Terps suffering from transitional hiccups, Edsall says

A little more than two months ago, the Terrapins football team created national buzz and reinforced lofty expectations with an impressive season-opening win over Miami.

Now losers of seven of their last eight, the Terps are far from the team that walked off Byrd Stadium's field victorious that September night.

Coach Randy Edsall took the opportunity in his weekly press conference yesterday to defend his preseason goal of an ACC Championship in his first season with the Terps, but he also intimated that may have been too much to expect this season.

"My philosophy and how I feel is, every year, I want to [win a conference title], and I think if you don't feel that way, you're cheating yourself," Edsall said. "Some years you get there, some years you don't. … I've been through transitions at really every stop along the way as an assistant and as a head coach, and every one of them, there's been things that you've had to adjust to. Not all of them go as smoothly as what you would like in the first year."

Despite the Terps' 2-7 start to his debut season in College Park, Edsall has remained positive, particularly as he looks past this year's disappointments and toward the program's future.

"You've got a new system offensively, defensively and special teams," Edsall added, "and then you really have all new coaches and you've got everybody trying to learn all those things. There are going to be some hiccups along the way. You hope there aren't, but I think it's almost inevitable."

NEW ‘STAR'

Despite the excitement surrounding the Terps' incorporation of the "star" linebacker this season, the team spent much of its first few weeks this fall desperate for more production out of the position.

Linebacker Kenny Tate was inconsistent at the new position in the team's first four games, and his immediate replacement after his season-ending injury, freshman Mario Rowson, never found his niche.

But the Terps finally got a standout performance at the position last weekend from Darin Drakeford in his first game since switching from weakside linebacker.

Drakeford finished the game with 11 tackles at the team's linebacker-safety hybrid position and added an interception and forced fumble.

"I think it's a good fit for him out there because he can play in space," defensive tackle Joe Vellano said. "He's physical, he's big, and he can really set the edge for us. Drake's probable one of the best athletes on our team."

Drakeford, who'd been accustomed to playing on the more run-stuffing weakside, has welcomed the change.

"I actually like the move," Drakeford said yesterday. "There's more speed around me, a little more space. I don't think it really affected me too much. … To me, it's just football."

GILBERT BACK IN ACTION

The Terps' offensive line has lacked the leadership it had before senior guard Andrew Gonnella suffered a season-ending dislocation of his left knee Oct. 8.

With the return of tackle-turned-guard Justin Gilbert last weekend, though, the Terps welcomed a seasoned veteran to their offensive line.

And while Gilbert's still transitioning to the new position — as well as getting back into the flow of the game after missing the better part of two seasons recovering from consecutive ACL tears — he appeared right at home against Virginia on Saturday.

His performance earned him the starting job at right guard for this weekend's primetime matchup with Notre Dame.

"When I look at our team, I always try to look and see where our best players can fit in," Edsall said. "And when I took a look at our offensive line … I just felt that it would be in our best interest to move him to guard. We put him there, and I thought he played well and I think he'll play better this week. He graded well enough to be the starter this week. He did a good job."

SECONDARY SWITCH-UP

Even after losing starting safety Matt Robinson for the season to a shoulder injury sustained in a Sept. 24 loss to Temple, the Terps' defensive secondary has remained relatively stable all season.

Their usual lineup of cornerbacks Cameron Chism and Dexter McDougle and safeties Eric Franklin and Titus Till will be shaken up Saturday, though, with Trenton Hughes starting instead of Chism and A.J. Hendy replacing Till.