Ralph Friedgen does not want to take anybody lightly.
The University of Maryland football team opens the season at home tonight at 6 p.m., hosting William & Mary at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium, and even though the Tribe is a Division I-AA opponent, Maryland?s coach is stressing the difficulties that come with every opponent on the schedule.
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“We are at a point in our program where we have got to go out and play each and every week, and every team we play is a valuable win for us,” Friedgen said.
Friedgen said that in order to return to a bowl game after back-to-back 5-6 seasons, the Terps need to win every game they have a chance to win.
“It is one at a time from here on out,” Friedgen said.
The two teams will meet for just the third time ever Saturday and for the first time since 1946. The Tribe lead the Terps, 2-1, in the series and have a 60-year-old two-game winning streak.
“I did not know it was 60 years,” Friedgen said. “It is what it is. It is a football game and no matter who we are playing, we are going to go out and play.”
Friedgen is excited to see his team face off with real opponent after a long preseason.
“They have got to be tired of hitting each other,” Friedgen said.
Despite fielding a young team that is not very deep in some positions, the Terps hold a lot of promise this year.
“We are amped to play William & Mary,” junior safety Christian Varner said.
When Varner looks back at games Maryland lost in 2005 (West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Clemson, in particular), he sees mistakes made by young players, including himself.
“A lot of guys have gotten that experience now. Things are flowing a lot better,” Varner said. “A lot of guys on the defense have the game-time experience, and on both sides of the ball, we have good leadership.”
Junior tailback Lance Ball, who has a few nicks and dings coming out of training camp, said he was most concerned about playing a full four quarters.
“Last year in the fourth quarter, we really didn?t do that good and we really didn?t finish the game,” he said.
William & Mary is opening 2006 after finishing last year at 5-6, like Maryland. Tribe coach Jimmye Laycock said in his press conference Tuesday that it?s tough starting the season not knowing what kind of team he has but that pressure from Maryland will give him a good idea.
According to Laycock, he is worried about Maryland?s overall speed and how it will affect his team.
“They are an upper-echelon team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, one that is well-coached and has outstanding personnel,” Laycock said. “They have more depth, speed, size, and they have more athletes to use for special teams, which gives them more big-play capabilities.”
Friedgen wants his team to play with enthusiasm and aggressiveness and limit the mistakes that came too frequently in 2005.
“I am not underestimating William & Mary by any stretch of the imagination,” Friedgen said. “Coach Jimmye Laycock does a heck of a job. I coached with him. I know him, and I know they will be ready to play. I hope we will be ready to play.”
