Terrapins

Stefon Diggs could be more valuable than the University of Maryland might even imagine. Diggs was one of the most highly touted high school seniors in the country and had his pick of big-name powerhouse schools he could attend. The receiver shocked the college football world and chose to stay close to home to become a Terrapin. “It was all tied in, my belief, my faith, the faith I had in this university,” said Diggs on Monday during his first college media day experience. “It's a good school all around so all that tied in and I just bought in. I bought in to what (coach Randy Edsall)

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Maryland trailed at halftime against Michigan when coach Gary Williams scolded his players for their lack of effort. Williams was addressing everyone, but Greivis Vasquez -- the unquestioned team leader -- took it personally. "I was really listening to what he was saying because I thought he was talking to me," the junior guard said. "I've got to lead the team. If those guys don't want to go hard, I'm going to go hard so they can follow my lead. " With Vasquez showing the way, the Terrapins pulled out a 75-70 victory Wednesday night in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

bobp@herald-mail.com COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Records are nothing more than a count of how a team finishes on the scoreboard. Have the most points, it's a win. Have the least ... that's a loss. So far, the University of Maryland football team has three mosts and one least to its credit. That's good enough for a winning record and a No. 23 ranking in the Associated Press poll. In the critical eyes of college football, wins are essential but don't mean anything without one important element - proof.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The easy part of Ralph Friedgen's job -- if there is such a thing -- is putting the thought into the Xs and Os of a game. But the most difficult part for the University of Maryland football coach is figuring out the thoughts of the players who use those Xs and Os. The ongoing mind game over what matters continues for Friedgen and the Terrapins when they face Eastern Michigan on Saturday at Byrd Stadium. It sets up for another in the ongoing battle between coach and team when it comes to realizing every game is important, no matter the opponent.

ATLANTA -- Greivis Vasquez scored 19 points and Maryland held off Georgia Tech at the buzzer for its eighth straight victory over the Yellow Jackets, 57-56 on Sunday night. Georgia Tech had two chances at the win after Eric Hayes missed the first free throw of a 1-and-1 with 16.7 seconds left. Georgia Tech's Lewis Clinch missed on a drive in the lane, but teammate Iman Shumpert chased down the long rebound in the corner and managed to get off a 3-pointer. It was a little long, bouncing high off the rim as the horn sounded.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Sometimes victories are like the subject of closing time in country songs. Tonight, everything is gorgeous. Tomorrow ... well, it's a whole lot different when you are seeing more clearly. The initial feeling after the University of Maryland held off Florida International for a 14-10 victory on Saturday was satisfaction. But come interview time, that hangover feeling began to set in. "No matter how you play, if you got more points at the end, you win," Maryland linebacker Wesley Jefferson said.

Hagerstown firefighters show support for Terrapins By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI kimy@herald-mail.com There weren't many longtime University of Maryland fans at the Antietam Fire Hall Wednesday night but at the Orange Bowl kickoff just about everybody there was wearing red and white. continued A combination of about 12 paid, volunteer and prospective volunteers gathered at the Summit Street station for the fire company's monthly meeting, which was followed by a pizza party and the bowl game.

kimy@herald-mail.com Terrapin fever was in full swing Monday as basketball fans crowded area bars to see the University of Maryland battle Indiana in the NCAA championship game. More than 180 people were at Replays Sports Bar at the Four Points Sheraton to watch the game on an 8-foot television screen. Nissa Masser, 23, of Hagerstown, said she has supported the Terrapins throughout the tournament because they are from Maryland. Masser said before the game that she felt confident the Terps would win because of how close they came last year.

bobp@herald-mail.com COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Everyone loves a winner. Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen knows what it feels like. After all, he and the Terrapins were on top of the world in 2001 and entered the 2002 season as everyone's darlings. But now, in the span of four days, things changed a little - especially after a humbling 22-0 loss to Notre Dame at the Kickoff Classic on Saturday. "I told them a lot of people will jump off the bandwagon right now," Friedgen said Tuesday during his weekly press conference.

bobp@herald-mail.com COLLEGE PARK, Md. - It took the University of Maryland three weeks to finally find an icebreaker - scoring 61 points. That's not the perfect conversation starter to meet girls nor is it one to get a chat started over breakfast, but it sure made all the world prettier and talking easier Saturday after unloading a 61-0 victory over The Citadel in the Terrapins' home opener at Byrd Stadium. "That's how football is supposed to be," said an almost relieved Maryland quarterback Scott McBrien.

Stefon Diggs could be more valuable than the University of Maryland might even imagine. Diggs was one of the most highly touted high school seniors in the country and had his pick of big-name powerhouse schools he could attend. The receiver shocked the college football world and chose to stay close to home to become a Terrapin. “It was all tied in, my belief, my faith, the faith I had in this university,” said Diggs on Monday during his first college media day experience. “It's a good school all around so all that tied in and I just bought in. I bought in to what (coach Randy Edsall)

You might say that Randy Edsall and the University of Maryland football program are in a honeymoon period. The second-year coach and the Terrapins are going through the changes and compromises that come at the beginning of most unions. Those are the things that Edsall can control. The one he can't is the concept of time … no one seems to agree on the Terps' timetable. “Everything these days is about instant gratification,” Edsall said Thursday during the Terps on Tour stop at The Greene Turtle in Hagerstown.

Maryland lives for its sports heroes. The legends of Ripken, Murray and Palmer continue to grow. So do stories about Unitas, Moore and Donovan. On the college level, Boomer and Bias, White and Elmore will always be part of Terrapins lore. Nowadays, Roberts and Lewis, Wieters and Rice, along with Markakis and Flacco are often subjects for hot discussions. One other name wouldn’t be included on the list above, but it was oh-so-influential to shaping Maryland’s sports history.

Maryland coach Gary Williams wants his Terrapins to play the same on the road as when playing at home. That means get the ball inside to Jordan Williams. Jordan Williams made a strong return to his double-double form to lead Maryland’s relentless inside attack and the Terrapins beat Georgia Tech 74-63 on Sunday night. Williams had 21 points and 15 rebounds for Maryland (14-7, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). The Terrapins improved to 3-1 in road conference games and have won three straight overall.

Sunday, January 23, 2011 COLLEGE INDOOR TRACK COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Elizabeth Ross posted a personal best, while Paige Shirk and Grant Smith qualified for nationals in the shot put to lead Hagerstown Community College on Sunday at the Terrapin Indoor Invitational at the University of Maryland. Ross finished second with a throw of 44 feet-7 1/2 inches, just behind Maryland’s Moriah Young, who recorded a throw of 45-3. Shirk had a throw of 39-1 1/4 to finish 13th in the women’s competition while Smith took fifth in the men’s event with a heave of 49-3 1/2. Ross improved her qualifying distance, while Shirk and Smith earned berths to compete in the NJCAA national meet in Lubbock, Texas.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Florida International has showed this season that it can compete against the big boys. Winning has proven to be far more difficult. In the opener, FIU held visiting Rutgers to eight first downs and led in the fourth quarter before falling 19-14. That wasn't nearly as frustrating as last week's game at Texas A&M, when the Golden Panthers yielded 21 straight fourth-quarter points in a 27-20 defeat. There was little doubt what the focus was at practice heading into Saturday's game at Maryland.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Navy dominated the time of possession, outgained Maryland by nearly 200 yards and made 15 more first downs. None of this lessened the enjoyment the Terrapins derived from their 17-14 victory Monday. Kenny Tate stopped Ricky Dobbs at the goal line with 34 seconds left, and Maryland stunned their in-state rivals to break a seven-game losing streak that began last October. "Perseverance. That's all we've been preaching all summer," Terrapins linebacker Alex Wujciak said.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen will return for the 2010 season, The Associated Press has learned. Friedgen's job status appeared shaky after the Terrapins lost a school-record 10 games this season. But after meeting for two consecutive days with athletic director Debbie Yow, he has been given the go-ahead to make plans for a 10th season as head coach at his alma mater, according to a school official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet formally been made.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- A year ago, Gary Williams took a small Maryland team with only one senior to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Before he got there, the fiery coach endured a home loss to Morgan State, a 41-point thrashing at Duke and harsh criticism from columnists and fans for supposedly allowing the program to deteriorate since it won the national championship in 2002. Come March, Williams was completely vindicated. "That was one of the most rewarding teams that I've ever coached," he said recently.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Nothing about the big numbers Marissa Coleman put up the other day surprised Jeff Walz. After all, he did help recruit her to Maryland. Now it's his job to stop her. Standing between the Terrapins and another Final Four trip is second-year Louisville coach Walz, an assistant on the Maryland team that won the 2006 national title behind then-freshmen Coleman and Kristi Toliver. "Those kids, they're still friends of mine -- they still call and talk," Walz said Sunday.