Maryland escaped calamity, but the Terrapins are suddenly more vulnerable than a Weight Watchers meeting inside a Krispy Kreme factory.
The Terps went from two promising quarterbacks to Jordan Steffy making a strong debut and backup Josh Portis being suspended this season over an “academic issue.” When Steffy went down in the third quarter of the 31-14 victory over Villanova on Saturday, third-stringer Chris Turner was suddenly playing with only a freshman behind him.
In a moment, Maryland’sseason looked trashed. And then, Steffy showed three years of waiting wouldn’t be extended by shaking off a leg cramp to return.
The Terps were lucky, but the safety net was burned by Portis’ loss. Privacy laws prevent Maryland officials from elaborating on Portis’ offense, but “issues” means it’s not grades. Portis did something wrong. Maybe he downloaded a paper off the Internet or cheated on a test … whatever it was proved serious enough to lose a year of eligibility.
Coach Ralph Friedgen publicly defended his prized transfer who was supposed to be the second coming of Boomer Esiason. However, there’s no defending dishonesty. This isn’t a preschooler sneaking candy off a store shelf. Soldiers younger than Portis are fighting in Iraq.
Portis has jeopardized the program should Steffy become injured. This is exactly why the Redskins aren’t trading Mark Brunell. Having an heir and a spare at quarterback is the ultimate insurance.
“If we lose another [quarterback] we’re in a critical situation,” Friedgen said.
Fortunately, Steffy was beyond terrific. He opened 15 of 19 with two drops — including a 50-yarder — along with a 10-yard touchdown run by the third quarter. Keon Lattimore ran for three touchdowns, but Steffy’s play was the big relief.
This was the kind of impact effort Maryland fans have waited three years to watch. Steffy was a Pennsylvania prep phenom who was injured as a freshman, then sat behind Sam Hollenbach for two seasons. Unlike predecessor Chris Kelley, who was undermined by injuries and eventually played defense, Steffy persevered for his chance.
Steffy often went to his second or third receiver. Occasionally, he ran it himself. An unquestioned leader and really a good guy, Steffy’s one nice package. Considering this was Steffy’s first start, the next two years could be phenominal if he stays healthy.
Unfortunately, Maryland has some worry zones. The pass defense was spotty against a Division I-AA team. Kickoff coverage was a breath away from permitting two touchdowns. Play like that against West Virginia on Sept. 13 and coming ACC heavyweights would make six wins this fall is a long shot.
However, give any team a standout effort like Steffy’s and there’s always hope.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected]
