For Terps, a fitting end to a forgetful year

Maryland fans, you can now say that you have witnessed a new first in Maryland football. Maryland’s 19-17 loss on Saturday to Boston College gave them 10 losses for the year; the most by any Terrapin team….ever.

Starting for the last time at Byrd Stadium, senior quarterback Chris Turner had only flashes of success. Offensive Coordinator James Franklin decided to start Turner over Jamarr Robinson because he looked the healthier of the two quarterbacks in pre-game warm-ups. However, Robinson ended up playing about half of the game (leading Maryland on a touchdown drive immediately after he went under center).

To give a accurate, tangible representation of the game, imagine a yawning sloth watching paint dry. White paint. In a library. The announced crowd of 35,042 (there is absolutely no way there was more than 30,000 people there) was treated to an absolute snore-fest in what may have been Ralph Friedgen’s final game at Maryland. Rumors abound concerning his future with the program. Athletic Director Debbie Yow has gone on record saying that Friedgen’s status will be determined at the conclusion of the season. The season is over Chairman Yow, we eagerly anticipate your decision.

The only thing keeping Friedgen in place is the difficulty in finding the funds to buy out his contract. It seems pretty clear that he has little more to offer the program. The Maryland teams of the early 2000’s that reached an Orange Bowl, won an ACC Championship, dominated Tennessee in a bowl game, and consistently beat West Virginia have become relics of the past. The unarguable fact is that, after Friedgen’s first few years at Maryland (see: when he had all of his own players) the Terps are a .500 team.

But in the spirit of Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful. We can be thankful for the good times we had under Coach Friedgen. No one has ever been able to say that Maryland hasn’t had a clean program (cough cough Florida State). We can be thankful for the improvements and upgrades Byrd Stadium has had because of Maryland’s resurgence as a legitimate college football program again. We can be thankful that the likes of Torrey Smith, Da’Rel Scott, Alex Wujciak, Kenny Tate, Demetrius Hartsfield, Jamarr Robinson, and pretty much every other player of real importance will be back next year.

But most of all, we can be thankful that this season is over.