Turnovers were down, mental mistakes reduced and passes sharper than last season during Maryland’s spring practice. Now the Terrapins will discover whether their quarterbacks can play well before a big crowd.
The Terps are looking for a featured running back, right offensive tackle, center, fullback, kicker, two returners and a deep snapper. However, today’s Red-White intrasquad game at Byrd Stadium is largely about determining a starting quarterback.
Joel Statham emerged over Sam Hollenbach last spring and started 10 games before being replaced by Hollenbach in the finale. Now coach Ralph Friedgen said Statham must clearly outplay Hollenbach to regain his starting job. The competition is close, with third-stringer Jordan Steffy idled by arm and knee troubles.
Quarterback woes sank Maryland to a 5-6 mark last year after 10 or more victories in each of Friedgen’s first three seasons. The Terps’ offense crumbled during a 2-5 finish, scoring more than one touchdown just once.
Maryland has since retooled the offense. The Terps hope to rush more often despite an inexperienced line and the loss of injured running back Josh Allen. Tight end Vernon Davis will block more often on the outside, and the passing game will be more disciplined. Maryland just has to find someone who can handle the pressure.
“We’re not going to play offense like last year, I promise you,” Friedgen said. “Sam was ahead the whole way [during spring workouts], and now Joel’s making a run at him. Joel’s very confident in what he’s doing. ”
Hollenbach will open with the starting offense against the second-team defense. He has beaten tight coverage more often than in the past in practice, but whether Hollenbach can handle quicker game decisions has been a concern since last spring. Proving it before the team takes a three-month break is critical if Hollenbach is to return with confidence.
“Saturday is going to be big,” Hollenbach said. “It’s a big statement in coaches’ minds. Getting a lot of first-team reps against the first team defense [in practice] makes you better. That’s the biggest factor.”
Statham concedes he finished last season mentally spent. A strong start that included 362 yards and four touchdowns at Duke eroded to five turnovers in a late-season rout by Virginia Tech.
Visibly stronger after offseason workouts, Statham challenged defenders successfully in practice. He wasn’t afraid to scramble, and he took chances that didn’t result in turnovers. Statham will face the starting defense with the second-team offense.
“I’m starting to get my confidence back,” Statham said. “I can run the offense a little better and execute a little bit. I’m just trying to focus every day.”
Eliminating turnovers was the spring focus after the Terps were bedeviled by fumbles and interceptions last season.
“We haven’t had the high turnovers we had last spring that carried over into the season,” said offensive coordinator Charlie Taaffe. “As inconsistent as we were last year, if we don’t turn the ball over we probably win seven and play in a decent bowl game. I think we’ve improved in that area this spring.”
Note — Offensive tackle Stephon Heyer leveled a defender during a Thursday workout. Asked by an angry teammate if that was necessary, Heyer replied jokingly, “Yes, it was.” The Terps’ intensity this spring also has been demonstrated by players arriving early for pre-dawn weightlifting.
“There was much more enthusiasm, much more intensity,” Friedgen said. “I remember making a statement during winter workouts that they were the best we’ve had. Normally, they start at 5:45 [a.m.] and I get there at 5:30 and they were ready to go at 5:30. One day I said, ’How many of these do we have left?’ I asked Ricardo Dickerson and he said, ’It doesn’t matter how many more. How many you got?’ In past years, they would have told me exactly how many we had.”
Please read our comment policy before commenting.