Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen created Terp Alley as a pregame pep rally where players walk through the crowd into Byrd Stadium. The band plays, the crowd waves and everyone gets excited.
Sometimes it was an emotional bump, but the alley was abandoned when the Terrapins struggled over the past two years. Somewhere along this unexpected 7-2 season, the Terps started getting better and Terp Alley started getting bigger. When the Terps passed through the wall of fans before beating Florida State on Oct. 28, the crowd was so loud that punter Adam Podlesh felt his heart beating faster.
“Podlesh did?” joked Friedgen of even a special teams player getting charged.
Terp Alley should be madness before No. 23 Maryland (7-2, 4-1 ACC) meets Miami (5-4, 2-3) on Saturday. After securing their first winning season since 2003, the Terps are now eyeing the ACC championship. A team that survived a game-ending end zone pass versus winless Florida International on Sept. 23 has won four straight to gain a legitimate chance of taking the conference crown and reaching a BCS Bowl.
Life is good around the College Park campus once more. Players are constantly hearing well wishes from classmates that once ignored them. Students filled four sections wearing black against Florida State before storming the field following the 27-24 upset. And yes, there are classic perks to campus life.
“They’re the same girls — they’re just a little kinder to you now,” receiver Danny Oquendo said.
Said receiver Isaiah Williams: “Danny has a great way of putting things. I’m not saying the girls aren’t prettier on campus, but they’re a helluva lot nicer when you’re winning and a lot more understanding and outgoing. Campus life has definitely changed a lot. People are wearing their jerseys and saying, ‘Go Terps.’ … I would say it’s rock star status right now.”
Terp Alley is a short stretch in Parking Lot 1 where the players make about a 100-yard walk past the main stadium entrance to the football locker rooms. Several large red “M” emblems painted on the road mark the way with Friedgen sometimes leading, sometimes trailing the players. There are lots of handshakes from alumni wandering over from the tailgate parties more than two hours before the game.
“It plays a tremendous amount,” said Friedgen of the pregame rally’s adrenaline rush. “It pumps [players and fans] up. The worst thing is to go out there and nobody’s there. That’s the other side of the coin. … I’m hoping people will come early and stay late and get behind this football team because they’re very deserving of it.”
Certainly, Friedgen is deserving of kudos just weeks after alumni starting whispering that maybe his six-year tenure was nearing an end. Friedgen never listens to second guessers. More importantly, neither does athletic director Debbie Yow.
Friedgen knew patience was needed for a young team. Encouragement was more important than discipline during practices.
“Some days I’m a cheerleader out there,” Friedgen said. “I take my script and give it to somebody else. I got behind them and not on them. Somebody has to be with them. As they learn how to win, they’ll learn to become not only better players, but better people.”
For now, they’re a better team.
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
