Football Practice Report #2

Aug. 17, 2004

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The following is the second of several practice reports from fall camp for the Maryland football team. The Terps continue to work in preparation for their Sept. 4 opener with Northern Illinois and are now in the midst of two-a-days. Football practice reports will run every Tuesday and Friday during preseason camp with news and notes from each day's outing.

Friday, August 13

Friday was the team's first practice in shoulder pads and helmets and the intensity, as it would be again a few days later, was noticeably higher.

In team drills, QB Joel Statham zipped a pass over the middle to slot receiver Rich Parson for a long touchdown (would have gone in the 80-85 yard range).

The Terps' cornerbacks continued to look good. Senior Reuben Haigler picked off a tipped ball and returned it for a touchdown and sophomore Josh Wilson had another interception earlier in practice.

On the pass immediately after the Haigler interception, Statham came back and completed a beautifully thrown deep out to Derrick Fenner on the right side.

In the freshman and scout team drills that continue to mark the end of practice early in preseason camp, TB Keon Lattimore continued to show the speed and cutting ability that suggest he will be a player to watch in coming years.

Friedgen on the tailback situation: "We have a lot of backs. Josh Allen is in great shape - better than last year at this time. But we have a good group of backs and (Sammy) Maldonado looks quicker than I have seen him and is running well. I've also been impressed by Humber and Lattimore."

Saturday, August 14

In what would be one of several smart moves to avoid weather, practice was moved up to 10:00 a.m. and went without a hitch (or a raindrop).

Statham continued to strengthen his grip on the starting quarterback position. Meanwhile, Ryan Mitch - a player who seemed to lose some ground in the spring - resurfaced and seems to be much more comfortable with his knowledge of the system than he did in the offseason.

The secondary not only looks like it isn't missing a beat, but Friedgen stated after practice that he thinks the unit is performing even better than last year's unit did at this point. A tall order considering all four starting DBs earned all-conference mention last season.

Friedgen on his team's progress: "I am not at all disappointed with where we are. We're making very few mistakes on either side of the ball. After watching the from yesterday, I was very impressed. We have a lot of depth."

Sunday, August 15

Sunday was the first day the Terrapins worked in full pads and, as mentioned earlier, the intensity matched the change in gear.

In half line drills, D'Qwell Jackson blasted RB Albert Jones a yard behind the line of scrimmage. Jackson - who came up with an interception later in the day in team drills -- has had an outstanding fall camp.

Junior WR Danny Melendez had one of the highlight catches of the day, diving to come up with a 12-yard out.

FB Maurice Smith had his best day of the preseason as he put a couple of big hits on defenders. The first was on a touchdown reception that was called back as he blasted Chris Kelley at the goal line and later on in goal line, Smith ran right through Kershaw as the lead blocker.

Friedgen after practice: "There was a lot of competition in goal line today. The defense got the better of the offense in first team work and the second team offense beat the second team defense. But I wasn't unhappy with the effort today - just the poise at times."

Monday (A.M.), August 16

In the first two-a-day of fall camp, the Terps hit the field at 7:50 a.m. in helmets and shoulder pads.

A couple of position changes took place prior to the start of the day as quarterbacks Dan Gronkowski and Erin Henderson moved to tight end and linebacker, respectively. The move was a sign that the progression was taking place in the quarterback race, but also that both players show promise at other spots. Gronkowski is 6-6, 250 and could be a factor down the road at tight end while Henderson has the pedigree as he is the brother of Butkus Award winner E.J. Henderson.

Friedgen on D'Qwell Jackson: "He is playing real well. He played good last year but he looks even better this year. He doesn't have a weakness."

Monday (P.M.), August 17

The Terps closed the day with a practice from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., focusing on individual drills that included pass protection (and rush from the defense's perspective), punt blocking and ultimately, team drills, among others.

Freshman Jordan Steffy threw a perfect pass to Jo Jo Walker in skelly, leading Walker through a seam that would have gone for six.

Sammy Maldonado continued his impressive work, most notably turning a screen pass into a long gain after key blocks by Lou Lombardo and Andrew Crummey.

Practice ended with a situational scrimmage. In that work, J.P. Humber broke a few tackles for what would have been a run of about 80 yards.

Fridge Report Gets Cranked Back Up
Comcast SportsNet will begin its weekly feature with Coach Friedgen this Wednesday with the "Ralph Friedgen Report." The report will run on the regional sports station every Wednesday during the season.

More From Comcast SportsNet
Friedgen will be a part of a special on Comcast SportsNet's SportsNite Thursday at 6:30 p.m., 10:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. in a feature called Vacation with the Terps.

CSN's Chick Hernandez traveled to Georgia earlier this summer and spent time with Coach Friedgen and his long-time friend and now ACC rival, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer. Tune in to hear their candid conversation with Chick and stories from when they both served as graduate assistant coaches at Maryland.

Ticket Information
For ticket information to Terp football games, please call the Terrapin Ticket Office at (301) 314-7070.

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