Image Credit: Rant Sports
2013 Statistics: 166/242, 2242 yards passing, 13 TD, 7 INT; 576 yards rushing, 4.1 YPC, 12 TD
Best Game: vs. Florida International (20/23, 281 yards passing, 3 TD, 0 INT; 105 yards rushing, 9.5 YPC, 2 TD)
Worst Game: vs. Syracuse (21/40, 211 yards passing, 0 TD, 2 INT; 5 yards rushing, 0.3 YPC, 0 TD)
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C.J. Brown will return for his final season with the Maryland Terrapins in 2014, with a full season of play in Mike Locksley’s offensive system under his belt. He missed two full games and parts of two other games due to injury last season, and will be looking to have a healthier year in 2014. When he was fully healthy, his play was extremely impressive, and he made everyone around him that much better. His leadership and experience cannot be denied, making him the Terps’ best option at quarterback in 2014.
As you can see above, his best game came in the Terps’ season opener against Florida International. That isn’t to say that he didn’t have other good games, but this is the one that stood out. He accounted for 5 total touchdowns, and only had 3 incomplete passes. He ran the read-option to perfection, averaging 9.5 yards per carry. Brown was forced to carry the load on the ground, as Brandon Ross only gained an underwhelming 21 yards in that game.
His worst game came at home against Syracuse, where Brown was clearly not fully healthy and still recovering from the injury he suffered against Wake Forest two weeks earlier. He struggled to do anything on the ground, and didn’t have the quickness necessary to get to the edge of the Orange’s defense. This forced him to pass the ball more than he wanted to, leading to the two interceptions. When healthy, C.J. Brown is an extremely talented quarterback. But when forced to play without the same dynamic ability that he has when he is healthy, the offense suffers.
2013 Statistics (when healthy): 130/218, 1,894 yards passing, 13 TD, 3 INT; 606 yards rushing, 5.2 YPC, 12 TD)
Above, you can see C.J. Brown’s statistics from last season when he was fully healthy. This eliminates his games against Wake Forest and Syracuse, where he was simply not 100 percent. Naturally you can’t expect a dual-threat quarterback like Brown to be fully healthy in every game that he starts, but it’s still worth seeing how dominant he can be when he isn’t hindered by an injury.
2014 will be a big season for C.J. Brown and the Maryland offense. They retain most of their skill position players, and are absolutely loaded at both running back and wide receiver. If Brown can stay healthy and distribute the ball efficiently to his talented backs and receivers, he could have a monster final season in College Park. He’ll need to be healthy to do so however, so look for him to take fewer chances in the running game.
Mike Locksley has expressed his desire for C.J. Brown to become a better drop-back passer. This would lessen the need for him to be on the run so much, and would also serve the Terps better when they are down to their opponent late in games. The team has the receivers to have a dynamic passing attack, but C.J. Brown needs to work on reading the opposing defense and making strong throws to players like Deon Long and Stefon Diggs. Now that he has his mobility back, he has been working on his arm in the off-season. Time will tell how much he has improved, but having a healthy off-season should really help him.
What makes C.J. Brown really special is his ability to run the ball from the quarterback position. Everyone can see his speed and agility, but what makes him such a threat is his decision-making ability. The read-option is a popular play in football nowadays, but many people don’t realize what an important part the “read” part of the play is. Many quarterbacks struggle making the correct read of the opposing defense’s defensive end or linebacker, resulting in missed opportunities for their offense. But C.J. Brown is one of the best quarterbacks in the country at reading the team’s option plays and making the correct decisions. That allows for better gains for both him and the team’s running back, and also forces the defense to recognize both he and the running back as a legitimate threat. Once again, this is where Brown’s intelligence and experience make him so valuable to the Maryland Terrapins.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.