Opponent Preview – Maryland Terrapins

Maryland Terrapins
2012 Record: 4-8 (2-6 ACC)

OFFENSE

Scheme: Head coach Randy Edsall ran more of a pro-style, power running offense when he was the head man at UConn, but coordinator Mike Locksley favors a spread, zone read offense. Regardless of the formations or philosophy, the Terps will emphasize running the ball. Maryland was pretty horrible on offense last year, but who can blame them after losing four QBs for the season. Despite that, the offense actually incrementally improved as the year wore on and hopes are high that if the first string QB can stay healthy, the Terps could field at least an average offense.

Quarterbacks: Things this season cannot be worse than they were last year when Maryland ended up playing a converted LB at QB. The injury ball got rolling when senior C.J. Brown was injured in the summer and missed the year. Unless he gets injured again, the sixth-year senior will be the starter this season. Brown started five times in 2011 and was really impressive running the ball, gaining nearly 600 yards in just ten games. He stills need to work on his passing, but given Locksley’s predilection for emphasizing the run first (see Juice Williams when Locksley was OC at Illinois), Brown should be fine so long as he can complete around 60 percent of his passes.

Due to all the injuries, the Terps have several backups with at least some experience. Sophomores Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe were both thrown in the fire last year and both eventually got injured. Hills (1336 yards, 57%, 8 TDs, 7 interceptions, 157 yards rushing before sacks) managed to last seven games, but was unsurprisingly erratic and he actually isn’t a great fit for Locksley’s offense in terms of running. Rowe (290 yds, 57%, 2 TDs, 3 ints.) lasted just a game and a half, but is a better runner than Hills. Junior Ricardo Young, who followed Locksley from New Mexico, is in the mix as well.

Running Backs: Despite the year-long suspension to presumed starter Wes Brown after an arrest this summer, Maryland has some talent and potential here. Sophomores Brandon Ross and Albert Reid are in a heated competition to be the feature back that Edsall and Locksley have both stated they prefer. Ross (390 yds, 4.6 average, TD) led the team in rushing last year and has a nice combo of speed and strength. Reid was a more highly regarded recruit, but was limited to just 36 carries last year and wore down as the season wore on. He was clearly behind Brown and Ross in the spring, but he has a blue-collar work ethic that could help him rise up the depth chart. Redshirt freshman Joe Riddle is the only other scholarship runner on the roster. A two-star recruit, no one is expecting him to see the field unless injuries occur.

Receivers/Tight Ends: The Terps don’t have much depth here, but they may end up having the best 1-2 punch in the ACC in sophomore Stefon Diggs and junior Deon Long, both of whom are former 5-star recruits. Diggs (54 receptions, 848 yds, 6 TDs, 114 yds rushing) lived up to the hype, flashing dynamite speed, open field running, and elusiveness. Considering how well Diggs did with horrible QB play, the sky is the limit with just an average QB throwing to him. And he should only be helped with the presence of Long, a transfer from New Mexico. Long played under Locksley as a Lobo and he was basically their Diggs: a standout on a horrible team. He caught 47 passes as a true freshman and should at least replicate that at Maryland.

The question, though, is who will help them out after receivers Marcus Leak and Kevin Dorsey and tight end Matt Furstenberg all moved on. The coaching staff is placing a lot of hope on sophomore Nigel King, who caught 9 balls last year, to be the #3 WR. He has the size, but just needs to work on the simple things like route running and actually catching the ball. At tight end, senior Dave Stinebaugh will move into the lineup after serving as a blocker the past two years.

Offensive Line: Six players who have started a game return for Maryland here, but the line was truly awful last year and also lost three players who combined for 61 starts. There is almost nowhere to go but up after last year’s struggles, but this is one of the worst units in the ACC on paper.

On the plus side, the lineup was pretty well set after spring ball with sophomore LT Mike Madaras, senior LG De’Onte Arnett, sophomore RG Andrew Zeller, and senior RT Nick Klemm all winning (or retaining) jobs. The only competition is at center, where juniors Sal Conaboy and Evan Mulrooney are battling. Of the group, Madaras looks like a young anchor, although he is still working on the finer points of the position. The rest of the guys are inconsistent or have glaring weaknesses. The coaching staff hopes JC transfer Silvano Altamirano and true frosh Derwin Gray push the starters, the former at guard and the latter at tackle. Gray, specifically, was pursued by some of the top programs in the country but the Washington, D.C., native wanted to play early, and stay close to home, and may get the chance to contribute quickly.

DEFENSE

Scheme: Coordinator Brian Stewart was in his first season with Maryland last year and shifted the unit to a 3-4 look. The defense, despite getting no help from the offense, was actually decent, but they are almost starting from scratch with six starters, including several all-stars, having to be replaced. Stewart places an emphasis on attacking but he will rely on a lot of youth this year after having a veteran laden group last season.

Defensive Line: The Terps return some experience here, but the glaring hole is DE Joe Vellano, who was great as a 4-3 tackle and then a 3-4 end. The guy to build around will be junior NT Darius Kilgo. Kilgo (40 tackles, 5 for loss, 1.5 sacks) has good size, quickness, and the coaching staff has been raving about him. If he plays as well as they are saying, he’ll push for all-conference honors. Classmate Andre Monroe is undersized and missed all of last year due to injury, but if he stays healthy he can provide solid depth at the nose.

The big question mark is at end where both starters and a key backup are gone. Luckily Maryland has a two guys who played a bit last year. The leaders to start are sophomore Quinton Jefferson and junior Keith Bowers. Jefferson (13 tackles) is strong against the run and has had a terrific offseason. Bowers (11 tackles) was a top recruit who has not lived up to the hype yet. He has the size and quickness, but needs to put it all together. The coaches will be relying on redshirt freshmen Roman Braglio and Ty Tucker to provide depth, although Monroe could slide over too.

Linebackers: Gone are Demetrius Hartfield, Kenny Tate, and Darin Drakeford, but thanks to injuries (surprise), the Terps return seven players to the LB corps who logged snaps last year. The inside spots are especially good with juniors Cole Farrand and L.A. Goree. Farrand (78 tackles, 6 for loss, 3 forced fumbles) is really good against the run and will be the leader of the group. Goree (46 tackles, 3 for loss) is more athletic than Farrand, but also has good size to hold up against the run. Depth is inexperienced, with senior Bradley Johnson, who appeared in seven games but made only four tackles, and a host of redshirt freshmen.

The outside spots are in better shape in terms of numbers, but lack sure-fire options. The starters appear to be junior Matt Robinson and senior Marcus Whitfield. Robinson (24 tackles) is moving from strong safety and has the size and athleticism to excel, but he has battled injuries throughout his career, to the point that he has only played in eight games the past two years. He must stay healthy. Whitfield is a former defensive lineman who has good size but lacks experience. Junior Alex Twine (18 tackles, 2 for loss) has good range and will be the top guy off the bench. Seton Hall transfer Yannick Cudjoe-Virgil impressed the coaches in spring ball with his work ethic and strength, but appears to just be a backup at this point.

Secondary: Maryland was better against the pass last year than expected and should remain pretty solid thanks to the return of four of the top five contributors from last season. The Terps are especially set at CB with senior Dexter McDougle and junior Jeremiah Johnson back. McDougle (71 tackles, 5 pass breakups) is a good athlete with solid ball skills, but is more solid than anything. Johnson (43 tackles, 5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, 8 pass breakups) has better coverage skills than McDougle and could end up being the star of the secondary. The first guy off the bench will be senior Isaac Goins, who started once at corner and once at safety last year out of the JC ranks. Goins (11 tackles, 3 pass breakups) has nice size, but is nothing special. One guy to keep an eye on is true freshman William Likely, a 4-star recruit who is undersized (5-7, 175) but may have as much talent as anyone in the secondary.

The safety spots are younger and more uncertain. Sophomore Anthony Nixon seems to have one spot wrapped up. Nixon (41 tackles, 1 int.) has good instincts, size, and speed and could be a good one. The other spot is a battle between sophomore Sean Davis and junior A.J. Hendy. Davis (13 tackles) was the first guy off the bench last year and is the better athlete. Hendy has the better fundamentals, but was limited to eight games and just four tackles last year due to injury. Depth beyond these three is untested.

Special Teams: Beyond Diggs, this group was anything but special last year. At kicker, Australian sophomore Brad Craddock hit on just 10 of 16 attempts and was wildly inconsistent. Classmate Brendan Magistro made his only attempt, but lacks range. That being said, he may be used for chip shots. At punter, sophomore Nathan Renfro was a top recruit but averaged just 39.7 yards per punt last year.

The return game should be good, though, as Diggs took two kickoffs back for touchdowns and averaged 10 yards per punt return. The aforementioned true frosh William Likely was a dynamic return man in high school and will be given every chance to assist Diggs.

Schedule: This schedule is built to assist the Terps in their recovery from last season. There are two non-conference games (at UConn, hosting West Virginia) that will be tough, but are winnable. The conference schedule isn’t horrible as most of the tough games are at home. Road dates at FSU and Virginia Tech are likely losses, but beyond a home game with Clemson, the rest of the ACC slate is just fine.

Overall: Despite having so many injuries not only at QB, but throughout the roster, Maryland lost four games by ten points or less and hung tough in the finale at North Carolina, losing by 13. That makes it seem like if the injury bug is avoided, the Terps should improve on their win totals. However, one thing that could hurt Maryland is that while the offense will surely improve, the defense may actually take a step back. And while the offense will be better, the line may still hinder their progress. The offense may just go from horrible to bad. The defense, on the other hand, may go from average to poor with a lack of depth pretty much everywhere and some uncertainty at DE, OLB, and safety. That being said, if Maryland could go 4-8 with last year’s issues, you have to think they could push for bowl eligibility this season if they get a few lucky bounces. The schedule is such at the Terrapins could realistically go 8-4, but 6-6 seems more likely.