Considering what happened the previous night in Murfreesboro, Tenn., it wasn't surprising to hear Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen say yesterday that he is considering making some changes for Saturday's noon game against California (2-0) at Byrd Stadium.
"I'm going to have to marinate overnight on that and think about it and get some guys in the right spots maybe, getting a little more production," Friedgen said on a conference call.
Friedgen declined to be specific, but one of the changes could involve quarterback Josh Portis.
It isn't clear whether Friedgen is considering starting Portis after Chris Turner threw three interceptions in Maryland's shocking 24-14 loss to Middle Tennessee State, but Friedgen said he might get the Florida transfer into the mix more against the Golden Bears.
"It's a possibility," Friedgen said. "Josh did some really good things; he still made a couple of errors. We'll have to see how it develops. We've got to do more with him, either him throwing it or him handing off."
Portis had designed runs of 16 and 12 yards toward the end of the first half Saturday night, but he seemed hesitant on a couple of plays in the second half, including a key fourth-and-five when he got thrown for a 5-yard loss.
"They had blitzed a little bit, and it was picked up," Friedgen said. "If he had kept running, he probably would have had a big play. He kind of panicked a little bit and went the other way, and then we don't have any chance."
Friedgen said he believes the breakdowns the Terps had against Middle Tennessee are fixable, though he acknowledged that getting them patched up completely against a team as good as Cal could be difficult.
"I think our players will see this tape and realize what they have to do better, and I think coaches-wise it's the same," Friedgen said.
REPLAY
Da'Rel Scott backed up his breakout performance against Delaware by gaining 123 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown, against Middle Tennessee. But the sophomore had only 11 carries, in part because the Terps were playing catch-up in the second half.
ERASE
Middle Tennessee quarterback Joe Craddock had a career night with 256 yards and two touchdowns, but how do you explain the Terps not sacking Craddock despite the fact that the Middle Tennessee had a very young offensive line, including using all freshmen for a good part of the second quarter?
FAST FORWARD
Saturday's return to College Park could be an ugly one for Friedgen and the Terps, who must face a Cal team that scored 66 points on Washington State on Saturday after beating Michigan State the week before. Terps fans, already unhappy with Friedgen for naming Jordan Steffy quarterback in the preseason, might be stating their displeasure.
Next game:
Home vs. California, Saturday, noon
TV: ESPN or ESPN2
Radio: 105.7 FM, 1300 AM
Line: California by 14
