The Manhattan Project
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by DCist contributor Brett Gellman
While the California Golden Bears defeated Washington State by a whopping 63 point margin in the second week of last season, the Maryland Terrapins suffered defeat from the unlikeliest of foes in an ugly loss to Middle Tennessee State. Both teams were scheduled to face each other the following week; Cal, the obvious favorite to win.
Who could have predicted that Maryland would possess a 28-6 advantage in the fourth quarter and eventually come out victorious in College Park when the two teams finally met? Certainly not many, as both fan bases were stunned. Maybe it was the hot and humid weather, or that the Terps needed to redeem themselves after falling to MTSU, or even the early kickoff time (Cal's mental clocks were set at 9am Pacific Time).
This time, things will be much different. It's Maryland's turn to travel to the opposite coast. And not only are the tables turned on the clock with a 10 p.m. Eastern kickoff, but the Terps will also be surrounded by a crowd channeling Tobias Funke in a Blue-Out atmosphere. Then there's the fact that Cal is undefeated in home openers under head coach Jeff Tedford, not to mention that the Golden Bears are 27-4 overall in Berkeley through the last five seasons.
Oh, and let's not forget about Heisman candidate Jahvid Best, one of the nation's most prolific running backs.
The odds of Maryland coming out of Memorial Stadium victorious are rather slim. Even Vegas wasn't too kind to the Terps, as they listed them as 21.5 point underdogs. I'm hardly a betting man, but I don't think the handicappers are giving Maryland enough credit.
The Terps return quarterback Chris Turner who enters his third season under center, and his second under offensive coordinator James Franklin's west-coast oriented system. Turner played one of his best games against the Bears as the California native went 15 for 19 and threw two touchdowns. Maryland also brings back All-ACC running back Da'Rel Scott to the fold; he'll be complemented by sophomore Davin Meggett. The two backs combined for nearly 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Bears last year. While the Terps will certainly miss the playmaking abilities of first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland will bring no less than nine receivers to Berkeley.
Just like Cal, the biggest question mark for the Terps is their young, unproven offensive line. The Terps return only two starters there and will insert three new players, two of which are former walk-ons. Maryland will have to heavily rely upon senior fullback Cory Jackson for additional blocking until the line finds its groove.
One thing that Maryland fans won't have to worry about is the defense. First-year defensive coordinator Don Brown has implemented an aggressive 4-3 style that is wildly unpredictable, a stark contrast to the read and react style Maryland previously used. Look for cornerback Nolan Carroll and safety Kenny Tate as breakout players to excel under this new scheme.
Prediction: 31-21 California. Ralph Friedgen’s teams always seem to get out to a slow start, but shipping them out west to a highly-ranked team looking to exact revenge in a very hostile atmosphere is about as tough as it gets. I'm sure that Jahvid Best wants to rack up as many yards as he can after he was repeatedly seen on YouTube last fall tossing up his breakfast following a vicious hit by Kevin Barnes.
Breaking in an offensive line with players who have less than 30 collective starts under their belt could be a recipe for disaster. Furthermore, the Fridge hasn't even named a starting placekicker yet, leaving special teams as another question mark. Then there's the defense -- we have absolutely no idea how they will perform as this is a brand new system under a brand new coordinator.
There are just way too many question marks going on for the Terps to leave Memorial Stadium victorious; although I do believe it will be closer than Vegas predicts.
Saturday's game takes place at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California. Kickoff is scheduled for 10 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
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In posts about NCAA sports I think it's helpful to mention the actual sport by name. It wasn't until the Heisman reference in the 4th paragraph that I was 100% certain what I was reading about.
I just blue myself.
"One thing that Maryland fans won't have to worry about is the defense."
so much for that. At least you followed this bold statement up with the following:
Then there's the defense -- we have absolutely no idea how they will perform as this is a brand new system under a brand new coordinator.
Huh??? Seems like you're someone who knows how to hedge a bet. Let's hope you did just that when you bought that fool's gold of 21.5 points the Vegas bookies gave you!