Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Maryland

NC STATE (3-3, 2-1) at MARYLAND (4-2, 1-1)

DATE: Saturday, October 21, 2006

TIME: Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. (EDT) at Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD (51,500)

RADIO: Wolfpack Sports Network.  Airtime: 11:00 a.m. (EDT)

TELEVISION: Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports (ACC Network)

OPPONENTCoaches never stop telling anyone who will listen that football is a 60-minute game. Saturday’s match-up between Maryland and Virginia was a classic example why. Before a crowd of 59,367 at Scott Stadium, Virginia had a 20-0 halftime lead. It wasn’t enough.  Final score: Terrapins 28, Cavaliers 26.

The momentum started rolling Maryland’s way with 8:43 left in the third quarter when Virginia’s Emmanual Byers muffed a punt. The Terps recovered at the Cavaliers one-yard line and tailback Lance Ball ran for a touchdown on the next play.

The score was still 20-7 heading into the fourth quarter, but Maryland scored three touchdowns in a little more than 6 minutes to capture the win.

A 16-yard punt by Chris Gould gave Maryland the ball at Virginia's 31. Six plays later, quarterback Sam Hollenbach ran 3 yards into the end zone to make it 20-14. The Terps took a 21-20 lead with a 56-yard run by tailback Keon Lattimore with 9:11 to play.

Maryland’s margin grew to 28-20 when Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell, who had a breakout game, underthrew a pass to tight end Jonathan Stupar. Terps linebacker Erin Henderson picked it off and ran 45-yards for a touchdown with 8 minutes left.

To Virginia’s credit, the Cavs didn’t quit. After forcing a Maryland punt and getting the ball with 2:53 to play, Sewell connected with wideout Kevin Ogletree for a 44-yard touchdown. However, UVa’s bid to tie the game failed when Terps cornerback Josh Wilson broke up Sewell's pass for Ogletree in the end zone.

The Cavaliers outgained the Terps 424-345 and Sewell was 13-of-21 passing for a career-high 243 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for another score and finished with a career-best 92 yards on 10 attempts. For Maryland, Hollenbach was 17-for-28 for 171 yards. Lattimore rushed for 114 yards on 15 carries which earned him ACC Offensive Back of the Week honors. Wilson returned four kickoffs for 109 yards.

After a blowout loss at West Virginia on September 14^th, Maryland has been steadily improving. The Terps 27-23 loss at Georgia Tech on October 7^th could have easily gone the other way and their victory over Virginia has to be a huge confidence boost.

Offensively, Maryland averages 23.3 points (7^th ACC) and 313 yards (7^th ACC), but lately the Terps appear to be running the ball better and not turning it over as much. Ball has run for 100 or more yards in each of his last two games. He and Lattimore average a combined 140 rushing yards a game

Maryland has a minus-six turnover margin and has lost eight fumbles this season, but the Terps have committed only three turnovers in their last two games and that has made a big difference.

Hollenbach has thrown as many interceptions as touchdown passes (5) this season, but he has improved along with the rest of the offense in the last two weeks. He’s completing 60 percent of his throws for an average of 170 yards a game (6^th ACC).

The top target for Hollenbach is wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey (6-2, 206, Fr.) with 20 catches (9^th ACC), but the biggest is tight end Joey Haynos. The 6-8 junior has good hands and has 17 receptions, including 2 for touchdowns. Veteran Danny Oquendo (6-0, 188) with 16 catches and sophomore Isaiah Williams (6-2, 200) are also in the mix.

Redshirt senior left tackle Stephon Heyer (6-6, 320) and redshirt junior right guard Andrew Crummey (6-5, 301), both third-year starters, anchor an offensive line that has size and experience. The Terps’ starting offensive front averages 6-5, 315 pounds, but it has allowed an average of 2 two quarterback sacks a game.

While the Terps offense has committed fewer turnovers lately, the defense has done a better job forcing them. Opponents have coughed up the ball only 8 times all season, but three of those turnovers have come in the last two weeks.

Run defense appears to the Maryland’s biggest issue. The Terrapins are surrendering 22 points (10^th ACC) and 356 yards a game (11^th ACC), including a whopping 171 yards on the ground (11^th ACC). The last two opponents have averaged nearly 209 yards rushing.

Senior tackle Conrad Bolston (6-3, 303), a third-year starter, anchors an experienced front that also has some depth. Reserve tackle, Dre Moore (a starter in ’05) leads the defensive line with 20 stops, 5 of them for loss.

Maryland’s linebackers make more than one-third of the team’s tackles. The Terps middle linebacker position has produced three of the last five ACC Defensive Players of the Year. Last season, D’Qwell Jackson took that honor with him to the NFL. His understudy, Wesley Jefferson, is now stepping up.

Jefferson was the nation’s consensus No. 1 rated linebacker as a high school senior. In his first year as a starter, the redshirt junior is No.2 in the ACC in stops (52) and leads the Terps in tackles for loss (6.5). He’s also tied for the team lead in sacks (2.5). The outside linebackers, Henderson and David Holloway, a third-year starter who can also play defensive end, are also very active.

The secondary is led by Wilson (5-9, 187), a third-year starter at cornerback and veteran free safety Christian Varner (5-11, 196, Jr.). Wilson leads the team with six pass break-ups and is the top tackler in the secondary (24). Varner is a strong, hard hitter and former high school All-American.

Adam Podlesh, a redshirt senior, leads the ACC in punting (44.0) and has placed 11 of his 24 attempts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Dan Ennis has converted 7 of 11 field goal attempts, but two of his misses were from close range, so consistency remains an issue.

Wilson is the No. 2 kick returner in the ACC (32.7). His 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Georgia Tech is the longest this season in the conference.

 

NOTES: Only 32 total points have separated Maryland and NC State in the last six games of the series...The Wolfpack has won the last two meetings with the Terps...State has committed only two turnovers in its last three games...Opponents have not scored off an NC State turnovers for the last

three games...Andre Brown is averaging 87 rushing yards per game against ACC teams, the fourth best mark in the league...Wolfpack kicker, John Deraney, has never missed an extra point kick in his college career (76-76) and drilled a career-long 54 yard field goal at Southern Miss... Wolfpack linebacker, Pat Lowry, is averaging 8.7 tackles a game and is No.3 in the  ACC...State’s offensive line has allowed only 7 quarterback sacks in 6 games...Quarterback Daniel Evans will start his fourth college game against the Terps. He’s led the Pack to come-from-behind, fourth-quarter wins in two of the last three weeks...Against ACC opponents, Evans is third in passing yards per game (190). He’s thrown for 569 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in ACC games....The Pack was 4-of-5 scoring from inside the 20-yard line against Wake Forest last week, including 3 touchdowns, for its best Red  Zone performance of the season...Wolfpack opponents have scored on their opening drive in each of the last four games. The Pack has scored only 12 points in the first quarter all season...Four of State’s last six regular season games are on-the-road...The Wolfpack defense has allowed only four touchdown passes, No.2 in the ACC...NC State’s last overtime game was a 27-21 win at home over Wake Forest in 2004...The Pack is 6-4 in overtime games.

INJURIES--NC State: LB Reggie Davis-Probable, neck; LB James Martin-Out, wrist surgery; QB Daniel Evans-Probable, concussion; DT DeMario Pressley-Questionable, wrist. MarylandDE Barrod Heggs-Doubtful, violation of team rules.

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North Carolina State University Athletics

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