There’s a new game in town. Say hello to Coach Randy Edsall and good bye to wearing hats indoors, sporting earrings and having names on the back of jerseys. The Terrapins were not perceived as an undisciplined team under former coach Ralph Friedgen, but early decisions by Coach Edsall do seem to indicate that structure, discipline and selflessness will be top priorities as Maryland seeks to build on a 9-4 record and a 2010 Military Bowl win over East Carolina.
In 11 years at Connecticut, Edsall led the Huskies from relative insignificance at the D-1 AA level to Big East Championships in 2007 and 2010. His 74-70 record doesn’t do justice to the transformation experienced in Hartford during his tenure. Connecticut football was lightly regarded until Edsall arrived, competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1999 before becoming I-A Independent the following year. In 2004, Edsall took the Connecticut Huskies to the Big East, where they managed an 8-4 record and a win in the Motor City Bowl.
The big question, of course, is whether he can continue the success at a new school. The odds seem solidly in his favor. To start, Maryland has considerable talent coming back this year; the Terps return 41 letter-winners from 2010 and 12 starters. Will these players be able to come together and buy into the new system Edsall is selling? It sounds like the transition has been seamless. When team captains Davin Meggett, Andrew Gonnella, Kenny Tate and Joe Vellano were asked at a recent media day if they minded that they no longer had their names on their jerseys, Tate replied “It doesn’t matter to us, we can’t see our names back there anyways.” Added senior running back Davin Meggett, “Once we are inside the lines playing football, that’s all we are thinking about. Regardless of what happens outside the lines, our goal is the same and that is to win football games.”
While opinions are still mixed — Maryland has been picked to finish anywhere between second and last place in the Atlantic Division of the ACC, the Terps start their season with a favorable schedule that should allow some early momentum. The season begins September 5 in College Park against Miami. Due to recent allegations by former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro that he provided improper benefits to many current and former players, several key Miami team members may not be on the field. It’s a clear opportunity for the Terps to get a win against a former conference heavyweight. The home team advantage will continue for four consecutive games, with the first away game not taking place until the second weekend of October. One of those home games and always a great one to catch is the Terps annual battle with West Virginia on September 17. Not quite a home game, but sure to be a great game-day experience, the Terps also play Notre Dame at FedEx Field on November 12.
A new season is always a fresh start. Add a new coach to the mix, and it could be the start of something big.
Players to watch:
Quarterback Danny O’Brien – 2010’s ACC Freshman of the Year is the consensus preseason first team all-ACC choice at quarterback. The sky is the limit on this young QB and Maryland will be lucky to hold onto him for the next 3 years. Last year O’Brien threw for 2,438 yards and his passing efficiency rating of 134.5 in 2010 is tops among returning signal callers in the ACC. O’Brien started the last 10 games of 2010 and directed the team to a 7-3 record. Despite not starting the first three games he still managed to throw 22 touchdown passes, good for third in the ACC and third in the country among freshmen. He is a candidate for the 2011 Davey O’Brien, Manning and Maxwell awards and is the key to the team’s success on offense.
Running Back Davin Meggett – Only 5-foot-9 and 215 lbs. Maryland’s powerful senior running back has the fourth highest strength index on the team. Meggett didn’t start any games last season but still managed the most rushing yards on the team, tallying 720 yards while splitting the duties with Da’Rel Scott, a seventh-round pick of the New York Giants. Meggett will start his senior season projected as one of the top running backs in the ACC, a candidate for the Doak Walker Award and a 2011 consensus preseason all-ACC choice. And his dad is former NFL running back Dave Meggett, a bit of trivia announcers everywhere won’t soon forget.
Linebacker Kenny Tate – This local product and former DeMatha High School star will be making the transition from safety to linebacker this season. One of the most talented players Maryland has ever had on the defensive side, he was a 2010 consensus all-ACC choice and will be moving closer to the ball this season. This should allow Tate to have even more of an impact and possibly improve on his team-leading 58 solo tackles from last year. Tate will be up for a number of awards this year including the Bronco Nagurski Trophy, Lott Trophy and the Butkus Award, forthe nation’s top linebacker.
Projection – Maryland is going to win 10 games this year, 9-3 in the regular season with a bowl win. They are going to beat some teams they shouldn’t beat, lose to some teams they shouldn’t and finish second in the ACC Atlantic. Danny O’Brien is going to be the player of the year in the ACC Atlantic. The Terps’ biggest worry is going to be keeping him in College Park for his four years of eligibility. Not a bad problem to have.
