Quarterback CJ Brown lead the Terps to victory as they shut out WVU 37-0 on September 21, 2013 at M&T Bank in Baltimore.
He leaned back in his chair during an Aug. 26 interview session, grinned and pondered the question for a moment.
C.J. Brown, the Terrapins football team’s sixth-year quarterback, enrolled at this university back in 2009, when Greivis Vasquez was the Terps men’s basketball point guard and nobody here knew who Mitt Romney or Kendrick Lamar was.
So, are there any restaurants in College Park the Terps’ starting signal-caller still wants to check out?
“Nah,” Brown said after several seconds. “I think I’ve hit them all.”
Yeah, Brown’s been here a while. He was with the Terps for a coaching change, two 2-10 seasons and two Military Bowl appearances. He’s become as connected to his school and his team as any college football player in the nation, and now, he holds a promising Terps’ season in his hands.
But it’s really Brown’s arms, legs and voice that will dictate how the Terps’ first Big Ten campaign plays out.
Coach Randy Edsall, now in his fourth year, has finally built the roster he wanted. The Terps have depth and experience at nearly every position, and they pounded James Madison, 52-7, to open the season this past Saturday.
The Terps have the leadership on defense and explosiveness on offense to compete with the top teams in the Big Ten. For the first time since Edsall’s been here, he has a team that deserves to be in consideration to crack the top 25.
The thing that morphs good teams into conference title contenders, though, is great quarterback play. As of now, it’s still unclear whether Brown will provide that.
Brown has several qualities of an all-league signal-caller. He knows the Terps’ offensive schemes, and he’s a tough and experienced leader that can make plays with his feet. He displayed that with three rushing touchdowns Saturday against the Dukes.
Still, the Terps’ offense will only be as good as Brown’s passing. And that part of his game, six years into his tenure here, remains a question mark.
Brown, who has thrown 21 touchdowns over 13 picks in his career, struggled to connect on passes of more than 10 yards Saturday. He completed just 11 of 24 passes, which left the Terps’ two most talented players — wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Deon Long — as limited contributors.
“Coming out and going 11-for-24 on opening day is not acceptable,” said Brown, who completed 58.9 percent of his passes last season. “I hold myself to a higher standard.”
But Brown appears to have put those struggles behind him, and he’s eager to bounce back entering Saturday’s test at South Florida. And it’s not like he has to fear for his job.
Edsall’s watched Brown win games for him in the past and he often praises the quarterback’s leadership and passion. He has good reason to. Remember when Brown ran for a game-winning touchdown at Virginia Tech last season to cap a gutsy performance and upset overtime victory? Or how about this past Saturday, when he broke multiple tackles to plow into the end zone on a wacky play on fourth-and-2?
“He didn’t throw as well as he is capable of throwing, but he did so many other things well,” Edsall said of Brown’s performance against James Madison. “It’s hard for the quarterback unless he plays a perfect game, but I’m glad that C.J.’s under center doing it for us.”
Of course, Brown’s running ability and experience won’t mean much if he can’t fling the ball downfield to Diggs and Long. If he struggles passing, opponents can crowd the box to take away the run game and Brown’s patented short passes to his playmakers.
To avoid that, Brown will need to make quick decisions and accurate throws more often than he did Saturday. Long, for one, is confident his quarterback can make the adjustments.
“I don’t wanna say his passing was unacceptable,” Long said Saturday. “He’s actually gotten way better as a passer over the summer. His accuracy has improved; his balls have improved.”
Brown has the backing of his teammates and his coach, which he earned through the work he’s put in at the school for more than half a decade.
Through all the ups and downs during his tenure, though, Brown has yet to be a part of a 10-win Terps team. If he exceeds expectations this season, that may change. But if he experiences a drop-off, the Terps will have to fight just to qualify for a bowl game.
After six training camps, six season-openers and countless hours spent on the campus, Brown is the most important student-athlete at this university. He has the opportunity to rectify his flaws and lead a talented roster to the Terps’ best season in recent memory.
And if he does, he’s sure to have some ideas on where to go for a celebratory meal in College Park.
