Terps look to use size advantage, running game
While drama swirls around the Maryland quarterback situation, there are no such worries with the Terps’ running game.
With a big, experienced offensive line clearing the way for young speedsters Da’Rel Scott and Davin Meggett, the Terps’ rushing attack — an area of concern heading into the season — is looking more like an area of strength.
Saturday night, when Maryland (1-0) travels to Middle Tennessee State (0-1), the unsettled Terps will look for stability through their emerging running attack.
In last week’s 14-7 win over Delaware, redshirt sophomore Scott (26 carries, 197 yards) and true freshman Meggett (7 carries, 52 yards) thrived. Additional help is on the way with the return Saturday of injury-plagued sophomore Morgan Green, the heir apparent at tailback before breaking his clavicle last spring.
“I’d like to keep a fresh guy in there if I could,” said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen.
Wearing down the smaller Blue Raiders is a strategy Friedgen has considered. His front line averages 316 pounds and none of the starters weighs less than 300. Middle Tennessee counters with a front four that averages 257 pounds and linebackers that average 223.
“I think they will come in here and try to run it down our throat,” said Middle Tennessee linebacker Danny Carmichael. “We have to stop the run and try to make them one-dimensional.”
Perhaps out of necessity, the Blue Raiders have a gambling, blitzing defense that specializes in forcing turnovers. In the three-season tenure of coach Rick Stockstill (12-14 career), Middle Tennessee has a plus-20 turnover ratio.
“It’s going to be hard to get to their quarterback,” said Stockstill. “They are very big and very active and we don’t have a huge, overpowering inside guy.”
If Tennessee can stop the run, it will be up to quarterback Chris Turner to get the ball to wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Maryland has a huge experience edge as well, starting 16 seniors to six for Middle Tennessee. The Terps are favored by 13 points, but undoubtedly have been briefed on the Blue Raiders’ near upset of Virginia last year. The Cavaliers needed a fourth-down conversion and a field goal after time expired to win, 23-21.
Georgetown vs. Howard
Georgetown and Howard are the only two NCAA Football Subdivision teams in Washington and for the last 115 years, both have fielded teams. But they’ve never played each other — until Saturday.
When Georgetown travels three miles east to Howard for their 1 p.m. game, it will be much more than the 2008 opener for both teams. The inaugural D.C. Challenge Cup will kick off a four-year series between the schools, and perhaps establish a tradition.
“I think it’s terrific,” said Georgetown coach Kevin Kelly. “It gains some exposure for both our programs. It will help with recruiting in our area. We play a great brand of football and Howard does as well. The awareness we can build from this will be great.”
Another connection for this game is that Kelly coached Howard running back Karlos Whittaker when he was a freshman at the Naval Academy and Kelly was the Mids special teams coordinator/linebackers coach.
