Turtle Bytes: Position Changes (TerpsTV)
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The Maryland football team completed its first week of spring practice Saturday after the Terps worked out for the third time.
"It was great getting on the field for the first time," head coach Randy Edsall said Monday on a conference call with reporters.
The Terps have only held one practice in pads. Per NCAA rules, the team is not allowed to wear pads during the first two spring workouts.
"You can only find out so much in those first three days because of the limitations," Edsall said. "But we did a lot of work with different personnel groups. We got a lot of work on red zone and two-minute."
Edsall liked what he saw in those situations.
"All in all I thought we got a lot accomplished," Edsall said. "I thought by the third practice, the young men really understood the tempo that we want to practice with and the intensity we want to practice with. I think those first three days were very good ones."
The Terps, who will be in pads this week, will ramp it up a little more over the next three practices, focusing on the two-minute drill, installing blitz packages and a variety of offensive and defensive situations.
The team will have 12 more practices, including three scrimmages, this spring. The Terps will cap the spring with the annual Red-White game on Saturday, April 30.
"This is a big week for us," Edsall said. "We'll be installing more [on both sides of the ball]."
Edsall has been pleased with the overall effort with the team.
"Overall, they are learning and working," Edsall said. "Now they've got to master all of their assignments so they can play at an even faster level."
Terp Notes:
Specialists Update: Two spots which need to be filled for 2011 are punter and place-kicker. Travis Baltz handled both chores last season. Nick Ferrara and Michael Tart, the only two kickers on the current roster, each worked at both punter and place-kicker last week. Ferrara, who was the No. 1 place-kicker in 2009, made a 37-yard field goal in game-like conditions at the end of Saturday's practice which featured rain and intermittent hail. Edsall also praised the efforts of long snappers Tim Downs and Greg Parcher. The Terps have not had a punt blocked in the last 137 games, the longest streak in the nation. Downs has been the No. 1 long snapper the last two seasons. Parcher served as his backup last year.
Position Changes: Edsall likes what he's seen of the position moves of David Mackall (Mike LB to defensive end) and Kenny Tate (strong safety to Star). "I think they're right in the exact spots for their abilities, plus for what we want to do schematically and to get our best 11 players on the field." The Star position in defensive coordinator Todd Bradford's scheme is a hybrid between a strong safety and outside linebacker.
Injury Update: Edsall indicated there were no serious injuries in camp last week. Jeremiah Wilson, who moved from defensive back to running back, missed some time after tweaking a hamstring. RB Gary Douglas is also nursing a sore hamstring. Those two injuries, though, necessitated the coaching staff to move both Kwabena Ofori and Desmond Haynes from the defensive backfield to tailback to provide some short-term depth. Taylor Watson, who is in a battle for fullback snaps with Haroon Brown and Rahsaan Moore, also missed some time last week.
APR Update: The department of athletics announced Saturday the loss of three football scholarships for the 2011 season due to an unfavorable upcoming Academic Progress Report (APR) and Edsall addressed the situation Monday.
"We'll be compliant with the 82 [scholarships] for August and the thing is we have to play the cards that we were dealt," Edsall said. "A lot of people were unaware of it, but we'll deal with it. I'm not going to focus on the past. I'm going to focus on the now and the future. I feel really, really good about the things we are putting into place to allow our young men to be successful in the classroom. They understand they are going to be held to a high standard.
"I'm a guy who thinks we can get it done right away and that's what we'll shoot for," Edsall said. "That's my timetable to get this thing fixed, and hopefully we'll get most of it fixed by the end of the semester. We have to get this plan in place and the young men attuned to it, and they're doing that."
