Snippets from the summer practices preceding this Saturday’s opener against Delaware:

* Jordan Steffy’s mother, Shari, told me she was aghast at watching her son trot into the huddle late last season. Jordan had briefly endured short-term memory problems following his concussion against Rutgers on Sept. 29, and his mother didn’t think he was ready to return. The Maryland coaches said Steffy had been cleared to play and inserted him into a few late-season games.

“He went in and I thought, ‘That was horrible.’ But it went really fast,” she said.

Shari Steffy talks about her son -- and he talks about himself -- in our Maryland preview story today.

Jordan Steffy on the upcoming season: “Whatever happens is out of my control. I really believe that. I think God has a plan for me and whatever is going to happen has already been planned and determined. I’m just going to go out and give it everything I have and complete this chapter of my life.”

* Freshman Davin Meggett is bulky for a Maryland tailback -- he’s listed at 5-8, 210. He said he’ll use his strength to block for the quarterback. Man, are coaches going to love this guy or what?

* Coach Ralph Friedgen says he doesn’t read the media reports about his team during the season. Coach, are you sure you’re not peeking?

Posted by Jeff Barker at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

So how did Maryland inform Chris Turner that he wasn’t the starting quarterback?

Offensive coordinator James Franklin told me during an interview today that coaches relied on empirical data -- performance charts, basically -- to show how things tipped in favor of Jordan Steffy.

"We just basically told him the truth. We showed him all the data," Franklin said. “He sees it everyday because it’s posted in the locker room every day, so he kind of had an awareness of what was going on. The data documented everything we were saying.”

Coaches were in the delicate position of wanting Turner, who started the final eight games last season, to feel appreciated without making him guarantees about what comes next.

“We couldn’t guarantee anything for his future. We said, ‘Look, you’re going to have to come out and play and you’re going to have to come out and compete,’ and he was fine with that,” Franklin said.

Turner has since decided to remain at Maryland, saying he understands that the chances of a backup getting the call during the season are quite good.

Other news and notes from the first game week:

• Preparation for Delaware is complicated by the fact that the Blue Hens have yet to name a starting quarterback. It’s between Ohio State transfer Rob Schoenhoft and redshirt freshman Lou Ritacco to see who replaces Joe Flacco, now with the Ravens.

“I guess the one question mark -- and we don’t know a lot about it -- is quarterback,” Terrapins coach Ralph Friedgen said.

Under Flacco, Delaware averaged 460 yards per game last season. The Blue Hens return two wideouts who combined for 143 receptions.

• Looks like Danny Oquendo will be returning punts and Torrey Smith will be returning kickoffs. Smith had been in a battle with freshman Kenny Tate, the receiver-turned-defensive back.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
                    

No one thought it would be easy to replace Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore, who left Maryland as No. 4 and No. 14, respectively, on the school's career rushing list.

Still, Terrapins fans have been excited at the potential of third-year running backs Morgan Green and Da'Rel Scott. Fans had already seen plenty of the speedy Scott as a kick returner.

Maryland coaches are optimistic about the running backs’ potential, too.

But here’s a reality check:

Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen continues to say that the running game needs work as the Terps enter their first game week preparations before hosting Delaware on Saturday.

“I think we’re still struggling with it,” Friedgen says. “We just have a lot of guys that haven’t had the reps they need to get. We’re still limited in that capacity. I think we’re much further along in the passing game.”

Injuries have been a factor, limiting Green’s practice time. “I don’t know what’s the problem,” said Friedgen, sounding exasperated. “Something must be really wrong with his leg.”

It is sobering that Green and Scott have combined for just 17 career rushes.

Posted by Jeff Barker at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Maryland quarterback Chris Turner's decision on whether to remain in College Park or transfer will be finalized this afternoon.

Turner, who lost out to roommate Jordan Steffy as the starter for the team's opening game against Delaware, said after today's morning practice that he will make his decision after talking with his parents and Terps coach Ralph Friedgen later in the day.

Turner said that he leaning toward staying at Maryland.

"I don't have a percentage, I'm just leaning that way,'' Turner told reporters in his first public comments since Friedgen made the announcement Monday. "My whole life is here right now. I've been here for three years and that is what I would like to do.''

It sounds as if Turner's family or friends are trying to persuade him to look elsewhere.

"Right now I have a lot of support from my family, I have a lot of people telling me I should stay or I should go. I want to stay, I would never want to leave. But given the circumstances, I am leaning toward staying right now."

The situation still could change pending the outcome of the conversation between Turner's father, John, and Friedgen. Asked before Turner made his comments whether he thought the redshirt junior would definitely remain at Maryland, Friedgen said, "I don't know that yet.''

But Friedgen made it clear that he wanted Turner to stay in the program.

"I think Chris is happy here, I hope he wouldn't (transfer),'' Friedgen said. "I think the world of the kid. Since this decision (to name Steffy) he's had his best practices. Kind of shows me something about the kid. If he was going to go in the tank, he would have. He hasn't.''

Posted by Don Markus at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
                    

Going into their redshirt sophomore years, Da'Rel Scott and Morgan Green were supposed to be the No. 1A and 1B tailbacks for the Terps, replacing Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore. If Ralph Friedgen was concerned with either, it was Scott, who had spent much of his first two years in College Park fighting injuries and a reputation for being a little soft.

Going into Saturday's second scrimmage at Byrd Stadium, Scott has been the team's top running back in preseason camp and is starting to shed his label as a "track guy" who can't take the physicality of college football. Green has been something of a quandary, injuring his left quad muscle early in camp and not seeing much action so far.

"He just says he can't go,'' Friedgen said Friday after morning practice in College Park. "The trainer says he can. He (Green) wants to be 100 percent. That's a strange deal. He knows best. He just has to get in there. What I worry about is wearing the other two guys out.''

As of Friday, true freshman Davin Meggett has moved into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Scott and ahead of senior Rashad Henry. Friedgen said that he expects Meggett to play as a freshman. Another true freshman, Gary Douglas, has also been impressive during the preseason, according to Friedgen.

Asked if there was a certain date which Green has to be ready in order to play in the Aug. 30 season opener against Delaware, Friedgen smiled.

"Time's passing him by,'' the Fridge said sardonically. "He's a reps guy, he needs reps. I can't make him go.''

Posted by Don Markus at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

After this morning's practice, Ralph Friedgen mentioned that he showed a tape of the Ali-Frazier "Thrilla in Manila" fight to his team one night last week.

"I pointed out that both guys had won the championship and what they were willing to endure,'' Friedgen said. "The intensity and wills of both guys is what I really wanted to show them. This is what it takes to be champion.''

So did the Terps take what they watched to the practice field?

"Kids will listen to that, you can tell them that, but sometimes when you show them the video, it sinks in a little bit,'' Friedgen said. "Of course a fight broke out and one guy thought he was Ali. They all said, 'Well, you showed us the fight.'"

Friedgen said he has plans on showing the team a piece about the Boston Celtics going from worst to first in winning this year's NBA championship, as well as one of Tiger Woods winning this year's U.S. Open while playing with a torn ACL.

Maryland alum and ESPN announcer Scott Van Pelt sent Friedgen a tape of an interview he did with Woods.

"It's not just enough to have talent, you have to have heart,'' Friedgen said. "He's such an unbelievable competitor. The will to win is unbelievable.''

Maybe the Terps will take out their 2-irons after watching that one.

Posted by Don Markus at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

One of the "blight spots" for the Maryland football team in its first scrimmage Saturday night was the the struggle of punt returner Ronnie Tyler.

With Ralph Friedgen looking to add more speed back there, and the threat of a big return to a team that finished 10th in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season, he turned to Tyler.

But the redshirt freshman from Wagener, S.C., continued to have the same problems he demonstrated in the spring: He has trouble catching the ball.

On at least two occasions, Tyler dropped a punt. In fact, one time he dropped the ball and then kicked it, giving new meaning to the term "dropkick."

Friedgen went back to Danny Oquendo. The senior wide receiver is certainly reliable, but he is not going to bring back visions of Steve Suter, the best Maryland return man in modern history.

For now, Oquendo is the punt returner until Friedgen can find other options.

Asked about the Tyler experiment, Friedgen said, "I don't know how much longer I'll go there. We'll talk about it. We have a guy back there (Oquendo) that can catch punts. That's why I do it live. Right now it's not close. Danny Oquendo will be back there because he can catch the ball and we'll see if we have somebody else."

Friedgen mentioned both Anthony Wiseman and Quinton McCree (who caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from Josh Portis in the scrimmage) as possibilities. Here's another one: Davin Meggett. The true freshman showed some speed with a 50-yard touchdown run down the sideline that included a neat cutback at about the 10-yard line.

The Terps began two-a-days this morning in College Park and I'm sure the punt return situation will be addressed.

Posted by Don Markus at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)