COLLEGE PARK — COLLEGE PARK -This is a common first impression people have when they meet Maryland quarterback Chris Turner: typical California kid, probably a surfer or a skateboarder, easygoing attitude, perfectly embodied by his wild, curly blond hair that can be spotted from halfway across campus.
This is what most people figure out if they spend a few minutes with him: Yes, he is a California kid at heart, but he has never been a surfer or a skateboarder. Sure, he's easygoing, but underneath that laid-back demeanor is a burning desire to win.
This, though, is what you might see from Turner if you attend Maryland's Red and White game Saturday at Byrd Stadium, the final scrimmage of spring practice before his senior year: a bunch of wild passes, a few missed reads, some shoddy mechanics and possibly a head-scratching interception or two.
This is the best explanation for why: For some reason, Turner seems to play his best when it counts - and his worst when it doesn't. He has started 20 games in his career, has a strong and accurate arm, and shows considerable poise in the pocket. His 2,516 passing yards last year are the fifth-highest single-season total in school history.
And yet for some reason, he simply isn't very good in practice. If injuries hadn't cleared the way for him his sophomore year, thrusting him into action when coach Ralph Friedgen had no other options, it's possible we would have never seen Turner show that he is truly skilled at playing quarterback.
This is what Turner has done in seven career games against Top 25 opponents, other than going 5-1 as a starter: He has completed 143 of 225 passes (63.6 percent) for 1,636 yards, thrown nine touchdown passes and just two interceptions, and, in the six starts, averaged 247.8 yards.
This is how many players - besides Turner - Friedgen has had over his 30-year coaching career who were awful practice players but stellar in games: zero.
"It's taken me awhile to get used to," Friedgen said. "He's different from me in that I'm probably a little more emotional than he is. He's pretty go-with-the-flow. And that's his greatest strength and maybe his greatest weakness. The bottom line is, he plays well in games. ... To me, though, he's got to do a better job with being a leader. I haven't been pleased with that aspect from him just yet."
