COLLEGE PARK, Md.--Trying to shore up an inconsistent defense, Maryland spent part of practice last week
"The first time we did it, it was embarrassing," coach Ralph Friedgen said. "We looked like we had never been on a football field before."
Those drills paid off, but there are some things you can't teach.
Confidence, for one. Until it proves itself on the field, a team has no right to feel good.
And for the first time in 21/2 years, Maryland's Terrapins have the makings of a swagger. Combine last week's rally from a 20-0 deficit to win at Virginia with yesterday's 26-20 victory over N.C. State, and the Terps (5-2) are finally beginning to believe in themselves.
"I've been telling people from day one, if our team has confidence in itself, we can play with anybody in the country," said junior linebacker Erin Henderson, who made a key interception for the second straight week.
"We've seen glimpses of what we're capable of. Now, we've got confidence," he said. "We've got our swagger going, and it's that much easier to make plays."
Or, as Friedgen put it: "It's like a mountain you try to climb. When you're with teams that are confident, they know they're going to win. I'm hoping we're getting better. I think sometimes we still think we're going to win. You can't look over your shoulder. If you think bad things are going to happen, they're probably gonna."
It's hard to blame the Terps for expecting the worst after two straight 5-6 seasons, but Friedgen has been waiting impatiently for that mojo to re-emerge. So has fifth-year senior tailback Josh Allen, one of the few links to Maryland's glorious three-year, 31-victory run in 2001-03.
Shredded knee ligaments and the emergence of talented juniors Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore have substantially reduced Allen's role. After rushing for 957 yards in Maryland's Gator Bowl-winning season of 2003, he missed all of 2005 with his injury and has touched the ball 28 times in seven games this fall.
But his contributions aren't limited to the field.
"It's safe to say that the past two years, we knew the potential we had, but we didn't have the confidence to take advantage of it," said Allen, one of only 12 seniors on Maryland's roster. "We didn't know how to realize our potential. The new guys have grown up. You can see the confidence. They expect to win, and they have confidence in each other."
Asked if he's seen a new attitude ever since last week's comeback, Allen nodded.
"I'm trying to perpetuate it," he said. "That's my role as a leader, to help them realize their potential, how to work toward achieving it."
The Terps are still a work in progress; they almost blew a 20-0 lead yesterday. But entering the second half of the season, they're finally finding their identity.
If it has taken his players two months to gain confidence, Friedgen has needed that much time to become comfortable in his new (old) role as play-caller. Al Saunders, take note: Yesterday, the Fridge's voluminous playbook was more like a pamphlet. The Terps ran the ball 41 times and threw nine (completing seven).
Although Friedgen insisted, "I want to throw the ball more," he has reason to stick with this blueprint. He has three good tailbacks, a fifth-year senior tackle (Stephon Heyer) on one end and a potential first-round NFL draft pick (sophomore Jared Gaither) on the other.
He has a senior quarterback (Sam Hollenbach) who is learning to manage a game, but a dearth of decent receivers. And he has a defense that's beginning to cause turnovers, plus a punter (Adam Podlesh) who's a weapon.
As they like to say in these parts, what's wrong with being conservative?
But those pieces work only if the players believe in themselves and their coach (and vice versa). Eight days ago, the Terps were lying on their backs, spinning in their shells. Now, they're 2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division, where every team has at least one loss.
Said Friedgen: "More and more kids are buying in. They just keep playing. They like to play. It's a young team, too. Hopefully, we're just starting to hit our peak. And we'd better, because it's a murderer's row from here on out."
That remaining schedule includes Florida State, Clemson, Miami, Boston College and Wake Forest. The Terps likely must win four of those five to have a shot at reaching the ACC championship game in Jacksonville.
It's a tall order for any team, especially one that's just learning to win. But in a watered-down league, nothing is impossible for a team that believes in itself.
Said Allen: "We really hadn't had an identity before today. We played Georgia Tech close; people said that was a fluke. We played Virginia and came from behind to win; people said that was a fluke.
"Now, to win here today, the way we did it, now we're saying, 'Here we are, look at us.'"
To reach STEVE DeSHAZO:
Email: sdeshazo@freelancestar.com