Terps take it away

By Patrick Stevens (Contact) | Friday, October 3, 2008

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A defining trait of Ralph Friedgen's first team at Maryland - besides winning - was an ability to create and exploit turnovers.

It didn't take long for former Maryland defensive back Dennard Wilson to notice how different things had become when he rejoined the program for a year as an intern.

"Every time someone would drop a interception in practice or in a game, he'd say you just lost money," cornerback Kevin Barnes said. "He played in the NFL a little bit, and he's like, 'Interceptions are what make [defensive backs] money.'"

Thus the genesis of the call "money" whenever the defense forces a turnover. And of late, the Terrapins are padding their wealth.

Maryland (4-1, 1-0 ACC) forced three turnovers in consecutive games for only the third time since 2002, a factor that helped the Terrapins upend Atlantic Division favorite Clemson 20-17 last weekend.

The Terps, who visit Virginia (1-3, 0-1) on Saturday, turned two fumbles into a pair of field goals in the first half against the Tigers. Ultimately, the opportunism represented the difference between an upset and a close loss.

"You just try to stress it as much as you can," linebacker Dave Philistin said. "Turnovers are winning us games. That's the biggest thing."

The chances to create turnovers are increasingly valued, which would explain the frustration evident during practice this week when Philistin tipped a pass that fell just out of the reach of linebacker Moise Fokou.

It's especially true of interceptions. While several variables dictate which team recovers a fumble, the root cause of picks can be identified more easily.

And they're on the rise. Maryland's interception total languished in single digits for three seasons before secondary coach Kevin Lempa was hired last season. The Terps had 13 interceptions (their most since 2002) last year and have seven through five games in 2008.

"We're working like hell on it," coach Ralph Friedgen said. "We have for a while. One of the reasons I hired Kevin was that he always had a lot of interceptions [as an assistant at Boston College]. Jamari McCollough catches the ball, he doesn't drop it. That's part of it, too. They get more in practice, too."

So many numbers can be presented to demonstrate a difference between Friedgen's first three years - each a 10-win season - and the time afterward. But few are as jarring as the difference in scoring on defense and special teams.

The Terps held a 14-6 edge in nonoffensive touchdowns from 2001 to 2003, with half coming on interception and fumble returns. Since then, Maryland trails opponents 19-4 and has not scored on defense or special teams since former linebacker Erin Henderson's 45-yard interception return at Virginia nearly two years ago.

"The faster you can transition after an interception on defense, the more chance you have of scoring," Friedgen said. "That's the next step that we have to do. We have to start scoring on defense. We haven't done that."

His final sentence had a hint of aggravation, but perhaps the fulfillment of his wish will arrive soon. Defensive lineman Dean Muhtadi said one significant off-field change is that the entire defense watches game film together rather than as separate units, which bolsters everyone's understanding of why things work.

On-field communication helps as well. Yet more than any other factor, Barnes believes the Terps have been successful because they made creating turnovers a priority after last year.

"In the offseason, it's something we emphasized a lot more," Barnes said. "We have special drills for turnovers, fumbles, interceptions. That's what sets great defenses apart. They get turnovers."

Not to mention the money.

Note — Cornerback Nolan Carroll (ankle), tight end Matt Furstenburg (leg) and reserve guard Lamar Young (foot) were declared out for Saturday's game. Defensive end Mack Frost (knee) and defensive tackle Travis Ivey (foot) are questionable, and tailback Da'Rel Scott (shoulder) is no longer listed on the school's injury report.

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