Somewhat lost in the turmoil of Coach Friedgen’s departure, and the arrival of Coach Edsall; was the fact that the University of Maryland finished the 2010 Football Season #23 in the Associated Press Poll with a 9-4 overall record, including 5-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

With that in-mind, Baltimore Sports and Life thanks the following National College Football Analysts for sharing their thoughts on where Maryland is a program heading into Spring Practice, and giving an early preview on the 2011 season.

Brandon Pertner, Phil Steele Publications
http://www.philsteele.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/philsteele042

Steve Megargee, Yahoo Sports / Rivals.com
http://sports.yahoo.com/top/expertsarchive?author=Steve+Megargee
http://twitter.com/#!/stevemegargee

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Maryland’s Offensive Coordinator and lead Recruiter James Franklin left the program to become the Head Coach at Vanderbilt. Coach Friedgen was subsequently told he would not be allowed to return for the remaining year left on his contract. After interviewing former Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach, the Terrapins hired former University of Connecticut Head Coach Randy Edsall. Do you think Maryland made the right decisions to jettison Friedgen and hire Edsall over Leach?”

Pertner: “First let me say that Ralph Friedgen took over a team that had 5 straight losing seasons and led them to a 31-8 record in his first 3 yrs, the best start ever for a HC in ACC history. He was the consensus National COY in his first season (2001 ACC Title). After winning 2 games in ’09 Friedgen led the Terps to a 9-5 record, bowl win and was ACC COY but was released. Not sure if I was in favor in the move to fire him after a solid career and a nice season. Edsell who won BE COY honors LY after a 12 year stint at U Conn, took the Huskies to 4 straight bowls and LY to their first ever BCS game. While Leach himself had a great run at Texas Tech, it’s hard to argue with the success that Edsall had at Conn and clearly he comes with less baggage.”

Megargee: “I have to assume the decision to fire Friedgen was based as much on dollars and cents as wins and losses. If it were purely a football decision, it would have made much more sense to fire Friedgen after the Terps went 2-10 in 2009, not after he had just been named ACC Coach of the Year. That said, if this decision was indeed made to put more fans in the stands, Randy Edsall is a puzzling choice. Edsall’s a very good coach. Heck, he just led Connecticut to a BCS bid. But I thought Friedgen was a very good coach as well. If you’re going to take the dramatic step of firing an alum who was just named ACC Coach of the Year, you need to make a splash in selecting his replacement. For all the baggage he brought to the table, Mike Leach also brought the promise of a wide-open offense that would get people talking about Maryland football again. I frankly don’t know if Leach is a better coach than Edsall. But I do know he would have caused more of a stir.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Terrapin fans have been apprehensive of replacing Franklin and Defensive Coordinator Don Brown with the new hires Gary Crowton, and Todd Bradford. Your thoughts on the new leadership, and what they will bring to Maryland?”

Pertner: “Crowton brings a ton of experience. He was the HC at La Tech (’96-’98) and  BYU (’01-’04) and most recently was the OC at LSU (’07-’10) and Oregon (’05-’06). The DC spot has already seen changes. Don Brown was the DC here (’09-’10) and after deciding to stay left in Feb and took the same job at UConn. Ex Mia HC Shannon withdrew his name as it would have interfered with his buy out and therefore they promoted new LB cch Todd Bradford who was the Southern Miss DC ’08-’10). Overall, while Shannon would have made a huge splash, I thought Edsell did a decent job with his coordinator hires.”

Megargee: NA.

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Despite losing two starting offensive tackles to season-ending injuries (Justin Gilbert, and Pete DeSouza) Maryland’s patch-work offensive line was competitive in 2010. Returning O-line Coach Tom Brattan sees Honorable Mention All-ACC Paul Pinegar depart, but will return a group with 75 career starts. Based on who returns, how does the Terps O-line compare to their ACC Atlantic peers?”

Pertner: “Last year they had to replace 2 starters (including 3 year starting C, and 4th rd DC) and while they had just 39 career sts, Freidgen called the group vastly improved in the spring and the 3 returning starters managed to start all 13 so they improved to 138 ypg (4.1) trimming the sacks to 22 (5.7%). This year like you said they lose C Paul Pinegar (13 st, 2Y st’r) but have 9 of the top 10 back and despite the coaching change, should be improved once again and rank in the top 1/3 of the conference.”

Megargee: “You can always expect Boston College to have a good line. I think we can say the same for Florida State as long as Rick Trickett remains on Jimbo Fisher’s staff. But those two lines have big holes to fill, as Boston College replaces potential first-round draft pick Anthony Castonzo and Florida State loses a pair of four-year starters in consensus All-American Rodney Hudson and Ryan McMahon. I know Clemson’s expecting to have a very good offensive line this year. The Tigers lose Chris Hairston, but they return everyone else. NC State also returns four starters. Maryland definitely has fewer question marks on the line than it had this time last year. It’s gone from a major weakness to a potential strength. But there should be a few other quality lines in the Atlantic Division as well.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Former 1st-team All-ACC RB Da’Rel Scott had an up and down Terrapins career. What he showed at the Military Bowl and again at the NFL Combine was his home-run speed. Davin Meggett (who actually led the Terps in rushing), Adams, and Douglas return. Do you like this trio?”

Pertner: “I like the trio a lot. While Scott started all 13 LY I thought his numbers were disappointing with just 708 (5.8) as 200 came in the bowl. He was also the #6 rec (170, 2.1). Like you said Meggett led the Terps and returns along with Adams and don’t sleep on FB Watson who is an effective blocker. Even with replacing Scott they should at least match LY’s numbers.”

Megargee: “This group definitely has potential. Meggett gained over 5 1/2 yards per attempt last year, though I don’t know how many carries you can give him each Saturday. Adams showed last last season he certainly has a nose for the goal line. The biggest reason for encouragement here is Edsall’s arrival. Jordan Todman and Donald Brown ranked among the nation’s top rushers while playing for Edsall at Connecticut. I have to believe Maryland’s rushing attack eventually will thrive as well.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Torrey Smith is a potential 1st round selection in the forthcoming NFL Draft, and the Terps also lose fellow WR’s Adrian Cannon, Lee-Odai, and Laquan Williams. Even with those losses, an athletically deep group returns (in-particular I like Dorsey and Boykins to emerge). Do you lean on the running-game early while this group gains experience, or do you continue to put the ball in O’Brien’s hands and ask that group to catch-up?”

Pertner: “Losing TE Lansford Watson to transfer also hurt them and while they have a lot talent especially Dorsey and Coxson being a transfer from Florida, I expect the group to be down a few notches and they should be more run-heavy early.”

Megargee: “O’Brien’s the best player in Maryland’s offense and a future all-ACC candidate, but I expect Maryland to run the ball quite a bit now that Edsall’s running the show. I understand Connecticut threw the ball quite a bit earlier in Edsall’s tenure and shifted to more of a run-oriented attack when the Huskiese had much more talent at running back than quarterback. Now that Edsall’s working with a qulity quarterback, I assume Maryland will throw the ball a bit more than Edsall’s most recent Connecticut teams did. But I still believe Edsall will want to establish a running game first and foremost.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “After Red-shirting in ’09, O’Brien emerged as a force last year throwing for 2,400+ yards, and 22 TD’s. Will he be deserving of National notoriety in 2011?”

Pertner: “O’Brien figures to be stronger in his 2nd full yr as a starter and if that is the case look for him to be make a solid case to be 1st-tm All-ACC. As far as national notoriety goes, it depends on how many wins the Terps rack up and naturally Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore will be the headliners going into the season.”

Megargee: “It’s far too early to declare O’Brien an All-America candidate. He still has a ways to go. But it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s the preseason all-ACC quarterback, assuming North Carolina State’s Russell Wilson doesn’t use his final season of eligibility. This is a season of transition at the quarterback position in the ACC following the departures of Virgina Tech’s Tryod Taylor, Georgia Tech’s Joshua Nesbitt, Florida State’s Christian Ponder, and North Carolina’s T.J. Yates. Maryland is in better shape at quarterback than just about any other team in the conference.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “The Defensive line – headed by 2nd team All-ACC DT Joe Vellano, appears to be another reason for optimism in College Park with the returning depth. Additionally, David Mackall (who spent time at LB this past year) appears to being moving back to the DE position he played in HS and as a Prep.Thoughts here?”

Pertner: “With everyone back with the exception of DE Drew Gloster (12 st, 33 tkl, 2.5 tfl) they have their most exp’d D-line in 5 years and I look for improvement. They have a shot to be one of the more underrated DL’s in the conf.”

Megargee: “Maryland did do a pretty nice job in this department last year. When you’re ranked 21st Nationally in run defense, you must be doing something right up front. There are no big names here, but it’s a solid group.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Maryland has to replace linebackers Adrian Moten, and Alex Wujciak. Many Terrapin fans think LB’s, Demetrius Hartsfield, has All-Conference ability, and hopes for Drakeford, Donohue, and Pooler. To me, the most impressive Terp this past season was Kenny Tate. In Don Brown’s attacking defense, Tate was all over the field.The released depth chart shows Tate moving to LB, do you like this move? Where would he rate Nationally among Safeties? Overall thoughts on this group?”

Pertner: “Had Tate stayed at Safety, he would have been among the top 10 in the country at that spot in my opinion. It will be interesting to see if he stays at the LB position since he is a bit undersized but there’s no questioning his physicality. Overall, losing their star will hurt them and have them down a few notches but I do like Hartsfield and with the addition of Tate they may be better than what I originally thought.”

Megargee: “It’s always going to be tough to replace two starters, and finding anyone to step in for someone as prolific as Wujciak could prove particularly challenging. Maryland had a habit in the Friedgen era of replacing one 100-tackle linebacker with someone else who turned out just as productive. It will be interesting to see if the new staff has a similar knack. Assuming he remains at Safety, Tate should appear on a number of preseason All-America teams based on his performance last year. Other top safeties around the country include Alabama’s duo of Mark Barron and Robert Lester, Stanford’s Delano Howell, Pittsburgh’s Jarred Holley, Notre Dame’s Harrison Smith, Northwestern’s Brian Peters and Boise State’s George Iloka. I don’t know if any of them are clearly better than Tate. If Tate moves out of the secondary, it certainly would improve Maryland’s linebacker corps. But I can’t imagine Tate getting much preseason All-American consideration if he’s adjusting to a new position.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Out of Conference Maryland will play West Virginia, Temple, Towson (FCS) all at-home, and Notre Dame at FedEx Field in Landover, MD. Brief thoughts on the Mountaineers, Owls, and Fighting Irish this coming year?”

Pertner: “It’s a great non-conference schedule and definitely challenging. Edsall clearly is familiar with both WV and Temple. He was 1-6 vs WV while at Conn (won LY) and went 3-3 vs Temple including a 30-16 loss LY. Edsall biggest win of his entire career may be the OT gm vs ND two years ago in South Bend. While Temple may be down with a new coaching staff, WV enters an interesting season with Holgorsen as a coach in-waiting. ND looks to be on the rise after 4 straight wins to end their year incl a beat down of ACC Miami in the bowl. It would be a success if the Terps went 3-1 in their non-conf games.”

Megargee: “I’m intersted in seeing how West Virginia adapts to the transition in its coaching staff, with Bill Stewart heading the program for one more year before giving way to newly hired offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. It’s the type of situation that could produce plenty of problems if the Mountaineers face any early adversity. Temple’s been a strong team the last two seasons, but I’m skeptical about the Owls’ chances of keeping it up now that Al Golden had head to Miami. Notre Dame should open the season in the national rankings, and the Irish have legitimate reason to believe it can contend for a BCS bid this season. They ended last season on a four-game winning streak and return plenty of starters on both sides of the ball.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Florida State seems to be the prohibitive favorite in not only the Atlantic Division, but the ACC as a whole. Brief thoughts on the Seminoles and the rest of the ACC Atlantic? (Clemson, Boston College, NCST, Wake Forest)

Pertner: “Florida St looks to be a Top 10 caliber team and bring in their best recruiting class in at least 5 years. Clemson also had a strong recruiting class and this clearly will be a make-or-break year for Swinney. BC’s decade long run of at least 8 wins per year came to an end last year but with QB Rettig a year older and RB Harris and LB Kuechly back they could start a new streak. NC State will be down a few notches if Wilson does not come back and Wake Forest should be improved but not enough to be a competitor for the division title.”

Megargee: “Florida State is indeed the clear-cut favorite in this division. The Seminoles are loaded at running back an in the secondary. Although E.J. Manuel is entering his first full year as Florida State’s quarterback, he already has plenty of experience. He started in place of an injured Christian Ponder at last year’s ACC Championship game and in the Gator Bowl two seasons ago. Once you get past Florida State, the division gets pretty jumbled. You could make a case for just about anyone other than Wake Forest finishing second. North Carolina State’s chances of contending for the Atlantic title likely depend on whether Russell Wilson comes back though the Wolfpack should be pretty solid either way. Boston College has reason for optimism now that Chase Rettig has settled the quarterback position. Clemson should be better than last year, though Dabo Swinney will face plenty of pressure if the Tigers don’t start fast. Wake Forest also will be improved, but the Demon Deacons have a long way to go before they’re a legitimate division contender again.”

Baltimore Sports and Life: “Maryland ended this season 9-4 overall, 5-3 in the ACC, and ranked in the Top 25 Nationally. When you look at the Terps compared to the ACC Atlantic, as well as other regional teams such as Penn State, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers; what do you think this Maryland program is capable of achieving over the next 3-5 years?”

Pertner: “All of those regional programs have been perennial bowl teams recently and it’s hard to evaluate the success of each program when they play in different conferences. It’s also equally as tough to forecast 3-5 years in the future when there are so many factors. I think if I were a Terps fan if Edsell could duplicate what Friedgen did in his first 3 years on the job, I’d be very happy. However, speaking for this year, the Terps have a lot of factors pointing downward. Maryland benefited from +15 in turnovers, had 3 net close wins and their offensive ypp of 10.95 was the 2nd best in the NCAA. Despite their 5-3 ACC record, they were just +13.1 ypg (7th best). I’ll call them down this year but Edsell has proved me wrong in the past.”

Megargee: “It’s much too early to tell, since we haven’t seen what the Terps look like under Edsall. O’Brien certainly gives them a nice building block at the game’s most important position, but it would be presumptuous at this point to predict the program’s long-term future before seeing how the Terps react to Edsall’s leadership.”

Chris Stoner
Chris Stoner

Owner

Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.

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