The two-year wait may be over for Maryland. The Terrapins once more have an experienced senior quarterback.
Sam Hollenbach appears increasingly sharp midway through the Terps spring workouts. The offensive line is giving more protection with left tackle Stephon Heyer returning after missing last season. Same goes for the running game with Josh Allen back after missing 2005 because of knee surgery.
But for Maryland to rebound from consecutive 5-6 seasons, the Terps need Hollenbach to provide the same senior season predecessor Scott McBrien delivered in 2003 with 10 victories and the Gator Bowl triumph. The passing game has clearly hurt Maryland since and Hollenbach wasn’t the same during the 1-3 finish last year after injuring his shoulder against Virginia Tech.
Hollenbach is passing recent five-page pop quizzes on defenses. He can identify defenses after a two-second glimpse. The footwork is better, the sore shoulder improving. Hollenbach might get twisted around once in a while, but there is clearly more confidence in the former fourth-stringer of 2004.
“I think of it as my senior year of high school,” he said. “It’s more of a fun atmosphere. I feel a lot more comfortable in terms of stepping up and being more of a leader. You have to with these young receivers.”
Ah, young receivers. Last year it was an inexperienced offensive line and backfield with veteran receivers. Now Hollenbach is spending the spring trying to gain confidence in route runners who may misstep.
“The receiving game is taking patience right now,” he said. “The offensive line is progressing well and Josh and Lance [Ball] are running well. The good thing with the receivers is we can work straight through the summer with that.”
Hollenbach admits missing sidekick Joel Statham, who transferred after losing the starting job after leading the Terps in 2004. The two would have been seniors together and shared the tutoring of successors, but Statham transferred to Georgia Southern to play his final season.
“We could be at practice and I’d look at him and we’d know exactly what each other’s thinking,” Hollenbach said. “A lot of times something will happen and it will be an inside thing and nobody else will know what just happened. Joel would have. I’m just there like ‘I’m the only one who knows.’”
Ironically, Hollenbach nearly transferred before last season. Injuries and poor play forced the Terps to start him in the 2004 season finale. It was a workmanlike victory over Wake Forest, but enough to keep Hollenbach from leaving. Now he’s the team’s best hope while Jordan Steffy becomes the backup.
“Sam is what you would like your children to be — a high character kid,” Terps coach Ralph Friedgen said. “He’s got all the stats that interest people. Good arm, pretty good release, smart. . . . He has to eliminate the bad plays, keep the good plays in and we have a helluva quarterback. If he would get his running ability into the game it would be a whole new threat to the defense.”
Hollenbach landed awkwardly on his right shoulder in a 28-9 loss to Virginia Tech and wasn’t the same in the final month. Hollenbach and Friedgen conceded it was “definitely a factor” in the poor finish.
“I thought he didn’t play quite the same after the injury,” Friedgen said. “The evolution of [tight end] Vernon Davis and Sam being injured, Sam stopped reading things and started throwing the ball to Vernon. Vernon started seeing double coverage. You have to read your coverage and throw the guys who are open.”
Now Hollenbach tries to avoid exiting without a bowl season in three seasons. The engineering major conceded needing to propel the Terps.
“That pressure is there,” he said. “Last year, the end of the season was a nightmare.”
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
