Spring Break
TERPS RUN DOWN IN EMERALD BOWL
Andrew Zuckerman
Issue date: 12/13/07 Section: Sports
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SAN FRANCISCO - Darrius Heyward-Bey and Isaiah Williams stood in the bowels of AT&T Park, clearly frustrated and annoyed by what they had just been a part of.
The Terrapins' top two wide receivers knew going into the game that running would be difficult on Oregon State's No. 2-ranked rushing defense. Heyward-Bey and Williams both caught touchdowns as the Terps scored 14 first-quarter points, two fewer than the Beavers had allowed all season. And then the two wide receivers witnessed first-hand a complete change from what had been successful.
"I guess we were going in a new direction as far as play-calling," Williams said after the Terps' 21-14 loss to Oregon State in the rainy Emerald Bowl. "I don't know if it was the best way to go, I don't know if it was a bad way to go, but things just weren't going well. I think defense played really well, but offense, if you look at it, we couldn't move the ball at all. It was a matter of time before our defense was going to let up, and sure enough they did."
On the Terps' only two scoring drives of the game, Chris Turner threw the ball nine times for 151 yards and two touchdowns. During the Terps' 11 other drives on Friday night, Turner threw just 20 times for 54 yards.
"I think when you're doing one thing and it's working, you have to stick with it," Williams said. "But again, I'm just a player, so I don't really know. That's on someone else."
The Terps (6-7) finished the game with their lowest rushing total of the season, by far: 19 yards on 26 carries - an average of less than a yard per carry.
Keon Lattimore's longest rush of the game was four yards, and Lance Ball's was two, as Oregon State (9-4) had an easy time containing the Terp backs from start to finish.
"We kept on trying to get the running game going; it just got difficult, and then we tried to throw the ball late in the game," Heyward-Bey said. "That's difficult to do when you run, run, run, then you try to throw. Teams kind of know what you're doing. So it was kind of frustrating out there. But we're players first and we're not coaches, so we just gotta suck it up and do what we gotta do."
Coach Ralph Friedgen completed his second and final year as the team's offensive coordinator. Next year, Kansas State's James Franklin will take over.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 6
Boni Macaroni
posted 12/31/07 @ 5:18 PM EST
Q: you are moving the football at will and score 2 touchdowns via the pass. You try running the football and you continuously fail to make first downs. (Continued…)
Jerry
posted 1/02/08 @ 8:10 AM EST
It's official. Our football program is back to where it was before Ralph's arrival -- a loser program. Our play was horrendous. Come on, 50-60 yards gained over the last 3 periods? Are you kidding me? That's absurd! What a dismal way to end another, still another very dismal season. (Continued…)
Boo Terps
posted 1/02/08 @ 12:20 PM EST
Maryland's football and men's basketball programs are very, very quickly being flushed down the shitter courtesy of Fridge and Gary. Hiring alumni for coaches was one of the worst moves the athletic department could have made, and because of this, they will be stuck with mediocre teams for a while. (Continued…)
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