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Maryland Preview
This Maryland team has been Jekyll and Hyde this season. The offense awful for two games but has come alive in their past two contests. The Terps have played OK at home but looked pitiful on the road in the loss to Middle Tennessee State. The run defense is not bad but the pass defense is pathetic partly due to injury. Maryland was an eye sore for football enthusiasts against MTSU but played the game beautifully against Cal.

It has truly been an up and down effort so far for Ralph Friedgen’s bunch in 2008.

In the areas where Maryland is good, they are very good but they have deficiencies that teams have been able to exploit so far this season.

The Terps are very good along the offensive line and wide receiver. If Da’ Rel Scott is healthy then they are good at running back. If Chris Turner gets into a rhythm, they are good but not great at quarterback.

The Terps have a big, physical and experienced offensive line. Edwin Williams (6-3, 315, Sr) might be the best center in the Atlantic Coast Conference. We all know what Alabama did with an NFL prospect at center. Three other seniors, left tackle Scott Burley (6-5, 335), left guard Jamie Thomas (6-4, 330) and right tackle Dane Randolph (6-5, 300) are seniors. Junior right guard Phil Costa (6-3, 300) rounds out what might be the best offensive line in the conference.

Maryland always features huge tight ends and this year’s group of Dan Gronkowski (6-6, 255, Sr) and Tommy Gault (6-5, 260, Jr) join a couple of freshmen in making this a very good group of tight ends.

The biggest weapon to be concerned about Saturday is speedy wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (6-3, 206, Jr). This is perhaps a first round draft pick who could stretch almost any defense in America. Maryland is solid with the supporting casts of wide outs with Isaiah Williams (6-3, 200, Sr) and Danny Oquendo (6-0, 190, Sr).

Da’Rel Scott (5-11, 192, So) is the best Terrapin back I have seen under this staff. He has all of the tools to have a huge season but missed the Eastern Michigan game with a shoulder injury. Scott is expected to be back for Saturday’s game in Death Valley. Davin Meggett (5-8, 210, Fr) is a talented freshman but there is a drop off in ability from Scott to Meggett.

The Terps offense has looked better in the past two games because Chris Turner (6-4, 210, Jr) has settled back in at quarterback. Turner’s game is built upon confidence. When he has confidence Maryland can be explosive on offense. They also have a package for backup Josh Portis (6-4, 210, Jr) who is the more athletic of the pair.

Part of Maryland’s problems on defense comes from injuries. Free safety Terrell Skinner is likely to return from a high ankle sprain. Cornerback Nolan Carroll is questionable with an ankle injury. Reserve safety Drew Robinson has had shoulder issues but should be back. The Terps’ cornerback Richard Taylor and safety Dominique Herald were lost to season ending knee injuries also.

The Terps say defensive end Mack Frost of Columbia, SC (knee) and linebacker Adrian Moten (wrist) are questionable for Saturday but defensive tackle Travis Ivey (foot) is probable.

Maryland has not engineered much of a pass rush to help the secondary thus has yielded 279.3 yards a game (109th in the country).

Senior defensive end Jeremy Navarre (6-3, 285, Sr) and linebacker Trey Covington (6-3, 240, Sr) join All-ACC candidate Dave Philistin (6-2, 231, Sr) to give the Terps three senior leaders on defense.

Maryland has enough issues on defense though that Clemson should be able to exploit them and put up yards and points Saturday. Eastern Michigan had 25 first downs, 453 total yards and 282 yards through the air against Maryland last Saturday. Cal had 26 first downs, 461 yards of total offense and 423 yards through the air on the Terps.

I keep going back to the stat that I just can’t get out of my mind. Against Middle Tennessee State the Terps had the ball only 20 minutes while MTSU controlled the ball 40 minutes in the Blue Raiders 24-14 win. One observer of that game told me the score was not indicative of just how dominating Middle Tennessee was.

Since Monday I have flip-flopped on the idea of this being a big game. It is an ACC game. It is a home game and it is not against a D-IAA team.

I go back and remember some of the things Maryland fans said and did to us in recent trips to College Park and try to convince myself that this is a big game.

I try to tell myself that Maryland is the kind of team that gives Clemson fits because they are physical bunch.

I keep repeating in my head that Saturday may be a war because Clemson is so young and so banged up on the offensive line.

But I also realize Maryland is 11th in the league in total defense. They give up 63 more yards through the air per game than the 11th place team in the ACC. I keep remembering that Maryland special teams have struggled including 3-8 on field goal attempts.

This is a must win because without this win Clemson’s game with Wake Forest means much less. It is a must win for Bowden because he does not need to go through a week trying to convince players, fans and the media that this is team that is still in contention to win the league.

Simply stated Clemson has to win this football game. But it will because it is in Death Valley and Clemson is the better football team. This year we do not need James Davis to guarantee a win. I will handle that chore for him.

This game is bigger than The Citadel and SC State. It is even bigger than NC State because Maryland is better than the Wolfpack. But this is only a big game because a loss would take away the chance at true big games that wait right around the corner.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Comments:

You answered your own question at the end of your blog. It is a HUGE game. Every game is huge now and we simply cannot afford a loss. We get by Md...we get a week of to heal and prepare for a big road test at night.

Posted by SaltyTiger on September 24, 2008 at 05:02 PM EDT #

I hope you are right, but I also remember the last time they came to Death Valley when we were a "lock" to win the game. Please don't let that happen again, Tigers!

Posted by Locotiger on September 24, 2008 at 05:15 PM EDT #

Nice analysis. Thanks for guaranteeing the win, because I've been having nightmares about that 13-12 loss in Death Valley in 2006. Maybe now I can get some sleep. Clemson by 8, if both teams play well. Big if. Big game.

Posted by Razzmatazz on September 24, 2008 at 07:32 PM EDT #

I would also discount Maryland's game against Cal. If you saw the game and understand travel - Cal was jet lagged.
Cal had an all day travel day with a 3-hour time change and then had a noon game (9am PST).
Maryland jumped out to a big lead against a team still asleep. Cal was coming back and made a game of it in the 4th Qtr, but it was like Cal was just 3 hrs late. Cal was clearly the better team after the 1st Qtr and should have won. Maryland got lucky and really isn't that good.

Posted by tigerfan40 on September 24, 2008 at 09:35 PM EDT #

they were not that good the last time they came to the valley but we "fiddled" around and lost the game when we should have won by 21!!!until this team plays like we should(see bama)nothing is easy!! another game we should win by 14-21 but we shall see!

Posted by Litefoot on September 25, 2008 at 07:14 AM EDT #

"this is only a big game because a loss would take away the chance at true big games that wait right around the corner"

True enough, and that can be said for all of the conference games if we thinnk we are going to win the conference.

All the other teams have the same objective. Every game is big, including Duke and UVA.

Posted by Zeus on September 25, 2008 at 08:34 AM EDT #

Two years ago Maryland's pass defense was young and inexperienced, but that didnt matter, Rob Spence never tested them at all. All he did was continue to run right at their d-line and throw screen passes. He'll do the same thing this saturday. He wont take advantage of their weakness.

Posted by drock4484 on September 25, 2008 at 09:47 AM EDT #

So their pass defense is horrible? I sure hope they're susceptible to the bubble and slip screens.

Posted by GoodFella on September 25, 2008 at 11:04 AM EDT #

So their pass defense is horrible? I sure hope they're susceptible to the bubble and slip screens.

Posted by GoodFella on September 25, 2008 at 11:36 AM EDT #

James Davis was told to keep his "guarantees" out of the press, I sure hope he guarantees, like he did last year, in the lockerroom with the same results for every game left.
Wouldn't that be nice to see the same type of game he played last week for every game he has left in his senior year. He would be in the Heisman running, and it would be nice to see Harper return to form, with three, including Spiller, of course in All-American form They can do it!
Go Tigers!

Posted by captron on September 25, 2008 at 12:16 PM EDT #

NO offense Mick, but I'm sick and tired of people trying to figure if a game's a 'Big Game' or not. The next game is ALWAYS a big game dammnit, 'specially when you're wanting to have a big, special season.

If our fans think this wat, NO wonder our team sometimes shows up and sometimes doesn't.

EVERY game is a BIG GAME!

Posted by mojotiger on September 25, 2008 at 06:32 PM EDT #