Posts Tagged ‘Bruce Campbell’

April 3rd, 2009 | 12:55 pm

What to Watch For: Saturday’s Scrimmage

Terp coach Ralph Friedgen doesn’t really know what to expect when his team has its first intrasquad scrimmage of the spring tomorrow at 10 a.m.

It makes sense. His team has to replace 12 starters, and several more key players are sitting out the spring with injuries. His starting middle linebacker right now, Drew Gloster, played tight end last season. But Saturday provides a chance for Gloster and other inexperienced players to get valuable reps in game-like situations.

There are a variety of things to look out for, from Don Brown’s new defense to Jamarr Robinson’s quest to win the back-up quarterback spot.

Friedgen said he’s hoping to see a good effort from his young offensive line, which has been inconsistent through the first five workouts. Left tackle Bruce Campbell, who is sitting out the midweek workouts to focus on his school work, is expected to participate.

“We got corrected what we didn’t do right Tuesday, but then some more issues came up,” Friedgen said Thursday.

That goes along with his major emphasis for the scrimmage, which will be running the ball and stopping the run. While they seem to be opposing ideas, it means expect plenty of hitting during the scrimmage, which will consist of between 35-40 plays for each of the three offensive and defensive units.

That’s good news for at least one player. Tight end Lansford Watson said he’s looking forward to the chance to get after his teammates a little bit.

“That’s when the real football players show up,” Watson said. “Right now, when we’re not hitting, everybody is going to look good. But when you get your first hit, that’s when you find out who the real football players are on the team.”

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March 28th, 2009 | 04:37 pm

Let the hitting begin…

There’s a lot going on in the world of Terp sports today, but I thought I’d give a quick spring football update.

After two practices in “shells,” the team was in full pads for the first time on a misty Saturday afternoon at the Terp practice facility. Coach Ralph Friedgen got right to it, organizing the “Oklahoma Drill,” known for its in-the-trenches battles.

Interestingly, Friedgen said his team didn’t bring the intensity to the drill that he’s seen in the past, but he added that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Later, the team whacked on each other a little more, closing practice with a goal line drill that included several big-time hits.

The ninth-year coach said the team is probably further along right now than at this point last season despite the departure of 31 seniors from last year’s squad.

“I see us improving,” Friedgen said. “We’ve just got to keep improving and every day try to get a little bit better.”

In personnel news, tackle Bruce Campbell, who is sitting out weekday practice to focus on academics, returned to the field the last two days to add some leadership among the youthful linemen. Tackle Justin Gilbert, a redshirt freshman listed on the depth chart behind Campbell, sustained a right leg injury during the Oklahoma drill. Friedgen did not update his status further.

More updates later in the weekend once these other sports slow down a little.

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