Junior running back Lance Ball muscles his way through a swarm of Tribe defenders. Ball rushed for 86 yards Saturday night.
Senior Josh Allen made his debut late in the first quarter Saturday night, his first game action in over 21 months, and gained 14 yards on his first carry.
But after the game, Allen’s triumphant return wasn’t even the highlight of the running game.
That’s because juniors Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore pounded out 175 yards and led the Terrapin football team to its 27-14 win over William & Mary.
In total, the Terps rushed for 213 yards on the ground; a result of shifty backs and strong blocking. But it really wasn’t surprising that the running game captured the most attention.
“I think that’s the strength of our team,” coach Ralph Friedgen said. “If we get the offensive line gelling, and if we can get some receivers stepping up and making big plays, then I think we have a chance to have a good offense.”
Friedgen worried about that offense during preseason camp, since starting receivers Danny Oquendo, Isaiah Williams and Darrius Heyward-Bey entered Saturday night with four catches and 24 yards combined game experience.
So the running game took over. Even as senior quarterback Sam Hollenbach had moderate success throwing for 153 yards on 9-of-15 passing, Friedgen, in his first game as Terp offensive coordinator, turned to Ball and Lattimore.
Carrying the ball 13 times, Lattimore made his own less-heralded debut following shoulder surgery by gaining a career-high 89 yards and scoring a touchdown. After shouldering the load as the Terps’ workhorse back last season, Ball made the most of his time on the field, gaining 86 yards of his own and scampering into the end zone twice.
It was the kind of effective running game that the Terps expected – and one that worked like a charm.
“We knew we could do it. We knew what we were capable of,” Lattimore said. “We wore that team out tonight.”
Lattimore and Ball did so well that Allen’s six carry, 25-yard night after his severe knee injury seemed like a forgotten storyline afterwards.
“I want to get Allen involved too,” Friedgen said. “He wasn’t doing too bad either.”
Starting right guard Andrew Crummey said Saturday night’s stellar performance by the running backs gave the rest of the team even more confidence in all four Terp running backs – Allen, Ball, Lattimore and senior J.P. Humber.
With Allen and Humber only getting a handful of carries, Ball and Lattimore split the majority of the running duties and took turns tearing up the Tribe defense. On the Terps’ second scoring drive, Lattimore gained 25 of the 63 yards and would later carry the Terps on his back for 53 yards in another drive that resulted in a field goal. Right before halftime, Ball chewed up 28 yards to put the Terps up 24-7.
That kind of balance is exactly why Friedgen has insisted he’s got backfield depth.
“We got a stable back there,” Hollenbach said. “Any one of those guys – can come in and run the ball.”
But Friedgen stressed that the success his team had running the ball was due to more than just elusive running. He praised fullback Tim Cesa and his offensive line, which grinded along even without right tackle Jared Gaither, who was held out for disciplinary reasons.
“I thought the offensive line played extremely well,” Friedgen said Sunday. “Our blocking was very crisp, very few mental mistakes.”
Lattimore, Ball and Allen combined to average 5.88 yards per carry and even Hollenbach looked fleet-of-foot on his one carry.
The Terps looked explosive on the ground no matter which back was carrying the ball against the Division I-AA Tribe, but Lattimore knows he’ll have to continue his progression just to compete for more touches.
“It feels good just to be back out there showing what I can do and showing I deserve to be a part of this running back crew,” Lattimore said. “When we play a much harder team, anything can change. Whichever back has the hot hand, I feel that’s who we might go with.”
Contact reporter Stephen Whyno at whynodbk@gmail.com.
