April 17, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland football team will hold its final scrimmage prior to the Red-White Spring game on Saturday at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium.
The Terps held their first full scrimmage of the spring last Saturday. The defense got the better of the offense for the majority of the 20-possession scrimmage, picking off a pair of passes and forcing a fumble.
The offense no doubt, wants to redeem itself.
"There were too many mistakes on offense," Coach Ralph Friedgen said after Tuesday's practice. "We had 134 plays and nine penalties. So those things have to stop. But defensively I think we still have to execute our techniques better."
With Thursday's two-hour practice in the books, the Terps now have just four workouts remaining, including the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday, April 26, and the competition is heating up at a number of spots.
"I think (Antwine) Perez is making a move on (Terrell) Skinner (at free safety)," Friedgen said. "That's a good battle. I thought (redshirt freshmen cornerbacks) Trenton Hughes and Michael Carter showed improvements (in the scrimmage). And inside, (mike linebacker) Alex Wujciak played well."
There are also battles in the offensive backfield where sophomores Da'Rel Scott and Morgan Green are vying for time at tailback with the loss of standouts Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore.
"I thought that Da'Rel and Morgan played well in the scrimmage," Friedgen said. "Rashad Henry also played well. Haroon Brown is making a move on Cory Jackson, at fullback, so I see him getting better."
Friedgen and the staff are hoping to see continued improvement at Saturday's scrimmage.
"I'm looking for better execution on offense," the eighth-year head coach said. "We have to stop beating ourselves and we have to start getting some continuity, and start making some plays especially with our wide receivers. We have to get better at moving the ball up the field."
Pass protection also was an issue in Saturday's scrimmage. While the quarterbacks made some plays, the defense had 13 sacks.
"We gave up 40 sacks last year and to me that's got to get a lot better than what it is right now," Friedgen said. "Some of the sacks Saturday were mismatches, some of it was technique, and some were assignments, so we have to get that cleared away."
However, the play of the defense, which has five starters back from last season, though two (linebackers Dave Philistin and Moise Fokou) sitting out the spring to rehab, has been one of the bright spots of the spring.
"Defensively I think we are flying around," Friedgen said. "We were better this week than we were the first week but I see there is still a lot of room for improvement."
The defense seems to be a little ahead of the offense, which has been installing a new system under first-year coordinator James Franklin.
"It's a normal thing," Friedgen said. "The defense is running some stuff that's tough on our offense so I understand that. Over the long haul I think that will make us better but right now it can be frustrating."
Saturday's scrimmage, which begins at 10 a.m., will be more game-like than last week's. Coaches will be off the field and plays will be signaled in from the sidelines.
The scrimmage was originally scheduled for 2 p.m., but the postponed of the Gridiron Bash allowed it to be moved to its normal time.
With the exception of the spring game, all spring workouts are closed to the general public, though members of the Maryland Gridiron Network and Terrapin Club, as well as players' parents and University of Maryland students, are allowed to attend the workouts.
Terp Notes:
Friedgen to Hit the Links: Friedgen is scheduled to play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl Alma Mater Golf Tournament on Tuesday, April 29. The one-day event features pairings that include a university head coach and a celebrity alumnus competing in a scramble format against other teams from around the country. Friedgen will team up with former Terps QB and NFL veteran Neil O'Donnell, who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to Super Bowl XXX. O'Donnell also played with the New Your Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans during his 14-year career. Pairings for other ACC schools include Jeff Jagodinski and Chris O'Donnell (Boston College), Paul Johnson and Jon Barry (Georgia Tech), defending champions Frank Beamer and Dell Curry (Virginia Tech), and Jim Grobe and Billy Packer (Wake Forest). The event will provide $375,000 in scholarship donations to the participating universities.
Spring Game Info: The Terps will play the annual Red-White Spring Game at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 in Chevy Chase Bank Field. Admission is free and gates will open at noon. The team will hold an autograph session from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the north side of the stadium (under the upper deck). T-shirts will be given out to the first 2,000 fans to enter the stadium. The game caps off Maryland Day, a university-sponsored family celebration which draws thousands to the campus.
