As the only member of The Diamondback staff to see every minute of Terp football in person this season, I thought it would be appropriate to compile a list of the top 10 most memorable plays, moments and performances from the 2008 Terp football season. Here are the bottom five. Check back tomorrow for the rest. Feel free to disagree.
10. Da’Rel Scott’s 197 yards against Delaware on Aug. 30: In order for Scott to become the first Terp since 2002 to rush for more than 1,000 yards, he needed this coming out party in the season-opener. The Terps had more trouble than expected with the Blue Hens, but Scott’s 26 carries and tough running were major bright spots.
9. Darrius Heyward-Bey’s 63-yard TD catch against Va. Tech on Nov. 6: Down 20-3 in the third quarter, it looked like the Terps were on their way to another embarassing defeat in Blacksburg, Va. But Heyward-Bey took a screen pass from Chris Turner and quickly changed that with the last of his three 60+-yard gains this season. The Terps later had a chance to pull even with the Hokies but couldn’t complete the comeback.
8. Morgan Green’s two first half touchdowns against Eastern Michigan on Sept. 20: Green has had a tough go of it during his time in College Park trying to escape the specter of Steve Slaton. But with Scott shelved for the final non-conference game with a shoulder injury, Green got a chance to shine. Sure, Green averaged just 3.3 yards per rush against the MAC bottom-dwellers and didn’t get another carry until the bowl game, but his two first half TD’s were definite feel-good moments in a 51-24 win.
7. Scott and Heyward-Bey’s long touchdowns against MTSU on Sept. 6: Many Terp fans would rather forget about the early-season trip to Murfreesboro, Tenn., but the final score would have been even more lopsided without a pair of huge plays. After the Blue Raiders marched down for an opening score, Scott took the Terps’ second play from scrimmage for a 63-yard touchdown. Heyward-Bey kept the Terps close, taking a screen pass for an 80-yard score in the 24-14 loss.
6. Chris Turner’s near flawless performance to blow out Wake Forest on Oct. 18: The Terps put together a complete game in a 26-0 dismantling of the Deamon Deacons, but Turner’s performance stood out. He led the Terps’ fifth straight win against a ranked opponent by completing 28-of-41 passes for 321 yards and a score. He completed 11 of those passes to Heyward-Bey and overcame three fumbles by Scott. Later in the season Turner had games with more yards, attempts and touchdowns, but this game can serve as a blue print for Turner at his best.
Check back for the rest of the list tomorrow…
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Tags: Chris Turner, da'rel scott, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Morgan Green, Steve Slaton, terps