MD vs WVU Thursday Night

[crstoner97]

Key for MD is opening up the offense, with 3 wide.....

Rational being that the Terps need to control the clock, and run the ball to keep White and Slaton off the field... obviously WVU knows that MD will want to get Lattimore and Ball going behind the huge Terp O-line, and will be committed to stoping the run.

WVU will have 8 in the box, with that 3-3-5 defense, and be daring Steffy to show he can beat them on the outside.

If you have at least 3 wide, that forces WVU to pull out of the box.. which should make it easier to run.

WVU will have double coverage on DHeywardBey, so it is imperative that Isiah Williams and LaQuan Williams win their individual matchups down the field.

MD needs to throw the ball, to set up the rushing attack... as the game goes on, pound the ball down WVU's throats...

This is a border war, at Maryland under the bright lights of National TV… this will be a game, and if WVU wins.. they will have earned it.

I really believe that WVU's Dline is going to get manhandled by MD's Oline….

Which by itself, will keep MD in the game… if the Terps can get a strike or two to DHB, watch out.

I do see WVU being able to get several hits down the field.. Not because the MD secondary is horrible.. But because they will be so keyed up to stop White and Slaton that at some point they will be bated on a play-fake.

I expect WVU to win.. but as a Maryland fan, I am very excited about MD's chances Thursday...

[INSIDE99]

Is actually doing what Marshall did in the first half. Crowd the line of scrimmage. Can Pat White beat anyone deep with his arm? Yes he can, but it's better to take those chances as oppossed to the one defensive coordinator Coach Cosh took last year with Maryland where he used four DBs and put the free safety about 30 yards down field. A totally wasted man on defense for what WVU does offensively. I was at the game and at a total loss for words when I saw the UM defense line up. It only got worse as I watched WVU take a 28-0 lead in the 1st quarter. I still have never forgot the Maryland defensive game plan that day. What film were they watching?

Pat White does have an arm to some degree, but I continually watch him do nothing but dump the ball short, mostly behind the line of scrimmage. If you cannot stop the WVU run game, at least attempt slow it down. Easier said than done, but try something instead of just lining up in your usual base package. Terps are the major underdog. Play like one. Doing what you usually do is grounds for another whipping.

[Coach 3]

..if so, mr terpin (aka the eternal opimist) and i'd like to come by for a while? also, if thats okay, jennie and her boyfriend would like to join dad for a tailgate beer?

[crstoner97]

Believe that WVU's best DT is out of this game... WVU's Dline was going to have trouble matching up with MD's Oline anyway, this won't help.

[Blue Hen]

interesting side note ;

Looking over the final 2007 NFL rosters, I see 8 players from WV and 23 players from U of Maryland. Anybody a little surprised ?

[Coach 3]

...with WVU's lightning quick scoring capacity still reverberating in terps heads from last year, keep in mind you add renaud on screens, deep patterns and slants turned into big YAC now to slaton and white TD one play away capacity!...the terps will have to slow this down and in his coming out party on national tv, jordan steffy will have to play effectively with no early mistakes....in person 2 years ago at curley byrd stadium, wvu's offense pushed terps front 7 like the maginot line crumbling in WWII in the second half...this makes the other nfl bound talent fridgen rejected, schmitt, a factor in the seocnd half...WVU 34-20...and then.,..ray rice for the terps OOC...

[buckeyejim]

interesting side note ;

Looking over the final 2007 NFL rosters, I see 8 players from WV and 23 players from U of Maryland. Anybody a little surprised ?

I'm not too surprised at the WVU numbers because under Don Nehlen, the talent was mush less than it is right now. I'm a little surprised, however, at how many former Terps are in the NFL.

Are Boomer Esiason and Randy White the greatest Terps to ever play in the NFL? I really like EJ Henderson of the Vikings too.

[crstoner97]

I'm a little surprised, however, at how many former Terps are in the NFL.

Are Boomer Esiason and Randy White the greatest Terps to ever play in the NFL? I really like EJ Henderson of the Vikings too.

For now... with Merriman, and Vernon Davis bound to quickly take those honors.

[Blue Hen]

It is a little surprising. MD's 23 players is 3rd best among all the ACC teams.

Randy White must be the greatest terp. He played his HS ball in Delaware. Saw him play once (FB/LB)

[crstoner97]

Enough with the talk about MD lacking the talent to keep up with WVU....

WVU is a very good experienced team, and I fully respect their Coach, White, Slaton etc etc...

But this idea that MD doesn't have the talent to line-up toe-to-toe is a joke.

Burley, Thomas, Williams, Crummey, Randolph (Griffin, Costa, Campbell)

QB - Steffy
RB - Ball, Lattimore, Green
WR - DHB, Williams, Williams, Oquendo, Carroll
TE - Haynos, Gronkowski
FB - Jackson

Moore, Feliciano, Navarre (Frost, Ivey)
Covington, Henderson, Bullock, Philistin (Moten, Hargett,Fokou)
Barnes, Gardner, Justice, Varner (Taylor, Skinner, Allen, Wiseman)

PK - Egekeze
P - Baltz

Thats a talented team folks... and I'm very excited they get the opportunity to prove it tonight.

Burley, Thomas, Williams, Crummey, Randolph along with the 3 primary backups (Griffin, Costa, Campbell) have to bring it Thursday.

They have a considerable size and power advantage over the WVU Dline...

Get some long drives going, wear down WVU, pound the ball down their throat late in the game... and the defense, by keeping White and Slaton on the sideline.

Obviously you will be facing 8 man fronts as WVU commits to stopping the run.. going to need to give Steffy enough time to make plays on the outside, to ultimately open up that run game.

No excuses here, time to step-up.. plus you get the added bonus of the top WVU DT being out.

It all starts up-front.

I've got 5 Players that will Step-up Tonight..

1) Steffy - WVU will be committed to stopping the run, and daring MD to win in the air.. I think Steffy is going to have some time behind our big O-line, and make some plays on the outside.

2) I. Williams - WVU will have that 3-3-5 defense going, with 8 in the box, and double coverage on DHB... Williams will get single coverage, and makeup for his drop against Villanova with a big play.. his athleticism is more then WVU's 3rd CB can handle.

3) Dre Moore - Talk about this guy being a Top 15 pick next spring.. time to blow up on the national stage.

4) E. Henderson - This is the night he puts it all together, and goes from potential to domination... going to make a lot of plays laterally, and knock someone out over the middle.

5) M. Fokou - Athletic speedy LB that makes plays..... just like Henderson, will have plenty of opportunties to make some plays.

I also believe that Keon Lattimore will get introduced to the National Stage..

Of course there will be the obligatory comment of how he is Ray's lil brother.... but they will also have to mention his 217 yards, and 5TD's.

Pre-game focus will be on how Lattimore will perform against a Top 10 team...

As I said earlier, I believe that MD needs to come out 3 wide, and throw the ball some to open up the running game.

Really looking forward to Lattimore putting up another 100yard game, and a couple of scores, and starting to garner the respect he ( and Ball ) deserve.

34-27 Terps.

[crstoner97]

Give WVU Credit..

I had talked myself into a MD win the last few days, and I actually think we have played fairly well tonight... but the WVU offense is just on another level.. addition of Devine is extremely tough.

This remains a good MD team though, and I still think we are capable of a very strong year.. nothing has happened in this game to change my mind of that.

[TommyTrojan]

Give WVU Credit..

I had talked myself into a MD win the last few days, and I actually think we have played fairly well tonight... but the WVU offense is just on another level.. addition of Devine is extremely tough.

This remains a good MD team though, and I still think we are capable of a very strong year.. nothing has happened in this game to change my mind of that.

Noel Devine is the closest thing I've seen to Barry Sanders. Un-real quicks, and moves.

[Coach 3]

5. dont know how it came across on tv, but i have never heard that stadium louder and felling more electric than right before kickoff..the "black out" effect in t he student section is very effective and they were very loud in the first half...
4. wvu's fans were enthusiastic and very pleasant...probably about 6-8,000 of them...this is not a penn st neanderthal group...
3. terpintime oddly informed everyone at the tialgate that the trademrak wvu song "contry roads" by john denver was actually writtewn about the state of marylnd...huh?,,then informed everyone about 12 times he'd rather live in the cesspool of crime, traffic and crowdedness that is the extremely expensive baltimore -dc corridor than the beautiful, bucolic w. va mountians....
2. right there in the parking lot, in full bellowing voice, half hour before kickoff our webmaster todd shouted out, "WVU WILL NEVER WIN A NATIOANL TITLE IN FOOTBALL!" to no one in particular...as always todd, thanx for a fine tialgate and including jennie and her friends...
1. speed kills and as much as i was rooting for the terps, you have to be impressed with slaton and this kid devine is lightning fast and also knows how to make cuts and can break tackles...who is this guy???...marylands playcalling was ultracautious and i am not sure jordan steffy is ready to play well vs acc defenses....losses to bc, wake, rutgers, gtech, vteach likely...

[EvilVodka]

5. dont know how it came across on tv, but i have never heard that stadium louder and felling more electric than right before kickoff..the "black out" effect in the student section is very effective and they were very loud in the first half...

I thought it looked cool...they showed it right before kickoff, and then Maryland fumbled on the first snap lol

[jeff4bucks]

Noel Devine is the closest thing I've seen to Barry Sanders. Un-real quicks, and moves.

5'8" 170 or so and only a freshman. By the time he's a junior, he'll be 15-20 heavier.
I remember seeing clips of this kid when he was in 8th grade. Between White, Slaton and Devine, WVU may have the best backfield in the country.

[terpintime]

You can search on Yahoo for the story on "Country Roads", written by Bill and Taffy Danoff along with Bob Denver following a show in Georgetown. The inspirational road was actually Clopper Road, once ensconced in the rustic splendor that was Western Montgomery County, Maryland...I grew up in what was at the time a more thickly populated part of the same county. Now, of course, I am a happy denizen of Central Maryland. I can enjoy bucolic splendor anytime I want. Within easy access of two large cities, the Eastern Shore, and the Blue Ridge, I prefer my suburban life in the Free State to the land and culture locked option of "almost heaven."

[Coach 3]

...you can find "bucolic" in any state- even delaware and new jersey...but the core of maryland is riddled with crime...last night at the game that pleasant older woman next to me was detailing how her middle class neighborhood of 32 years in PG county is infitrated with illegals (10-12 in a house), major drug bust stings and a rash of armed robberies.....just tonight, a serial rapist is on the loose in college Park as the lackadaisical PG county cops there order another box of donuts and rough up a few sophomore 19 year olds for having a beer in public and fine a kid $500 for playing the stereo too loud at his house party...

[terpintime]

Of all the counties, PG has probably always had the highest crime rate in the state due primarily to economic and geographic factors.

[terpintime]

There are racists to be found everywhere. This seems to be mimicking the Jena, Louisiana story. Hopefully the hateful idiot/s who perpetrated this will be found out and promptly punished. The University of Maryland has one of the most diverse student populations in the nation...

[Coach 3]

....although i diss College park for the relentless crime there, u. OF maRYlaND IS A VERY GOOD SCHOOL ACADEMICALLY ( THESE DAYS) with a minimum 1300 /16000at entrance requirement and a very liberal attitude politically...our law school is top 25 and so is our med school downtown in baltimore...some of the undergrad programs are top 20 and most of the kids there are top 10% in high school class...

[BigTiger72]

interesting side note ;

Looking over the final 2007 NFL rosters, I see 8 players from WV and 23 players from U of Maryland. Anybody a little surprised ?



Maryland look like they had the skilled players with no instruction.