Maryland Football

If there was a Job One for the Maryland football team in its season opener against William and Mary on Saturday, it was to make Terp fans forget - at least for one overcast afternoon - the frustrating first year of the Randy Edsall era. The opponent appeared to be just what a spin doctor would have ordered, a team that was picked to finish in the lower half of the Colonial Athletic Association and didn't figure to force the Terps to do too much...

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and editor Matt Bracken weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland  sports. Is Randy Edsall on the hot seat? Jeff Barker: I'm going to preface my response by saying that this is not my opinion. Rather, it's  something I've spoken to the athletic department about because it's obviously an important subject and you don't want to just be guessing. The best answer right now is that Maryland says he's not on the hot seat.

The media was talking to coach Randy Edsall today about future Maryland schedules. Here's what we know about future Terps opponents: 2013: UConn, West Virginia, Clemson, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Florida State, Boston College, Virginia, Virginia Tech, UNC 2014: West Virginia, Clemson, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Florida State, Boston College, Virginia, Duke, Virginia Tech Here are some future opponents: Texas (2017, 2018),...

Sept. 1, 1996: Quarterback Vinny Testaverde pumps his fist and an announced record football crowd (64,124) at Memorial Stadium whoops it up as the fledgling Ravens win their opener, 19-14 over the Oakland Raiders. "To come from behind, in front of a full house, it probably doesn't get much better than this," says Ted Marchibroda, coach of the first-year team. "It's a shame we have to play 15 more. " Sept. 1, 1978: Orioles right-hander Sammy Stewart sets a record for a pitcher in his major league debut by striking out seven consecutive batters in a 9-3 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox. "I wouldn't know how to rate it, but it feels good," says Stewart, whose mark is equaled in 2010 by the Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg.

COLLEGE PARK - Fifth-year Maryland linebacker Kenny Tate - who missed all but four games last season with a right knee injury - will be sidelined three to four weeks with an injury to the his left knee. It's the latest preseason blow to ther Terps ' defense. Defensive lineman Andre Monroe had knee surgery this week and is out for the year. Defensive lineman Keith Bowers (unspecified) and defensive backs Matt Robinson (shoulder), A.J. Hendy (ankle) and Isaac Goins (mononucleosis)

Here's my quick, five-cent take on new Maryland quarterback starter Perry Hills during Saturday's open scrimmage : Hills is bulky, pretty unflappable, and athletic enough to be a serious running threat. And his passing? Too soon to tell. For sheer accuracy, backup Caleb Rowe - who is also about 6-foot-3 but slighter than Hills - may have done more to impress on Saturday. But the offense during these scrimmages is pretty scaled-down, so we really haven't seen how well Hills can throw.

A strong case could have been made for junior quarterback C.J. Brown's being the player the Maryland football team could least afford to lose this season. Not only is Brown the most experienced player at the position, he is the only quarterback to have played in a game for the Terps. How much Maryland misses Brown will be learned quickly after it was announced Wednesday that he would miss the entire season with a knee injury suffered during a noncontact drill at practice Tuesday night.

- There is a lot of interest among Maryland football fans about who the No. 2 quarterback will be this season, in part because there are still some doubts about the consistency and passing ability of the team's returning starter, junior C.J. Brown . While Brown has shown some improvement in those areas from where he was last fall, when he twice replaced former Terp star Danny O'Brien as the starter, the development of his two freshman backups...

- Everywhere you look at Byrd Stadium there is something new about the Maryland football program. There is the sparkling new FieldTurf playing surface. There is a new set of more understated Under Armour uniforms. There are new offensive and defensive coordinators. There is even a new sports information staff. And it's hard not to get the feeling that head coach Randy Edsall looked back at his difficult debut last year and decided to take a mulligan. The Terrapins have opened training camp this week with a young team, a promising recruiting class and a lot of work ahead to turn things around after a difficult 2011 season that featured just two victories and a clash of coaching cultures that nearly sunk Edsall before he could even get his program installed.

Baltimore Sun reporters Jeff Barker and Don Markus and intern Connor Letourneau -- co-sports editor of The Diamondback -- weigh in on the three biggest topics of the past week in Maryland sports. What was up with former Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen writing a long email to reporters defending his legacy ? Jeff Barker: Coaching transitions sure can be delicate, right? They remind me of presidential transitions. Remember when the incomingGeorge W. Bushadministration in 2001 accused the outgoing Clinton administration -- only part jokingly -- of vandalizing computer keyboards by removing “W” keys?