Maryland 2005 Season | Team Page	Select Conference ACC Big East Big Ten Big 12 Conference USA Independents MAC Mountain West Pac-10 SEC Sun Belt WAC Select Team

Special Athlon offer for SI.com readers

The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Ralph Friedgen (6th season, 41-20) 2005 record: 5-6 ACC finish: 3-5 (t-4th Atlantic) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 73rd (134.8 ypg) Passing: 31st (249.1 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 78th (165.7 ypg) Passing: 19th (184.8 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 William & Mary Sept. 9 Middle Tennessee Sept. 14 at West Virginia Sept. 23 Florida International Oct. 7 at Georgia Tech Oct. 14 at Virginia Oct. 21 NC State Oct. 28 Florida State Nov. 4 at Clemson Nov. 11 Miami Nov. 18 at Boston College Nov. 25 Wake Forest Depth Chart: Offense 5 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 84 Isaiah Williams So. 85 Terrell Skinner Fr. WR 11 Drew Weatherly Sr. 8 Darrius Heyward-Bey Fr. LT 70 Stephon Heyer Sr. 73 Scott Burley Jr. LG 69 Donnie Woods So. 76 Jaimie Thomas So. C 60 Edwin Williams So. 72 Phil Costa Fr. RG 63 Andrew Crummey Jr. 66 Garrick Clig Jr. RT 78 Jared Gaither So. 58 Brandon Nixon Jr. TE 13 Dan Gronkowski So. 15 Jason Goode Jr. QB 14 Sam Hollenbach Sr. 19 Jordan Steffy So. FB 32 Tim Cesa Jr. 43 Matt Deese So. TB 44 Lance Ball Jr. 33 Josh Allen Sr. Depth Chart: Defense 6 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 40 Jeremy Navarre So. 98 Omarr Savage Jr. NT 92 Dre Moore Jr. 99 Rob Armstrong Jr. DT 95 Conrad Bolston Sr. 68 Carlos Feliciano Jr. LEO 55 Trey Covington So. 50 Jermaine Lemons Jr. WLB 1 Erin Henderson So. 53 Moises Fokou Jr. MLB 35 Wesley Jefferson Jr. 42 Chase Bullock So. SLB 54 David Holloway Sr. 34 Dave Philistin So. CB 4 Josh Wilson Sr. 2 Kevin Barnes So. CB 5 Isaiah Gardner Jr. 9 Richard Taylor So. SS 12 Marcus Wimbush Sr. 29 Jeff Allen So. FS 3 Christian Varner Jr. 30 J.J. Justice Jr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 22 Dan Ennis Sr. P 36 Adam Podlesh Sr. KR 4 Josh Wilson Sr. PR 17 Danny Oquendo So.

To order your 2006 Athlon Sports annual and receive $1 off plus free shipping courtesy of SI.com, click here.

When Maryland finished 5-6 and missed playing in a bowl game after the 2004 season, Terrapins fans considered it an anomaly given coach Ralph Friedgen's torrid start at his alma mater. But since it happened again last season, there are legitimate concerns about Maryland's football future in the expanded ACC.

The Terrapins lost their two star players, All-America tight end Vernon Davis and linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, along with their top three wide receivers, and they still have concerns at quarterback. With a schedule that includes grueling road games against five teams that played in bowls last season, as well as home games against traditional powers Florida State and Miami, Maryland might be a year away from marked improvement.

Friedgen, who earned the reputation of an offensive genius as an assistant at Georgia Tech and in the NFL, has taken a larger role in directing a unit that was plagued by turnovers and red zone woes. "I'm tired of losing," says Friedgen. "It's about time to start winning again."

OFFENSE

Friedgen takes control of an offense that was second in the ACC in passing, but was plagued by turnovers and red zone woes. Senior quarterback Sam Hollenbach was a vast improvement over Joel Statham, the Terrapins' starter in 2004, but Hollenbach still struggled with his decision making and turned the ball over too many times. He completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,539 yards and 13 touchdowns, but also threw 15 interceptions and lost five fumbles while playing with an injured left shoulder.

The Terrapins struggled running the ball at times last season, but that could change with the return of senior Josh Allen, who missed all of last season while recovering from torn knee ligaments suffered late in 2004. Allen is a big-play threat every time he touches the ball, which should complement the running style of junior Lance Ball, a hard-nosed, between-the-tackles runner.

The Terrapins lost their top four receivers from 2005, none more important than Davis, a first-round pick in April's NFL Draft. Davis and receivers Danny Melendez, Jo Jo Walker and Derrick Fenner combined to catch 76 percent of Maryland's 210 completions last season. Maryland will be counting heavily on a plethora of young, unproven wideouts, including Darrius Heyward-Bey and Isaiah Williams.

The return of senior Stephon Heyer, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, and mammoth sophomore Jared Gaither gives Maryland two of the best bookend tackles in the country. Guards Andrew Crummey and Donnie Woods are tough and intelligent.

DEFENSE

Six starters are back from a defense that kept Maryland in a lot of games last season, despite the offense's woes. The Terrapins must get more production out of their front four to free up their athletic linebackers to make plays. Sophomore defensive end Jeremy Navarre has the potential to be a quality pass rusher, and senior defensive tackle Conrad Bolston is a plug in the middle. Freshman Melvin Alaeze could shore up the pass rush if he qualifies.

Junior linebacker Wesley Jefferson will attempt to fill the large shoes of departed All-America D'Qwell Jackson, the team's leading tackler in each of the last three seasons. Senior David Holloway is the only returning starting linebacker, but the return of sophomore Erin Henderson, the younger brother of former Maryland All-America E.J. Henderson, should bolster the unit.

The Terrapins were especially stout against the pass last season, allowing only 184.8 yards per game and four touchdowns, fewest in the ACC. But they must create more turnovers after getting only nine interceptions in 2005. Cornerback Josh Wilson and free safety Christian Varner have the potential to be outstanding.

SPECIALISTS

Adam Podlesh is the top returning punter in the ACC and averaged 43.6 yards per boot last season, nailing 17 of his 44 kicks inside opponents' 20-yard line. None of his punts were blocked. Dan Ennis got off to a very strong start in his first season as the team's placekicker, making his first 11 field goal tries, but then he missed eight of his last 14.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Friedgen's first three Maryland teams went 31-8, played in three straight bowl games and won the 2001 ACC championship. His last two teams each went 5-6 and didn't play in the postseason. The Terrapins will be hard-pressed to show much improvement in 2006, after losing their top playmakers on offense and their best defender.