As promised, here's a link to Ralph's appearance on the ACC teleconference yesterday. Click on the audio button and move ahead to 5:57 on his audio file. At the tail end is his deadpan mention of an official's uniform as an ideal Halloween costume.

(This idea got even funnier yesterday afternoon when a woman showed up in an officials' jacket, sunglasses and a long cane and poked around the entrance to the practice field for a minute before scooting back to an SUV and driving off. I couldn't get a positive ID from 50 yards away, but there's only so many people that could have been).

Marc Carig of the Post followed up on Ralph's comments after practice yesterday, and the big fella couldn't help but to laugh.

"Don't even go there," Friedgen said. "I thought it was pretty funny, though. I heard all the writers laughing. That's the problem. My wit sometimes gets me in trouble. People don't appreciate my humor."

Or the fact he can maintain it with his team lurching into November at .500.

--- Patrick Stevens

The actual discussion of injuries was rather brief yesterday, a byproduct of plenty of openness about the Terps' many troubles in that department throughout the season. Both Scott Burley and Bruce Campbell were out of their walking boots, and Ralph Friedgen's assessment pretty much matched what little reporters got to see during a pre-practice walkthrough.

"Burley was better," Ralph said. "He didn't practice still. Thinks he can go tomorrow. We'll see. Campbell was better also. I just don't know if he'll make it.

"[Cory Jackson] practiced today. He was noncontact. He knows how to do that. I thought he got something out of it."

--- Patrick Stevens

The most noticeable player on the field is rarely a fullback.

Well, maybe it was 20 years ago or so when William "Refrigerator" Perry lined up there for the Chicago Bears.

But it's going to be hard to miss Maryland's Cory Jackson, who is playing with a broken left hand, this weekend. He underwent surgery last week and missed a game against Clemson, but should play tomorrow at North Carolina.

It will be very obvious who Jackson is; he's the guy with the big honking cast on his hand.

If a fight broke out tomorrow, I'd want him on my side. That cast looks like it could do a lot of damage as a blunt object.

Ralph Friedgen's biggest worry about it? Seeing if Jackson can be involved in the passing game as a potential receiver.

So what's the verdict?

"Yeah, he has," Friedgen said. "Actually, Ray [Rychleski]'s had him fielding kickoffs."

That's an emergency plan. A one-armed man is a great plot device. A one-handed kick returner is courting disaster.

--- Patrick Stevens

Colleges aren't required to provide injury lists to the league office as in the NFL, and the bright side of that is a perfectly healthy quarterback doesn't get listed as probable every week for half a decade. But given Maryland's wealth of ailments, I wondered what an injury report would look like for this bunch heading into tomorrow's game at North Carolina.

There's nothing all that new in here; certainly not the existence of any of these injuries. And while no one is officially "doubtful" or "questionable" or "probable," it isn't hard to read into Ralph Friedgen's words to figure out how guys would be listed. And some guys are on here simply because they haven't played since suffering their last injury.

So here it is ...

OUT: LB Rick Costa (concussion), RG Andrew Crummey (fibula), DE Mack Frost (knee), TE Dan Gronkowski (knee), LG Jaimie Thomas (fibula), LB Alex Wujciak (knee). DOUBTFUL: DT Travis Ivey (knee). QUESTIONABLE: LT Scott Burley (ankle), LT Bruce Campbell (ankle). PROBABLE: LB Chase Bullock (ankle), LB Erin Henderson (knee), FB Cory Jackson (hand), LB Dave Philistin (shoulder), QB Jordan Steffy (concussion), CB Richard Taylor (knee).

--- Patrick Stevens

Ralph Friedgen could play two quarterbacks tomorrow. Or he could stick with starter Chris Turner.

He could make a change after a series. He could wait until the second half.

It's all about doing what's needed to win. But the big fella re-iterated Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday he would be willing to play Jordan Steffy in spite of his mounting concussion history.

The Diamondback's Andrew Zuckerman asked yesterday if Ralph would consider keeping Steffy benched for the rest of the season, and Friedgen gave what is becoming a battle-tested reply before adding some depth to his comments.

"That has not crossed my mind," Friedgen said. "I've been assured nothing's going to change now or in the future. It's going to be the same situation. I think Jordan understands that. I do really have an affection for Jordan. I think he's a kid who's the ultimate team player and works extremely hard and I'm pulling for him really because of all the things he's been through. Right now, I think Chris has been playing OK. If he continues to play OK, he'll continue to be the quarterback. If not, we'll see what Jordan can do."

Loose translation: Steffy warmed up on his own accord last week. If Turner throws two quick interceptions at any point this month, it would be no shock if Steffy gets loose under Ralph's orders.

--- Patrick Stevens

Prediction time has arrived for the week, and there's plenty of variables to take into account.

* Maryland has dropped two straight and seems to lose a starter or two every week.

* North Carolina is tough at home despite its 2-6 overall record, beating Miami in Chapel Hill and seriously testing Virginia and South Carolina.

* North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates ranks third in the ACC in both passing yards and pass efficiency.

* Butch Davis inherited a program with virtually no running backs; as a result, the Tar Heels are predictably averaging a meager 2.9 yards a carry.

* Maryland has not lost to North Carolina since 2000, an utterly miserable 13-10 game that effectively sealed Ron Vanderlinden's fate (the Terps were run out of Byrd by a superior Georgia Tech team a week later).

All right, the last one is just a factoid rather than a variable. But it stands to reason a November trip to Kenan Stadium will determine the fate of this bunch just as it did with Vanderlinden's final team seven years ago.

If the Terps lose, they fall to 4-5 with No. 2 Boston College coming to Byrd in yet another Matt Ryan showcase game. Things already aren't too pretty; it could get worse with a setback tomorrow.

If Maryland wins, it is assured of having something to play for in every game the rest of the way. It would stem some of the concern from the last two weeks, and it would probably result in a looser bunch when Ryan arrives in College Park next weekend.

It won't come easy (nothing ever does with this bunch). Yates has thrown for 285 yards in both of his last two games, and he should carve up the Terps as well as any other passer has this season. His talent, Carolina's receiving options and the Tar Heels' lack of a dynamic rushing attack lead me to believe he'll throw for more than 300 yards.

That doesn't mean it will be enough. Carolina ranks ninth in the ACC in rushing defense, so Maryland has a chance to have an effective rushing day despite its depleted offensive line. And while the Tar Heels rank third in the conference in passing defense, they allow opponents to complete 63.5 percent of their passes. (Only Duke is worse). Maryland ranks second in completion percentage at 66.0 percent. (Only Wake Forest is better). If the dink-and-dunk approach should work against anyone, it's the Tar Heels.

So the call is Maryland 24, North Carolina 20. If the Tar Heels shred the Terps' defense as Virginia and Clemson did, the howling from fans to replace defensive coordinator Chris Cosh (more on that in tomorrow's print edition) will increase exponentially. If the Terps' offense struggles because of its thin line, it'll be clear the final three games will be too long a slog for this undermanned bunch.

But I think those potential frustrations will be assuaged to some degree --- at least for a week, anyway.

--- Patrick Stevens

It looks like a lovely morning here in Raleigh. Well, Durham, technically, but I'm at the Marriott Research Triangle Park. And this is the North Carolina team hotel, which is more than 10 miles from Chapel Hill.

Very confusing. Anyway, if all was right in the world, they (and I) would already be over at Kenan Stadium for a noon or 1 p.m. start. Instead, we're stuck with 3:45 for a game on cable channel with limited availability. It's first four letters are "ESPN", however, so it hardly matters whether the U stands for University or Unavailable or Unyielding.

Anyway, the theory has been floated that Maryland is doomed to spiral toward 4-8 given its injuries, remaining schedule and perhaps questionable coaching this season. It certainly is not a great team at work and probably not even a good one at this point. But if the Terps win today, they still have a chance for a bowl.

This team won't finish better than 6-6. Most rational people probably have concluded that by now. And if Maryland doesn't win today, it will look awfully grim to even get to that point.

I'll stick with my pick from yesterday. But if Maryland does lose -- and it is easy to see how it could happen -- there will be some gloomy dispatches from Chapel Hill in tomorrow's papers.

And for once, all the Chicken Littles on the message boards will be justified in their squawking and squealing about the sky's impending fall. If Maryland falls to 4-5 today, it will be time to push the panic button on the season.

--- Patrick Stevens

Some people say college football is not a sport but a religion. At Notre Dame the players attend a pregame mass in one of the country's most beautiful religious buildings before emerging from the back door to walk across campus on a path lined by thousands of people into a stadium that is considered one of sport's great cathedrals.

The players' walk is just one of the reason there are few experiences in sports like an autumn Saturday morning in South Bend, Ind. Schools in the South are certainly steeped in tradition and boast incredibly passionate fan bases, but everything is a little different at Notre Dame.

The scene on campus is almost surreal. Thousands of people walk the grounds taking pictures and staring at all of the famous landmarks. Student organizations set up concession stands on every sidewalk so people can buy hot dogs from the chess club or brats to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Hundreds of people line up to say a quick prayer at the Grotto before strolling down to St. Mary's Lake. Grandfathers pose for pictures with their grandkids in front of the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus (even if one prominent college football personality referred to it as Field Goal Jesus earlier this week). The atmosphere is even a little unique with Navy as the opponent, because there are fans stopping members of the Brigade to shake their hands, thank them for their service and take more photographs.

Hours of touring the campus and taking in the scenery culminates with the walk. Jimmy Clausen might have lost his starting job three weeks ago, but fans still reach for his hand and yell his name as if he were a rock star. The fact that this is the one of the worst Notre Dame teams in the program's storied history makes the hordes of people lined up five and six deep along the walkway even more impressive. For a few minutes at least, there isn't a more revered coach of a 1-7 team in the country than Charlie Weis as he walks behind his players.

If it sounds like a mystical place or straight out of a scene from Rudy, that's because on a cool sunny Saturday morning in early November, it is.

-- Corey Masisak

Among the early sights at Kenan Stadium: Both Scott Burley and Bruce Campbell are in uniform. No word yet on who will start at left tackle.

More in a bit.

--- Patrick Stevens

It looks like 12 offensive linemen and seven defensive linemen (not counting the LEO position) made the trip to North Carolina.

Those in uniform for pregame drills for the Terps' o-line: Starters Scott Burley, Phil Costa, Edwin Williams, Jack Griffin and Dane Randolph; freshmen Tyler Bowen, Bruce Campbell, Stephen St. John and Lamar Young; and walk-ons Danny Edwards, Lee Oliver and Paul Pinegar.

On the defensive line, it's starters Carlos Feliciano, Dre Moore and Jeremy Navarre; sophomore Deege Galt; freshman Jared Harrell; and walk-ons Dean Muhtadi and Olugbemi Otulaja.

It's a wonder Maryland even has that many guys left.

--- Patrick Stevens

Seems like I've made this post before at some point.

Oh yeah, it was earlier this season at Rutgers.

Anyway, Scott Burley will draw the start at left tackle today according to a team spokesman. How long he can go on a bum ankle, though, is another matter.

The teams are back in the locker rooms, with kickoff to come in about 20 minutes.

--- Patrick Stevens

A new look for the Terps today: White jerseys, black pants.

Haven't seen that this year or at any point since Ralph Friedgen took over. The black pants were reintroduced this season.

Last time this combo was probably dusted off was during the Ron Vanderlinden era.

If Maryland loses today, those threads might be just one more thing folks will wish was left in that dark past.

-- Patrick Stevens

It took two plays before Scott Burley got hurt.

Maybe Ralph's luck is even worse than he thought it was.

It looks like Paul Pinegar will be the new left tackle -- as soon as Burley is carted off the field.

--- Patrick Stevens

Of the 60,000 or so here, I sure hope most of them share a trait with Helen Keller, Ray Charles, Oedipus and Al Pacino's character from "Scent of a Woman." Perhaps everyone is lucky this sucker is on ESPNU.

Scott Burley has come back for Maryland, but the Terps still managed only 52 yards rushing on 17 attempts. These teams have combined for five turnovers and 10 penalties and are a collective 4-for-15 on third down.

Oh, North Carolina is up 9-3 on three field goals by Connor Barth. Fireworks have gone off after each of them.

Guess there have to be some pyrotechnics in this one because they sure haven't been on the field.

No word yet whether there will be a quarterback change. Chris Turner is 8-for-18 for 88 yards and an interception. But make no mistake -- the problems won't be corrected by a quick fix.

-- Patrick Stevens

So, who's ready for basketball season?

This post turns out to be a little bit snarkier than I would have first guessed, given the imminent demise of football season in College Park. But I figured as soon as the Associated Press released its first basketball poll of the season, I would follow up and list exactly where Maryland received all of its votes from.

The Terps earned six points from the electorate. Here was who voted for Maryland:

No. 22: Seth Emerson, The (Columbia, S.C.) State
No. 24: John Feinstein, National Public Radio

That's four points from Emerson and two points from Feinstein.

Other poll notes:

* Ian Rapoport of the Birmingham News was the only voter to place Georgetown at No. 1.

* Feinstein was the only voter to place George Mason in his preseason ballot; the Patriots check in at No. 25.

Full disclosure: I am a member of the AP's voting panel and did not rank Maryland in the preseason. You can check my ballot here. The condensed version is that N.C. State (13th on mine, 21st nationally), Pittsburgh (17th on mine, 22nd nationally), Kansas State (19th on mine, 25th nationally) and Butler (21st on mine, 28th nationally) are all a bit higher than usual. On the flip side, Gonzaga (18th on mine, 14th nationally), Duke (22nd on mine, 13th nationally), Arizona (25th on mine, 17th nationally) and Arkansas (27th on my preseason top 40, 19th nationally) were a bit lower.

--- Patrick Stevens

First, the requisite injury update.

Special teams performer Drew Robinson ... done for the year.

Tackles Scott Burley and Bruce Campbell are both doubtful for Saturday's game against Boston College with ankle injuries. Burley is hobbling around on two bum ankles, and there are very few sports where that would not be a liability. Football is not one of those sports.

Linebacker Erin Henderson's back has stiffened up on him today. Guard Jack Griffin is nursing a shoulder injury; that means he fits in well on that banged up offensive line.

Otherwise, a fairly slow news day. Ralph talked some about the depth in the program --- more on that in a Sunday leftovers blog to come --- and was also asked yet again if he would be reluctant to insert Jordan Steffy because of the risk of another concussion behind a thin offensive line.

We heard the same "do what I gotta do to win" spiel and then a re-iteration of how it was better to have an experienced backup instead of the plight from a few weeks ago.

But then Ralph added this, which he has alluded to before and is tacitly been understood to be a basic truth about the situation.

"I would like for our line to be a little bit more solid," Friedgen said. "Without a left tackle, I have concerns for the boy."

So unless Burley gets healthy or Turner is either incapacitated or downright awful, today's message is a possible Steffy return to the field this month is unlikely.

Of course, Ralph could say something completely different (and still mean it) come Tuesday. Stay tuned.

--- Patrick Stevens

The dreaded "d-word" --- depth --- made an extended appearance during Ralph's teleconference yesterday. That was soon accompanied by its nefarious cousin "injuries."

Ralph was specifically asked about the depth in the program, given how ragged the Terps have looked the last three weeks.

"When we have as many guys injured as we have, I would think any team in America would have problems with depth when you have 85 scholarships," Friedgen said.

That's a fair point. But part of the depth issues come from simply retaining the players you have. Maryland had 19 scholarship juniors last year. They have 12 scholarship seniors this season. And faster than you can say "Holy Attrition, Batman!," here's a look at who didn't return:

Tim Cesa, Garrick Clig, Wesley Jefferson, Brandon Nixon, Omarr Savage, Donnie Woods.

Hmmm. What have we here? Three offensive lineman, a defensive lineman, a linebacker and a fullback who (if not done in by concussions) might have helped save Haroon Brown's redshirt. None of them left a year early to play professionally, either.

By astonishing coincidence, the positions unable to withstand injuries this year? Offensive line, defensive line and linebacker.

(The plunge from 19 to 12 is complete when a couple other factors are considered. Jack Griffin redshirted and is still a junior, and Scott Burley got a year of eligibility back. Maryland also gave long snapper Brendan McDermond a scholarship this season.)

But the really interesting thing Ralph discussed was depth at specific positions. After all, it's already clear where Maryland needs some more help in the near future.

"I'm concerned about running back after next year," Friedgen said. "Obviously defensive line, which we're trying to improve. Offensive line, which I think we have addressed but they're not ready yet. We have some more kids coming. We probably have too many wide receivers. We'll see how that goes. ... Linebacker is still an issue, especially when we lost [Alex] Wujciak, we lose Costa and you don't want to have to play [Ben] Pooler or [Derek] Drummond. It might come down to that with another injury."

The last thing the Terpies need at this point is burning redshirts in November to fortify a team looking less and less likely to play in the postseason by the week. Given the grumblings of even reasonably rational fans at this point, the next thing to get torched would probably be effigies.

But Shopkeeper Ralph's inventory of his Terrapin Team Store is pretty accurate. Maryland has 15 offensive lineman (just one senior) and 15 defensive backs (with three seniors in that bunch). He also has 11 receivers, none of whom are seniors.

The obvious deficiency next year will be at tailback, where only three scholarship players will return --- redshirt freshmen Morgan Green, Da'Rel Scott and Pha'Terrell Washington.

The easiest formula for disaster to concoct for Maryland in 2007 was "Offensive Line + Injuries = Lost season." It was harped on in the spring, harped on in camp and it appears it will play out exactly to Friedgen's fears.

Next fall, just replace "offensive line" with "ball carriers" and the worst-case scenario will be the same. Book it. Neither Green nor Scott has shown a great affinity for staying healthy, and Washington barely remained eligible before this season. So you can go ahead and also book Friedgen wailing next fall about how his lack of backfield options hamstring what he can do, just as problems at wide receiver and offensive line put the shackles on his offense in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

And in no way is that going off the deep end.

--- Patrick Stevens

Thankfully, this entry will not revolve around talking rolls of medical tape voiced by Bruce Willis and Roseanne Barr, respectively. And if it did, it would be a sure sign of an impending apocalypse.

No, there is far cheerier content here, as pretty much mandated by the man in charge of Boston College's football program. The message from Chestnut Hill, Mass., yesterday was generally upbeat from first-year coach Jeff Jagodzinski. Sure, the Eagles lost to Florida State on Saturday to dash hopes of an unbeaten season, but he's still happy since BC has a chance to collect an ACC title "because we haven't won one before."

"This is the fourth quarter," Jagodzinski said. "A lot of things happen and you have to go ahead and finish now. Being 8-1, there's probably 115 teams that wishes they were 8-1 right now."

Maryland would be among the first to step into that line.

Coach Jags did have some injury news of note. Linebackers Jolonn Dunbar and Tyronne Pruitt are both nursing ankle injuries and are questionable for this week.

And yes, that's the same Jolonn Dunbar who returned three fumbles for touchdowns against Maryland the last two years. That, by the way, equals the number of defensive touchdowns the Terps have produced in the last four seasons.

--- Patrick Stevens

When you're on the road to nowhere in the ACC, you're bound to have Doc Walker in the booth and Mike Hogewood roaming the sideline more than your fair share.

Such is the case for Maryland, which drew the noon start for the Nov. 17 game at Florida State. But since it's a Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports split game (with North Carolina-Georgia Tech), there's no guarantee we'll see either Original Hog or Original Hogewood at the mike for that one.

Here's the full conference breakdown, as released by the ACC this afternoon:

Maryland at Florida State, Raycom/Lincoln-Financial Sports, 12 noon (split network)

North Carolina at Georgia Tech, Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports, 12 noon (split network)

Duke at Notre Dame, NBC, 2:30 pm (previously announced by NBC)

Miami at Virginia Tech, ABC, 3:30 pm

NC State at Wake Forest, ESPNU, 4 pm

Boston College at Clemson, ESPN or ESPN2, 7:45 pm

--- Patrick Stevens

Earlier this year, James Gist and Landon Milbourne played in an event unsanctioned by the NCAA in Ocean City, Md.

It happened in April and it's costing Maryland in November.

Both projected starters will miss Sunday's season opener against North Florida and return the next day against either Tulsa or Hampton.

"Historically, this has been the penalty," coach Gary Williams said. "If you play an unsanctioned game, you miss a game."

The unsanctioned game violated NCAA bylaw 14.7.2. And while Williams was clearly irked that "a source close to the athletic department" informed media outlets of the looming suspension, he did not hammer his two players.

"This is a mistake that has nothing to do with their character or any disrespect for anyone," Williams said. "It's just one of those things that's a tough lesson to learn."

--- Patrick Stevens

Basketball news has made it tougher to get to football stuff. And, really, there isn't a whole heck of a lot to mention there.

Linebacker Erin Henderson is gingerly moving around because of a back injury. He assured reporters today he would play on Saturday, but it certainly didn't sound like it was too much fun to be him this weekend.

Apparently, Andrew Crummey is in better shape with his broken fibula than either Scott Burley or Bruce Campbell are with their sprained ankles (that's plural for Burley, singular for Campbell). So bring on the Paul Pinegar parade (he of the 22 snaps last week in emergency duty) against Boston College.

Travis Ivey couldn't go last night during practice with his knee injury, so put him in the group with Crummey and tight end Dan Gronkowski (and quite possibly Burley and Campbell) who might be back for Florida State. Might.

And Ralph got emotional - very emotional - as things progressed today. It was a lot longer than expected, and I'll toss up his nearly weepy soliloquy in just a few minutes.

--- Patrick Stevens

Ralph Friedgen isn't afraid to remind reporters he is an emotional guy. But he clocked in at about 9 on the Choked Up Meter today at his weekly press conference.

I've already dubbed this the College Park Address. These 213 words - particularly the tail end - is the most Ralph's had to hold back his emotions all season. There are probably some accidental phrasing in there, but it's worth sharing his thoughts heading into the final three games for his 4-5 team.

I'm going to do the best I can with what I got. So are my players. That's all I can ask them to do. I do think that we have some bad luck right now. I think our first year here we had a lot of good luck. I'm also a guy who believes you make your own luck. So I told our players that. The guys I talked to yesterday, I said 'We have to keep plugging away.' We have to start - once we start striving to be the best, then we're never going to reach our potential [sic]. That's kind of my philosophy on life. The kids I talked to academically, it's the same thing I told them. If you don't work at it, you're not going to get any better and you're never going to reach your potential. Whether it's football, whether it's academics, it's whether - how you live your life. I think these are life lessons that you learn. I don't mean to be philosophical, but that's my belief. So I'm not backing down. I'm not going to stop working. That's just the way I am. I'm not down. If anything, I'm motivated. I'm going to get this thing right and we're going to win football games here at Maryland.

--- Patrick Stevens

It could be an interesting week for Maryland secondary coach Kevin Lempa, who joined the program in the offseason after spending four years at Boston College.

He's spoken to some of his former players since leaving BC, but this will be the first chance for him to see safety Jamie Silva and cornerbacks DeJuan Tribble and Taji Morris - all senior starters who he worked with throughout their careers - play since his departure.

"I just asked the other coaches 'Have you ever been in a situation where you left a place and went to another place and played the guys you coached before?'" Lempa said. "Chris [Cosh] said that had happened to him once, when he was at Minnesota and went to Illinois. But this has never happened to me before. It could be weird."

(One guy he didn't ask was Ralph Friedgen, who has experience in that area as well. Ralph went from Georgia Tech to Maryland after the 2000 season, and led the Terps to an overtime victory in Atlanta the next year).

As for how this situation plays out, Lempa wasn't quite sure what the experience would be.

"We'll see," Lempa said. "I'll let you know after."

--- Patrick Stevens

Full apologies to Caps beat maestro Corey Masisak for co-opting the name of his blog for the title of this entry, but it seemed appropriate.

First some back story. Since the middle of last season, reporters have interviewed Maryland's players in the offensive line meeting room. There's plenty of space to spread out, plenty of outlets to plug laptops into and just enough wireless access to be able to file and blog as needed.

Chipper offensive line coach Tom Brattan - who has actually seems more upbeat than usual this season despite being the one man on the staff who could be completely forgiven if he was frustrated by the rash of injuries to his unit - entered the room yesterday and bellowed out to reporters.

"You all like this room, don't you?" Brattan said. "It's a nice room."

"It smells a little bit," quarterback Chris Turner observed. "It's a little stinky."

Was that a dig at offensive linemen or reporters? Or both?

Either way, give Turner credit for keeping his sense of humor about him, too. But Brattan wasn't done, either.

"Would you like some flat screen TVs? Halo 3 or 4?" Brattan said.

"PlayStation 11," Turner offered hopefully.

If any of those things were installed, we wouldn't have to request most players to duck in; they'd come to us.

--- Patrick Stevens

Who else is tired of the MacGuffin served up by the Maryland football program?

After all, not a week can go by without some vetting of the quarterbacks, some hint there might be a competition, some question as to will actually start in a given week.

First it was the nominal camp "battle" between Jordan Steffy and Josh Portis. Oh, and Chris Turner, too. Then when Portis was suspended for the year, everyone wondered whether Steffy would be more cautious. And after consecutive losses and a major concussion, it boiled down to a sudden lack of depth at QB. And ever since then, questions abounded on whether Steffy would perhaps be ready to return and earn his job back.

The early stuff was OK. It was the most interesting facet of a team that was frankly kind of dull. But thanks to injuries all over the place, it doesn't much matter who of the available options is quarterbacking this team. There's only so much that can be done with a patchwork offensive line and a stunted running game.

And yet a week can't pass without a Turner-or-Steffy conversation.

Ralph has seemed to go either way on the subject the last few weeks. Sometimes, he will say he's worried about putting Steffy and his concussion history behind a thin line. Sometimes, he will say he'd like to see Steffy have some kind of success because of his fondness for the junior. Sometimes, he'll say he's been pleased with what Turner has done in his four starts to date. And all the time, he says he will do what is necessary to win games.

On Sunday, there was some of that reluctance because of the injury risk. Yesterday, it was a bit different.

"Jordan practiced pretty well [Monday]," Friedgen said. "I thought he had the better practice yesterday. If that continues, we'll make the change there."

So Ralph is back on his practice kick. And Turner backed up some of the validity behind the comments after practice.

"He said it's a competition," Turner said of Friedgen's message. "I have to play my best. I know as long as I do what I've been doing [I'll be OK]. ... He told me 'You'd better get your stuff together or we're going to make a change."

Not that it would likely make much of a difference - for better or for worse - right now.

--- Patrick Stevens

Time for another edition of picking on Maryland's passing game.

The magic number of the week seems to be three - as in the total passing touchdowns Maryland has rolled up this year. That's nearly as many TD passes thrown to opponents this season (two).

So how bad is it to have three TD passes. Well, on the bright side, it doesn't rank last in the conference. That "honor" goes to Georgia Tech, which has two TD throws (and one against Maryland).

The bright side ends right there. The Terps rank 119th of 120 major college teams in that category, their ACC brethren the only padding between themselves and the cellar.

Just ahead of Maryland? The noted aerial attacks of Navy, Notre Dame and Air Force, all at six TDs.

The historical outlook isn't any better. Assuming Maryland maintains its current "pace" and finishes with four touchdown passes, it would be the program's lowest total since the 1967 team threw three TDs. That squad only scored five touchdowns all year and predictably went 0-9.

(And yes, four TDs would be less than the five put up by the Randall Jones/Ken Mastrole juggernaut of 1998. LaMont Jordan did toss one of those TDs, so at least the quarterbacks would be all square).

Certainly, play calling has something to do with this. The Terps have run 60 times in the red zone this year, and have thrown 24 times. That helps explain some of the disparity between rushing TDs (22) and passing scores.

But not all of it. And now that Maryland's running attack is barely creaking along thanks to offensive line injuries, the Terps could use a throwing game that gives them a prayer of being multi-faceted.

At No. 101 nationally in passing yards - a ranking that quarterbacks, wideouts and linemen all contribute to - there's not much reason to think it can happen this fall.

--- Patrick Stevens

Very, very little of consequence came out of Ralph's ACC teleconference appearance this morning.

There were no new injury updates, although there was enough injury talk.

He touched on Joey Haynos, Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore - all of whom will play their final game at Byrd Stadium on Saturday against Boston College.

And, of course, the week's million dollar question popped up: What can are the Terps going to do against the nation's top-ranked rushing defense, which is yielding only 58 yards a game on the ground?

"Well, we're going to have to throw the ball," Friedgen said. "I think they're very good at stopping the run and they're also a very good defense. They're sound. They're a veteran team. We've been playing these guys for three years. It's going to be a difficult task, but we're going to do our best."

Whether that's even remotely good enough against the No. 8 Eagles is anyone's guess.

--- Patrick Stevens

Just like in the NFL, there will be a couple injury reports this week for Maryland's banged up bunch. There will be more of an update coming Friday morning.

So here's the 18-man injury list for Maryland. Some of the designations are straight from Ralph. Some come from reading between the lines. But all are confirmed injuries. Everyone at "doubtful" or better has been mentioned by Ralph since Sunday except for Richard Taylor, who will just get listed as probable until he actually plays this season.

As long as this list is, just think of all the nicks and bruises and worse that a team nine games into a season is typically dealing with.

OUT: LB Rick Costa (concussion), RG Andrew Crummey (fibula), DE Mack Frost (knee), TE Dan Gronkowski (knee), S Drew Robinson (knee), LG Jaimie Thomas (fibula), LB Alex Wujciak (knee). DOUBTFUL: DT Travis Ivey (knee), LT Scott Burley (ankle), LT Bruce Campbell (ankle). QUESTIONABLE: LB Erin Henderson (back). PROBABLE: CB Kevin Barnes (shoulder), CB Isaiah Gardner (shoulder), G Jack Griffin (shoulder), FB Cory Jackson (hand), LB Dave Philistin (shoulder), QB Jordan Steffy (concussion), CB Richard Taylor (knee).

--- Patrick Stevens

No surprise on a starting five for Maryland's exhibition game at Comcast Center.

It's Vasquez-Hayes-Milbourne-Gist-Osby.

We'll have a better idea after tonight who will be filling in for Milbourne and Gist during their one-game suspensions on Sunday.

--- Patrick Stevens

Maybe it's the way the season has gone, maybe it was the fact much of the assorted media in Ralph Friedgen's office last night had to scurry over to Comcast Center.

But there just wasn't a whole lot of interest to come out of yesterday on the football front.

Jordan Steffy has had the better week of practice, and Friedgen said he'd have to look at tape to decide whether Steffy or Chris Turner would start at quarterback against Boston College. Neither of them played particularly well yesterday, for what that matters.

It doesn't sound like there will be any surprises returning from any ailments this week. Friedgen hasn't exactly had much pep the last few weeks, but you can almost imagine a storm cloud fixing itself right over his head when he talks about injuries.

My biggest question for tonight is about as harrowing a what-if as Ralph has faced all year. If Scott Burley and Bruce Campbell can't play --- and since neither practiced beyond a walkthrough yesterday, it doesn't look good --- and Paul Pinegar gets nicked up, who goes in at left tackle.

The essence of that question is: Who is Maryland's fourth-string left tackle? That's enough for any coach to wonder why raindrops keep falling on his head.

--- Patrick Stevens

No one should take too much from Maryland's 75-42 rout of Concordia in its lone basketball exhibition last night.

But there are a few things that bear watching as the Terps head into their season opener Sunday against North Florida. Here's five likely trends to keep an eye on:

1. Landon Milbourne is going to make a difference. When the Terps' offense wasn't working early on, he was the guy who created some things. Sure, he'll miss the opener, but he could be a fun player to watch develop.

2. The Terps are going to trap. There wasn't too much full-court pressure last night, but Maryland suffocated its inferior foe in half-court sets. The Terps forced 27 turnovers, and with so much offense gone from last year, they could use an easy 10-15 points a night directly off opponents' giveaways.

3. Braxton Dupree will play a lot. This doesn't just go for Sunday's game, when Dupree has a chance to start in place of James Gist. The freshman is still finding his way, but he's strong and brawny and will probably be a solid complementary part in his first season.

4. Adrian Bowie will play even more. Bowie is a classic Gary Williams player, an aggressive guy who can play defense. He and Cliff Tucker both look like they will turn out to be significant factors in the rotation this year.

5. Eric Hayes will shoot more. This isn't much of a leap. The sophomore scored 12 points last night (that was his season-high last year) and took six shots (a total he matched only five times last season). Hayes looks ready to be more assertive in the offense.

--- Patrick Stevens

So maybe Maryland will get one guy back from injury this week.

That player could be defensive tackle Travis Ivey, who suffered MCL damage on Oct. 6 against Georgia Tech. Ralph Friedgen was optimistic (though uncertain) about getting the sophomore back for Saturday's game against Boston College. Linebacker Erin Henderson was "moving around better today" according to Friedgen. It would be a greater shock if the junior doesn't play, even if he hasn't practiced this week.

Friedgen was less upbeat about tackles Scott Burley and Bruce Campbell, who have been wearing matching boots to protect their ankle injuries in practice walkthroughs this week.
Burley told Friedgen he would play, but the coach said athletic trainer Wes Robinson said Burley was in worse shape than last week. They're both considered doubtful, meaning Paul Pinegar is the likely starter at left tackle.

And behind him?

"Don't even go there," Friedgen groaned.

No, really, who's behind him?

The answer is true freshman Stephen St. John, who would have his redshirt burned if he's thrust into a game in the next three weeks. It's not like Ralph would have many options. I asked if there would be any shuffling -- he could theoretically move Dane Randolph from right tackle to left tackle, Jack Griffin from right guard to right tackle and slip in a walk-on at right guard. But probably from both a continuity and a talent standpoint, Ralph put the kibosh on that tinkering.

"We're out of shuffling," Friedgen said. "All the cards have been dealt. I've got three freshmen and two walk-ons on the second team line right now."

I've been jokingly offered the chance to play quarterback and right guard for this team, but not to don a headset and actually coach. Judging from this exchange, that's probably for the best.

--- Patrick Stevens