Eric Prisbell
Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen is not expected to make significant personnel changes for Saturday's game against California, but in the days following the worst loss of his head coaching career, Friedgen has privately delivered clear messages to a handful of players: perform better or lose playing time. Offensive coordinator James Franklin echoed Friedgen's remarks, saying that apart from center Edwin Williams, "no one's job is in stone" and that it remains a "daily and weekly battle to decide who will be on the field. Some of our guys sometimes think because they are seniors or because they are starters last year, it's their job. That's not reality. We all have to be accountable to one another. No one is above the law." Maryland's players and coaches yesterday heaped praise on their next opponent, a 23rd-ranked Golden Bears team averaging 52 points per game, but the residue from Saturday's stunning 24-14 loss at Middle Tennessee remained. Friedgen said he has been "very positive" with his players since the loss and told them that he did not do a good job preparing them for the Blue Raiders.
Friedgen repeated that he viewed Middle Tennessee as dangerous long before Saturday's game kicked off but failed to communicate that message effectively to his team. He said watching the game unfold was "like seeing a train wreck and you can't do anything about it; that is what was frustrating. I am hoping our kids will have a little more faith and belief in me." A defense already reeling from Saturday's defeat received another setback yesterday when it was learned that free safety Terrell Skinner will miss two to three weeks after suffering a high-ankle sprain against Middle Tennessee. Sophomore Antwine Perez, a transfer from Southern California, will take Skinner's spot. One problem that arose during Saturday's loss was poor defensive communication, occasional lapses that made it difficult for Maryland to combat Middle Tennessee's offense. The Blue Raiders controlled the ball for two-thirds of the game, and quarterback Joe Craddock completed 28 passes, threw for 256 yards and consistently found open receivers to sustain drives.
At times, Middle Tennessee rushed to the line of scrimmage to snap the ball before Maryland had properly aligned its defense. At other times, the Blue Raiders rushed to the line, only to evaluate Maryland's defense, let the play clock run and ultimately change the play. When the Terrapins tried to adjust, signals were crossed.
"When rushing around, everyone tends not to be focused," defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre said. "That definitely bothered us. We would hurry to the line of scrimmage and then the quarterback would take 20 seconds and change the play. But if we didn't hurry, they'd call the play right away. Defensive back Jeff Allen said communication was the first thing Maryland focused on during Monday's practice. He said players need to look to the sideline longer to pick up signals and also communicate to one another on the field better before the ball is snapped. Friedgen said some of the defensive players are "introverts back there and it is not easy for them to come out and be vocal. They have to do that."
Another issue that arose was Maryland's lack of pressure on the quarterback. Middle Tennessee Coach Rick Stockstill said Monday that he was surprised Maryland did not rush his quarterback more, especially with his offensive line being so young. At times, the Blue Raiders had two redshirt freshmen and two true freshmen on the offensive line.
"Toward the middle of the second quarter and into the second half, their pass rush was a non-factor," Stockstill said. "We had a lot of time to sit back there and throw the ball." Friedgen said Middle Tennessee's offense, which consisted of several screen passes and three-step drops, made it more difficult to blitz, but he added that "we obviously would like to blitz more and get more pressure, especially on third down. When we have gotten pressure, we missed the sack. We missed two sacks Saturday and we missed a couple against Delaware." Players and coaches presented a united front yesterday, saying that their only chance for redemption comes in their next game. "It is going to take character, not only by our players but also by our coaches," Friedgen said. "We have to focus. We can't do anything about what happened last week, but we sure as hell can do something about what will happen in the future."
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