2008 Woodie Awards
Strong receiving, secondary units make each other better
Top cornerback Barnes stars in football's first scrimmage of summer
Eric Detweiler
Issue date: 8/14/08 Section: Sports
Terrapin wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey had been held in check for much of the football team's first intrasquad scrimmage Saturday when the preseason All-American found a seam in the secondary and hauled in a 38-yard pass from senior quarterback Jordan Steffy.
Three plays later, senior cornerback Kevin Barnes sat in the end zone cradling the football after grabbing a tipped pass for a momentum-killing interception.
"That's what they do," Heyward-Bey said of his team's secondary. "Hopefully, they can do that against another team when the season starts."
The secondary, which must replace three starters from last year's team, has gotten some quick experience working against a talented group of wide receivers that features five players who can run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds or less.
After constantly competing during seven-on-seven drills throughout the summer and battling through the beginning of preseason camp, the wide receivers and the secondary are very familiar with each other. The competition between the two groups runs high, and coach Ralph Friedgen hopes that can push both units into the ACC elite.
"I think it helps," Friedgen said. "They get to go a lot of different periods against each other, and there's good competition there."
While the receiving corps makes life easier for whoever wins the starting quarterback job as well as offensive coordinator James Franklin, it also provides a luxury to the secondary.
"Expectations are already high from what you practice against," said Barnes, the secondary's lone returning starter. "It's not really a shock once the game comes."
Barnes, who led the Terps with four interceptions last season, normally lines up across from Heyward-Bey during drills to bring together a battle of talents that is exceptional, even by ACC standards.
Heyward-Bey said after working together for so long the cornerbacks and wide receivers begin to know each other a little too well.
Three plays later, senior cornerback Kevin Barnes sat in the end zone cradling the football after grabbing a tipped pass for a momentum-killing interception.
"That's what they do," Heyward-Bey said of his team's secondary. "Hopefully, they can do that against another team when the season starts."
The secondary, which must replace three starters from last year's team, has gotten some quick experience working against a talented group of wide receivers that features five players who can run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds or less.
After constantly competing during seven-on-seven drills throughout the summer and battling through the beginning of preseason camp, the wide receivers and the secondary are very familiar with each other. The competition between the two groups runs high, and coach Ralph Friedgen hopes that can push both units into the ACC elite.
"I think it helps," Friedgen said. "They get to go a lot of different periods against each other, and there's good competition there."
While the receiving corps makes life easier for whoever wins the starting quarterback job as well as offensive coordinator James Franklin, it also provides a luxury to the secondary.
"Expectations are already high from what you practice against," said Barnes, the secondary's lone returning starter. "It's not really a shock once the game comes."
Barnes, who led the Terps with four interceptions last season, normally lines up across from Heyward-Bey during drills to bring together a battle of talents that is exceptional, even by ACC standards.
Heyward-Bey said after working together for so long the cornerbacks and wide receivers begin to know each other a little too well.
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Steve
posted 8/19/08 @ 2:39 PM EST
Turner should have gotten the nod.
http://www.washtimes.com/weblogs/d1scourse/2008/Aug/18/another-voice-on-the-qb-selection/
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