Change in the wins

Just hours after a 51-20 win in the Military Bowl last month, Terrapin football quarterback Danny O'Brien took to Twitter in celebration of his freshman year and anticipation of the future: "Met a lot of my 2010 goals, but not all of them," he wrote. "2011 is Orange Bowl or bust."

A year ago, the notion of the Terps in a Bowl Championship Series bowl anytime soon would have been laughable. The team had just wrapped up a 2-10 season, the worst in program history. Coach Ralph Friedgen's job was in jeopardy.

But after a resurgent 2010 campaign, few will be laughing at O'Brien's hopes of an ACC Championship in 2011.

The season proved to be one of dramatic change for the Terps and even O'Brien, who didn't win the starting job from Jamarr Robinson until the fourth game of the season.

The early going for the Terps had its highs and lows. Safety Kenny Tate's last-second goal-line stop of Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs secured the Terps' season-opening victory against their in-state foes. A mistake-plagued start doomed the Terps two weeks later in a loss at rival West Virginia.

O'Brien's success — the redshirt freshman passed for 22 touchdowns and threw only eight interceptions en route to winning ACC Rookie of the Year — came despite an offensive line decimated by injuries. Tackle Justin Gilbert tore his ACL against the Mountaineers, and tackle Pete DeSouza broke both his legs in a motor-scooter accident later in the season.

But as the players in front of him shuffled, O'Brien continued to efficiently maneuver through the ACC schedule. Victories against Duke, Boston College, Wake Forest and Virginia put the Terps in contention for a conference title during a year in which mere bowl eligibility was widely considered a success for the program.

A loss at Miami left the Terps no margin for error heading into a showdown with Florida State at Byrd Stadium. But a late Terp rally fell short against the eventual division champion Seminoles.

They would still have an impact in deciding who advanced to the ACC Championship. Against NC State, the Terps embraced the role of spoiler, overcoming a 14-0 deficit to beat the Wolfpack, 38-31, knocking it out of the conference title hunt.

The game would turn out to be Friedgen's last at Byrd Stadium.

Less than a month after saying Friedgen would return for the 2011 season, Athletics Director Kevin Anderson announced that the final year of Friedgen's contract would be bought out.

The decision polarized the Terps' fan base. The prospect of bringing in a big name, such as controversial former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, excited many. Others, though, were dismayed over the treatment of Friedgen, an alumnus and one of the most successful coaches in program history.

With rumors about his successor raging, Friedgen coached the Terps to victory in his last game as coach, a 51-20 rout of East Carolina in the Military Bowl.

"I love him to death, and I am glad I got to play with him for my last season," running back Da'Rel Scott said after the game. "I am glad we could send him off with a win."

"I was hoping they would make a statement," Friedgen added afterward. "Most of my talk last night was about being picked last in the ACC and finishing third. We needed to send a message so that this erroneousness could be put to rest."

Former Connecticut coach Randy Edsall, who led Connecticut to its first-ever BCS bowl berth, was named Friedgen's successor three days after the Terps' victory. According to reports, sources close to the coaching search said the department ultimately cooled on Leach, whose quirky behavior and pending lawsuits against Texas Tech and ESPN may have hurt his candidacy.

Though Friedgen is gone, under Edsall the Terps may have the potential to reach O'Brien's lofty aspirations. Leading wide receiver Torrey Smith has declared for the NFL Draft, but O'Brien will likely enter next season with a stable of returning starters and talented underclassmen, including Tate and emerging running back D.J. Adams.

Friedgen won't be there to see it, but he knows what the Terps can do.

"This team is destined for great things," Friedgen said.

schneider@umdbk.com