Ralph Friedgen, coach of 10 years, went out with a bang Wednesday with a 51-20 win over East Carolina in the Military Bowl. The Terps were not exactly thrilled to be playing in the Military Bowl, and things got a little rough when the two teams interacted during the week. Thankfully, the Terps were able to take out their frustration on a sorry ECU team. It was a dominating performance from start to finish, highlighted by 297 rushing yards by three-headed monster Da'Rel Scott, Davin Meggett, and D.J. Adams.
The Terps actually came out throwing the ball, and Danny O'Brien was able to find Kevin Dorsey for a 45 yard strike on the Terps' 2nd possession. However, the Terps followed up this score with 6 rushing touchdowns. D.J. Adams came in as the goal line back, and put up 4 touchdowns on only 35 yards. Davin Meggett had 62 yards on the ground, and was Maryland's leading receiver with 52 yards. Da'Rel Scott ran wild for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, including 61 and 91 yards runs.
ECU came into the game with the 7th best passing offense in the FBS, but defensive coordinator Don Brown had the team ready. The Terps held ECU to just 20 points, about 17 points below ECU's average. They also forced 4 turnovers, and intercepted ECU's outstanding quarterback Dominique Davis twice. The Pirates had 15 penalties, and seemed out of sync the entire game.
I would say the Terps played their best game of the year Wednesday. Not only did Fridge go out with a bang, but the seniors also had a heck of a finale. I would now like to highlight a couple of them:
Torrey Smith: I know Torrey isn't a senior, but he has already graduated and announced he will leave for the NFL next season. Torrey had a quiet game with only 2 catches for 10 yards, but he has been a fantastic Terp. In just three years, he has become the ACC's all time leader in kick return yardage. He also owns Maryland school record for all purpose yardage. Torrey was an all ACC 1st team selection, and he will be missed.
Alex Wujciak: Alex is a tackling machine, and continued the great line of Terp linebackers. He had 354 tackles for his career and has been the heart of the Maryland defense. Alex is another member of the all ACC 1st team. He will be sorely missed both as a leader, and as a football player.
Da'Rel Scott: Da'Rel had the best game of his career in his last. He had 200 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 13 carries. Da'Rel was a 2nd team all ACC selection as a sophomore, but unfortunately broke his arm during his junior year. He stuggled mightily this year, so it was good to see him end his career with a monster performance.
Congrats to the Terps on a great end to the season!
I would like to thank all of the Maryland seniors and those playing their final game (Torrey, Kenny Tate?) for their contributions; and a huge thank you to Ralph Friedgen for a great 10 year run at Maryland.
