COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Time was of the essence for the Maryland football team during its 11th preseason practice Wednesday morning.

The Terrapins coaching staff stressed clock management as the team engaged in various time-sensitive scenarios, and practice culminated with a pair of two-minute drills designed to force the first- and second-team offenses to drive the ball with a sense of urgency.

Quarterbacks Jordan Steffy and Chris Turner commenced drives at their own 34 and 40-yard lines and marched the offense into scoring position during the late-game simulations. Although the team failed to connect to a pair of long field goals - with one hitting the left upright - head coach Ralph Friedgen felt the offensive unit had redeemed itself following a lackluster performance Tuesday evening.

"We came out today and they were tired and sore," Friedgen said. "This was a character practice. We had a pretty good practice. I had to push them, but that's my job. I told them I'm going to get every ounce of energy and every ounce of talent out of them."

Having played six games decided by a touchdown or less in 2007, the Terps know all too well the importance of managing games successfully in their waning moments. Wednesday morning's session provided ample opportunities to do just that, as the units were provided limited timeouts and coaches repeatedly reminded the offense that the clock was still running in between plays.

Prior to the two-minute drills, the offense drove the ball effectively during the full-team drills thanks to a balanced attack. Wide receivers LaQuan Williams and Torrey Smith caught touchdown passes, while running backs Da'Rel Scott and Davin Meggett rushed for additional yardage, finding creases in the defensive line.

An earlier portion of practice saw linemen from both sides of the ball participate in one-on-one drills. Senior offensive linemen Dane Randolph, Jaimie Thomas and Jack Griffin managed to fend off pass-rushers during three consecutive sequences, though defensive linemen Jeremy Navarre and Olugbemi Otulaja later broke through to reach the tackling dummy posed as a quarterback.

The Terps return to the practice field Wednesday evening for the nightcap of their two-a-day. The conclusion of that session will mark the halfway point of preseason camp.

Maryland will return to the field Thursday afternoon to conduct a mock scrimmage designed to provide plenty of repetitions for members of the first and second teams. Defenders will just wrap up, there will be no tackling.

"It's going to be more situational," Friedgen said. "I want to get a flow of the game going. I want to make it like a game and get game conditions for them."

Terp Notes:

Practice Rewind: After watching tape of Tuesday's practice, Friedgen thought the defense dominated the team portion of the two-hour workout. He was especially impressed with defensive lineman Jeremy Navarre who "made just about every play. We couldn't block him, he was like Howie Long," Friedgen quipped ... Friedgen praised seniors Dave Philistin and Kevin Barnes for their tackling in Tuesday's goal-line scrimmage. He also said the offensive line also had trouble blocking defensive end Mack Frost, who returned to the field after missing a couple practices.

Battling for Sam: There is still a battle at Sam linebacker where incumbent Moise Fokou is trying to hold off Adrian Moten for the starting nod. Regardless of who starts, both are likely to play extensively, including on special teams. "We are lucky to have two guys of that quality playing for us," Friedgen said. "Moses is playing pretty good and Moten is giving us a pass rusher." He thinks Fokou is bigger, stronger and faster than he was last year, despite missing the spring with a shoulder injury.

Finding a Home: Senior Rick Costa continues to impress the coaching staff with his work at LEO (hybrid defensive end/linebacker), a new position for him. Friedgen said Costa "has been stepping up" with the absence of starter Trey Covington. Costa's strength and speed allow him to be equally effective as a pass rusher and in coverage. "He's kind of made for that position," Friedgen said. "We just need to keep him healthy." Covington's injury is not serious, but the staff does not want to rush him back since Costa needs work at that position after playing linebacker the last two seasons. Redshirt freshman Derek Drummond continues to work at LEO behind Costa.

Football Tickets on Sale: Season tickets for this fall's seven-game home slate start as low as $189 and are on sale through the Maryland Athletics Ticket Office. Single-game tickets went on sale last week. To purchase season or single-game tickets, call 1-800-IM-A-TERP or click here. The Terps open the season on Saturday, Aug. 30 (3:45 p.m.) when they play host to Delaware.