On the Docket: Labor Day Special

Maryland vs. Navy (in Baltimore), 4:00, ESPN

Why it matters: Maryland is trying to erase the memory of last year’s 2-10 finish. Navy has its sights set on more than another nine or 10-win season. Terps’ coach Ralph Friedgen is on the hot seat, and a poor showing against the Midshipmen would make the pressure near unbearable. Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs is an extreme darkhorse candidate for the Heisman Trophy, he could use a fast start on national television to boost his profile.

Player to Watch: Da’Rel Scott missed half of last season with a broken wrist, and he never really reached the form of his 2008 season when he earned All-ACC honors with 1,133 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He is the key to Maryland’s offense, especially in the early part of the season while new quarterback Jamarr Robinson gets settled.

Who has the edge?

Navy returns almost its entire running game from a year ago, but it must replace seven starters on defense. Dobbs’ presence gives the Midshipmen the advantage, but Maryland’s run defense was the strongest part of the team last year and it should be better in 2010. The Terrapins played with a lack of heart at times last year, but don’t expect to see too much quit in them today.

Prediction: Navy 31, Maryland 21

Virginia Tech vs. Boise State (in Washington, DC), 8:00 p.m., ESPN

Why it matters: It’s one of two games this weekend matching two top-25 teams, and the only one with two teams in the top 10. Boise State knows a loss will all but eliminate them from the national title hunt. This game is also one more opportunity for the Broncos to prove they belong on a stage like this one. The Hokies have lost a marquee game in the first or second game of the season three years in a row, and have been hearing about it for nine months now. If Frank Beamer wants to take his program to the next level, the Hokies need to start by winning this game.

Player to watch: Kellen Moore put up mind-boggling numbers as the Broncos’ quarterback last season, throwing for 39 touchdowns with just three interceptions. From the returning players offensively, they have 100 percent of last year’s rushing yards and 98 percent of last year’s receiving yards accounted for. Moore has weapons. The Hokies’ defense is throwing seven new starters into the fire to try and contain Moore and the Broncos’ complex offense. Moore has to capitalize on the Hokies’ inexperience to give the Broncos a chance.

Who has the edge? This game is a virtual dead heat. The Broncos are more experienced, but the Hokies are playing at nearby FedExField, which one Tech player described as “like Lane stadium plus 20,000 people.” The Hokies have as much talent offensively as Boise, it’s just a matter of producing. Granted, the Broncos did lead the nation with 42 points per game last season – but they played in the WAC. Both teams are extremely well-coached. Frank Beamer is a legend, but Petersen is one of the best young minds in all of college football. It’s going to be a shootout, but take the Hokies and the home field advantage.

Prediction:

Virginia Tech 38, Boise State 28

#10 Maryland Schedule Breakdown/Final Analysis

Maryland’s 2010 schedule with projected outcomes

Sept. 6 vs. Navy (in Baltimore) – W

Sept. 11 Morgan State – W

Sept. 18 at West Virginia – L

Sept. 25 Florida International – W

Oct. 2 Duke – W

Oct. 16 at Clemson – L

Oct. 23 at Boston College – L

Oct. 30 Wake Forest – W

Nov. 6 at Miami – L

Nov. 13 at Virginia – W

Nov. 20 Florida State – L

Nov. 27 NC State – L

Projected final record: 6-6 (3-5 ACC)

I’m a bit higher on Maryland than most camps across the country, and here’s why:

• The Terps’ linebackers are as good as anyone’s in the ACC. Alex Wujciak is the best linebacker in the ACC against the run, and he’s going to have a monster year. The defense as a whole isn’t outstanding, but it’s solid. Wujciak will make a large portion of the team’s tackles for the third straight year.
• An athletic defensive backfield is untested, but the schedule won’t kill them. Duke, Clemson, Boston College, Wake Forest and Virginia all have suspect passing games.
• Those five games are all winnable for a team that has a proven running game whose biggest obstacle is health. If Da’Rel Scott and Jamarr Robinson remain healthy, that’s a dangerous combination in the backfield. Pair that with an experienced group of receivers that return nine of the top 10 pass-catchers from a year ago, and Maryland has a chance to rebound from a dismal 2009 season.
• That experience is what separates Maryland from the rest of the bottom of the ACC. Wake Forest, Virginia are extremely young, and Duke has unknowns in the backfield and on defense.
• This series of rankings is not necessarily a “power ranking”-style countdown. It reflects the way I think the teams will look by season’s end. We all know that preseason rankings are all-in-all a farce. Maryland has little to nothing that merits much praise heading into this year. The Terps aren’t a sleeper team to win the Atlantic Division, but they won’t roll over for everyone again.

Jamarr Robinson’s speed is something new at Maryland

Quarterbacks

Projected depth chart

QB – #11 Jamarr Robinson, Jr., #18 Danny O’Brien, Fr., #16 C.J. Brown, Fr.

Jamarr Robinson gives Maryland something it hasn't had at quarterback in a while: a true running threat.

When three-year starter Chris Turner went down near the end of his senior season in 2009, Robinson stepped up with virtually no real experience at the collegiate level, and all things considered played very well.

Robinson runs a 4.5 40-yard dash, making him arguably the fastest quarterback in the ACC (and it’s not like there’s no competition for that distinction). He’s a run-first quarterback, but he did complete 54 percent of his passes last year. Nevertheless, with the concerns with the offensive line’s ability to protect the passer, Robinson will be making at least as many plays with his feet as he does with his arm.

Some fans would like to see the freshman O’Brien get the nod. All signs point towards Robinson starting the season under center. It sounded like O’Brien didn’t disappoint in spring practice, but didn’t do nearly enough for Ralph Friedgen to feel comfortable handing him the reins to the offense behind such a questionable line. Robinson is the safe play, and nothing is keeping him from an adequate year.

The Scott McBriens and Sam Hollenbachs of the world haven’t come Maryland’s way recently, and it leave Maryland with its first run-first option as its starting quarterback in Friedgen’s term as coach.

Expect to see Robinson in the shotgun on most occasions, giving him a better look at the back level of the defense and to enable the spread option look, which seems to be the most effective scheme the Terrapins could use, given their personnel.

Robinson isn’t in the upper echelon of league signal callers, but he’s a capable guy to plug at the position for a couple year’s while the program searches for it’s next staple guy.

#10 Terps need Scott to return to 2008 form

Running backs

Projected depth chart (returning starters in bold):

RB – #23 Da’Rel Scott, Sr., #8 Davin Meggett, Jr.

FB -#36 Taylor Watson, Jr., #32 Haroon Brown, Jr.
Scott was supposed to have a huge season in 2009 after earning All-ACC honors as a sophomore with 1,133 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Instead, a broken wrist cost Scott five games and he finished with only 425 yards on the ground.

There is experience behind him, with Davin Meggett back for a third year as a contributor.

Both Scott and Meggett are speedy backs that can escape hoards of defenders and turn short gains into touchdowns. If Scott remains healthy all season, he has a chance to be one of the best backs in the ACC, and that’s high praise in a league full of big-play runners.

It behooves both Scott and Meggett that the Terps are deep at receiver. If they can pass the ball effectively, it will reduce the blows the pair of backs will have to absorb from defenses stacking the box.

Expect to see a lot of spread option looks with Jamarr Robinson at quarterback, giving Maryland one of the fastest backfields in the league.

#10 Maryland: Receiving corps is deep and talented

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Projected depth chart (returning starters in bold):

WR – #82 Torrey Smith, Jr., #17 Quentin McCree, Jr.

WR – #7 Adrian Cannon, Sr., #4 Ronnie Tyler, Jr.

TE – #34 Devonte Campbell, So., #80 Lansford Watson, Jr.

Torrey Smith has a chance to break his own ACC record for kick return yards in a season for the third straight year.

Smith is the primary source of firepower for Maryland, and it doesn’t stop with catching passes. Don’t be surprised to see Smith take the ball out of the backfield a couple of times a game, not to mention his credentials as the league’s best kick returner.

Nine of the top 10 receivers from 2009 are back, making this group a position of great strength for offensive coordinator James Franklin.

Franklin and the rest of the coaches have high hopes for Cannon, who enjoyed a disappointingly average season a year ago, catching 44 passes and four touchdowns. Cannon has NFL potential, standing 6’2’’, 205 lbs., but he needs to improve his production considerably, especially when the defense will devote more of its focus on Smith.

The slot receiver is Tyler, who was third on the team with 28 catches and 346 yards in 2009.

The Terps will have the ability to spread the field; the only question is if quarterback Jamarr Robinson can pass the ball effectively. If Maryland can keep opposing defenses honest with the passing game, their speedy backfield will make the Terrapins’ offense very hard to contain.

#10 Maryland Preview: Terps’ issues lie in the trenches

The upcoming season is do-or-die time for the Maryland football program as we know it. The ACC championship in 2001 is a distant memory, replaced with the more recent images of a destructive 2-10 season a year ago.

The Terrapins are young, though not as young as the 2009 team that played 24 true or redshirt freshmen. The theme of the off-season was losing weight while adding speed and strength. There is not a shortage of talent in the program, though nobody will confuse the Terps’ roster with Miami or Virginia Tech’s.

Basically, the pieces are in place for a more encouraging season in College Park.

Offensive Line

Projected starters (returning starters in bold):

LT – #75 Justin Gilbert, So.

LG – #77 Andrew Gonnella, Jr.

C –  #71 Paul Pinegar, Sr.

RG – #63 Bennett Fulper, So.

RT – #76 R.J. Dill, So.

Paul Pinegar needs to get comfortably quickly at his fourth different position on the offensive line, center.

There are several areas of concern for Maryland, but no issue is more pressing than the offensive line. Bruce Campbell and Phil Costa are no longer in town, and the most experienced returning player is Pinegar, who has started 12 games in his career. And even then, he’s never played center, so it’s anyone’s guess how good he will be. For those of you wondering, no…he’s not the same Paul Pinegar who succeeded David Carr as Fresno State’s quarterback earlier this decade.

Last year the Terrapins’ offense ranked 110^th in sacks allowed. That’s not going to get the job done, especially without the fourth-round NFL draft pick Campbell anchoring the left side. He may have been labeled as lazy, but he was the best option the Terps had.

The best news for Maryland fans is that the Chris Turner, who moved like his shoes were filled with sand, will be replaced at quarterback by Jamarr Robinson, who runs a 4.5-second 40-yard dash. If the protection breaks down as often as it did a year ago, at least Robinson will be more adept at avoiding big losses. He scrambled his way to a 122-yard rushing day against Virginia Tech last year.

Defensive Line

Projected starters (returning starters in bold):

DE – #15 Drew Gloster, Sr.

DT – #72 Joe Vellano, So.

NT – #96 A.J. Francis, So.

DE – #95 Justin Anderson, So.

A.J. Francis had more tackles as a freshman in 2009 than the rest of the returning defensive linemen on the roster had combined.

There’s a prevailing theme running through the lower-ranked teams in my countdown of the ACC, and that is inexperience. The teams near the bottom are hurting for veteran leadership, and that continues with Maryland’s defensive line, where only Francis has a respectable track record.

Francis will be the anchor of the line. He earned freshman All-American honors in 2009. He made 31 tackles in 10 starts, and could be poised for an even bigger season in 2010.

Gloster was once a prime-time recruit who has been hamstrung by academic trouble throughout his career. He began his career at tight end before making a pit stop at linebacker and hopes to salvage his career at defensive end.

Vellano played in only fives games last season, recording one tackle. Anderson also played in five games, recording three tackles. When half of your defensive line has four career tackles between them, the warning flag is as red as the Terps’ home uniform.

Quarterback issues dominate spring practices

There’s a fine line between holding the reins to the offense and holding a clipboard.

During spring practices across the ACC, the starting quarterback job, backup job, or both were up for grabs.

In reality, only three teams could guarantee before spring practice “(Player X) will be our guy next year.”

Injury concerns, the draw of another sport, or simply lack of production had some coaches worried entering the spring.

Three projected starters missed some or all of spring practice altogether.

Two-sport stars

The most prominent storylines concerning the guys under center revolved around the baseball field. North Carolina State’s Russell Wilson and Clemson’s Kyle Parker both have promising careers on the diamond.

While Wilson maintained his focus entirely on baseball, Parker did double duty.

It’s unknown whether Clemson coach Dabo Swinney spent more time in the office watching film or in Parker’a apartment begging him to not give up football.

Tajh Boyd is simply not close to ready to be the starter. He completed 8 of 25 passes in the spring game, and all the talk out of Clemson this spring was his lack of progress. Parker has NFL-caliber skills that the Tigers desperately need.

In Wilson’s absence at NC State, Mike Glennon got a chance to shine. He wrapped up an extremely productive spring with 423 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Glennon is a more prototypical Tom O’Brien quarterback – he’s drawn comparisons to Matt Ryan, whom O’Brien coached in Ryan’s early years at Boston College – but Wilson is an extremely accurate quarterback who puts up impressive numbers.

Though it’s not Wilson’s fault directly, it’s hard to avoid the fact that he has a losing record as a starter. O’Brien hasn’t been on the hot seat, but with a new athletic director entering the fold soon, you’d have to think the pressure on O’Brien to win more games just got a little higher.

Struggling starters

At Virginia, Marc Verica did little to prove that he can be a steady performer this season. In 2008, Verica completed nearly 64 percent of his passes, but also threw twice as many interceptions (16) as touchdowns (8). In the spring game, which barely lasted an hour in front of a crowd no larger than 3,000, Verica completed only 8 of 23 passes. Several of his incompletions were very poorly thrown balls. There were several miscommunication mistakes between him and the receivers, but it’s impossible to tell who to blame in those situations.

Meanwhile, Verica’s backups, freshmen Ross Metheny and Michael Strauss each threw a touchdown pass and moved the offense better than Verica.

The Cavaliers are already going to be putrid on offense this year, why shouldn’t Mike London start off his regime with a young quarterback and let him grow in the system?

There is a serious quarterback controversy in Chapel Hill. T.J. Yates continued his inconsistent performance of the last two years this spring, while redshirt freshman Bryn Renner did nothing but look like the best quarterback in Tar Heel blue. Renner has much more mobility than Yates and a stronger arm.

Renner also was a part-time baseball player, but his football workouts were so impressive that the coaches convinced him to give up the diamond. If that’s not a sign the coaches are seriously considering supplanting Yates as the starter with Renner, who knows what is.

Yates has a leg up experience-wise, which is crucial because North Carolina’s defense is going to be downright nasty this year. They may not need to take a risk on a young quarterback that has never seen game action before. That being said, Yates has not exactly played like the seasoned veteran he is.

It doesn’t seem to be a matter of who will earn the starting job by the season opener (against LSU in Atlanta), but how long Yates will hold off before giving way to the budding star.

In Maryland, Jamarr Robinson started a few games down the stretch for the Terps, and was in large part a glorified running back. He was a good one, though. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry, but also threw two touchdowns with no interceptions. He entered the spring as the consensus choice to be the starter.

Danny O’Brien made the decision a little harder, though. He showed he is a very intelligent and safe player, something something coach Ralph Friedgen loves,

but he might not have enough physical tools to take over for Robinson just yet. There were a few other competitors for the job including C.J. Brown, but it looks like Robinson has done just enough to earn the job.

Up north, David Shinskie had to convince the Boston College coaching staff that he can make huge strides in his second year as the Eagles’ quarterback. Shinskie was downright awful against the toughest opponents last year, but down the stretch of the season was playing fairly well.

The Raycom Sports BC blog had this to say about Shinskie and his competition in the spring game — After Shinskie, (Mike) Marscovetra came on and put on a show. I had my doubts about the sophomore from Oakland, NJ and his ability to lead this team, but all doubts flew out the window after a few drives he was able to produce. Most of his throws were on target and his pocket presence was near immaculate. Marscovetra could have vaulted himself into a great position to be the starter for the Eagles this fall.

Shinskie is a former minor league baseball player that showed his rust a year ago. Marscovetra is a sophomore who has done nothing but play well in limited action.

He has the look of a three-year starter in the garnet and gold.

Injury concerns

Injuries plagued Florida State, Duke and Miami. Christian Ponder admits he is still not 100 percent following spring practice. However, Ponder was good enough to put the rest the notion that backup E.J. Manuel is a threat to the starting job.

Sean Renfree missed all of spring practice while recovering from a torn ACL for Duke. Meanwhile, the guys behind him on the depth chart looked, well…awful. It was an unproductive spring in Durham while coach David Cutcliffe can only hope for a full recovery from Renfree.

Jacory Harris also missed spring practice with a thumb injury that was surgically repaired after the season. There is nothing unsafe about his job, but it was another example of an ACC quarterback missing practice.