Nick's Notes

Terps Baseball vs. Hofstra

2008-03-02T14:17:00.007-05:00

Thanks for joining me to follow the baseball game while we have softball on the air.

Durakis led off the bottom of the 5th with a strikeout. His single back in the 3rd inning extended his personal hitting streak to 8 games.

Murphy popped up to shortstop for the second out of the fifth....2 outs on the innnig.

Spessard steps up, hes got a double to his name today. He takes Panzarella deep into the count, but gets K'd looking....3 up, 3 down in the bottom of the fifth.

3-2 Terps after 5 complete.

Elliott Hagburg leads off the 6th for the Pride...kind of an ironic name for the Hofstra team today as that's all they're playing for...trying not to get swept out of College Park. Unfortunately for them, predictions say it'll be this way all year long.

Hagburg put a force into one, lining the 3-2 hard down the left field line, but foul. Apparantly he found his swing though, because he roped the next pitch into centerfield for a single.

That brings Anthony Sarno to the plate, clearly the most all-around player for the Pride. He pitches, hits, plays the outfield, and does most of it well. He strugged pitching on Friday, going only 2.2 innings, but that seems to be the story for this Hofstra team. They can hit and don't make a whole lot of errors, but it's tough to win when they give up 16, 14, and 13 runs in their first three games.

Single for Sarno moves Hagburg to 2nd...2 on, nobody out.

Tom Legregni stepping up now, he's 0-2 today. Bad bunt by Legregni right back to Pupa, but a better play by the Junior as he barehanded the ball and threw to third for the out...2 on, first and second, with one out now.

Dion Pouncil drives the first pitch he sees to centerfield, where Jowers makes the catch and almost doubles Sarno up at second base.

2 outs and now we have a pinch hitter--Matt Kougasian (Koo-gay-zian). He went 0-3 in the second half out yesterday's double header.

Coach Farr visits with Durakis and Pupa and makes a change, bringing in Adam Kolarek.

Pupa's day is done: 5.2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2Ks and 1 HBP. He put the Terps in the position to win and that's what matters.

Kolarek comes in, he's seen action in 2 games this season...5.6 ERA. he walks the first batter he sees, which has to frustrate the whole coaching staff...Now things get dicey, bases loaded 2 outs Terps clinging to a one-run lead.

Full count, two outs, bases loaded..everybody is moving. Especially with a one run lead, this gets real exciting.

Base hit is gonna score two runs, Hofstra takes teh 4-3 lead. Miserable for the Terps, Kolarek just ruined a great day for Pupa, and in return, his day is done as well. Talk about not doing your job. Line on Kolarek:

0 + IP, 1 H, 0 R, (but he gave up 2), 1 BB...He's in line for a loss. Change Pupa's line to 4 runs instead of 2, 3 of which were earned.

First batter against Taylor, Chris Mentrasti performs the hit and run to perfection. Cole took off for 2nd, Murphy went to cover and the ball rolled through the holecreated.

Stuckless grounds out to Braun to end the inning, but the damage was done. 3 runs on 4 hits leaving 2 on....

5-3 after 5 and a half.

WOW

2008-01-21T20:44:00.000-05:00

This is the first post of the solely basketball season year, and well, it's quite the note to start on...Terps 82, Tar Heels 80.

I said at the beginning of the season that this is the type of team that will beat a Duke or UNC but won't do well in the long run--so far so good on that one. My reasoning was (and still is) that they are just that young. I said it on air on Saturday, they are too young to really be intimidated by top tier teams. They get pumped up for those games so they play well. Unfortunately for them, they are also too young to realize that the name on the front of their jersey no longer gets them wins against lower level teams, and the names on the backs of the jerseys aren't good enough to run away with games. So if they can't motivate themselves....uh oh.

They went into Chapel Hill and played to the absolutely best of their ability...and the players know it. They all said after the game that if they play that way all season they will make a serious run...Hell, if they play half that well for the rest of the season, they will give teams like VCU, American and Ohio a run for their money.

And there enlies the teams problem. With the youth comes a cockiness that has hurt them-badly. They have talent (Vasquez, Gist, Hayes, Milbourne and Tucker) but they don't have the smarts. Part of that problem is one of their leaders (Vasquez) is only a sophomore and lacks the smart as well.

So, the team played out of their mind and now sees the potential. And the momentum will carry into next weekend against Duke. Will I be surprised if they lose? Absolutely not. And if they win? Still not surprised. This game isn't telling, so don't drink the cool aide, and don't drink it if they lose. Wait until they start playing the teams of their level on a consistent basis and see how they perform.

This team does has potential, and can be very good if it wants to. But if the Terps keep playing to the level of their opponent they'll have some exciting wins--and a lot more devastating losses.

EMERALD BOWL POSTGAME NOTES

2007-12-29T01:06:00.000-05:00

POST GAME

The entire team after the game was clearly frustrated, headlined by Isaiah Williams and Darrius Heyward-Bey. But, as those two displayed, the frustration wasn't about this game; it was frustration of the entire season--much of which was directed at the coaching staff. Both Williams and Heyward-Bey mentioned that "I'm a player first, so it's not for me to say," when asked about the play calling. But, they both went on to also say how frustrating it was to continue running the ball when it wasn't working. Here's an array of quotes:

RALPH FRIEDGEN

"We played a good team. We didn't play our best and when that happens you're gonna get beat."

On what he told the players about winter and spring practices.

"We're gonna raise things to a whole other level and they better bring their A game."

CHRIS TURNER

On who will be the starting quarterback next year.

"I have no idea."

DRE MOORE

On the last drive for Oregon State.

"We were worn down but we still had a chance and didn't bow up and make a stop."

ISAIAH WILLIAMS

"It was a matter of time before our defense let up and sure enough they did; we just weren't able to put any points on the board."

On the play calling.

"I think when you're doing one thing and it works you've got to stick with it. I'm just a player so I don't really know. [Friedgen] calls the game the way he sees it and that's just the way it is. I guess [Friedgen] just saw something we didn't see. I just don't know."

On his thoughts while the plays are continually runs.

"Please pass the ball!."

On next year.

"I think we're going to honestly have to go in a whole new direction."

On the field conditions tonight.

"The field was [horrible]...Before the rain, during warmups it was coming up."

KEON LATTIMORE

On the play calling.

"Our identity is to run the ball. I think we probably could've passed the ball a little more but I'm not a coach, I'm a player and what we did is what we did. We win together, we lose together and we lost; so I don't point fingers."

"What you see is what you get. The outcome of the game is how it went."

DARRIUS HEYWARD-BEY

On next year.

"We need to go in and find out who our quarterback is from the jump. That's number one...I can't make the call. I'll tell you, last year when I knew Sam would be my quarterback it made it a lot easier...I'm confident with all three of them."

On the play calling.

"You know we tried to throw the ball late in the game and that's difficult to do. You run run run and you try to throw it and the defense knows what you're going to do. It's tough out there. We're players first, we're not coaches. We just gotta [suck] it up and do what we've gotta do."

San Francisco Treat-GAMETIME

2007-12-28T19:05:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody and WELCOME to the 2007 Emerald Bowl. It's me, Sam Duvall, Gregg Sussman and Norm Carter on the "call". ESPN has exclusive rights to broadcast this game, and for the first time in WMUC history, that applies to us as well, even though we are non-commercial. Thoughts on that to come at a later date...

This should be exciting. According to Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN, it should be interesting to see if Maryland can compete with with Oregon State. Oregon State comes in at 8-4, Maryland at 6-6. We'll see ya then.

Kickoff: Less than 40 mins

5:33: Alright, time for kickoff. Neyisha Go, 17, sang the National Anthem--one of the better renditions I remember. Well done Neyisha. In more important news, I just sat in the Giants dugout.

5:35: OSU wins toss and defers, Terps will start with the ball (bearing a turnover on the kickoff)...

5:37: BC wins 24-21 over Michigan State just moments before we get underway here. Terps in White jerseys on White pants. OSU is in all black with weird orange shoulder stuff. Kevin plan just shuddered on the sideline.

5:38: Remember what I said about the turnover on the kickoff? Da'Rel Scott just fumbled it. He got it back and we're underway at the 20.

5:39: First play is a 5 yard pass to Jason Goode. Fridge said earlier in the week he would be a big part of the game plan.

5:40: First down to Goode. Guess Fridge was right. This followed by a deep pass down the sideline to Isaiah Williams. Open receiver, under thrown, missed. Feels like Steffy to Williams in the early weeks of the season.

5:43: Just a thought. Both teams are on the same sideline, and that was one of the big story lines coming into the game. It looks weird and it was actually of concern to both coaches. I'll tell, ya, this place is NUTS (Emereald nuts to be exact).

5:46: 1st and Goal at the 10 after a 28 yard pass to Williams. Should've been at least two flags on the play.

5:47: Touchdown Terps! 9 yard pass to Williams (Isaiah, LaQuan didn't dress). Obe puts through the extra point. Good drive for Turner and the Terps. Turner went 6 for 7 for 78 yards. Talk about marching down the field. The rush wasn't a huge impact but it opened up the pass, and Turner did a good job of mixing up his receivers, throwing to Ball, Haynos, Goode, Williams, and Heyward-Bey.

5:48: The team that has scored first in the Emerald Bowl has won 4 of the last 5 times. This tidbit coming from Gary Williams--he's the press box public announcer, not the basketball coach. Let us tell you, his voice is unreal. It's soothing at the least, and as it was put in Anchorman, "He had a voice that could make a wolverine purr."

5:52: Lyle Moevao starts the game at QB for the Beavers. He's 3-0. Two straight play fakes that looked ugly--good sign for the Terps.

5:53: Time to punt for the Beavers. The roughing the kicker should change that though. 15 yards, automatic first down. Mike Riley, the OSU coach, called the Terps "well coached" and a "sound team". You can't see it, but I'm laughing because I love irony.

5:56: New QB for OSU. It's Sean Canfield, he's the guy that's started most of the season. Less than a drive, maybe the shortest outing ever for a starting QB?

5:57: Canfield leads OSU to their first first down of the game that wasn't gift-wrapped by the Terps. None of the yards came through the air, and there will be plenty of that for the Beavers tonight...there has been all year-2,360 yards on season.

5:59: Almost a fantastic catch by Gabe Miller in the endzone. I doubt Friedgen feels badly though, if almost counted, this blog would be coming from a BCS bowl, not a baseball stadium.

6:00: James Rogers with the TD reception--14 yards. Not sure why the Terps didn't guard him in the endzone, it looked like a zone defense out of the playbook from the 2nd half of the Wake Forest game.

6:02: "Pizza Orgasmica" is a proud sponsor of the Emerald Bowl. I promise. Just ask the jumbotron. So, where does that leave us. Nuts Bowl, Pizza Orgasmica, and the Beavers. Insert joke here.

6:05: By the way, feel free to post responses.

6:05: Weird things about this field...The back of the endzone labeled "Maryland" is the warning track, which is not really dirt, it's plastic--whatc your footing. There is only one sideline. There are bleachers in right field. It's a baseball stadium. There is a huge Coke bottle behind the stands (it's a slide, I think I'm going during halftime).

6:07: Gregg just told me that I can't go on the slide because of the height requirement. He's already leaving the stadium.

6:11: Moevao is back in the game. This trend of platooning quarterbacks is becoming more popular throughout the country...although it is kind of strange that a team who features the run does it.

6:12: Nice point by Sussman: The Terps could be platooning next year. I agree. They do have a new offensive coordinator coming in, James Franklin, and who knows what he wants to do. Portis and Turner are both viable options. (No, I didn't forget anyone.)

6:15: OSU has outscored their opponents 127-16 in the first quarter this season. Shane C, thanks for the post. You're correct, 5 rushes for 8 yards isn't much of a start. Don't expect it to get much better, OSU is one of the top rush defenses in the country...They've only given up 899 yards on the ground all season, that's 74.9 a game.

6:18: Remember that huge touchdown catch by Heyward-Bey last season against Miami? That just happened again. Great throw by Turner, 63 yard touchdown (3rd longest in Emerald Bowl history). This is the only way the Terps will beat the Beavers--the pass. They can't run on OSU, so it'll be up to the arm of Turner. The speed of HeyBey will help, it always does.

6:25: Brilliant play by Dave Philistin to rock Yvenson Bernard (the stud running back for OSU) a good two seconds after the play. When I say brilliant I mean awful. And very lucky that they didn't get flagged for the late hit.

6:26: Solid first quarter for the Terps. OSU gave up 16 points all year in the first quarter, and the Terps have 14 now. Hey ACC football!!!!

6:30: Trey Covington with the nice sack. One has to ask where that's been all season...Better late than never I guess. No one in Emerald Bowl has multiple sacks in a game (or fumble recoveries or interceptions for that matter). If the Terps can achieve this it could make the game a lot easier.

6:32: As I say that, OSU fumbles the ball and the Terps get it! Philistin it is...So, they are well on their way to both feats. That's the fourth fumble in Emerald Bowl history. The Terps are playing very inspired football which is very inspiring to me. Note*they Terps are notoriously good starters and bad finishers.

6:34: Fumble on the Terps. Perfect. Good thing Dorian Smith was offsides for the Beavers. Lattimore fumbled it and he's still down, looks hurt. It was his shoulder. He is right in front of the penalty box between the two benches.

6:36: This just in from G-Will (my favorite part of the Bowl Experience thus far). He serenaded us with the fact that HeyBey's 63 yard TD is the 2nd longest in Terrapin bowl history. The longest was in 1973--Louis Carter to Walter White in the 1973 Peach Bowl.

6:37: Sussman and Norm just went down to the field to get an update on Lattimore...I'll let you know...Another killer penalty--offsides on OSU gives the Terps a first down. So, we are 2.5 mins into the 2nd quarter and we have a roughing the kicker for a first down, an offsides to negate a fumble, and an offsides to give a first down. High quality stuff.

6:41: I'll start this post where I ended the last one...High quality stuff. An interception that is followed by the best run back I've ever seen. But he stepped out of bounds so it doesn't matter. Next play, OSU fumbles it and the Terps get it back. 3 turnovers in 2 minutes and 2 seconds. High quality stuff.

6:43: That's the first time in history a team has ever recovered two fumbles in an Emerald Bowl (if you count Scott getting his own fumble to start the game its 3!! Hooray!).

6:44: Sam Duvall: Maryland has now run the ball 10 times for a total of 4 yards. That's not exactly efficient. In other news, I just got a text message from Sussman and Norm--Lattimore just came jogging back from the locker room...Not sure if that mean's he is good to go or what exactly happened, but we'll let you know.

6:46: Just a reminder: These Nuts are Nuts about Pizza Orgasmica.

6:48: Shane C rocking the comment board. I do attribute the sloppiness to not playing in a month (the Terps played last on Nov. 24 and OSU on Dec. 1). Also, though, its a wet field from the recent rain, and these are two very active defenses. The teams have been practicing all winter, so they can't blame too much of it on anything but themselves.

6:50: Timeout Oregon State-this is a big play. Terps get a stop here, and they can march down to be up by two scores at the half.

6:51: Good pressure there by Muhtadi and Covington to force the field goal from 47 yards. First kick of the game, this is from dead on. It's short off the cross bar--this is a crazy game, NUTS perhaps...I apologize for that joke. The Beavers are 17 of 19 on the regular season. Now the Terps can really get work done.

6:53: Keon is back...3 yard rush. So that takes the Terps back to -1 rushing yards on the night. That's not how you win games.

6:54: Big interception by Brian Peyton. Talk about killing an big opportunity. That could really come back to hurt the Terps. They got a huge stop and let it lead to nothing but yet another turnover. Talk about two teams that don't look like they should be in a bowl game...

6:59: Another brilliant turnover. Interception by Moises Fokou in the endzone...his first of the year. I'm going to go back into the Giants dugout (because it's really cool to me) and I'll come back when one of these teams decides they are interested in winning the game.

7:01: Nice tidbit by Duvall: this game is one turnover short of the all-time Emerald Bowl record of 6. Woop woop. Either its raining or the entire Terps fan section is putting on matching plastic t-shirts because they think it'll be cool to look like the team. Just a guess, but the rain will really cut down on the turnovers...right?

7:03: True story...Lance Ball just ran the ball and I legit wondered why Turner took a knee; awesome running game.

7:04: Same play, same receiver, almost the same outcome (interception). Thought process of continuing to throw to him with multiple drops, anyone?

7:06: It's a legitimate cause for concern that this is the exact kind of team that wears the Terps down throughout the game, as they are showing right here in this two minute drill (which involves runs by the way). By the fourth quarter this defense is going to be exhausted and if they are up by one score or less, I like OSU's odds.

7:09: "Lyle Moevao was injured with 13:56 left in the second quarter and hasn't returned yet." G-Will even made that stupidity of a sentence sound sweet.

7:10: Touchdown run of 2 yards by Bernard. He wasn't a definite starter, and now he is tearing the Terps up. That was set up by the barrage of turnovers about five minutes ago. There is no reason the Terps shouldn't be up by at least 2 scores right now. Raise your hand if you are shocked.

7:12: Norm just informed me that G-Will is his hero. I think that's a bit extreme, but to each his own. And, G does have a 2nd half to win me over. I like his odds over the Terps.

7:14: Halftime, and to tell you the truth, I think you have to be pleased with the Terps. The question then becomes, what does that tell you? A team has two turnovers, 10 rushing yards and has wasted a number of opportunities-they are allowing OSU to stay in the game. But, they aren't down by 2 scores, so you can't be upset. I'm going to the bathroom.

7:22: Halftime musings...I was noticeably excited for what I consider one of the best traditions in sports--both schools bands playing at halftime of a bowl game. Unfortunately, OSU didn't bring their band-some high school band is playing right now, not sure who and I'm not going to lie to you and say that I have any interest in finding out.

Other thoughts:

-This game is brutally ugly, and would be tough to watch if it wasn't funny seeing Division I teams make this many turnovers.

-There is this homeless guy down at Fisherman's Wharf that makes any trip to San Francisco worth the money. He created these bushes that he sits behind and he waits for people to walk by. Then, he jumps out from behind the bush and scares the crap out of them. Norm, Sussman, Andy Zuckerman (D-Back writer) and Adam Frie (D-Back photog) stood there and watched him do this for 15 minutes straight-twice.

-Zuckerman pointed out to me just now that the Terps had six first downs in the 2nd quarter, and they ran on five of them. Even though the Terps only have nine yards on the ground total, some things will never change. P.S. Why hasn't Ralph been mentioned in any of these coaching searches?? hahahahahahahahaha.

-Duvall: "The band and the fans are wearing the same ponchos." Nick: "Yes." Duvall: "Interesting." That's my roommate.

-We have discovered my second favorite beer while here in San Francisco. My first favorite is Kokanee, which you can only get in Idaho (yes I have been there). But, my second favorite is now Alaskan Amber. It's great-if you find it, send it to me. Please and thank you.

-This is one of the most insanely expensive cities in the world. Hi Mom and Dad!!

-This is a really ugly game.

-Alcatraz visits are sold out until Wednesday, and as Sussman was told by the ticket agent, there are no scalpers outside of the ticket building. Good question though.

-Trey Covington has an Emerald Bowl record with three sacks tonight. If he played half as well all season as he is tonight, the Terps would be in Charlotte right now.

-Someone is dressed up as a nut on the sideline. That person has a friend dressed up as a container of nuts. They look dumb. I took a picture with them.

-Ralph takes up just short of the entire jumbotron. I'm just sayin... Does anyone else think that before his birth, Mama and Papa Fridge said "we're about to do big things!"? I hope so.

2ND HALF

7:39: OSU starts with the ball. ESPN just flashed on the screen that Maryland had ONE TOTAL YARD in the 2nd quarter. That's amazing to me. It's more amazing that they are still in this game, and it further proves my previous point about them being great starters and bad finishers.

7:40: If this rain keeps up, the game is going to come down to running the ball. The Terps have 9 rushing yards. The Beavers have 133. Any questions?

7:43: The Terps had 23 sacks coming into the game and they have four tonight. What are the possible reasons that they are getting pumped up for a game that is approaching meaninglessness (word?) game more-so than the rest of the season? Yes, it is a viable question--is this game meaningless?

7:47: As the Terps go into negative rushing yards, their offense continues to go completely stagnant. They are living off their 163 yard, 2 touchdown first quarter. For example, they had one yard in the second quarter, and just lost 20 yards on this drive, WITHOUT any penalties.

7:48: Sam thinks the endzone that says Maryland in red with the black background looks good and that they should start doing it in College Park. It's a tie game. It's a bowl game. This is what he thinks.

7:51: Oregon State girls are categorically attractive. Just ask the Jumbotron. Or me.

7:52: The Terps just got another sack, this is number five (season high). It'll knock OSU out of field goal range. The biggest thing about these sacks is that the offense has essentially handed the game over to the defense with their melody of three-and-outs. Hope for overtime and a short field.

7:54: The Terps are in the shadow of the Coke bottle. I just figured I'd say it now that I have the chance.

7:55: You can really tell right now how pro-OSU this crowd is. Both groups of fans are impressive though. It's a 10 hour drive from Corvallis (according to the nice man on the cable car yesterday) and a six hour flight from College Park. Emerald Officials (The Big Nuts, if you will) expected 4,000 Terps fans and got around 6,000...The rest of the approx. 32,000 are in bright orange. Hats off to both groups.

7:59: The Terps were on the 5 yard-line with a broken play clock. A delay of game and an illegal procedure later it was 3rd down from the two. Where did Jason Goode go?

8:00: Another huge penalty against OSU. The punt gave them the ball on the 45 yard line, and instead they gave the Terps their longest play in the 2nd half (good stat from Sussman). These penalties are not excusable with a month off.

8:01: Another run for no apparent reason on first down. It got the Terps back to 0 yards rushing. (Season low: 88, Emerald Bowl all-time low: 101 by Virigina Tech in the Inaugural Emerald Bowl of 2002).

8:03: Yeah, the Terps did just throw to Adam Goldberg, the place-kick holder. He has been in a game as a WR already in the season, but this was the first attempted pass to him. Says a lot about Emani Lee-Odai's performance.

8:05: Sam just pointed out to me that Testudo has the same poncho on as everyone else. That's all.

8:09: Lucky break for OSU right there on the touchdown...But, you make your own luck, a great punt return followed by a big run by Benson set that up. All of a sudden the Terps offense needs yards. If you ask me, Goode and Heyward-Bey are needed over the middle.

8:13: Play action for the Terps!!!!!! Longest play of the game since the first quarter for them. This is what they need to do. Play actions have worked all year for the team, and it's going to have to be how they end the season. Without it they don't have a prayer. The only question is: Will OSU fall for it when the run clearly isn't working for the Terps.

8:16: Attendance tonight is 32,517 which is the second largest in Emerald Bowl history. Last year, between Florida State and UCLA drew just over 40,000, but the opinion in the press box is that this is more impressive because of the weather and the profiles of the teams.

8:21: Thanks to John Willmott for just reminding me that I was posting in Arizona time, not California-it's all fixed now.

8:22: Yes, Obe just missed a 32 yard field goal. It wasn't blocked, it wasn't a bad snap, he just pulled the kick left. That really can't be happening in this part of the season or this part of a game. Especially when the offense had just put together a good drive for the first time since the fourth quarter. This still doesn't look like either team wants to win the game.

8:24: Terps get a break there when Canfield throws the ball to no one in particular. Seriously, no one wants to win this game.

8:27: During this TV timeout a couple thoughts:

-Benson's 153 yards rushing sets the an Emerald Bowl record (lots of those tonight).

-As opposed to what Chris Spielman is saying, it is Heyward-Bey, not Beyward-Hey.

-I'm a huge Barry Bonds fan...I grew up loving him, and him being one of an entire league of people taking steroids is no reason for me to ditch him. On this trip I bought a jersey t-shirt of his that was marked down 50% and I sat in his dugout. I officially don't care about the outcome of this game...because I'm an unbiased journalist.

8:30: Turner just ran, and that raised a question for the OSU writers in front of us: "why don't they bring Steffy in to run?" All of the Maryland writers laughed.

8:32: Heyward-Bey just moved into 9th all time for receiving yards at Maryland with 1,480.

8:33: Fear not, none of those blocks were legal.

8:34: Where is Erin Henderson with his patented interception over the middle. They'll need a third and long throwing situation for him to run one back...That appears to be the best shot at the Terps scoring.

8:36: There was the opportunity. Screen pass though. Mike Riley is a smart one...

8:39: Another big penalty against OSU. It puts the Terps in good field possession so they have the opportunity to actually score.

8:40: That pass should've been caught by Isaiah Williams. This month off has really hurt his progression in this senior season, not exactly a plus.

8:41: Good decision to punt here. The nice punt is just icing on the cake. This way, you play the field possession game, and hope the defense continues to hold OSU. If you go for it and fail, you give them the ball in great field position for a field goal.

8:42: Alright, well the whole season (kind of) comes down to this. Granted it doesn't really matter, 7-6 looks a whole heck of a lot better than 6-7. Each side of the team needs to do their job. Defensively they need one hold, and offensively they need one score. I'm saying it now, you go for two. Why the heck not??? I know its not the right football decision, but it'd be fun, and this is really all for money and entertainment, right? Yes--if it wasn't this would be the playoffs.

8:45: Question-for either team, would this be their biggest win of the season? I understand it's the "postseason," but I'd say no. The Terps beat Rutgers and BC when both were in the Top 10, and OSU beat Cal (#2) and Oregon (rivals and #18). More reason to not play for a tie. That's my opinion, post yours.

8:48: 3rd and 3, end around for 9 yards...Only in this game. Not exactly a choice time for the Terps defense to slow down, but they are clearly worn down, a step slower and tackling with their arms, not their legs. See my 7:06 blog.

8:49: Smart play there by Rogers, keep the clock running as much as possible by staying in bounds, what the heck, give him the first down, and that'll just about do it for the Terps.

8:51: Another question--the Terps are on the brink of a losing season...their 3rd in 4 years. I realize they are in a bowl game, but is Ralph approaching the hot seat yet?

8:53: With that rush, OSU has 273 yards rushing on the game, which is the team record for rushing yards in an Emerald Bowl. Now Rogers has 114 yards, that's a career high.

8:55: While we have a moment, it's worth mentioning that Ray Rychleski is leaving UMD for South Carolina after the season. He's one of the top special teams coaches in the country, and will undoubtedly be missed. All of a sudden you'll start seeing special teams having a much bigger impact on the Terps' games, and not exactly for the better.

8:57: Alright, we're headed down for post-game interviews, follow up stuff to come momentarily.

All and all, its a fitting end to a bad season for the Terps.

San Francisco Treat

2007-12-05T14:06:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post...My computer got a virus, so I am currently on the third floor of the Journalism building.

So, the Terps are officially going to San Francisco for the Emerald Bowl, as expected. They are playing Oregon State, which was also expected. As for my ACC Teams and their bowl selections, I'm pretty happy with those.

The Terps don't know much about OSU yet, and they aren't expected to. That comes after exam week. These next four days of practice is more of them improving as a team than preparing for the Beavers. Coach Friedgen did say that all of the tape is broken down and ready to go. They are a good running team and they remind him of Wake Forest (to whom the Terps have lost their last two games). I plan on studying the Beavers more once I'm done with Final Exams--I wish I could now, it more fun.

What I know now is that the team is good--they won 10 games last year and beat Cal when they were #2 this year. Andrew Crummey put it well when he said that it will be exciting to see how the Pac-10 stacks up with the ACC.

Speaking of the players, Fridge said that they were really excited to go to San Francisco, and it was their first choice. A lot of the guys I talked to, like I said in the last post, said they don't care because a bowl is a bowl. (Fridge echoed this when he said that he didn't think this was a must win game because only the National Championship is a must-win bowl game.)

Free Stuff

2007-11-27T16:18:00.000-05:00

Just a little update...none of the five or six players I talked to were willing to publicly say they wanted to go to one bowl more than another. They were all excited just to go to one....Christian Varner, in my opinion, put it best: "A Bowl is a Bowl; Free Stuff is Free Stuff." Well said, Mr. Varner.

(For those of you that don't know, he is referring to the free stuff given to the players by the bowls they attend. It happens at every bowl, it may or may not abide by the rules, but no one asks questions. His statement is fairly flawed, in that the better the bowl the better the "free stuff". Generally only BCS bowls can afford to give out XBOX 360's, but everyone gives out IPODs. And no, reporters don't get free stuff. And no, I don't agree with that policy. I'm just sayin...)

But, in the long run, yes, free stuff is free stuff. Which is probably why you're reading this blog...

Oh yeah, thanks to Scott Sudikoff for pointing out to me (correctly) that the 5/6/7 bowls can pick whoever they want as long as they agree. If they can't agree, then it does go in order. I still think that Wake will go to Charlotte (Scott doesn't--he has his own blog though), so it doesn't change my projections. Just throwin' it out there for full disclosure.

BOWLING???

2007-11-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

So, apparently after everything this team went through all year (injuries, quarterback controversy, bad playing, bad play calling, losing close games they should've won and winning games they should've lost), the Terps are going to a bowl game. Wow.

At the beginning of the year, the common thought was that 6 wins wasn't going to do it--an ACC team needed 7 wins to get into a bowl. But, no one took two wins against top-ten teams into account. With those (Rutgers and BC), even though neither team will be in the top ten at season's end, the Terps are sitting pretty.

So, are they going to participate in the last game on Boise State's 'Smurf Turf"? That was the general opinion coming into the Thanksgiving weekend. But after this weekend, it looks like San Francisco (Emerald Bowl) is a distinct possibility and Charlotte's Meineke Car Care Bowl is a maybe...but that is a big MAYBE.

So let's start at the top and work our way down to see where the Terps could spend the end of the Holiday season...

Boston College and Virginia Tech will play in Jacksonville for the ACC Championship, with the winner getting a BCS Berth in the Orange Bowl. If Virginia Tech wins, odds are good that they will be the ACC's only BCS team (Clemson, after losing to BC and barely winning this weekend is out). But, if BC beats VaTech, there is a possibility that VaTech could slide in as a BCS at large berth (I don't have the time or energy to type out what needs to happen for that to work out because it's all guess work, and there's plenty of it).

Three things to know:

1) The rule with picking teams for bowls is that no bowl can pick a team before another team that has at least two more conference wins. So, Maryland (3 ACC wins) can't be picked before Wake Forest (5 wins) or anyone better than that.

2) The order of picks for the ACC Bowls are as follows (city in parenthases): Orange (Miami), Chick-Fil-A (Atlanta), Gator (Jacksonville), Champs Sports (Orlando), Gaylord Hotels (Nashville), Meineke Car Care (Charlotte), Emerald (San Francisco), Humanitarian (Boise).

3) The standings of bowl-eligible teams (as of 11/26) is as follows:
1) Virginia Tech 11-2 (9-1)
2) Boston College 10-3 (6-3)
3) Virginia 9-3 (6-2)
4) Clemson 9-3 (5-3)
5) Wake Forest 8-4 (5-3)
6) Florida State 7-5 (4-4)
7) Georgia Tech 7-5 (4-4)
8) Maryland 6-6 (3-5)

My guess is that VaTech beats BC, sending them to the Orange Bowl. Like I said, BC doesn't have enough juice to get an at-large BCS bid. In fact, since no one wants to pick a team without fans to travel to the bowl game, BC doesn't even get an invite to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. If they could fall to Boise, they would.

For the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, they'll get the team everyone wants: Clemson. They are a good team (one win from the ACC Championship game), and life in South Carolina is football. You're not going to find a team that travels much better than them so any bowl that can take them will. Chick-Fil-A has the first shot.

Gator Bowl is filled (took BC because Matt Ryan makes them a better draw than Virginia or Wake), but don't be shocked if UVa fills in this slot. I just don't see it happening.

Champs Sports Bowl (Terps last year) is next, and they can choose between Virginia and Wake. They can't take anyone else because GaTech and FSU have 4 wins to UVa's six. Neither the Cavs nor the Demon Deacons are a good draw, but with one more win and fans that pretend to care, UVa gets the call.

That's bad news for Wake, because no one wants to invite them. Their five wins are two more than only Maryland's three, so they can go after either FSU or GaTech. I think FSU goes first. The Gaylord Hotels Bowl is in Nashville which is close to Tallahassee and Seminoles will take the town over.

Meineke is in Charlotte. Charlotte is in North Carolina. So is Wake Forest. It's a home game. Everyone (that cares) will go. Add all that to the fact that Chan Gailey got fired this morning and that will kill GaTech's chances of getting picked because it's a program in disarray and history says bowls don't like that, and Wake goes to Charlotte. Hope it's fun--I won't be watching.

Next is the Emerald Bowl...Florida State was there last year, so even if they fall this far (they won't) they wouldn't get asked again--they would end up in Boise. Instead, it's between the Terps and the Yellow Jacket. Same rule applies: Why pick a coachless team when you can pick a team that travels well, is getting healthy, beat the aforementioned coachless team, and has two wins over top-ten teams? You don't. Terps go to San Francisco. It's my favorite city in the country. You'll love it. I'll see you there.

Georgia Tech goes to Boise for the last game on the Blue Field. That's depressing. It'd be more depressing if I had to announce it.

So here's the low down on the Emerald Bowl:

The ACC's opponent is the 5th Pac-10 Team chosen. It's a little premature to pick that team because the front of the Pac is a little crowded, but watch for Oregon State, UCLA and Arizona. UCLA went last year, though, so odds of them are going are slim. But, it's a California school going to a California bowl, so chances are a little better.

And like I said before, San Fran is a great city. Buy tickets. You'll be glad you did. December 28th, 5:30, in a baseball stadium. Rice-A-Roni for everybody.