2008 Maryland Terrapins Football Team

The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Terrapins' (also officially known as the "Terps") 56th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and its fourth within the framework of the ACC Atlantic Division.

Ralph Friedgen led the team for his eighth season as head coach and was assisted by first-year offensive coordinator James Franklin and third-year defensive coordinator Chris Cosh. It was the first season since the departure of Charlie Taaffe in 2005 that Friedgen did not call the offensive plays himself. Instead, those duties were handled by Franklin, a former Maryland wide receivers coach, who returned after a brief stint at Kansas State and in the National Football League (NFL). With him, Franklin brought a new system: the West Coast offense. Cosh, whose complex defensive scheme had been criticized as too passive, resigned at the end of the season.

The 2008 season in the ACC was described as chaotic, and for Maryland, there was no exception. The Terrapins were within grasp of the ACC Atlantic Division championship at the end of Week 12, but lost their final two games and fell to a four-way tie for third place. Maryland closed the regular season with a 7–5 record—including four wins against Top 25-ranked teams—which was enough to secure bowl eligibility. In the postseason, Maryland defeated Nevada of the Western Athletic Conference in the Humanitarian Bowl.

Before the season

Coaching changes

In December 2007, Maryland hired Kansas State offensive coordinator James Franklin to serve in that same role for the Terrapins.Franklin Hired as Terps Offensive Coordinator
, University of Maryland, December 23, 2007. From 2000 to 2004, he was the Maryland wide receivers coach. In 2003 and 2004, he also served as the recruiting coordinator, and Rivals.com ranked Franklin as one of the nation's top-25 recruiters both years. Because of the arrival of Franklin, 2008 was the first since 2005 that head coach Ralph Friedgen did not call the offensive plays himself. At Maryland, Franklin installed a West Coast offense, which was well suited to quarterback Chris Turner's playing style and an experienced wide receiver corps that included play-maker Darrius Heyward-Bey and sure-handed Danny Oquendo.

Key losses

Maryland lost several important players from the 2007 team. In January 2008, shortly after Oregon State defeated Maryland in the Emerald Bowl, linebacker Erin Henderson announced that he would forgo his senior year to enter the 2008 NFL Draft. Henderson, the brother of Butkus and Bednarik Award winner E.J., had recorded an ACC-high four fumble recoveries in 2007 and was the Terrapins' leader in total tackles (133) and tackles for loss (11). The defensive line lost tackles Dre Moore and Carlos Feliciano, while the secondary unit lost both starting safeties, strong safety Christian Varner and free safety J. J. Justice, as well as cornerback Isaiah Gardner. The Maryland offense lost tailbacks Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore who combined for 1,573  rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in 2007. The offensive line saw the departure of tight ends Jason Goode and Joey Haynos, and offensive guard Andrew Crummey.2008 Maryland Terrapins Football Preview
CollegeSports-Fans.com, retrieved November 16, 2008.
National Champs.net, December 2007, Retrieved November 16, 2008.

Key returns

Despite the loss of some of the previous year's important players, Maryland entered the 2008 season with a seasoned squad. Forty-six of sixty-two lettermen returned (74 percent),'' Phil Steele's 2009 College Football Preview'', vol. 15, p. 118, Summer 2009. which included ten offensive and six defensive starters. The 2008 team contained 31 seniors, which was the largest group since Friedgen became head coach in 2001. Important returnees on the defensive unit included cornerback Kevin Barnes, who recorded four interceptions in 2007; defensive end Jeremy Navarre, who had recorded 5.5 sacks; and linebacker Dave Philistin, who had recorded 124 tackles. The offense's returning statistical leaders included quarterback Chris Turner, who threw for 1,958  passing yards in 2007; wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who had 786  receiving yards; and running back Da'Rel Scott, who had 135 rushing yards.

Recruiting

The 2008 recruiting class was ranked 52nd in the nation by Scout.com and 38th by Rivals.com. Scout.com rated three recruits as four-star and six as three-star prospects, while Rivals.com rated six recruits each as four-star and three-star prospects. Kenny Tate, who was originally recruited as a wide receiver, was the only four-star prospect to see significant playing time in 2008. Before the season, he was converted to safety, a position that had been attrited by the graduation of former starters Christian Varner and J.J. Justice, and Tate also saw action on special teams. Cornerback Cameron Chism, who saw action in nine games as a reserve, recorded seven tackles on kickoff returns to tie for second on the team in special teams tackles. Tight end Matt Furstenburg saw limited play time on special teams against Delaware and Middle Tennessee, but injured his foot and was awarded a medical redshirt. Wide receiver Kevin Dorsey also sat out the season as a redshirt to recuperate from foot surgery. The other four-star recruits who sat out on redshirt status were wide receiver Kerry Boykins, tight end Devonte Campbell, and defensive tackle Masengo Kabongo. Running back Davin Meggett, the son of former New York Giants star Dave Meggett, was the only true freshman to start a game for Maryland in 2008, and he was a significant contributor throughout the season. Meggett was not a highly touted recruit, assessed by Scout.com as a two-star prospect, and his only other scholarship offers were from local-area Division I FCS schools. In 2008, however, he led all ACC freshman with 5.13 yards per carry, and Megett finished the season with 457 yards and four touchdowns as a reserve.

Quarterback controversy

There was some controversy at the start of the season when head coach Ralph Friedgen selected senior Jordan Steffy as the starting quarterback over junior Chris Turner. In 2007, when Steffy suffered a concussion against 10th-ranked Rutgers, the relatively untested Turner took over and led Maryland to an upset victory. He then started the remainder of the season, compiled a 4–5 record in games he started, and led another upset against eighth-ranked Boston College. In comparing the practice performances of Steffy, Turner, and third-stringer Josh Portis, offensive coordinator James Franklin said:

It gets hard if one quarterback all through spring and all through summer camp was statistically better in almost every single category, it's hard to rationalize not making him the starter ... because your gut feeling is one thing and the statistics are another. Jordan led by a pretty large amount in completion percentage ... ndthe least interception percentage. He didn't lead in yards per ttempt or... percentage of explosive plays. I consider an explosive play a play of 16 yards or more ... Portis led in that and Turner was second and Jordan was third.

In the season opener against Delaware, Steffy suffered an injured thumb, and Turner took over in the fourth quarter. He remained the starter for the rest of the season, and Steffy saw no further game action. Portis saw limited playing time throughout the season, usually being put in for a single option play at a time.

Schedule

The Sagarin computer rating system calculated Maryland's strength of schedule to be 36th-most difficult out of the 245 Division I teams. The Cosgrove Computer Rankings calculated it as the 56th-most difficult out of the 120 Division I FBS teams. In accordance with conference rules, Maryland faced all five Atlantic Division opponents: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, NC State, and Wake Forest. They also faced three Coastal Division opponents: official ACC rival Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech and Boston College were the ACC champions and runners-up, respectively, in 2007 and again in 2008. Maryland did not play ACC opponents Duke, Georgia Tech, and Miami.

Maryland also played four non-conference games. For the season opener, the Terrapins met the 2007 Division I FCS runners-up, Delaware. California of the Pacific-10 Conference was played for the first time in school history as the first half of a home-and-home series. Athletic director Deborah Yow wanted to play one of the University of Maryland's five academic peer institutions, and to take a two-year hiatus from the 28-year series against West Virginia. She said, by adding California, "We weren't trying to add to the degree of difficulty f Maryland's schedule we were trying to substitute for West Virginia." Games were also played against Middle Tennessee State of the Sun Belt Conference and Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference. For the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl, Maryland played Nevada in the teams' first meeting.

Personnel

Injuries

Injuries had devastated the Maryland roster the previous year, and while 2008 was more forgiving by comparison, several key players were injured. Starting cornerback Kevin Barnes suffered a season-ending scapular fracture against Wake Forest and missed the last six games. Sophomore LaQuan Williams and true freshman Kevin Dorsey, both wide receivers, sat out the entire season due to leg and foot injuries, respectively. Leading receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey sat out the Boston College game due to a calf injury, and leading rusher Da'Rel Scott suffered a left shoulder injury in the third game against California, which plagued him throughout the season, although he missed just one game. Running back Morgan Green, who had contended for the starting position during summer camp, had an injury-riddled season, before seeing his first real action in the bowl game. Starting quarterback Jordan Steffy was put out for the season by a thumb injury on his throwing hand in the first game.

Depth chart

Coaching staff

Game summaries

Delaware

* Opponent pre-game record: 0–0
* Opponent final record: 4–8
* Pre-game line: Lines are not released for games between FBS and FCS teams

The previous season, Delaware finished as the Division I FCS championship runners-up and scored more than 40 points in seven of 15 games. However, their star quarterback, Joe Flacco, and running back, Omar Cuff, both graduated and went on to the NFL. Later in the season, the Blue Hens finished 2008 with eight losses for the first time in school history.

Delaware kicked off to start the game, and wide receiver Torrey Smith returned the ball 23 yards to the Maryland 32-yard line. Quarterback Jordan Steffy then led a Maryland drive, but the series ended when placekicker Obi Egekeze missed a 48-yard field goal attempt. On the next Maryland possession, Egekeze missed another field goal attempt, this time of 45 yards. The teams then exchanged several punts before Maryland took over on the Delaware 48-yard line. Steffy completed a 36-yard pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey, which set up a 12-yard touchdown rush also by Heyward-Bey. Delaware drove 44 yards, but then missed their own 46-yard field goal attempt. With 3:33 left in the half, Steffy engineered a 47-yard drive to set up a 41-yard field goal attempt, which Egekeze missed for the third time. On the first play of the second half, Delaware quarterback Rob Schoenhoft threw an interception to cornerback Kevin Barnes, who returned it 10 yards to the Delaware 46-yard line. On the next play, Steffy threw an interception to Erik Johnson, who returned it to the Maryland 49-yard line. The Terrapins' next possession ended when, fourth and 18, Steffy threw another interception at the Delaware one-yard line. Incidentally, this put the Blue Hens in worse field position than if the Terrapins had turned over on downs. Soon after, Delaware punted the ball away. Running back Da'Rel Scott then rushed for a 30-yard gain, which set up a 14-yard touchdown run by running back Davin Meggett. Chris Turner took over as Maryland's quarterback on the second series of the fourth quarter after Steffy fractured his right thumb. On Delaware's subsequent possession, Schoenhoft engineered an 80-yard drive, which culminated with a one-yard touchdown rush by running back Johnathan Smith. With 3:20 on the clock, Schoenhoft threw an interception to safety Terrell Skinner. Turner then scrambled for a first down, and Scott converted for a second first down, which allowed Maryland to run out the game clock. Maryland won, with a final score of 14–7.Delaware vs. Maryland Complete Play-by-Play
ESPN, August 30, 2008.

In his first career start, Scott ran for 157 yards, but Friedgen thought he could have done better. Friedgen said, "He was a little tired from camp ... Normally, he would break some of those runs. I don't think he quite had his third gear today." Steffy played a solid first half, but in the second, threw two interceptions before suffering a season-ending thumb fracture. He was replaced by back-up Chris Turner who started for the remainder of the season. Regarding their loss, Delaware head coach K. C. Keeler said, "This is not like a moral victory. I don't believe in moral victories ... This was not a payday for us ... We play a home game, we make more money than playing this game down here. When we scheduled this game, I thought our program would possibly be in a position to beat a solid ACC school."

Middle Tennessee State

* Opponent pre-game record: 0–1
* Opponent final record: 5–7
* Pre-game line: Maryland −13

The previous week, Middle Tennessee made two rapid-fire fourth-quarter touchdowns in a failed comeback attempt against the eventual Sun Belt Conference champions, Troy. The week following the Maryland game, Middle Tennessee nearly upset Kentucky. The Blue Raiders lost that game, 20–14, after wide receiver Eldred King caught a 61-yard pass only to be ankle-tackled at the Kentucky one-yard line as time expired.

After receiving the kickoff, Middle Tennessee quarterback Joe Craddock led an 80-yard, 10-play drive. It included a fake punt that caught Maryland off-guard, which allowed the punter to complete a 28-yard pass for a first-down conversion. Craddock ended the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass. On Maryland's second offensive play of the game, Da'Rel Scott broke free for a 63-yard run for a touchdown. In the second quarter, Middle Tennessee re-took the lead with a 31-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Turner threw an interception that was returned 25 yards to the Maryland five-yard line, and Middle Tennessee subsequently scored on a rushing play. On Maryland's next possession, Turner completed a short pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey who ran for an 80-yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Maryland advanced inside the Middle Tennessee 35-yard line three times, but was unable to capitalize. Middle Tennessee defenders saved two potential touchdowns with interceptions on their own two-yard line and in the end zone to preserve a Blue Raider victory, 24–14.

The game marked Middle Tennessee's first ever win over an ACC opponent, although they had come close in Charlottesville the year prior, when Virginia made a go-ahead field goal with eight seconds remaining. It was Middle Tennessee's fourth win against an opponent from a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) conference. The other three all came against Vanderbilt.Craddock, Middle Tennessee surprise Maryland
ESPN, September 6, 2008.

California (#23)

* Opponent pre-game record: 2–0
* Opponent final record: 9–4
* Pre-game line: Maryland +14

''The Washington Post'' called the previous week's ten-point loss to Middle Tennessee the "worst defeat of alph Friedgen'seight-year tenure," and with the narrow margin of victory