Preseason Football Camp Log: Day Five
8/10/2007 8:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 10, 2007
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland football team warmed up for its first scrimmage of the preseason by donning pads for the initial time in camp Friday evening.
A spirited goal-line session highlighted the Terrapins' fifth installment of training camp, as the Maryland offense was able to outmuscle the defense for touchdowns in each of its four possessions.
In each series, the offense took the ball at the 4-yard line and didn't even need to throw a pass.
On the first possession, with the No. 1 offense and defense facing off, running backs Cory Jackson and Lance Ball had modest gains on the first two plays, but advanced the ball to the 1-yard line. On third down, Ball ran right into the heart of the defensive line and pushed through the pile for the score.
The Terrapin offense then scored on back-to-back first down plays.
Keon Lattimore ran right off tackle, but was bounced outside. The senior running back kept his feet, however, and got around the end for the touchdown. On the next play, quarterback Josh Portis ran an option left, faked the pitch to Lattimore to move the defenders out of his way, and then walked into the end zone.
The defense made a spirited stand on the final possession. Lattimore gained a yard on his first two carries to set up third-and-goal from the one. Terrell Skinner and Dave Philistin stood up Lattimore in the backfield to set up a fourth-down play.
Lattimore was not to be denied. He took the handoff from Chris Turner and bounced the play outside to the left, beating the defenders to the corner for the score.
Head coach Ralph Friedgen even cut the goal-line scrimmage short.
"I thought the offense got the better of the defense," Friedgen said. "The defense couldn't stop the offense in the goal line. The defense didn't compete as well as they normally do. But I'm sure they'll come back tomorrow."
Quarterback Jordan Steffy continued to impress in team sessions, hitting four consecutive passes in the second period.
One of those was a 70-yard bomb to Isaiah Williams, who Steffy found after faking a handoff and rolling right. Williams was running straight up the sidelines, leaving the corner behind him, and Steffy put the throw right on the money. Williams ran untouched to the end zone for six points.
The Terps will hold their first two-a-day session Saturday. They hit the field at 9 a.m. and then return at 5:30 p.m. for the scrimmage.
All practices and scrimmages remain closed to the public, while credentialed members of the media may attend the first five periods (approximately 30 minutes) of each workout, except scrimmages.
