This is an important season for the University of Maryland football team, and head coach Ralph Friedgen knows it. After a glorious run of success early in Friedgen?s Maryland tenure, the team has recorded 5-6 records in 2004 and 2005.
At Maryland media day Monday afternoon, before the team?s first practice of the season, Friedgen acknowledged the significance of this fall.
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“I think it is a very important season,” said Friedgen, whose first three teams in College Park each won at least 10 games and went to bowl games.
Friedgen, a Maryland alum who is in his sixth year at the helm, will have direct control over the Terps? offense this season after former offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe resigned in February. Friedgen said that he favors an eclectic style of play-calling because he gets bored doing the same things over and over.
“Players are complaining that we never run the same play twice, the same way,” he said. “I like variety.”
In the last few seasons, Friedgen got too much variety at quarterback, a position where no one has truly established themselves since Scott McBrien led the Terps to a 41-7 win over West Virginia in the 2004 Gator Bowl. This season, senior Sam Hollenbach is the definite starter, giving the team an experienced quarterback under center.
“He can be one of the strengths of this team,” Friedgen said.
Starting 10 games in 2005, Hollenbach passed for 2,539 yards and 13 touchdowns, but also had 15 interceptions. Friedgen said that Hollenbach has the tools, but he needs to limit his mistakes.
“I had a really good experience from last year,” Hollenbach said. “It is really going to help me. I am just concentrating on the things I am coached to do: make plays and get the ball in the hands of our playmakers.”
Hollenbach said working with Friedgen has been a different experience this year as opposed to previous ones.
“We have grown a lot, and our relationship has gotten a lot better,” Hollenbach said.
Hollenbach will only go as far as his receivers will carry him. The group is a young bunch.
“I like the talent, I like the athleticism and I like the speed, but there is very little experience there,” Friedgen said. “They have got to block for the running game and they need to make plays,” Friedgen said.
The Terps? running game will get a boost with the return of tailback Josh Allen. He will be joined in the backfield by Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore.
“We always had a pretty strong run game,” said Lattimore, the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis. “We want to keep that factor going and keep running the ball. I think we are going to shock some people.”
