Maryland entered this spring in desperate need of some help in the running game, and there were some encouraging signs on Saturday in Baltimore. The Terps took a small road trip this past weekend, as the team scrimmaged at Dunbar High School on Saturday, and the running backs were the highlight.
Brandon Ross and Albert Reid each ran in two touchdowns, and Joe Riddle scored once. Quarterback Ricardo Young threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Ross, who also scored on a five-yard run. Reid caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dustin Dailey in the first half.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Reid also added rushing scores of 28 and 55 yards.
“We’ve got some good competition there at running back," coach Randy Edsall said, according to the team's scrimmage report. "Brandon [Ross] is the starter right now, and Wes [Brown] isn’t out here right now, but Albert [Reid] is pushing. Brandon is a lot stronger out there this year. You don’t see him going down as easy as he did a year ago."
Ross led the team in rushing last year with 390 yards and one touchdown. It was a long season for Maryland's offense, as the running game ranked No. 112 in the country at 103 yards per game. Any signs of improvement this spring should be good news for Maryland fans. Edsall said Ross' ability to run inside or outside could be an added advantage for the Terps this fall.
“When you have a guy like Brandon, who has the ability to run the sweep, stick his foot in the ground and get north or outrun people going to the sideline, then what happens is he gets a crease up the middle with that burst or they get their hands on his leg, he can run through that," Edsall said. "He can get you an extra five or 10 yards. I’ve just been pleased with Brandon’s focus because he’s better from a mental standpoint in the spring than what he was in the fall.”
Young and Dailey split time at quarterback, while C.J. Brown took reps with the team in 7-on-7 drills to start the practice.
The Terps scheduled two scrimmages at local high schools in the spring to widen Maryland's presence in the state. The Terps head to Middletown High School in Middletown, Md., on April 6 for a 12 p.m. ET open scrimmage.