FanHouse

Terps Get Champs Sports Bowl ... How Exciting

Kyle Decker — 2006-12-03T20:10:00 00:00

Bowl bids are announced and Maryland will be facing Purdue at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando on December 29th at 8PM. Although I'm glad that the Terps are going to a bowl, after the loss in the last two games, I started losing interest in what bowl we could go to. The prospect of a BCS bowl or the Gator bowl is exciting, but the Terps are now in a bowl that is muddled in with every other mediocre bowl, all sponsored by every company in existence.

This will be a nice encore after a pretty good season. Much like the Terps, the Boilermakers didn't lose many games that they shouldn't. All but one loss to Penn State were losses to ranked teams. It should make for a good game against two teams that were good, but not great.

I'll have to do a little research on Purdue since I don't know much about the Big 10 team. I'll do that and report back.

Terps fans were all hoping for a shot at the ACC title and a BCS Bowl bid, but those plans fell through. After that, a lesser bowl is not that exciting. However, Maryland hasn't been to a bowl game in a couple years so just getting to a bowl is a step up. It's not what we were hoping for in the height of the season, but it's an extra game in December. And that's something we haven't had in Maryland in awhile.

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There's Always Next Year -- Maryland After Thoughts

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-28T22:54:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Tough loss on Saturday night. However, with the defense Maryland played against Wake, they didn't deserve to win. They just couldn't get a hold of those misdirection plays. And for crying out loud, if the opposing quarterback is throwing blocks, nail him! Put the fear of God in him! Their poor defense showed up after taking a month off, and that's where the game was lost.

But enough about that game. There's no real need to keep stressing game play when the next game is months away. However, I'm not going to starting talking about a bowl game now, especially because we don't know who the Terps will be playing. I think it's more prudent to see what could happen next year. Obviously, this is all my speculation. Let's take a look.

Offensively, the first thing I think we'll see is the Fridge signing an offensive coordinator. It's just too much work to do two jobs at once. When those jobs are head coach of a national football program and offensive coordinator, it's even rougher. College kids should think about that when holding down a job at a TCBY and an internship during the summers. Supposedly, Friedgen loves to work with young QBs, but honestly, his strong suit was always the running game. Scott McBrien was a good QB, but it took him forever to show that on the field. Sam Hollenbach never really reached his potential. If the new offensive coordinator could help mold these QBs, it would add a nice aspect to the offense.

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Terps Play For ACC Title Shot Tonight, Heyward-Bey Might Too

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-25T16:15:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Tonight's game is possibly the last game of the Terps season -- if they don't win. Last reports were that it's still uncertain if Terp's big offensive playmaker, receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, will play.

I say he plays. He suffered a concussion last week during the last place of the first half against BC, but Coach Friedgen didn't really elaborate. He did say that he hopes he plays and the doctors think he'll be ready. That's all you need. It's all on the doctors. If he gets the green light, he's going to play. Maybe if this were an early game in the season, the Terps would air on the side of caution, but this isn't. It's the last regular season game. If they win this game, they go to the ACC title game. If they lose, the go -- or in this case stay -- home. He'll play.

And let's hope he does. During Friedgen's postgame conference, which you can always watch on FridgeTV.com, he talked about Sam Hollenbach's interception returned for a TD. Fridge didn't fault Hollenbach for the pick but instead, faulted Heyward-Bey's replacement Danny Oquendo. Apparantly it was a poor route and not a poor throw. The coach said that he would hope Sam would make that throw each time.

If that interception is on the receiver, then we need Heyward-Bey back. He and Hollenbach have a good rapport. The other receivers dropped balls in the end zone last week, which I doubt Heyward-Bey would have. He's too important to the passing game to be missing tonight.

Wake Forest is a tough team, so Maryland will need all their weapons to beat them. I expect this to be an exciting game since Maryland has the homefield advantage to even the score. Both teams will be leaving everything on the field since is the last game of their regular season.

I hope that after tonight, I'll have another week to write about before bowl season. Win or go home games are always fun and exciting and often promote high blood pressure. Enjoy the regular season finale, Terp fans. May it not be the last game this year.

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Miami 17, BC 14 -- For That I'm Thankful

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-24T00:05:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

After handing it to Maryland last week, BC couldn't get enough on the Miami defense to win. BC can no longer make it to the ACC title game. The winner of the Maryland Wake Forest game will. Maryland is back in control of their own destiny.

This was a trap game by all means for BC. They scored the big time win against Maryland last week, and they were going against a "poor" Miami team this week. However, Miami has a killer defense, they needed a win for a bowl birth and to help Coker's job security, and they needed that win for Bryan Pata. BC fell for the trap. Terp fans remember their game against Miami. They won with 14 points. That defense doesn't give up much. As you can see by the photo, Maryland is so grateful that Dre Moore is hugging Miami's Javarris James.

Now Maryland needs to gear up for Wake Forest at home, which is officially the biggest game of their year -- a title that I hand out every week. They got a gift from Miami, a gift better than gift certificates, PS3s, or cash. They got the chace for a shot at the ACC Title game. The Terps have something to play for going into this game. It sucks knowing that win or lose, your team won't be making the big game.

Terps, gear up. It's time to put it all on the line. You were given a reprieve; a second chance. Use it and play your ass off in front of the Byrd Stadium faithful. You've got a rematch with Georgia Tech on the line. You've got a chance to restore a program that looked like it was dying last year. Make this game count.

Miami, your Thank You Cards are in the mail.

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Maryland Turnovers Early Kill Any Shot of Winning

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-18T16:12:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

This game was really over from the first Maryland fumble returned for a TD. The second one on the very next drive just locked it away. That turnover free ball Maryland was playing during their wins failed to make an appearance on a day there were two fumbles returned for TDs, one interception returned for a TD, and another interception in BC's end zone that took away any chance for points for Maryland.

The defense allowed two passing TDs to BC, but I'm not going to really focus on that. It was 14-0 all on the offense before the defense gave up points. When there were drives when the defense gave the offense a chance, the offense just took that chance and threw it away. Teams can't win on the road with four turnovers, especially when three of them result in points -- 21 points. You take away those three scores, and it's a close game. That's it right there. BC played a great game. I'm not taking anything away from them. But if Maryland was more careful with the ball, it would have been a more exciting game for everyone.

The loss of Darrius Heyward-Bey during the very last play of the second quarter hurt as well. I'm not saying that the Terps would have mounted that insurmountable comeback with Darrius in the line-up, but four dropped passes in the end-zone from Isiah Williams, Danny Oquendo, and Nolan Carroll showed us what an asset Heyward-Bey really is. Those passes should have been caught and it could at least have given us a more exciting game towards the end. Hollenbach was making perfect throws in the end zond, save the interception obviously. Those were catches I think Darrius would have made.

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Will Maryland's Close Calls Help or Hurt Against BC?

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-17T20:53:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Maryland hasn't blown out anyone this year. Every win has been hard fought and close until the end. Except for the West Virginia loss, the losses were close too. It didn't matter if the wins were on the road against strong ACC teams -- Clemson -- or at home against a drained team -- Miami -- the games were close until the end. In fact, the two games I just mentioned were both one point games. So does this style of play help or hurt Maryland?

Ralph Friedgen mentioned that in these close situations, his players have confidence. Actually, he called them "cocky." Confidence is always a plus. I don't expect this team who has played in so many pressure situations to be easily rattled on the road in a big game. This team is different than the team that was wowed by the big lights of a Thursday night game against WVU. They will not be affected by the situation tomorrow. In that sense, the team has matured greatly over the season.

On the other hand, the Terps keep putting themselves in these pressure situations. When the Terps were bad, their MO was that they would get a lead and blow it late in the game. They're still blowing leads, just not enough to lose the game. At this final stretch of the season, the Terps cannot do that any more. Their luck is going to wear out. The team has used so much of it that it can't last forever. They lead Miami 14-0 but won 14-13. They lead FSU 27-14 but won 27-24 (on a blocked kick.) Soon or later, one of these teams is going to come back enough to rout the Terps. This is a huge game for both BC and Maryland, so if Maryland gives the momentum to BC, they'll run with it.

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Darrius Heyward-Bey is the Next Two Name Superstar

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-16T21:11:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Finally, the legacy of Nik Caner-Medley is gone. Well, at least his legacy as last Maryland player to be good and have two last names is gone. Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Terps stud wide receiver, will become the next Terps star to take that title. And I'm thankful. Nik Caner-Medley, the basketball forward, was way over rated. He was a ball hog who could ruin a game with poor shots. I'll admit that he had some good games, but all in all, he was not that good. When ESPN talked Terps basketball the last three years, they talked Caner-Medley, when there were always more consistant players. Plus, I heard that he was a jerk in real life from people who had been around him.

Darrius Heyward-Bey will be a star. He runs a 4.21 40 and as we all saw against Miami, speed kills -- in this case, killed the defenders. Heyward-Bey and Quarterback Sam Hollenbach hooked up twice for long passes, the only scoring all game. The better news? Both he and Ralph Friedgen think he's going to get much better. They want him to improve his style of catching and to make his routes crisper.

Imagine next year when Heyward-Bey improves his techniques. As long as Jordan Steffy can improve to a decent QB, Darrius will be a star. Plus, he seems like a personable guy. Watch the segment on FridgeTV where he takes you through his "crib." He's got a down-to-earth personality that fans can get behind. Everyone kind of had the idea that Caner-Medley was a jerk. Even if he wasn't, he gave away that cocky personality -- remember his public drunk tantrum in Maine where he screamed "I'm from Maryland! No one can beat me!"? I just don't see that from Heyward-Bey.

So look out, Terp fans. We've got a potential superstar on our hands, and if he stays most of the time, I bet they'll be Heisman talk his final year. Heyward-Bey is what's in at Maryland. Deal with it Caner-Medley.

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Pimping FridgeTV.com

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-14T22:52:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

I was still in school when Ralph Friedgen and the athletic department came up with FridgeTV.com. Unfortunately, they didn't really advertise it well. They'd show a few clips of the team and then flash the words "FridgeTV.com" on the video screen at football games. My friends and I had no clue what it was. Instead of investigating it, we just assumed it was some disgusting pornographic site featuring the Fridge, and only the Fridge.

But alas, there's nothing that disturbing on the internet. Well, actually, there is. There's a lot of messed up stuff on the internet, but this is not one of them.

FridgeTV.com is Ralph Friedgen's idea of letting the students and fans into the world of the team. It's more than most fans usually get. There are press conferences with Ralph after the match and some previewing the match. There are highlights from each game. Friedgen talks about recruits and there are some high school videos of them. My favorite parts are the parts that interview the players. There was a cool movie about how the team mobbed kicker Dan Ennis after the Clemson win and about how being on the bottom of a pile of huge ass football players just hurts. FridgeTV also features a Cribs style feature where the players will take you through their dorm rooms. You can see back up runner JP Humber's ugly green skulls shirt or the weird guy wearing a grim reaper outfit who hangs in Heyward-Bey's dorm. And at the end, they always kick the camera guy out.

It's really fun times. Fans should get a nice peak into what's going on with the players so they have a closer connection to the team. Friedgen is an innovative coach and this is a proof of that. So check it out if you haven't already. It's a good inside look at the team and Friedgen is clothed the entire time. What else could you ask for?

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Maryland Fans, Quit Rushing the Field!

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-13T00:03:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Let me start off by saying I'm not one of those people who say that rioting is disrespectful to the Maryland tradition or makes the Terps look bad. Screw all that. It's great. However, rioting and rushing the field should only happen when it's deserved. Rushing the field otherwise just makes you look like idiots and, as an alumn and Terp fan, that's something that I can have.

I think the current students watched the Terps from 2000-2005 and saw all the great riots. I'm lucky. I was a freshman in 2001-2002. The first major riot of the modern era -- meaning not Vietnam -- was a year before when the Terps lost to Duke in the Final Four. That was an angry riot. The next year, there were some good football riots, such as after Maryland beat Georgia Tech in overtime on the Nick Novak kick and when they beat Clemson to go undefeated at home. Of course, the National Championship is riot worthy and the ACC Championship in 2004 was as well. The ACC Championship one is my favorite because that's when the students lit a fire in the middle of Rt 1, although tipping the buses during the Women's Championship last year looked pretty good.

However, since the defeat of #5 FSU in 2005, there hasn't been anything worth mass celebrating in football. So don't. Beating unranked FSU and Miami at home does not deserve rioting at all. As fans, you need to acknowledge when a team isn't as good as you. When you run onto the field, it's because you either won a title of sorts or beat a team that's ranked much higher than you. By rushing the field against two unranked teams, it's showing them respect they don't deserve.

Unfortunately, this post is poorly time. If the Terps beat Wake Forest and advance to the ACC title game that is reason to rush the field. Unless Maryland had a tradition that the fans can celebrate with the team on the field after every win, which would be pretty cool, the fans need to show prudence in when to rush the field. Save it for the best games. Rioting or rushing is often a show of respect for the team you beat. So before you do it, make sure they deserve it.

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Maryland Succeeds in Beating Miami, Giving Me High Blood Pressure

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-11T21:17:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Well, the last two weeks Maryland's combined margin of victory has been a mean two points. However, they have been two victories. In fact, the Terps rattled off five in a row to improve to 8-2 and 5-1 in conference. The last two games haven't been pretty, but the outcomes have been tough wins and the fact they were wins at all is all that counts.

The Miami game was a huge pitfall game. Being Miami, they always have the talent and ability to come out strong every single game. The fact they were playing for a teammate that had died earlier in the week would just add to that fact. It looked like the death of defensive end Bryan Pata was weighing heavily on the players and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of them just didn't want to be there. None-the-less, they played on and played hard the entire game.

Maryland's defense, although they held Miami to only 13 points, did not look as sharp as they did against Clemson. They were giving up way to many yards and won with the help of Miami. Miami's go ahead touchdown was straight up dropped when Ryan Hill was wide open in the end zone and just dropped the pass. With the way Maryland's offense was lacking in the second, as it was against Clemson, that would have been the game. I thought many times that the Bend Don't Break defense was finally going to break today. Instead, it bent to maximum capacity. When it looked like Miami was going to do it, a Miami tipped pass was picked off by Trey Covington and after Maryland punted it away, Bruce Johnson fumbled after a nasty tackle.

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Miami Opts to Play Maryland

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-08T20:19:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

After the tragic death of Miami defensive end, Bryan Pata, Miami will opt to play against Maryland. As Coach Larry Coker said, "[The team] felt like Bryan would want to play."

Maryland can no longer expect to meet the crappy Miami that's walked on the field all year. They should expect the Miami that had been ranked for years before. There's no doubt in my mind that Miami will come and play that game for Bryan Pata and play hard -- the hardest they've played all year. They will leave everything on the field, and Maryland needs to be ready for that.

I think Maryland is a tough position this week. The entire story is Miami and Maryland is the bad guy team they have to overcome to honor their lost friend. Besides Maryland fans, I think every will be behind Miami in this game. The Maryland players will have to realize that this is still an important game for them. It wouldn't benefit them at all if they came out not playing 100% because of the situation. I doubt Miami would want Maryland at anything besides 100%. Maryland's season is highly dependent on this game, and if they don't play their hardest, they'll regret it years down the line. If they lose to Miami while playing 100%, that's something that you can get over.

As for the news on the Hurricanes, you should probably be reading the Miami FanHouse.

No matter who wins or loses this game, it can be assured that this game will have a different feel. I bet you that even the Terps fans will sound a bit different. This is a tragedy, but the game will go on. Let's hope for both sides' sake, it's a good one.

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Looks Like Friedgen Trusts Hollenbach After All

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-06T23:45:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

For the longest time, I thought that Friedgen was trying to win ball games in spite of Sam Hollenbach. All the plays were run plays except for really short passes for the last few games before the Clemson game. But with the Tigers defense completely shutting down the Terps running game, it was all on Sam Hollenbach to make some plays. And after he had his fair share of that, he started calling them.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Friedgen let Hollenbach call his plays as he saw fit during the last drive of the game. Hollenbach took Ralph's freedom and made the most of it. The final play before setting up the field goal, as we all remember it, was a 12 yard pass to tight end Joey Haynos to set up a 31 yard field goal. Turns out that Friedgen's play call was a running play but Hollenbach had better ideas.

With the way that Maryland had been running, it's possible that Hollenbach made the call that saved the game. Maryland was getting stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage plenty of times during the game, and I wouldn't be surprised if Clemson geared for the run on that play as well. Instead of a 12 yard gain, imagine they got barely any yards. It would have been a 43 yard field goal instead of a 31 yard field goal. That's certainly a makeable kick for all kickers not named Mike Vanderjact, and Ennis has had a great second half of the season. However, there's more of a chance that he'd miss the field goal from 43 than 31. Hollenbach insured the win with that last play call.

The Clemson game took Hollenbach from an offensive care taker to a real quarterback. He's making decisions and making plays on the field -- he had his first good long pass in a long time, a 56 yarder to Jason Goode. From here on out, we should all be less weary when Hollenbach takes the field. When the run game was shut down, he proved he could take the game himself.

And speaking of Mike Vanderjact, former Terp and current Redskins kicker Nick Novak hit the game winner against the Cowboys. Sure, he had missed one just minutes before that he should have made, but as I predicted before he even walked on the field, Vanderjact missed a 35 yarder and gave Novak another chance. Must feel good to hit big kicks against, Nick.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Your #23/24 Maryland Terrapins!

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-06T21:57:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

I knew it! A win over Clemson would get Maryland that ranking that seemed unthinkingable weeks ago. The team that everyone figured was done is now one of the best 25 teams in the country for the first time in years. That itself is huge for Maryland. I guess Coach Ralph Friedgen's job is safe.

As the adage goes, with good ranking comes great responsibility. People are talking about Maryland for the first time in a long time. In the New Jersey Star Ledger, hundres of miles away from College Park, they've had multiple mentions of Maryland and a big article about their win over Clemson. Maryland has been doing excellent while no one's been talking about them. Can they live up to the hype now that there is some?

They've got Miami in College Park on Saturday at 3:30 this week. Miami has really sucked it up this year, but they're still Miami and they still have a sick defense. Since they're the only non-ranked team left on the schedule for Maryland, it would be wise for Maryland to win this game. We don't want to just be ranked for one week. More importantly, Maryland need to win the game they should because the next two -- at BC and then back home against Wake -- aren't going to be any walks in a park. Miami isn't a walk in a park either so the Terps better not over look Miami. Luckily, since it is Miami, just the name Miami should pump up the Terps.

Miami is never a given game. I think that's a law of nature or maybe it's in the Bible. So Terps fans, we need to enjoy this ranking now because the rest of the schedule is not going to make it easy to keep it.

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Terps Over Come Clemson, Refs to beat Tigers by 1, Spread by 18

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-04T16:36:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

I'm lucky that I don't have vocally record these blogs because I just don't have a voice. I screamed, yelled, and swore for ten minutes after the refs overturned that safety. I threw a chair too. That was a horrible call. I'm a fair fan who will admit when a call is OK against my team. That wasn't. That call could have cost Maryland the game. Terps fans should thank Sam Hollenbach that it didn't.

Sam Hollenbach looked the best I've ever seen him. On that last drive, he was threading a needle with some of the balls he threw. The last one to Joey Haynos (my homeboy) was beautiful. He had one interception on a misread late in the first half, but otherwise, he played beautifully. The pressure was on and he didn't falter in that last drive. Dan Ennis was cool as could be when he hit the game winning 31 yarder.

If we're going to talk about Hollenbach, we have to talk about the offensive line that protected him. He was sacked a few times, but the Clemson defensive line is pretty sick. Adams was going to get his sacks. Except for the one time in the second half when the Terps settled on a field goal after Hollenbach was sacked within the Clemson 10, they protected him well all game. Weren't you just expecting him to take a nasty sack on that final drive, like against Georgia Tech? Well, this is a different team than it was against Georgia Tech. It's a good team. On a day when the running game that Ralph Friedgen loves so couldn't get started, Sam Hollenbach took it upon himself and his receiving core to do enough to beat the Tigers.

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Maryland, You Wanna Win Tomorrow? Stop the Run.

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-03T16:57:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Tomorrow, Maryland and Clemson face off in Death Valley at high noon. Or regular noon -- one of the two. I think in Death Valley every noon is high noon. Both teams can help their chance to win the Atlantic Division of the ACC with a win. Clemson has been rolling until Virginia Tech rolled over them in Blacksburg last week. Asides from that and a one point loss to BC, Clemson has been dominant this season. They showed Georgia Tech who's boss in the ACC with a 31-7 beating two weeks ago.

Maryland has been on an upswing lately. They've won three in a row against UVA, NC State, and FSU. Yes, those are all games Maryland should have won -- they should have beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta but instead they beat themselves -- but good teams win the games they should. Great teams beat the teams they shouldn't as well. I'm not saying Maryland is going to be great if they beat Clemson, but they won't be if they don't start beating some ranked teams. They have three ranked teams left, the others being Boston College and Wake Forest.

So we've established that Maryland needs to win this game if they want to be considered more than just a decent team. I think that was pretty obvious. Now how does Maryland go about this?

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Terps Miss Yearly Sexual Harassment Brawl

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-02T22:32:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Today's Maryland football article in the Baltimore Sun was about how the Terps did not get into a bar brawl this Halloween. Last year at this time, they did. A huge fight was the result of a woman being groped by the players -- safety Marcus Wimbush has an upcoming trial for sexual harassment and assault. This year, the Terps weren't dumb enough to do it again.

I'd like to congratulate the Maryland Terrapin football team for not breaking multiple laws in one night and becoming a disgusting blemish on Maryland's image.

The Fridge understood the lure of College Park on Halloween. He even said he considered going out on Halloween night. Now there's a sight I'd love to see. We can all be assure he'd be the guy passed out on the sofa that you're worried is gonna wretch at any moment. Although by his large weight, I'd like to think he'd be able to hold his liquor. Who knows? Maybe he'd be running the beer pong table instead. Like the Maryland team, Ralph made the correct choice and stayed in.

Fridge claims that it was the bar brawl that ruined the season, and that could very well be correct. It's way to hard for a mediocre team to dig down team when their being investigated for multiple crimes by the guy trying to coach them. This year, the team is on a better track. Instead of the sexual harassment nrawl, they could be playing in the Sexual Harassment Bowl come December. With all the bowl games, there's got to be one called the Sexual Harassment Bowl, right?

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Terps Face Their Third Biggest Game of the Year This Saturday

Kyle Decker — 2006-11-01T20:45:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

I was right. Don't be too surprised; it happens often. After Maryland's win against Florida State, they were in the receiving votes portion of both the AP and the ESPN rankings. If they beat Clemson -- big if -- I believe they will receiver a ranking.

Once again, the game will be televised on ESPN2 Saturday morning. (I believe noon is still the morning on a Saturday.) The Terps are a double digit underdog going into the game. That's OK thought. It's fine with me. As long as the Terps have been undogs, they've shown up. In fact, I'll be worried when they do get some national attention. Even though it was televised, the win over FSU didn't really get the Terps much press outside of the Maryland area. Hell, during the game, Florida State was the story, even as they were getting beat by Maryland.

That being said, this is the biggest game of the Terps season to date. I've said that a lot, I know. I've said that about Georgia Tech and West Virginia, both which resulted in losses. Those were the only ranked teams the Terps played all year, and if they want to be considered a legit team, they'll need to beat some ranked teams. Since Clemson is a ranked team and have been billed as the best team in the ACC for awhile -- if it's true, I don't know -- this is now Maryland's biggest game of the season. Third time the charm, Maryland?

Clemson won't be an easy win by far. Maryland will be on the road, where they Terps have struggled mightily this year. Clemson is coming over a rough loss -- aren't all losses rough? -- on the road against Virginia Tech so we can be sure they'll be looking to release some aggression.

Coach Ralph Friedgen has said that the team's goal is more than six games. He also believes that a two loss team can make the ACC Championship game -- both reported on his press conference you can watch on FridgeTV.com. A loss to Clemson wouldn't kill the Terps, but a win could do so much. A win would probably get them a ranking, a thought that was preposterious just four weeks ago. A win would get them national recognition as a legitimate team. And a win would let them at least preserve the three way tie for first in the Atlantic division. Now all they have to do is beat Clemson. That can't be that hard, right? (It can.)

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Maryland Beats FSU, Shows Nation They Don't Suck

Kyle Decker — 2006-10-29T11:59:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

It wasn't easy, but last night, Maryland got it's second win against Florida State ever and made it two in a row at home against them. Of course it wasn't as meaningful as 2004 when FSU was ranked #5. However, this year, the win put the Terps at six wins total and bowl eligible. Plus it was on national TV, making up for their humiliation earlier this year at West Virginia. So how was it done?

Maryland's defense was still better this week than it had been in the first few weeks. It wasn't as good as last week, but it was good. Their corners couldn't cover 6'6" Greg Carr, but their run game was effective when needed to be. When Bobby Bowden elected to go for it on a fourth and one, defensive end Jeremy Navarre busted through the line and made the tackle behind the line. It resulted in good Maryland field position and the next drive lead to a TD. That play was so big that defensive coordinator Chris Cosh flipped on the sideline.

The defense did cave at some points. However, one FSU drive for a TD happened was a result of their incompetence. When driving in Maryland territory on third down, Maryland stopped them close to the line of scrimmage and the play was over. But then the refs called FSU on a false start and the Seminoles got the play over. The defense didn't recover that drive and the Seminoles scored. It was followed by an offensive three and out. I know the o-lineman jumped, but the play was run when false starts are called before the snap. That touchdown made the game 27-21.

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Terps Fans, Please Don't Forget About Florida State

Kyle Decker — 2006-10-28T13:25:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

I was thinking about this game and I realized that none of the Terps players would ever underestimate this game against Florida State. This could be the win that helps them find a bowl game. Plus, after years of humiliation, save one, against FSU, there's no way they'll look past this game. It's the Terps fans that may do that.

It's easy for fans to forget to get pumped for a game against a team with a worse record when a ranked team waits next week. But let me remind you all, this is Florida State. If you've ever been to a Maryland vs FSU game -- once again save 2004 -- you'll know how it feels. You remember the pain of disappointment, loss, and humiliation. Focus on that for tonight.

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Maryland Vows Not to Underestimate the Team That's Owned Them

Kyle Decker — 2006-10-26T22:29:00 00:00

by Kyle Decker

Filed under: Maryland Football, ACC

Just the thought that Maryland would underestimate Florida State is stupid. Florida State has owned Maryland forever. In 16 meetings, Maryland only has one win. With a record like that, Maryland's focus needs to be on this game. No team should look past a team that's just beat up on them. The Terps need to win this game and need to play Florida State like they've always played them: Pumped up for the biggest game of the year. Ralph Friedgen knows they are a good football team and vows to take them a seriously as always.

Florida State still boasts a top tier passing game that the Terps are going to need to defend against. Their run is inconsistent, but could be effective on the right day. The truth is, Maryland hasn't boasted a good defense until last week, so there's a chance that defense was a fluke. Florida State doesn't think so, though. The way the Terps blitzed last week threw NC State completely off their game and the Seminole offense knows that can happen to them too.

If Maryland shows up with the defense that showed up during homecoming, this could be a huge game for Maryland's program. If they show up with the defense that played for Maryland the rest of the year, they will end up taking yet another loss to Florida State, giving Bobby Bowden a breather from the pressure he's feeling. Terps fans would like nothing more than being part of the reason Seminole nation is up in arms. This game is too important, especially with a trip into Clemson on the horizon. A Maryland win against a team that's just bullied them could do great things for this team as they try to remain in the hunt for the ACC title.

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