A New Era In College Park: A Maryland Terrapins Dynasty (NCAA 14)
A New Era in College Park: A Maryland Terrapins Dynasty
Randy Edsall first arrived in College Park to much indifference. Fans were angered at the perceived force-out of longtime head coach Ralph Friedgen and were disappointed with the athletic department's choice, having seen ex-Texas Tech coach Mike Leach's name linked to the vacant head coach's spot.
Leach seemed like the right choice at the time, with the Red Raiders one of the top-ranked Under Armour-outfitted teams during his tenure there. Fans were excited at the prospect of Air Raid connoisseur coming to College Park, and almost no mention was made of his turmoil-laden exit from Lubbock.
Instead, new athletic director Kevin Anderson hired Edsall days after his Connecticut Huskies were blown out by Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Edsall had guided the Huskies from Division I-AA to the Big East Conference, posting four straight seasons with eight wins or more in his last four years in Storrs.
Still, Edsall's success in building Connecticut's program wasn't well received in College Park. With a returning ACC Rookie of the Year in Danny O'Brien and a strong defense led by safety Kenny Tate, most fans and pundits felt Edsall wasn't the right fit at the school.
Edsall's first year started out on a high note, with a primetime Labor Day win over Miami in their brand new "Pride" uniforms. It appeared the Terrapins would start right were they left off following Friedgen's departure.
It didn't.
It's safe to say it hasn't been smooth sailing in College Park at all. Edsall has gone just 6-18 in two seasons at the helm, with his teams erratic at best and downright awful at their worst. Maryland failed to beat another FBS team in 2011, with a win over Towson their only other victory. Crushing losses to West Virginia, Clemson, and N.C. State were the lowlights, with the Wolfpack's 27-point comeback in the season's final game leading to calls for Edsall's firing, most notably by John Feinstein.
Edsall's poor 2011 campaign was exacerbated by the reports of conflict he had with players. 24 Terps would transfer in Edsall's first year in College Park. O'Brien was benched against Georgia Tech, broke his forearm against Notre Dame, and would eventually transfer to Wisconsin in the offseason, where he failed to make an impact in 2012. After switching to linebacker, Tate was injured early in the season and struggled, unable to return to form as the star he once was.
Maryland could only go up in 2012--which they did, for a time. After hiring new coordinators in Brian Stewart and local recruiting whiz Mike Locksley, Maryland finally began making inroads at local football powers around the state. The Terrapins picked up several high profile locals, notably five-star wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who spurned Ohio State to stay close to home.
With new top recruits, a defense anchored by All-American Joe Vellano, and C.J. Brown returning to run the spread offense, optimism was finally (if not cautiously) high in College Park.
Of course, Brown would tear his ACL in the preseason, the first of a line of Maryland quarterbacks to go down with injury. True freshman Perry Hills would step in and lead the Terps to a 4-2 start. Heading into a homecoming showdown with N.C. State, it appeared certain Maryland would be bowl-eligible. It took less than a half for it to all fall apart.
Hills tore his ACL making a tackle on an interception return just before the end of the half. Down 10-3, Devin Burns came on in relief of Hills and led the Terps on two scoring drives. A missed extra point and a failed two-point conversion left the Terps down 17-15, but Maryland held a one-point lead until an N.C. State field goal with 30 seconds left gave the Wolfpack a 20-18 lead.
True freshman Caleb Rowe took over for Burns, leading the Terps on a brilliant, last-gasp drive deep into Wolfpack territory. Rowe set Maryland up for a 33-yard chip-shot field goal, and it looked all but certain the Terps would win, needing just one more win in their final five games to become bowl-eligible.
As it seems to happen with Maryland athletics, it didn't turn out that way. Kicker Brad Craddock missed the field goal, hitting the left upright to give the Wolfpack the win. Three days later, it was revealed that Burns suffered a Lisfranc injury that could sideline him for 12 months, leaving Rowe as the sole quarterback on the active roster.
An ugly 20-17 loss to Boston College dropped the Terrapins to 4-4, but it was the news one night later that Rowe had torn his ACL against the Eagles that truly spelled doom for Maryland. Linebacker Shawn Petty would step in at quarterback, with no true signal callers left on the roster. Petty performed admirably, but the damage was done--Maryland would lose its final four games, three by 20 points or more. Edsall's 6-18 record was the school's worst two seasons since the Ron Vanderlinden era in the mid-1990s.
Entering 2013, optimism was once again high in College Park. Brown returned, fully healthy, ready to lead an offense he once had shown flashes of greatness in. Alongside Diggs, transfer Deon Long seemed to give the Terps a second they so desperately needed in 2012. An experienced defense, led by cornerbacks Dexter McDougle and Jeremiah Johnson, looked ready to turn the corner.
With all the right parts in place, Maryland seemed poised for a strong 2013 campaign. A softer non-conference schedule seemed to favor the Terps, with matchups against FIU and Connecticut to open the season. Maryland faced tougher tests in the ACC slate, with games against top-15 squads Florida State in Tallahassee and Clemson in College Park. Still, it finally looked like Maryland and Randy Edsall were back on track, and the new era promised when he was hired in 2011 was finally arriving.
2013 Maryland Terrapins Depth Chart, Head Coach: Randy Edsall (3rd Season)
Offensive Coordinator: Mike Locksley (2nd Season)
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
WR
Stefon Diggs, SO
Marcus Leak, JR
Nigel King, SO (RS)
Taivon Jacobs, FR
TE
Dave Stinebaugh, SR (RS)
P.J. Gallo, FR (RS)
Andrew Isaacs, FR
LT
Mike Madaras, SO
Ryan Doyle, SO (RS)
Maurice Shelton, FR (RS)
LG
Andrew Zeller, SO (RS)
Gary Harrak, JR (RS)
C
Sal Conaboy, JR (RS)
Evan Mulrooney, SO (RS)
RG
De'Onte Arnett, SR (RS)
Silvano Altamirano, JR
RT
Nick Klemm, SR (RS)
Jake Wheeler, JR (RS)
Michael Dunn, FR (RS)
WR
Deon Long, JR (RS)
Tyrek Cheeseboro, SO
Amba Etta, FR (RS)
QB
C.J. Brown, SR (RS)
Ricardo Young, JR (RS)
Perry Hills, SO
Caleb Rowe, SO
FB
Tyler Cierski, JR
Kenneth Goins, FR (RS)
HB
Brandon Ross, SO (RS)
Wes Brown, SO
Albert Reid, SO
Joe Riddle, FR (RS)
Defensive Coordinator: Brian Stewart (2nd Season)
STARTER
2ND
3RD
4TH
LDE
Zeke Riser, SR (RS)
Quinton Jefferson, SO
Andre Monroe, JR (RS)
NT
Darius Kilgo, JR (RS)
Nate Clarke, SO (RS)
Alex Walker, JR (RS)
Azubuike Ukandu, FR (RS)
RDE
Keith Bowers, JR
Roman Braglio, FR (RS)
Ty Tucker, FR (RS)
LOLB
Marcus Whitfield, SR (RS)
Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil, JR (RS)
Yannick Ngakoue, FR
Shawn Petty, SO
LILB
Cole Farrand, JR
Abner Logan, FR (RS)
RILB
Bradley Johnson, SR
L.A. Goree, JR (RS)
ROLB
Alex Twine, JR
Matt Robinson, JR (RS)
Avery Thompson, SO
Jermaine Carter, FR
CB
Dexter McDougle, SR (RS)
Jeremiah Johnson, JR (RS)
SS
Anthony Nixon, SO
Zach Dancel, SO (RS)
FS
Sean Davis, SO
A.J. Hendy, JR
CB
Isaac Goins, SR
Milan Collins, FR
Will Likely, FR
Special Teams Coordinator: Andre Powell (3rd Season)
Re: A New Era In College Park: A Maryland Terrapins Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Terps ride 35-point second half to rout over FIU
COLLEGE PARK, Md.--It had been a well over a year since Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown played in a football game, so it wouldn't have been surprising if he displayed a bit of rust in his long-awaited return.
Instead, Brown looked like he never left.
The senior returned from injury Saturday with a stellar game, tying Scott Milanovich's school record with five touchdown passes in a 49-21 win over Florida International. Milanovich set the record in a 47-45 loss to N.C. State in November 1994.
Brown missed all of last year after tearing his left ACL in preseason practice.
Brandon Ross opened the scoring with a four-yard run midway through the first quarter. After trading touchdowns with FIU in the first half, Brown blew the game open late in the fourth quarter, throwing three touchdown passes in a three-minute span.
Deon Long, playing his first Division I game despite having enrolled at both Virginia Tech and New Mexico, caught three touchdown passes in his first game as a Terrapin.
Freshman sensation Stefon Diggs was also strong, catching Brown's two other touchdown passes. Ross finished with 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Playing its first game under coach Ron Turner, Florida International's offense clicked in the first half but was unable to get much going in the second.
Quarterback Jake Medlock led the Golden Panthers on two long scoring drives in the first half, but was sacked six times in the second half and intercepted late in the game. Medlock finished with 240 yards and three touchdowns.
New running back Jakhari Gore, a walk-on who transferred from LSU, failed to make much of an impact, running for just 17 yards in his first game for FIU.
Florida International Golden Panthers at Maryland Terrapins
August 31, 2013
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Florida International Golden Panthers (0-1)
7
7
0
7
21
Maryland Terrapins (1-0)
7
7
14
21
49
Team Stats Comparison
FIU
MD
Total Offense
214
445
Rushing Yards
-26
149
Passing Yards
240
296
First Downs
7
18
Punt Return Yards
0
31
Kick Return Yards
23
95
Total Yards
237
571
Turnovers
1
0
3rd Down Converstion
6-10
4-7
4th Down Conversion
0-1
2-3
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
2-2
6-7
Penalties
1-5
0-0
Posession Time
7:22
12:38
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER
FIU
MD
2:18
(MD) Brandon Ross, 4 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
0
7
0:07
(FIU) James Louis, 20 yard pass from Jake Medlock (Sergio Sroka kick)
7
7
SECOND QUARTER
FIU
MD
3:13
(MD) Stefon Diggs, 6 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
Re: A New Era In College Park: A Maryland Terrapins Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Maryland scores 42 unanswered to roll over Connecticut
EAST HARTFORD, Conn.--C.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs continued to impress for the Maryland Terrapins Saturday, connecting for two touchdowns in a 42-7 romp over the Connecticut Huskies.
Maryland went down 7-0 early, but reeled off 42 unanswered points and shut down Connecticut's offense. The Huskies crossed the 50-yard just once after scoring their early touchdown, on a drive that ended in a punt late in the game.
Brown threw for three touchdowns a week after throwing five against Florida International. Four of them have gone to Diggs, who caught six touchdowns over 12 games last season.
Brown threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns, with a third score going to Brandon Ross.
Ross rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies, while backup Wes Brown added 51 yards and a touchdown. C.J. Brown added a rushing touchdown himself, on a goal-line scramble early in the fourth quarter.
Connecticut's Chandler Whitmer opened the game with a 61-yard touchdown pass to tight end Sean McQuillan, but the Huskies weren't able to get anything else going offensively. Whitmer finished with 141 passing yards on 11-of-17 attempts.
Connecticut's run game fared even worse against a tough Terrapins defense, totaling just 11 yards on six carries.
Maryland Terrapins at Connecticut Huskies
September 7, 2013
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Maryland Terrapins (2-0)
7
21
7
7
42
Connecticut Huskies (1-1)
7
0
0
0
7
Team Stats Comparison
MD
CONN
Total Offense
496
152
Rushing Yards
263
11
Passing Yards
233
141
First Downs
22
4
Punt Return Yards
45
0
Kick Return Yards
58
0
Total Yards
599
152
Turnovers
0
1
3rd Down Converstion
4-5
2-6
4th Down Conversion
0-0
0-0
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
4-5
0-0
Penalties
0-0
0-0
Posession Time
14:43
5:17
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
MD
CONN
4:35
(CONN) Sean McQuillan, 61 yard pass from Chandler Whitmer (Chad Christen kick)
0
7
1:09
(MD) Brandon Ross, 1 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
7
7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
MD
CONN
4:09
(MD) Brandon Ross, 10 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
14
7
0:54
(MD) Wes Brown, 12 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
21
7
0:14
(MD) Stefon Diggs, 74 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
28
7
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
MD
CONN
1:51
(MD) Stefon Diggs, 29 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
Re: A New Era In College Park: A Maryland Terrapins Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clemsonpanther
Start Caleb Rowe once they leave.
He's second on the depth chart this season--played some garbage time against FIU--which is why him being the worst out of the four quarterbacks on the NCAA 14 roster is weird.
Re: A New Era In College Park: A Maryland Terrapins Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Terps cruise to first ACC win over Pittsburgh
COLLEGE PARK, Md.--Maryland's C.J. Brown and Stefon Diggs were at it again Saturday, connecting for two more touchdowns to overcome a strong effort by Pittsburgh's Tom Savage and top the Panthers 35-17.
Both of Brown's touchdown passes went to Diggs, including a 69-yard strike on the second play of the game.
Brown finished with 322 yards and two touchdowns; Diggs alone accounted for 190 of Brown's passing yards. He caught his second touchdown pass midway through the second quarter, giving the Terps a 14-7 lead.
Savage threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, but the Panthers were unable to get the ground game going against a stout Terps run defense, running for just 12 total yards.
Maryland's defense stopped Isaac Bennett three straight times at the goal line late in the third quarter, forcing the Panthers to settle for a field goal and keeping Maryland up two scores.
Two fourth quarter runs by Brandon Ross put Maryland up 35-10 before Savage threw his second touchdown pass, a 22-yarder to Kevin Weatherspoon against Maryland's second-string defense.
Ross finished with 105 yards and two touchdowns, his third straight 100-yard game.
Pittsburgh Panthers at Maryland Terrapins
September 14, 2013
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Pittsburgh Panthers (1-2, 0-2 ACC)
0
7
3
7
17
Maryland Terrapins (3-0, 1-0 ACC)
7
14
0
14
35
Team Stats Comparison
PITT
MD
Total Offense
312
454
Rushing Yards
12
132
Passing Yards
300
322
First Downs
13
14
Punt Return Yards
0
14
Kick Return Yards
0
102
Total Yards
312
570
Turnovers
1
1
3rd Down Converstion
10-14
0-2
4th Down Conversion
0-1
1-1
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
3-3
4-6
Penalties
0-0
1-10
Posession Time
12:18
7:42
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
PITT
MD
4:47
(MD) Stefon Diggs, 69 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
0
7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
PITT
MD
4:10
(PITT) Tyler Boyd, 5 yard pass from Tom Savage (Chris Blewitt kick)
7
7
2:30
(MD) Stefon Diggs, 17 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
7
14
0:30
(MD) C.J. Brown, 12 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
7
21
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
PITT
MD
1:19
(PITT) Chris Blewitt 23 yard field goal
10
21
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
PITT
MD
4:57
(MD) Brandon Ross, 3 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
10
28
2:18
(MD) Brandon Ross, 9 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
10
35
1:21
(PITT) Kevin Weatherspoon, 22 yard pass from Tom Savage (Chris Blewitt kick)
Re: A New Era In College Park: A Maryland Terrapins Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Terps Rally, Top Mountaineers 42-24
BALTIMORE--Behind a stellar game from running back Brandon Ross, Maryland rallied from a late deficit, scoring three fourth quarter touchdowns to top West Virginia 42-24.
Saturday's contest was just the third neutral site meeting in 50 contests between the two teams, played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and the first since the 2004 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.
Maryland trailed 24-21 after Ford Childress's four-yard touchdown pass to Shelton Gibson with 4:26 remaining, but a career night by Ross quickly erased the Mountaineers's lead and snapped a seven-game losing streak in the rivalry series for the Terrapins.
Ross finished with 198 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, including an 18-yard run to cap Maryland's opening drive of the game. That run eclipsed the entirety of West Virginia's running attack, which managed just 13 yards on 15 carries.
Childress threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Maryland, but he threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter that led to Ross's third touchdown of the game. Down 28-24 following Wes Brown's touchdown run, Childress underthrew Shelton Gibson deep in Mountaineer territory and into the waiting arms of Jeremiah Johnson.
Ross punched in from seven yards out three plays later, giving the Terrapins an insurmountable 35-24 lead.
C.J. Brown threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns for Maryland, with both scores going to Stefon Diggs--his fourth straight game with at least two receiving touchdowns.
West Virginia Mountaineers at Maryland Terrapins
September 21, 2013
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
West Virginia Mountaineers (2-2)
7
7
3
7
24
Maryland Terrapins (4-0)
7
14
0
21
42
Team Stats Comparison
WVU
MD
Total Offense
301
366
Rushing Yards
13
211
Passing Yards
288
155
First Downs
18
16
Punt Return Yards
10
21
Kick Return Yards
0
142
Total Yards
311
529
Turnovers
1
0
3rd Down Converstion
6-11
3-5
4th Down Conversion
2-2
1-1
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
4-5
6-6
Penalties
0-0
1-13
Posession Time
9:30
10:30
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
WVU
MD
3:09
(MD) Brandon Ross, 18 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
0
7
1:09
(WVU) Daryl Worley, 10 yard pass from Ford Childress (Josh Lambert kick)
7
7
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
WVU
MD
3:19
(MD) Brandon Ross, 2 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
7
14
1:18
(MD) Stefon Diggs, 4 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
7
21
0:11
(WVU) Dante Campbell, 18 yard pass from Ford Childress (Josh Lambert kick)
14
21
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
WVU
MD
2:34
(WVU) Josh Lambert 34 yard field goal
17
21
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
WVU
MD
4:26
(WVU) Shelton Gibson, 4 yard pass from Ford Childress (Josh Lambert kick)
24
21
2:35
(MD) Wes Brown, 2 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
24
28
1:37
(MD) Brandon Ross, 7 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
24
35
0:14
(MD) Stefon Diggs, 3 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
Re: A New Era In College Park: A Maryland Terrapins Dynasty (NCAA 14)
Maryland stuns No. 13 North Carolina behind Ross's two touchdowns
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.--The last time the Maryland Terrapins beat a ranked team, Brandon Ross and Stefon Diggs were still in high school.
Behind a monster effort from Diggs and two late touchdowns from the bruising Ross, Maryland erased a three-point fourth quarter deficit to top the Tar Heels 28-17.
The win over the 13th-ranked Tar Heels was their first over a team in the top 15 since beating eighth-ranked Boston College in 2007.
Maryland opened the game with a touchdown drive capped by a 49-yard strike to Diggs from C.J. Brown. The Terrapins would survive against North Carolina despite an uncharacteristically shaky performance from Brown, who threw three interceptions--two of them at the goal line.
Diggs finished with 150 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. A 32-yard gain in the fourth quarter set up Ross's 1-yard plunge to give Maryland the lead for good.
Ross picked up 101 yards on 20 carries, scoring his second touchdown after the Tar Heels failed to convert on fourth down deep in their own territory.
After struggling for most of the first half, Bryn Renner and the Tar Heels finally clicked after Brown's first interception. Down 14-0, Renner led the Tar Heels down the field for a short field goal before halftime and two touchdown drives in the third quarter to take a 17-14 lead.
Renner finished with 216 yards passing and a touchdown. He also ran for a 15-yard score to give the Tar Heels the lead.
Maryland Terrapins at North Carolina Tar Heels
September 28, 2013
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Maryland Terrapins (5-0, 2-0 ACC)
7
7
0
14
28
#13 North Carolina Tar Heels (3-1, 1-1 ACC)
0
3
14
0
17
Team Stats Comparison
MD
UNC
Total Offense
298
237
Rushing Yards
120
21
Passing Yards
178
216
First Downs
13
12
Punt Return Yards
36
0
Kick Return Yards
91
0
Total Yards
425
237
Turnovers
3
0
3rd Down Converstion
6-9
7-12
4th Down Conversion
1-1
1-2
2-Point Conversion
0-0
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
3-5
3-3
Penalties
0-0
0-0
Posession Time
11:09
8:51
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
MD
UNC
3:51
(MD) Stefon Diggs, 49 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
7
0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
MD
UNC
1:02
(MD) Deon Long, 1 yard pass from C.J. Brown (Brad Craddock kick)
14
0
0:01
(UNC) Thomas Moore 32 yard field goal
14
3
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
MD
UNC
3:23
(UNC) Roy Smith, 7 yard pass from Bryn Renner (Thomas Moore kick)
14
10
1:56
(UNC) Bryn Renner, 15 yard run (Thomas Moore kick)
14
17
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
MD
UNC
2:47
(MD) Brandon Ross, 1 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)
21
17
0:54
(MD) Brandon Ross, 8 yard run (Brad Craddock kick)