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Terps

Defense with no answers, Terps lose 42-32

If it couldn’t get any worse than the opener against Cal, the Terrapins’ first-half effort in Winston-Salem came close. Maryland fell behind 35-10 at halftime and couldn’t recover as Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner threw for 360 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Demon Deacons to a 42-32 victory. The Wake Forest offense simply marched up and down the field throughout the half with little resistance. Don Brown’s defense surrendered 516 total yards for the game and did not force a punt until late in the second quarter. Terps quarterback Chris Turner passed for 307 yards, but much of it came after Maryland was forced to abandon the running game after falling behind early. The senior tossed two scores to Adrian Cannon and another to Torrey Smith. The loss ends the Terps’ brief stay at the top of the ACC Atlantic Division and brings their record to 2-4. Next week, the Terps return to College Park for Homecoming Weekend to take on Virginia. If you’re interested in joining WNST and Terps fanatic Glenn Clark for our bus trip to the game, check out the trips section at the top of the page. You can check out tonight’s box score

Turnover Terrapins: 5 turnovers plague MD in 34-13 loss

Another week but the same story for the Maryland Terrapins. Five Maryland turnovers led to 14 Rutgers points, as the Scarlet Knights knocked off the Terps in College Park, 34-13. Though passing for 271 yards and a touchdown to LaQuan Williams, quarterback Chris Turner threw three interceptions—one of them returned for a touchdown by Antonio Lowery on the first play from scrimmage—and fumbled in the end zone, recovered by George Johnson for another Rutgers score. Despite the senior’s poor performance, head coach Ralph Friedgen did not want to place blame solely on his quarterback’s shoulders, noting that everyone played poorly on the offensive side of the ball. “Other guys have to be in the right places and do the right things, too,” he said. Maryland actually led at halftime, 13-10, on the shoulders of an improved defense that played on a short field for most of the game. Don Brown’s unit had a goal-line stand in the second half, keeping the Terps ahead, 13-10, with 7:08 remaining in the third quarter. After allowing over 400 yards in each of the first three games on the schedule, the Maryland defense held Rutgers—playing without starting quarterback Tom Savage—to only 249 total yards

Maryland-Rutgers Preview: Trying to right the ship with ACC play around the corner

With the start of conference play looming next Saturday, the University of Maryland will try to right its disappointing season against Rutgers in College Park on Saturday afternoon. Having lost two of their first three games and needing overtime to secure their lone win against James Madison, the Terps (1-2) face Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights (2-1, 0-1 in conference play) out of the Big East. Rutgers hopes to be a contender in the Big East this season despite being blown out in the opener against Cincinnati, 47-15. Defensive struggles continue to plague the Terps, as the inexperienced unit has battled injuries in the secondary and has surrendered a total of 119 points and over 400 yards in each of its first three games. New coordinator Don Brown saw his defense wilt in the fourth quarter against Middle Tennessee State last week, allowing the Blue Raiders to march down the field in the closing seconds to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired. Though Rutgers comes from a BCS conference—unlike James Madison and Middle Tennessee State—the Maryland defense may actually catch a break facing a more traditional offense this week  after facing spread offenses in the last two games. The

Maryland-Middle Tenn. St.: Preview and Injury Report

Head coach Ralph Friedgen and the Terps will have revenge on their minds when Middle Tennessee State comes to College Park on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Last season’s 24-14 loss was a difficult pill to swallow for Terps fans, but with injuries and inexperience plaguing Maryland (1-1) in the early stages of 2009, will lightning strike twice? The Terps will again be without left tackle Bruce Campbell and safety Jamari McCollough, but last week’s 38-35 overtime victory over James Madison also brought the loss of senior co-captain Nolan Carroll for the remainder of the season. The cornerback broke his tibia and will be replaced by sophomore Cameron Chism in the starting lineup. Not only does Carroll’s loss hurt what was once considered an experienced secondary, but the Terps must also replace the senior’s leadership. Friedgen believes his players were inspired to finish strongly against James Madison following the injury, but what will be the long-term effect on a defense that has surrendered 87 points in its first two games? Maryland will again face a run-oriented attack led by quarterback Dwight Dasher after struggling against James Madison’s Drew Dudzik and the spread-option last week.  In Middle Tennessee State’s 31-14 victory

Live from College Park: Maryland beats JMU in OT, 38-35

11:07 p.m. — The Terps (1-1) will now face Middle Tennessee State next Saturday and will attempt to extract some revenge after the FCS school upset them a year ago. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. You can check out the final box score of tonight’s game right here. 11:04 p.m. — The big play of the first half was Torrey Smith’s 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but apparently two teammates inadvertently opened a running lane for him on the big play. Smith said two members of the return team ran into each other, and it actually created a path through which he could run. When asked about the offense’s morale after Turner through the “pick-6,” Smith mentioned how most members of the offense came together on the sideline. “We’ve been here before,” he said.  “We can come back and tie it up.” 11:01 p.m. — Freshman Nick Ferrara may still be adjusting to life as a freshman in College Park, but he’s the big man on campus tonight after hitting the game-winning 26-yard field goal in overtime. Ferrara said it was his first game-winning kick, including high school.  When the game went into overtime, he thought to himself,

Maryland-James Madison Preview: Terps trying to put nightmarish opener to rest

Even the most optimistic of Maryland fans would have to look long and hard to find any positives stemming from last Saturday night’s horrific 52-13 beating at the hands of California. And they still wouldn’t find any. The Terrapins (0-1) will try to put the blowout behind them, as they return to College Park for their home opener against FCS (formerly 1-AA) power James Madison (0-0).  Byrd Stadium will look a little different with the upgraded Tyser Tower housing new suites and a new press box after nearly two years of renovations. An early encounter with a FCS school was formerly considered to be a pseudo bye week for major conference schools, but the myth vanished with Appalachian State’s upset of Michigan two years ago, and the message hit much closer to home last season when the Terps dropped a road game to Middle Tennessee State—next week’s opponent. The Dukes are defending CAA champions and advanced to the FCS semifinals before falling to Montana a year ago.  Mickey Matthews begins his 11th year as head coach and led James Madison to the 1-AA national championship in 2004. Ralph Friedgen’s Terps will attempt to rebound from a rough performance in all

Terps shelled by Cal in opener, 52-13

The Maryland Terrapins traveled to Berkeley to face No. 12 Cal as 21-point underdogs, and they looked like it on Saturday night. The Golden Bears crushed the Terps, 52-13, handing head coach Ralph Friedgen his worst opening-game loss at Maryland.  Kevin Riley threw four touchdown passes and Jahvid Best ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns, as Cal accumulated 542 yards of offense compared to only 303 for Maryland. Terps quarterback Chris Turner was sacked seven times and could not ignite a Maryland offense that fell behind early in the first quarter.  Maryland’s lone touchdown came on a 39-yard rush from Da’Rel Scott in the third quarter. The young Maryland offensive line failed to provide adequate protection, and new defensive coordinator Don Brown had no answers for Jeff Tedford’s explosive attack. Maryland (0-1) will now return to College Park to take on James Madison in the home opener. You can browse the ugly box score here. 1:16 a.m. – This one mercifully comes to an end as Cal crushes the Terrapins, 52-13.  I’ll be back with a brief wrap-up in a few minutes. What is there to really say about this one? 1:14 a.m. – Robinson and the offense picks

Running game shines in Terps’ second scrimmage

With the season opener against Cal less than two weeks away, the Maryland Terrapins conducted their second scrimmage of the preseason at Byrd Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Terps played three 15-minute quarters with the first-team offense mostly matching up against the second-team defense and the starting defense battling the second offense. With only two starters returning on the offensive line, head coach Ralph Friedgen was pleased to see improved production in the running game.  First-team All-ACC running back Da’Rel Scott carried four times for 33 yards while top backup Davin Meggett had five carries for 45 yards. Running back Gary Douglas was the star of the afternoon, rushing for 122 yards on 17 carries as he continues to battle Morgan Green for the third running back job.  The coaching staff really tested Douglas’ stamina in one series, giving him the ball seven times in an eight-play stretch.  Friedgen is high on Douglas, describing him as the most elusive runner on the team.  Green carried 10 times for 56 yards. True freshman Caleb Porzel showed an impressive burst while carrying six times for 26 yards.  His 35-yard touchdown run was negated by a penalty, but Friedgen said it will be very

5 Ws and 1 H

I hope you’re having a relaxing Memorial Day weekend.  In addition to the cookouts, sports, and fun with family and friends this weekend, let’s be sure to remember the fine men and women serving our great country throughout the world. With this in mind, it was great seeing Hall of Famer Bob Feller on the Orioles-Nationals telecast this afternoon.  At 90 years old, Feller has amazingly spent over half his life as a member of the Hall of Fame (inducted in 1962).  That’s just hard to comprehend! In addition to his remarkable career with the Cleveland Indians, which included a no-hitter on Opening Day in 1940, Feller served four years in the U.S. Navy.  He put his baseball career on hold immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, enlisting on Dec. 8, 1941.  That’s the stuff of a true hero. Now, it’s time for the 5 Ws and 1 H for the week: 1.  Who have you most enjoyed watching in the NBA Playoffs this year? Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are the obvious headliners, but Orlando’s Dwight Howard has been a man among boys in the paint (averaging 16.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game), and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony

5 Ws and 1 H

It’s easy to call the 134th Preakness a failure, but it would be more prudent to give the Maryland Jockey Club another year or two to see what can be done to bring the masses back to Pimlico.  The decision to prohibit patrons from bringing their own alcohol was obviously a major change to the culture of the Preakness, but creative thinking should be able to revive attendance. However, will officials have another year or two to accomplish this?  It remains to be seen with the bankruptcy of Magna Entertainment Corp., the owner of Pimlico.  The state government is taking measures to keep the Preakness in Baltimore, but nothing is a sure thing at this point. Here are the 5 Ws and 1 H for the week: 1.  Who do you expect to be in the Orioles’ starting rotation by year’s end?  We’ve already seen two of the five Opening Day rotation members (Alredo Simon and Mark Hendrickson) replaced, and more changes are sure to come as the season continues. The next starter on the chopping block would logically be Adam Eaton (2-4, 7.93 ERA).  The most likely candidates for a promotion at this point are Chris Tillman (4-0, 2.03

5 Ws and 1 H

Here are the 5 Ws and 1 H floating around in my head on Thursday night: 1. Who will be the Ravens kicker this season? Steve Hauschka performed well kicking off last season but only attempted two field goals, making a 54-yarder and missing the other from 52. Rookie free agent Graham Gano has a huge leg and had a brilliant season at Florida State, hitting 24 of 26 field goals. It was clear Matt Stover lost a great deal of range last season, but you always knew what you were going to get from him.  Anything inside 45 yards was automatic.  For a team with visions of a Super Bowl, a kicker can make or break the season.  Just ask the 2000 Tennessee Titans. The battle between Hauschka and Gano will be unlike anything we’ve seen in the 14-year history of the team, as the Ravens will search for their second starting kicker in franchise history. 2. What was the original purpose of the dirt path between the pitching mound and home plate in early-1900s ballparks?  For nostalgia, you’ll find the dirt strip at Comerica Park and Chase Field. I was watching the Yankees-Tigers game last night when the

Spend a moment in their shoes

As I watched Brad Bergesen jog in from the Orioles bullpen before the start of his major league debut on Tuesday night, I began to imagine what he was thinking and feeling at that very moment. Was he remembering that time in the backyard when he thought about playing in the big leagues? Did he ask himself if this was all a dream? Most of us that avidly follow sports have imagined being in a similar position at some point in our lives.  We dreamed of making our major league debut, or throwing the game-winning touchdown pass with two minutes to go, or even sinking both free throws to force overtime. Though 99.5 percent of us never see these dreams come to fruition–unless including little league, high school, or Saturday mornings at the YMCA–it’s still a blast wondering what it would be like to be that certain athlete at that certain time.  It would be astonishing just to walk–or run–a few moments in their shoes. In this blog, you have the opportunity to choose any Baltimore-centered athlete from the past or present and enjoy a moment in his (or her) shoes. Whom would you choose, and what moment would it be?  It has

Steve Bisciotti’s Thursday dilemma: Ray or Gary?

I sorta knew that Bob Haynie’s “schlep rock” (or whatever the hell he calls it) would be at work on the Maryland Terps this weekend when the Baltimore Ravens called a 4 p.m. Thursday press conference in Owings Mills to march Ray Lewis out to the local firing squad for questions about loyalty, community, commitment, Hall of Fame inevitability and his future plans as a “Baltimorean” among other inquires. But now word broke around 11 p.m. last night that the Maryland Terps will be in the second half of their game against the California Golden Bears in Kansas City at that hour on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. So, that begs the question, where will Steve Bisciotti be at 4 p.m. on Thursday? Hmmmm… Bisciotti broke his long silence on the Gary Williams/friendship/support/vote of confidence front last week, getting front page love in The Sun with “I love Gary” quotes and basically stating that the reason he’s a Maryland financial backer during these tough economic times is because Gary Williams is the coach. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I gotta think Bisciotti’s never, ever missed a March Madness postseason game? He’s the biggest Terp fan

Baltimore still has three chances to dance in NCAA bracket madness

Clearly, it has not been a banner year on the local men’s basketball circuit. Maryland has been a choppy, up-and-down ride for three months. UMBC, Towson, Loyola and Coppin have all been disappointing during the regular season, to say the least. And Morgan State, again the best team in their conference, has been the most consistent squad since November, even managing to slay the giants from College Park along the way. But, in the world of March Madness and conference tournaments, it’s these last-gasp few days of “Tournament Week” that decide the true “success” of a men’s basketball teams’ season. Towson and Coppin went on little runs but came up short. The Terps have won a pair of games in the last 48 hours to now have a legitimate hope that they’ll be dancing on Thursday or Friday. With just more than 24 hours remaining before the NCAA committee fills out the only brackets that matter, our state and region still has three chances to “dance.” UMBC starts things at 11 a.m. this morning with a tall task of going to a nutty gym in Binghamton, N.Y. to slay the No. 1 team in America East on ESPN2. As you

Oh, the weather outside is frightful…

Just five weeks from today, the Yankees fans will descend on downtown and the bunting will be out and the Orioles will celebrate Opening Day. Today, however, I’m sitting here having my first cup of coffee of the week, watching an absolutely stunning beautiful snow event, listening to Drew and Glenn talk about the Terps and Ray Lewis and watching all of the local TV talking heads continue a sick, little Baltimore tradition: “It’s snowing! STOP EVERYTHING!” And if Don and Marty are going to freak out over schools being closed and no one is going to work, then the least I can do is blog and tell you that I’M GOING TO WORK! And I hope you tune me in at 2 p.m.! And today is the first snowstorm day when our website is a destination or a way to reach the radio at home because I have a feeling rush hour traffic will be limited. Especially when for 40 years every time it’s ever snowed in Baltimore, all of the TV stations freeze and they tell everyone to basically “take the day off.” I don’t know how it works in your office, but most people are happy to

Now The Washington Post is piling on Gary Williams

Another missile comes flying onto Route 1 and into the Comcast Center every day it seems, as Maryland Terps head coach Gary Williams contunues to get pelted for the poor recruiting and lack of success in the ACC and in getting the Terps back off of “the bubble” and into the NCAA Tournament and March Madness. Today, it’s The Washington Post’s turn to begin what could be a lengthy series about how the Terps have fallen from the nation’s elite on the hardwood. Clearly, Williams’ personality has been an acquired taste for many in the regional media and now that the team has lost its way on the floor, many who have been stung by him in the past are taking their turns using him like a pinata. Today’s piece is a long, magazine-style take on the plight of the Terps.

More national media pile on Gary Williams

The story about Kendall Marshall is now a few days old but it’s making the email rounds so I thought I’d pass it along for your Terps reading. Penned by Jason King of Yahoo! Sports, this is an interesting read from an interesting perspective. Most of Gary Williams’ critics would say it’s a recruiting issue, the team’s demise from the elite of the ACC and the absence from March Madness annually. I’m just passing it along.

5 Ws and 1 H

I hope you’re having a relaxing Memorial Day weekend.  In addition to the cookouts, sports, and fun with family and

5 Ws and 1 H

It’s easy to call the 134th Preakness a failure, but it would be more prudent to give the Maryland Jockey

5 Ws and 1 H

Here are the 5 Ws and 1 H floating around in my head on Thursday night: 1. Who will be

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