1st and Ten – Missing the Man
– It didn’t take long for the Terp defensive coaching staff
to understand what they had in former linebacker D’Qwell
Jackson. If it moved, he tackled it. The entire defense seemed
to funnel everything back into Jackson; they relied on #52 to be
the stopper. But, as he leaves a lasting legacy, he also leaves
a massive hole in this defense. Just as the coaching staff
didn’t lose much sleep when EJ Henderson went to the NFL prior
to Jackson’s arrival on the scene, don’t believe that they’ll be
wallowing in the mire, crying for Jackson to return. They’re
fairly confident that linebacking corps will be solid. As such,
David Holloway could be the next All-ACC linebacker for the
Terps. The 6’2, 220 pound speedster could actually be a strong
safety with the way that he can run, but for the Terps, his
speed at the linebacker spot is exactly what they build their
defense around. Holloway had 61 tackles last season. If he’s
not the playmaker in Jackson’s mold, it might be the much-hyped
Wesley Jefferson. As a redshirt sophomore, he tacked on 57
tackles and should take over the middle linebacker spot this
fall. There’s no more waiting for Jefferson to step up and
fulfill his enormous potential; it’s time for the young man to
take control of this defense in Jackson’s void. Perhaps the
reality of the situation is that Jackson is an irreplaceable
entity and that neither Holloway nor Jefferson can adequately
replace him. Well, no one is irreplaceable, but then again,
Maryland will definitely be missing the Man, if the Maryland
linebackers don’t respond to the pressure of leading this
defense in 2006.
2nd and Seven – Stretch
Armstrong – Unfortunately, the Terps don’t have the services
of one Stretch Armstrong, so they’ll be searching for a
downfield threat who can stretch the field deep downfield.
Surprisingly, the one player who really opened things up
downfield consistently last year was tight end specimen Vernon
Davis. In a BCS conference, if your team can’t push defenses
downfield, they won’t win four games. If the safeties can sit
12 yards from the line of scrimmage and stay on top of the
receivers, all the while, still be a major factor in the run
defense game plan, your offense is going to be in trouble.
Luckily, the Terps do have some receivers who can run – Derrius
Heyward-Bey can fly, but is he going to be consistent enough of
a threat to force defensive backs to be on their heels more than
they’d like? He’d better be. If not, then Danny Oquendo (a
track hurdler) and/or Drew Weatherly will have to fill that role
for Maryland QB Sam Hollenbach.
3rd and Three – Four on
lockdown – For the past three years, the Maryland pass
defense has been strong, to say the least. In each of those
three years, the Terps haven’t given up more than 185 yards per
game through the air. Sure, it’s helped to have DBs like
Dominique Foxworth, Gerrick McPhearson and Madieu Williams
patrolling the secondary. Last year, the keys to the secondary
were handed over to cornerback Josh Wilson. The senior is one
of the best cover corners in the ACC and should challenge for
first team All-ACC honors. Last year, he racked up 73 tackles
and broke up eight passes, the returning leader for the Terps in
2006 in those categories. With McPhearson off to the NFL, the
spot opposite Wilson will see a significant share of the action,
but if teams dare to test Wilson, it might not work out well for
them.
4th and One – The Fridge is
back – Sitting in the Georgia Tech locker room back in 1999,
graduate assistant John Donovan (now Maryland’s QB coach) pulled
out a binder that looked like the New York City phone book.
When pressed as to what that monstrosity was, Donovan responded
with “that’s Ralph’s playbook”. Shoot, are those pages
single-sided? Ralph Friedgen’s playbook was only rivaled by a
copy of War and Peace, but Ralph always put it to good use when
he was the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, among other
coaching stops. Some coaches have a knack of knowing what play
to call, at the right time with the right personnel on the
field. His experience calling plays in the NFL with the
Chargers helped him to take advantage of matchups. Whoa, hold
on, he’s the head coach, not the offensive coordinator any
more. Sure, he’s the head man, but after some coaching staff
maneuvering, it looks more and more like Friedgen will be
calling the offensive plays this fall. Considering how the
Maryland offense has struggled at times the last two years, the
Terps need his presence with the play card in his hand. Even if
Friedgen doesn’t have the absolute final say for the play call,
the timing of his being more involved with the offense coincides
with this being Friedgen’s most critical year in College Park.