtering so far this season; the defense however has been doing a solid job for the most part. Yes they gave up 24 points to Middle Tennessee State, but as John pointed out in his game recap, when you look at the field position the Blue Raiders got on some of their possessions and the fact that the time of possession was almost 40-20, the Terps didn't do that bad.

Saturday though, the defense is going to face potentially it's biggest test of the season. Without going into too much depth (because the scouting report is coming tomorrow) Cal's offense is putting up 52 points and over 500 yards of offense per game coming into it's match up with the Terps.


I spoke with defensive backs Nolan Carroll and Antwine Perez this week about slowing down the Cal offense and both said it will start with the run game. Cal is posting nearly 300 yards on the ground after two games and that has allowed them to set up their passing game quite nicely.


Perez, the transfer from USC, will be seeing increased playing time this weekend with the injury to Tyrrell Skinner. He said is confident and from my time talking to him, he seemed quite poised for someone making their first big appearance on the national stage like he is. Perez also seems to be handling his additional media attention this week pretty well. As soon as it was announced that Skinner was hurt, Perez suddenly and expectedly, became the hot commodity with player availability. Seemingly every media outlet at practice yesterday wanted to talk to him about this week's game.

That's all for today, check back tomorrow for news and notes from the last practice of the week before Saturday.

Friedgen Has Praise For Cal; Skinner Out

Things were relatively slow at practice today. Chris Turner, Josh Portis and Jamarr Robinson all took snaps in practice today. Is it possible we could see Robinson get some playing time soon? Unlikely, but don't completely rule out the possibility. Also, I know I said it last week, but I fully expect to see Josh Portis get more snaps this week and attempt some passes. The offense is stuck in a rut, and this is a good week to try something new.

With that said, here are some notes from today's press conference.

• Ralph Friedgen reported that safety Tyrrell Skinner will be out 2-3 weeks after suffering an injury in the loss to Middle Tennessee State. This one hurts as Skinner has been the MVP of the secondary so far this season, and you can make the case that he has been the best player on the defensive side of the ball thus far.
• Friedgen was full of praise for this week's opponent, Cal. He called them, "One of the best teams we have played in my time here." He also stated that there are a lot of similarities between the Terps offense and the Golden Bears, "They are just doing those things better than we are right now," he said.
  
• At this point it seems that Friedgen and his coaching staff are taking a positive approach with their players, rather than being overly critical after the tough loss. The head coach did say however, he is contemplating some line up changes and has told several players if they don't improve their play, these changes will go into effect. Friedgen did not allude to what these changes were.
• I also spoke with offensive lineman Edwin Williams and defensive back Jeff Allen about taking on Cal. Both players seemed excited bout the prospect of playing a top 25 team from out west. Allen stated that this is the best week for the Terps to take on the Bears because, "We're just so focussed as a team right now."

Check back tomorrow for more daily updates from practice, and of course on Friday we'll have a complete breakdown of Cal.

Picking Up the Pieces

A quick hello - John Willmott here. I'm one of the crew members for WMUC's coverage of the 2008 Maryland football season. I'll be popping in from time to time to relieve Joey. As the guys are still driving back from Murfreesboro today, I'll be handling the recap duties today.

I know it's tempting to reach for the panic button right now. Who could blame you? After all, last night's loss to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders is the Terps' first loss to a non-BCS team since the opener in 2003, a 20-13 overtime defeat at the hands of a Northern Illinois squad led by current Atlanta Falcon Michael Turner. That loss didn't end up stinging nearly so badly, though - Northern Illinois finished 10-2, missing out on a bowl game only because of a lack of bowl tie-ins for the Mid-American Conference.

So if we ignore that game, when's the last time that Maryland lost to a non-BCS opponent? Try 1997, when the Terps lost to the mighty Ohio Bobcats at home, 21-14 - and that loss was the first one to a non-BCS foe since losing to Tulane in 1981. In a word - ouch.

Yes, it's bad, and there's no way around that. Last night's game was one that should have been a win, and everyone who either is involved with or cares about the program knows that. However, the sky is not falling quite yet. Let's break down yesterday's performance, and then look forward to the future.

• The story of the game last night was the Terps' complete and total inability to get a drive together. Middle Tennessee nearly doubled Maryland's time of possession, 39:49 to 20:11. Middle Tennessee had six drives of at least seven plays, whereas the Terps had only two. Even when Maryland did get a drive going, they couldn't finish the job - an 11-play drive led to a missed Obi Egekeze field goal, and a nine-play drive ended with an interception in the end zone.
• Chris Turner, in his first start of the season, looked awful. His final line: 13 of 28 for 207 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Let's put that into perspective, though: 80 yards of that total came from Darrius Heyward-Bey's touchdown grab, which came on a screen pass caught at the 18-yard line. That's not to say that it's a bad play - quite the opposite - it's just that you can't give Chris Turner the credit for Heyward-Bey breaking a tackle and sprinting up the sideline. Minus the long touchdown, which was caught two yards behind the line of scrimmage, Turner averaged 4.7 yards per attempt, worst ever in his young career. Too often, Turner was uncomfortable in the pocket and either dumped the ball off short, or sailed the ball way over his receivers' heads.
• Josh Portis saw a little bit more field time against Middle Tennessee, mostly in the same capacity that we saw against Delaware - designed QB keepers. He did, however, complete a pass to Danny Oquendo for four yards near the end of the first half to go with his 31 yards on six carries. I'm still not sold on how effective this is, though; it feels too much like just using him because they feel obligated too. Also, why are we not seeing more of the option from Portis' packages?
  
• The running game was a different story. Da'Rel Scott was the story against Delaware, and he certainly did his share against the Blue Raiders. On Maryland's second play from scrimmage, Scott broke it for 63 yards and a touchdown, tying the game at seven at that point. Scott finished the game with 123 yards on 11 carries, adding another 18 yards on two catches. Here's the big problem, though - Scott's touches were fully halved from last weekend against Delaware. Against the Blue Hens, Scott showed that he was capable of being able to carry the load. Why completely change the gameplan, putting more stress on your backup quarterback in the process?
• Don't pin this on the defense. Middle Tennessee twice scored touchdowns after starting in the red zone (counting the plays run after the faked punt on the Blue Raiders' first possession). For a defense that got very little time to rest, a field goal to end a 17-play drive and one single big play touchdown is understandable.
• What's left to say about Obi Egekeze? After missing from 48, 44 and 41 yards against Delaware, the Terps' kicker struck the left upright fro 37 yards out. Joey mentioned last week that he wasn't ready to bury Egekeze, and it's very possible that he'll be able to turn it around. However, Egekeze has not shown that he can hit anything from outside of the red zone. The coaching staff is going to have to do a LOT of soul-searching this week, and it's possible that Egekeze is going to get fewer chances to prove himself, with the team opting to go for it on fourth down inside the 30 yard line.

There's not a lot to be excited about after reading all of that. Here's what's important to take away from all of this, though: Much of the fault for this loss can be placed on some nonsensical playcalling and the misuse of the talent on the field. Will the coaching staff learn its lesson? We won't know that for certain until the Terps take on Cal this Saturday (itself no easy task - the #23 Golden Bears just thrashed Washington State 66-3, the worst loss in Cougar history). In the meantime, if the coaching staff can turn it around, the only thing squandered on Saturday is an unlikely national championship bid.

Be disappointed, for certain. But don't panic quite yet.

Scouting Middle Tennesse State

Conference: Sun Belt
Record: 0-1
Last Week: Lost 31-17 vs. Troy
Series Record: 2-0 in favor of Maryland

Offense: The Blue Raiders have yet to settle on a set starting quarterback for the season for a second straight year. Sophomore Dwight Dasher (the team's leading rusher last year) and senior Joe Craddock split time last season, and it looks like the same will be said for this year. While Craddock handled the majority of the responsibilities last week (20-32, 200 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), Middle Tennessee State head coach Rick Stockstill did say in his weekly press conference that both QB's would take snaps against Maryland.

Phillip Tanner and two-time All-Conference player Desmond Gee will be splitting carries in the backfield. The duo combined for 361 yards and 4 touchdowns last season, while amassing 129 yards and 1 touchdown in the team's week one loss to Troy. The receiving core is deeper than it has been in the last few seasons for the Blue Raiders and saw several players establish career bests in catches last week. One player to keep an eye on is freshman Malcom Beyah, who used his 4.34 speed to haul in a 46-yard touchdown reception in his first collegiate game.

The achilles heel for this offense will be a young offensive line. Eleven of the twelve players on the Blue Raiders O-line are either freshman or sophomores. Seven came into this season having never participated in a game at the college level.

Defense: Alex Suber is the top returning tackler for a defense that allowed over 28 points per game last season. The DB was one of four players to record at least 5 tackles last week and had 1 of 2 Blue Raider sacks in the game.

Defending the run was the biggest issue for Middle Tennessee State last season, as the team allowed nearly 200 yards per game on the ground. That trend continued last week with Troy racking up 164 yards, averaging nearly 5 yards per carry.

What is working in the Blue Raiders favor though is their success in the turnover battle. In their last 26 games the team is +20 in turnovers, and is +2 thus far on the season.

Prediction: This is another game the Terps should win, it's as simple as that. Maryland will once again do their damage on the ground this week. Their offensive line is an NFL caliber group strictly from a size standpoint, but that will be more than enough against a sub par run defense. Expect Da'Rel Scott to have another big game, maybe not 200 yards, but I'll say in the ballpark of 150.

The Terps will grind some clock, mix it up at quarterback a little (which means some passing plays for Josh Portis) and win this won by a couple of touchdowns. Maryland will be 2-0 when they get back to College Park on Sunday.

Game 2 Preview Coming Tomorrow

Hey everyone, slow day today with little to report. Just wanted to let you all know to check back tomorrow for a full preview of the Terps and Middle Tennessee State.

Also be sure to tune in Saturday for all the action on WMUC Sports with the Terrapin Power Hour getting us started at 5:45 as the gang covers all the major news in college football from around the country. Then tune in at 6:45 as myself, Josh Weisz and Norm Carter will be coming live from Murfreesboro, Tennessee with the call of Maryland vs. Middle Tennessee State.

Steffy Out Minimum of 3 Weeks

Head coach Ralph Friedgen confirmed on the ACC teleconference today that starting quarterback Jordan Steffy is out indefinitely at this point. Steffy suffered ligament damage to his right thumb during the third quarter of Saturday's win over Delaware. The senior hasn't taken reps in practice each of the last two days and threw sparingly on Monday before ultimately stopping for the day.

Chris Turner and Josh Portis both took reps with the first team today. Turner will almost definitely start this weekend's game, but don't be shocked to see Portis get more than four plays of action. In fact, it's a safe bet that Portis will likely have some passing plays called for him as well. The junior has the best arm out of the Terps options at quarterback, but as we know has essentially no experience. How much playing time he gets will depend on how few mistakes he makes when the ball is in his hands. There is no question Portis is capable of making the breathtaking plays, he just needs to play mistake free football.

Game two of the season is just a few days away, and WMUC will be making the 11 hour drive to bring you all the action live from Middle Tennessee State!

Friedgen and Co. Come to Steffy's Defense

Head coach Ralph Friedgen was very direct in expressing his displeasure for the continual criticism of starting quarterback Jordan Steffy at today's weekly press conference. Friedgen appeared to get emotional when praising the senior, at one point stating that the fans who boo Steffy would "be lucky to have him as a son." Friedgen continued by saying that Steffy's ability to take the heat in stride and continue to keep a positive attitude ensured that, "he has my admiration."

These comments came in the aftermath of Steffy's rocky week one performance in a 14-7 win over Delaware. Steffy threw two interceptions and no touchdowns in about 2 1/2 quarters of work before leaving with an injury to his right thumb. Offensive coordinator James Franklin had to ask Steffy to call things off at practice on Monday so as to not further aggravate the thumb. His status for Saturday's game is not certain at this point.

During the rest of the press conference, Friedgen was quick to praise the receiving corps of the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (the Terps' opponent on Saturday) and said that the defense was strong enough that Da'Rel Scott would be have his hands full to repeat his 197-yard rushing performance from last weekend.

Notes from practice today:

• Obe Egekeze looked solid in practice today. He was approaching 40 yards on his kicks and hitting them with plenty of room to spare. He missed one kick from what we saw out of about 8 or 9.
• The closer you get to Darrius Heyward-Bey, the more impressive his abilities become. Even watching him up close in receiving drills, one marvels at his ability to change direction and adjust to balls thrown even on a line drive.
• After practice today Danny Oquendo seconded Coach Friedgen's support of Jordan Steffy, saying the quarterback's perseverance is a motivator for the rest of the team.

That's all for today - check back all week leading up to game day on Saturday.

Terps Ground Game Gets Rollin' In Season Opening Win

Sorry for the delay in this post everyone; let's chalk it up to the long weekend. Without further ado though, here are some thoughts from the Terps 14-7 win over Delaware.

• Da'Rel Scott definitely quelled some of the concerns surrounding the lack of experience in the running game. The sophomore just missed breaking 200 yards on the ground, which would have made him the first Maryland back to do so in nearly five years. Scott showed a great combination of explosiveness and power that could make him one of the top rushers in the conference if he continues to perform at a high level. Also of note, Ralph Friedgen stated in the post game press conference that he thought Scott was tired and should have been able to break open a few more big runs in the contest. That could spell very good things for the future.
• Davin Meggett impressed when he was on the field. He certainly was overshadowed during the fall by Scott and Morgan Green, but the Terps now have themselves another viable option in the backfield.
  
• The passing game got off to a slow start which wasn't a huge surprise. It had been close to a year since Jordan Steffy had made a start and Chris Turner was cold when he came off the bench. Let's also not forget that the Terps have been notoriously slow starters the last few seasons, especially at the quarterback position.
• As we saw last season, when the onus was put on the defense to make a big play, they responded favorably. Terrell Skinner's game clinching interception was a huge confidence boost for the entire defense, at least that's what the free safety told the media after the game. Overshadowed by the big pick was the rest of Skinners performance on Saturday. It may have been his best game as a Terrapin, providing several big stops and hits.
• Darrius Heyward-Bey is one of the most electrifying players in the ACC, and if he gets more touches, you can make the case that he is up there with anyone in the country in terms of how fun he is to watch. How many players could make the type of acrobatic catch Heyward-Bay made and then promptly follow it up with a blazing end around hand off for a touchdown? I can probably count on one hand. It was good to see him getting a lot of looks early in the first half, hopefully that trend will continue.
• Obi Egekeze certainly got off to a rocky start to say the least. I'm not ready to sell him up the river just yet though. If at all possible, I think Egekeze just needs to get a nice easy 30-yard field goal under his belt. Once he gets that first one out of the way, I think he'll return to the effective kicker he was last season.

That's all for this rather late recap of Saturday's action. The turnarounds will be quicker in the future. Check back tomorrow for news and notes from Ralph Friedgen's weekly press conference and afternoon practice.