1. Is Ralph Friedgen still an offensive genius?
Friedgen won a national title at Georgia Tech as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and was named assistant coach of the year in 1999, when he led the Yellow Jackets’ offense to 200-yard-per-game averages in both passing and rushing – something only one other team managed to achieve.
Players say that Friedgen, by taking over the play-calling duties, has added more motion to the offense while trying to get the most out of athletic receivers, a deep backfield and an experienced quarterback.
“I like variety. I get bored doing the same thing the same way, so it forces them to learn a lot of different things,” Friedgen said.
If Friedgen is able to harness the explosive abilities that made his Georgia Tech teams successful, the Terps will be putting up points on the ground and in the air.
2. Can Sam Hollenbach stop throwing interceptions?
As the Terps’ unquestioned offensive leader, Hollenbach’s play will be crucial, as mistakes could cost his team games and positive play could make up for the losses of several passing targets.
Last season, the mistake-prone Hollenbach tossed 15 interceptions to go along with his 13 touchdown passes. The interceptions will have to decrease for the Terps to remain competitive in a difficult conference – and for Hollenbach to keep his job.
Friedgen has expressed confidence in his experienced senior quarterback, but stressed that the turnovers have to stop. Just in case, redshirt sophomore Jordan Steffy has played in six games and could step in given his knowledge of the offense.
In his fifth year in Friedgen’s offense, no one knows more about guiding the offense than Hollenbach, but that knowledge will only be realized if he doesn’t make critical mistakes.
3. Who will become the offensive and defensive playmakers?
This wasn’t even a question last season, as the Terps could rely on Vernon Davis catching the ball over the middle and D’Qwell Jackson tackling everyone in his path. Chances are, several players on both sides of the ball will have to combine to make up for the losses.
On offense, tight ends Joey Haynos and Dan Gronkowski are able blockers and Friedgen said sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Williams is developing into a legitimate deep threat.
No single player will strike as much fear into opposing defenses as the versatile Davis, and Hollenbach knows he can’t try to do too much.
“All I need to do is go in there and put the ball in the hands of the right people and let them move the chains for me,” Hollenbach said.
On defense, it’s much of the same thing. Junior linebacker Wesley Jefferson is leading the charge to replace Jackson and Friedgen is confident Jefferson can play the middle linebacker position very well, even if he doesn’t make the spectacular plays Jackson did.
4. Will the Terps fold under pressure?
In their six losses last season, the Terps were outscored in the fourth quarter 93-35. They also lost leads in the fourth quarter three times, including an early season collapse at home against Clemson.
Hollenbach admitted the Terps didn’t follow through with the lead or coming from behind late in games last season.
“One thing we learned from last year is that we have to play a full 60 minutes of football, and sometimes more than that,” he said. “We don’t ever wanna feel like we’re out of a game.”
Friedgen has praised his players’ ability to respond under pressure during practice, but the real answers will come when the score counts and missed field goals mean more than just extra running drills. With the possibility of several close games, special teams coordinator Ray Rychleski said the Terp kickers will be especially counted on to make field goals in loud stadiums when the game is at stake.
5. How long will it take for the offensive line to gel?
The offensive line was ravaged by injuries during preseason camp and wasn’t helped by the suspensions of Jared Gaither and Jaimie Thomas. Starters Donnie Woods and Andrew Crummey missed time as well, making way for reserves such as Phil Costa, Lee Oliver and Garrick Clig to show their worth to Friedgen and line coach Tom Brattan.
Gaither’s absence allowed Dane Randolph to take over at right tackle, where he will start tomorrow against William & Mary. Fifth-year senior Stephon Heyer, returning from his ACL injury, will provide an anchor at left tackle.
When asked when he believes the entire offensive line will be on the same page, Brattan laughed and said he hopes by the first game of the season. And though the injuries and suspensions have made uniformity more challenging for the linemen, they’ve also helped more players gain experience, which can be useful on Saturdays.
“It’s a mixed deal,” Brattan said. “Obviously, you want everybody here – but at the same time, the other guys get a chance to step up.”
Friedgen is confident that, for the first time since he was hired, the Terps have two game-ready offensive lines.
6. Can the Terps overcome a difficult schedule?
Even though this year’s team may have more overall talent than those of the past two seasons, it also faces a bigger uphill battle to get to a bowl game.
All five teams the Terps play on the road this year went to bowl games last season, as did three home opponents. The Terps’ Thursday-night trip to West Virginia is their hardest out-of-conference game and takes place on national television. That game may provide an early indication of the team’s toughness, which Friedgen has stressed needs to improve.
Holding serve at home will be an equally difficult task in late October and early November. For the most part, Byrd Stadium has been a house of horrors for opponents as the Terps are 24-7 at home under Friedgen – except for last season, when they went 1-4.
Friedgen sarcastically noted how easy his team’s home slate was this season with games against Florida State and Miami, but the Terps will need to cash in on their Chevy Chase Bank Field advantage.
7. Will the kicking game be a problem?
Senior Dan Ennis and sophomore Obi Egekeze have battled throughout camp for the starting job. Both have had inconsistent days as well as strong days.
Friedgen called the kicking competition “dead even” last week after complimenting both Ennis and Egekeze for upgrading their play late in camp. Friedgen also partly attributed the improvement to his own motivation.
“Since I’ve been bothering them, they’ve started kicking good,” Friedgen said.
Friedgen joked that he wanted to give his kickers helmets that have speakers in them so he can distract them during games.
Special teams coordinator Ray Rychleski said the kickers are going to make a major impact on the Terps’ success this season.
“I hate to tell all the fans, but a lot of these games are gonna come down to field goals,” Rychleski said earlier in camp. “That’s how tight the league is.”
But even with the ups and downs of practice, Friedgen said Ennis and Egekeze provide depth in the kicking game. Still, he added, there’s very little room for error.
“Whoever the guy is, [if] he misses a few, there’ll be another guy in there very fast,” Friedgen said.
8. Can Josh Allen return to his previous form?
Even 22 months after tearing the three ligament in his left knee, Allen isn’t 100 percent due to the severity of the injury. He missed all of last season rehabilitating, while Lance Ball picked up most of the carries with help from Mario Merrills and Keon Lattimore.
Ball and Lattimore are penciled into the top two spots on the depth chart, but Friedgen doesn’t consider Allen the third team tailback.
Allen has not been put in either of the top spots because of Ball’s and Lattimore’s preseason play and because the home-run ability Allen once displayed isn’t back yet.
“I definitely feel like I’ll get [the big-play ability] back; hopefully by mid-way through the season, I’ll feel it again,” Allen said.
As a junior in 2004, Allen carried the ball 144 times for 533 yards. As a sophomore, he gained 922 yards with eight rushing touchdowns. Friedgen said Allen cut his 40-yard dash time from 4.7 seconds in the spring to 4.56 seconds before fall camp – a positive sign that the burst will eventually return.
9. Will the defensive line struggle without Melvin Alaeze?
It looked like the Terps would be set at defensive end when star recruit Melvin Alaeze committed to play for Friedgen again in 2006 after spending a year at Hargrave Military Academy. Friedgen released Alaeze from his scholarship in June, and Alaeze is now at Illinois. The coaching staff has adjusted by moving redshirt freshman linebacker Barrod Heggs to defensive end.
Although he didn’t mention Alaeze as the reason, Friedgen said last week that the position was a little thin behind starter Jeremy Navarre.
“Probably the position I’m a little concerned about is defensive end,” Friedgen said. “Jeremy is very good. We’ve moved Heggs in there. There are certain things Barrod does very well, but he’s about 245 pounds, and, when he gets double-teamed, that’s a factor.”
Heggs is listed at 265 pounds in the Terps’ media guide, but lost weight in the off-season, Friedgen added.
Even without Alaeze, the defensive line itself will likely be stronger this season because of Navarre’s experience and senior Conrad Bolston’s consistently strong play. The Terps will rely on unproven Heggs and Travis Ivey, among others, to provide line depth.
10. Is The Fridge on the hot seat?
After his initial success during his first three seasons, the wind blew out of the Terps’ sails following two consecutive 5-6 seasons. It didn’t get rid of Friedgen’s drive to win, and athletic director Debbie Yow said it didn’t change the forecast for the coach’s future.
“Coach Friedgen’s contract runs through 2012. We plan to honor that contract,” Yow said.
During the news conference which announced the agreement to rename the field at Byrd Stadium, Yow talked about the Terps’ blowout wins against Tennessee in the Peach Bowl and West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. Yow said the postseason is the legitimate goal for the Terps this season, though it is not the ultimate goal for the program.
Yow didn’t have to provide any extra motivation for Friedgen, who has lamented his team’s losing seasons and discussed his own fervor to win.
“He’s a person of great pride,” Yow said. “I’m sure he has internal pressure for wanting to deliver for Terps everywhere.”
While Yow has confidence in Friedgen to turn the program around, falling short of bowl eligibility would probably make this even more of a question mark going into next season.
Contact reporter Stephen Whyno at whynodbk@gmail.com.
