Bettering the Best

The signature play of the 2008 Terrapin football season had everything.

There was a teeth-rattling hit, a swagger-filled celebration and a momentum boost that keyed an upset win — plus the loss of bodily fluids.

In case you didn’t bookmark the YouTube clip, former Terp cornerback Kevin Barnes unleashed a shot on California’s Jahvid Best last Sept. 13 that was so hard, it ended with the running back crawling around on his hands and knees before spewing a green liquid.
The Golden Bear star never got on track as the Terps won 35-27.

As memorable as the play was for Terp fans in attendance, it’s a good bet Best, who might as well have tossed up his Heisman Trophy hopes on the Byrd Stadium 16-yard line, hasn’t forgotten, either. The junior, who hopes to launch a more serious Heisman candidacy this season, will have his shot at payback on his turf tomorrow night when the Terps visit No. 12 Cal. A year after the second most famous ralph in program history, the Terps will have their work cut out for them stopping the talented speedster with a chip on his shoulder.

“I think we kinda got lucky last year,” defensive tackle Travis Ivey said. “He got knocked out of the game, so we really didn’t get to see what he could do. I think he’ll come back with a vengeance and be ready to play.”

Despite a sore big toe that has limited Best’s snaps in fall camp, there’s good reason to believe Ivey is right.

As another YouTube clip, his 2008 highlight tape, shows, Best is really good. The guy can be a legitimate Heisman contender — even with all the good quarterbacks poised to dominate the national scene.

The 195-pounder has flashy moves and the potential to school whenever he touches the ball. Plus, he’s got one of those memorable names that college football talking heads can make puns on all day long, an important facet of a successful campaign. And by all accounts, Cal is good enough to contend for a BCS Bowl berth.

Both Best and his team need to kick-start those movements with a strong opening game.
“You take honor in trying to go against someone like that because it’s a real test,” cornerback Nolan Carroll said. “You wanna see how you match up against the best. And you wanna see how well you can match up against Jahvid Best.”

See, even Best’s opponents like the puns.

But as the Terps head into their season-opener, their best weapon seems to be past success.

When Best came to College Park last season, he had racked up 311 yards and four touchdowns in two games. Then the Terps held the newly minted Heisman dark horse to negative first-half rushing stats as they ran up a big lead. He ended with a season-low 25 yards on 10 carries.

Ultimately, Best finished the season with 1,580 yards — good for third in the nation in rushing yards per game. The only other team that rendered Best so ineffective was Rose Bowl champ USC.

“That’s another shot of confidence for everybody,” cornerback Anthony Wiseman said. “We did it last year. There ain’t no reason why we can’t do it again.”

But even head coach Ralph Friedgen noted the Terps were helped out by their big first-half advantage and Barnes’ big hit, and they still had to survive the Golden Bears’ 21-point fourth-quarter to hang on. This time around won’t be any easier.

With a new defensive scheme and just four returning defensive starters, Best will see a different Terp squad in Berkeley, Calif. The defense spent the week beating on freshman running back D.J. Adams, who has mimicked Best on the scout team. Players talked about pursuit angles and flying to the ball on every play. Come Saturday, defensive coordinator Don Brown will be vigilantly tracking Best, studying where he lines up and with who, to keep him contained.

It’s not a matter of if Best remembers how the Terps shut him down last year. It’s whether these young Terps can recreate how they did it.

“I’m sure this is a game he’s been circling on the calendar,” Brown said. “That’s what a competitor does, but our guys are competitors too. So let’s have at it.”

edetweilerdbk@umdbk.com