Maryland
With the Terps' quarterbacks and wide receivers continuing to exceed expectations, Coach Ralph Friedgen has focused his attention on a sometimes stagnant running game that averaged 2.5 yards per carry during Saturday's scrimmage.
Each of the team's three leading tailbacks -- Mario Merrills, Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball -- are in the mix to earn carries during the Sept. 3 opener against Navy, and the first goal Friedgen listed for today's final preseason scrimmage is to reestablish the run.
It's a pledge that has been oft repeated this month after the Terps averaged 2.9 yards per carry last year, 10th in the ACC. But injuries have slowed the offensive line's progress, and plans to toughen up the attack with a fullback similarly have been disrupted by health problems.
Ricardo Dickerson has been in and out of practice with a knee sprain, and while he was on the field yesterday, he remains at about 85 percent, Friedgen said. Dickerson's backup, Tim Cesa, still has not practiced because of mononucleosis and could miss the opener, while redshirt freshman Matt Deese is recuperating from minor surgery on his knee.
That left walk-on Robert Petty and former tight end Brad Schell getting most of the work in Saturday's scrimmage. And with Merrills temporarily sidelined by an ankle sprain, the Terps' tailbacks had 31 carries for 78 yards.
Freshman wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, one of the team's biggest preseason standouts, sprained his left ankle yesterday evening and will be reevaluated today.
The line's health, though, has improved this week, and Merrills -- the lightest of the three backs at 203 pounds -- rammed the ball into the end zone four times in a goal-line drill Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Friedgen has continued to praise quarterback Sam Hollenbach; yesterday, he said the junior quarterback has had "an extraordinary camp." . . .
Several positional disputes could be settled today. Ryan McDonald and Edwin Williams continue to split snaps at center, while Christian Varner, J.J. Justice, Milton Harris and Marcus Wimbush are all competing for time at safety. The toughest decision could come at place kicker, where Dan Ennis and Obi Egekeze have mirrored each other's performances: Both were strong on Saturday, both kicked poorly yesterday. Friedgen said that choice might not be made until the day of the Navy game, and that both kickers could potentially be used depending on the situation.
-- Dan Steinberg
