Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Media Credit: Jaclyn Borowski

The sounds of construction in the background of the Terrapin football scrimmage at Byrd Stadium became an overture for a team that was also rebuilding.

The Terps showed some improvement since their first scrimmage, but the shaky performances by key units on both the offense and defense make it clear the team's construction is not complete.

"I knew it was going to be like this the first time we put the kids in game-type situations," coach Ralph Friedgen said. "It's amazing to me. All of a sudden they are out there on their own. They forget where their focus is."

Neither unit stood out, though the offense outperformed the defense in the first part of the game with three scoring drives for touchdowns in the first quarter. But things quickly stagnated, and a second-quarter field goal brought the only points until they practiced red-zone plays.

The offense's struggles were more often a result of offensive mistakes than defensive merit. For example, the defense sacked the quarterback 13 times and stopped the running game, but it was largely due to an ineffective offensive line.

The defense's most glaring problem was coverage of deep passes, which routinely sailed over the secondary and destroyed the advantages they gained by stopping the run.

"There were some plays I should have made that I didn't get to, but we're still practicing," safety Antwine Perez said. "I know once the season comes around, I'll be able to get everything together."

But safety isn't the only position that needs to "get everything together." At quarterback, the Terps lacked consistency, worrying the coaches.

"We have to get better at the quarterback position," Friedgen said. "We've got to make more plays and take fewer sacks. We have got to get them to manage the game better, and, I think overall, there needs to be a lot of improvement there."

Returning starter junior Chris Turner and senior Jordan Steffy took most of the snaps. Steffy was the better of the two, throwing for 240 yards with 16 completions, compared to Turner's 102 yards from 11 completions.

Steffy threw a 65-yard screen pass to Pha'Terrell Washington, setting up the first touchdown. Steffy also had a five-yard touchdown pass while playing with the No. 1 offense.

Turner threw the only interception of the day in the fourth quarter and was sacked eight times.

"In scrimmages, there's a quick whistle," Turner said. "In a game, I don't think there would be as many sacks. It's important to stay focused and keep it in perspective."

Starting running back Da'Rel Scott also struggled, with only two yards on six carries. But sophomore Morgan Green stood out with a touchdown and nine carries for 58 yards.

"I think I ran the ball well and did better on my blocks," Green said. "It's good basically just getting prepared for the season, getting the playbook down, working on my mistakes."

But the real surprise at running back was walk-on senior Rashad Henry, who was the leading rusher with 69 yards on 12 carries and had a two-yard touchdown run. Not only did he rush the ball well, but he also caught three passes for 49 yards, including an acrobatic one-handed grab, which gave him the second-most receiving yards for the day.

This earned praise from Friedgen, who said Henry, who had not even been on the depth chart to start the spring, is now "in the mix" for playing time, a success amid the team's lackluster play.

The Terps' final week of spring practice will end Saturday with the Red-White Spring Game.

"Hopefully they learn from this, and we'll be better next week," Friedgen said. "We have a lot of work to do."

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