[Editor’s Note: In August, The Diamondback published 10 questions surrounding the 2006 Terrapin football team. Halfway through the season, we look back and answer those questions.]

1. Is Ralph Friedgen still an offensive genius?

There haven’t been any trick plays or nutty formations, but the offense is putting up enough points for the Terps to win most games. Friedgen understands that with the one-two-punch of Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, the running game is his bread and butter. The juniors have combined for 839 yards this season and the two rank as one of the top running back tandems in the ACC.

But things haven’t been perfect for Friedgen’s offense, evident as he’s hesitated to call risky pass plays for fear of turnovers.

“I need to become a little more wide open offensively,” Friedgen said this week. “I get concerned about making a mistake that’s gonna cost us, and I don’t like that.”

The red zone has become a problem as the Terps have settled for short field goals instead of shooting for the end zone, especially at Georgia Tech. Friedgen said he second-guessed himself for not going to kicking a field goal on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line against the Yellow Jackets, and that memory could change his decision-making for the rest of the season.

When the Terps came back from 20 points down to beat Virginia, quarterback Sam Hollenbach and the passing game came through, while Lattimore and Ball contributed the bulk of the yardage. Though he’s worked hard to squeeze a lot out of a young receiver corps, Friedgen has shown he knows what he’s doing when calling the plays.

2. Can Sam Hollenbach stop throwing interceptions?

The short answer is no, as Hollenbach has thrown the same number of interceptions as he has touchdowns (five). Hollenbach, an intelligent player who knows Friedgen’s system inside and out, seems to get caught up in the game. He makes ill-advised decisions, throwing into coverage and sometimes gets burnt.

Friedgen went off about committing turnovers after the Terps’ loss to Georgia Tech and voiced his disappointment with Hollenbach last week. Meanwhile, he said backup Jordan Steffy could see some playing time if he continues to improve in practice. But even down 20 points to the Cavaliers, Friedgen stuck with Hollenbach, who has played under pressure, and was rewarded with a win.

But Hollenbach must trust his throwing ability – and his experienced offensive line – and not hesitate to throw the ball to young receivers. Redshirt freshman Darrius Heyward-Bey has flashed game-changing ability, and Hollenbach just has to deliver the ball quickly and efficiently while the Terps rely on the running game.

3. Who will become the offensive and defensive playmakers?

Going into the season, it would have taken a psychic to predict that Heyward-Bey and tight end Joey Haynos would emerge as Hollenbach’s favorite targets. Heyward-Bey hadn’t played a game, and Haynos entered the season with one career reception. Neither is what Vernon Davis was here, but combined with Isaiah Williams, they have fueled the aerial attack.

On the ground, Ball has picked up where he left off last year, when he rushed for six touchdowns, while sharing carries with Lattimore. Both running backs have emerged as top playmakers, eating up bits of yardage at a time. Lattimore’s 56-yard run against Virginia added a new dimension: home-run ability.

The defensive stars have been more predictable. Junior linebacker Wesley Jefferson has stepped into D’Qwell Jackson’s shadow, and while he’s not quite the playmaker Jackson was, Jefferson has been stellar. He leads the Terps with 52 tackles and is a ball-hawk who knows positioning and pursuit well enough to make up for Jackson’s departure.

Senior cornerback Josh Wilson has done a little of everything on defense and special teams. He brought the energy to the defense and provided a big spark with his 100-yard kickoff return against Georgia Tech.

4. Will the Terps fold under pressure?

The jury is still out on this one as the last two games have painted two completely different fourth-quarter pictures. In their loss to the Yellow Jackets, the Terps blew a nine-point lead and the chance to pull off a big upset. In the win over Virginia, the Terps staged their biggest comeback since 1993.

Two weeks ago, the Terps were unable to stop the Yellow Jackets from scoring or completing a game-winning drive. The biggest problem was the Terps committed two turnovers in the fourth quarter, something they cannot do.

Players say they’ve learned from the Georgia Tech loss, but it remains to be seen how the Terps handle difficult late-game situations on the road that could present themselves against talented teams like Clemson and Boston College. The comeback in Charlottesville, Va. proved two things: The Terp defense can stand up when it needs to, and the Terps can utilize the running game even when trailing by double digits.

5. How long will it take for the offensive line to gel?

The seasoned offensive line that returned three starters has been a model of consistency in the running game and nearly perfect in pass protection. Two of the blemishes, however, were disastrous, as the line allowed Hollenbach to be sacked twice with the chance to beat Georgia Tech.

Hollenbach was sacked twice and hurried a few times against Virginia, but the offensive line steamrolled over the Cavaliers in the running game. Right guard Andrew Crummey and right tackle Jared Gaither landed huge blocks to spring Lattimore for his 56-yard touchdown run.

Crummey is the only starter who has missed a start due to injury this season, and Friedgen said the Terps played eight offensive linemen against Virginia. Rotating three tackles, three guards and center Edwin Williams has allowed the line to stay fresh while setting the tone in the trenches.

6. Can the Terps overcome a difficult schedule?

Looking at the schedule in August, it looked like the end of October and November would provide a murderer’s row for the Terps.

But now, who knows? The wild and wacky ACC has been full of drama and surprises, with teams like Wake Forest and Miami moving in opposite directions. Very little is certain in the ACC, including how many will go to bowl games.

Friedgen and players have stressed there are no easy games in college football – even against cupcakes William & Mary and Middle Tennessee. It’s possible the Terps played down to those opponents and up to Georgia Tech subconsciously, but it’s tough to judge just how good most teams in the ACC are, including the Terps.

Every game left on the schedule is winnable, given Clemson’s injury woes and Boston College’s penchant to both win and lose games in the final moments. What traditionally was a “gimme win” against Wake Forest Thanksgiving weekend could now amount to a battle for bowl positioning.

7. Will the kicking game be a problem?

Asked last week how long senior kicker Dan Ennis silenced critics for with his 3-for-3 game against Georgia Tech, special teams coordinator Ray Rychleski had a very simple answer.

“Until the next game,” he said.

The life and survival of a kicker is measured on a game-by-game basis, but Ennis stepped up in the most clutch situations on the road and didn’t flinch. Even a miss against Virginia wasn’t enough to erase those memories, and winning the game didn’t hurt.

This season, Ennis has connected on seven of his 11 field goal attempts, tying him for fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage (63.6) among kickers with at least 10 attempts. Rychleski has stressed that games will come down to field goals, and that’s when Ennis will get the chance to silence critics for good.

Sophomore Obi Egekeze hasn’t been on the field since Sept. 14. After losing the kicking competition to Ennis before the season, he was replaced on kickoffs by Chris Roberts despite averaging more than 60 yards per kick. Roberts doesn’t have as many touchbacks as Egekeze, but there have been no kick return touchdowns since the Terps made the move to Roberts.

8. Can Josh Allen return to form?

It seems like only a matter of time, but chances are few and far between for Allen to break out in games as he is stuck behind Ball and Lattimore. Still working to get back from a severe knee injury he suffered in November 2004, Allen has improved.

While the juniors are starring and splitting carries, Allen gets whatever is left over, even as Friedgen has praised this senior. “Josh is just not where he was, but he’s still a pretty good back,” Friedgen said. “He’s such a great kid – I’ve made him captain the last two weeks for what he means to our football team.”

Allen showed a flash of his previous form against Florida International, catching a short pass from Hollenbach and scoring. That week, he said he was on his way back, but he has gotten only one carry since.

Even though he’s gained only 52 yards on 20 carries (2.6 yards per attempt), Allen still has the respect and adoration of teammates. When asked about having two great running backs as part of the offense in Ball and Lattimore, Haynos firmly stated that Allen is not just good, but great.

Friedgen realizes he can’t take carries away from his two sharp running backs, but he said Allen is worth more than just the statistics he’s put up.

“I know it’s a very tough situation for him ’cause I know how much he wants to play,” Friedgen said. “Yet he still provides the leadership that I’m looking for.”

9. Will the defensive line struggle without Melvin Alaeze?

Alaeze showed dynamite playmaking ability at Randallstown High School and Hargrave Military Academy that could have helped the Terps.

So far this season, Terp defensive linemen have accounted for 86 of the team’s 388 tackles and provided only four total sacks. The Terps have been unable to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks, and the secondary is forced to make more plays.

But despite the defensive line’s problems, it seems clear that Alaeze wasn’t the answer. Friedgen and the Athletics Department said they released the defensive end because he violated terms of his financial aid agreement, but virtually no one would criticize them if they simply decided his character issues weren’t worth the aggravation.

Alaeze was charged in February with two counts of marijuana possession, two counts of drug paraphernalia possession and possession with intent to distribute. All charges were disposed of in June, according to a court database, but the rest of Alaeze’s story has been a confusing one.

After his scholarship was revoked, Alaeze enrolled at Illinois. He played in two games, recording one tackle before leaving the school and returning to Baltimore the weekend of Sept. 30.

10. Is The Fridge on the hot seat?

No. Friedgen reinvigorated a football program that was lifeless in the late 1990s. He won immediately, something that he continues to admit spoiled him.

But what it also did was spoil fans who have raised expectations for the Terps after an ACC Championship and trips to the Gator Bowl, Orange Bowl and Peach Bowl. Higher expectations are reasonable, but Friedgen did more in his five seasons with the Terps than any coach since Bobby Ross in the 1980s.

Friedgen was right to celebrate the Terps’ comeback win against Virginia, almost tearing up while talking about the victory. It was an important, timely win, and could be the game that sparks not only the team, but the program.

Athletics Director Debbie Yow told The Diamondback before the season that the department intends to honor Friedgen’s contract, which goes through 2012. And while 2012 may seem like a long time from now, Friedgen could make it fly by if he is able to get this team and future teams to bowl games.

Contact reporter Stephen Whyno at whynodbk@gmail.com