COLLEGE PARK - -Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen lamented the number of mistakes his Terps have made this season.
At his news conference Tuesday, Friedgen said Maryland is minus-10 in turnover ratio and has been playing undisciplined football, being penalized 55 yards per game.
Then the beleaguered coach, whose Terps are one of only two Maryland teams in the past 12 seasons to start 1-3 , said he is by nature a positive person and has designed a plan to give his team a jump-start.
He and his staff are counting turnovers in practice this week, Friedgen said, and are bringing in referees to help eliminate penalties. Maryland coaches are also cutting back the number of plays they practice to focus on perfecting the ones they do run, Friedgen said.
"I told them we're going to start a new streak," said Friedgen, whose team plays its first Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday at Byrd Stadium against Clemson (2-2 overall, 1-1 ACC).
"We're not going to run things incorrectly. And defensively, we're going to work on improving our tackling. We're putting the emphasis on getting things done."
Friedgen said he is going "to accentuate the positive" and "be upbeat." But, he added, he is also "going to be demanding. We're going to do things the right way. We need to get some success. The sooner the better."
Turner concurs
Quarterback Chris Turner, who threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in Saturday's 34-13 home loss to Rutgers, said Friedgen's ideas are good ones.
"If we can eliminate the penalties and turnovers that stopped the drives, that will help us a lot," Turner said. "We have too many big plays and then a penalty or turnover following that. We just need to sustain the drives."
Carroll eyes NFL
Cornerback Nolan Carroll, who suffered a broken leg in the first game of the season, said it has been hard watching his teammates lose.
"It hurts me a lot to see them give their all and know I can't really do anything about it but give words of wisdom," he said.
Carroll, a senior, also said he continues to plan to pursue an NFL career and should be ready for the scouting combine from Feb. 24 to March 2 in Indianapolis.
"They're saying by January or February I should be running and close to full strength because it takes about three to six months to heal," he said. "I'm doing everything they tell me to do."
Who will punt?
The Terps expect to be without punter Travis Baltz (sprained ankle) for at least two weeks.
Friedgen said he would rather not use kicker Nick Ferrara in Baltz's position because the freshman's workload is already heavy. But, the coach added, "I'm afraid he may be the guy."
Looking for growth
Friedgen addressed what makes this season tougher than others that started poorly.
It's "the youth I have on this team," he said. "It's not like you have guys who have been there before and they can relate to what has to be done. These kids are learning on the run. ... I'd hoped we would get off to a good start and gain some confidence and not beat ourselves up. That was the plan, and it didn't work.
"Now, what I've got to do is stand by these guys. ... What I can't do is get down on them, and I'm not going to do that. If I saw them not giving full effort, I probably would. But I don't see that. I see them trying their butts off. And I'm trying mine, too."
