Terrapin Kieran
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    Kieran Leary, who created a big-time stir on this website during the 2000-2001 school year by creating the "Juanny Wagz" character (and several others -- Jim "Father of the Millenium" Nally), is now a freshman at Maryland, majoring in journalism (Lord help us -- smile). Several "Philly Boyz" are starring for the Terps and Kieran has agreed to file occasional reports. (Kieran played for McDevitt in our basketball Fan Tourney. He impressively rained down some long bombs.)
    You may reach him at kieranleary@hotmail.com.

DEC. 1
TERPS SEASON IN REVIEW
    It's been a while since I've last updated-two months, in fact. The Terps aren't 4-0 anymore, they finished the season 10-1. They won the ACC(Atlantic Coast Conference) and are guaranteed a spot in a major bowl, most likely the Sugar or Orange. The team they'll play in their bowl will be one of the prestigious football programs like Nebraska, Florida, or Tennessee. Could you have pictured the Terps finishing the season ranked #7 in both polls and going to a major bowl? Us fans couldn't, which is why we reacted so hysterically to the team's accomplishment. After the Terps completed a 37-20 victory in their last home game at Byrd Stadium this season, the goal post was ripped down, dragged off campus, and set on fire! The following week when the Terps edged out N.C. State 23-19 to secure a BCS(Bowl Championship Series) bowl and clinch the ACC title, security was ready. Helicopters flew over the campus, surveying the area because of the prior week's events.
    When school began in the offseason, one trip to the campus store showed that Maryland wasn't a football school-it was a basketball school. Football gear could barely be found and basketball gear was everywhere. Three months later, the store is about even in football and basketball gear. One of the football jerseys for sale should be especially interesting for Philly fans-the #1 Bruce Perry jersey. The 5-10, 190lb. running back from Washington H.S. had a phenomenal year. He was named the ACC's Offensive Player of the year, becoming the first sophomore to EVER win the award. The award has been won by Heisman trophy-winning players like Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke, and now, Bruce Perry. Bruce rushed for 1242 yards on 219 carries and 12 touchdowns. Bruce also showed himself to be more than just a rusher as he caught 40 passes for 359 yards. While accomplishing these goals Bruce went from being a relatively unknown player to arguably the most popular athlete on campus besides the freakishly-athletic basketball player Chris Wilcox. At every home game the favorite chant of "BRUUUUCE" is heard every time Perry touched the ball. The crowd should be thankful because Bruce still has another  two years on campus, meaning two more years of Terp fans' favorite chant.
    Bruce Perry wasn't the only Washington H.S. graduate to make noise for Maryland's team this year. Sophomore Wideout Jafar Williams made quite an impact as the team's #2 receiver. Williams had 39 catches for 425 yards this season. With #1 reciever Gulian Gary graduating, Williams will be looked to as the leader for next year's receving corps. If the progress he made this season from last is any indication, Williams will do just fine in this role. Scott Smith, a sophomore Defensive End, also got some action for the Terps this year. Scott appeared in 8 games and registered 8 tackles and had a sack. His sack came in the Terps 47-14 home victory versus Troy State on October 20th. While Scott's playing time was minimal this season, there is hope in the future. He is a HUGE dude, strong and fast, so he definately has the potential to be a good player for the Terps. Maryland loses a lot of players on the Defensive side of the ball so hopefully Scott will be able to get more involved!
    While it may be hard to believe, there ARE other reasons besides the Philly guys for Maryland's success. Bruce may be the team's best offensive player, but Junior LB E.J. Henderson is the team's leader and best player. E.J. won both the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and the ACC Player of the Year award. He was the first Terp to win ACC Player of the Year since 1974. E.G. also is a finalist for the Butkus award(given annually to the nation's best linebacker) and was a Football Writers Association All-American. E.G. posted 150 tackles and 6 sacks this season. He goes 6-2, 250 and is a punishing hitter. E.G. would look great in an Eagles uniform.
    Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen, known as the Fridge, deserves a ton of credit as well. A Maryland alum and former star football player, Friedgen is in his first season as head coach. He already has been named ACC Coach of the Year and is a heavy favorite for NCAA coach of the year. His popularity at Maryland preceded his arrival as head coach. When last year's coach was fired, the players begged Athletic Director Deborah Yow to hire Friedgen. They admired the work he had done as Georgia Tech's Offensive Coordinator and wanted the Fridge as their head coach. Needless to say, the Fridge disappointed nobody in his first season.
    The Terps have a great deal of optimism for the future and rightfully so. With Bruce, Jafar, most of the offensive line, and (hopefully)E.G. back, there's no reason why they can't make another run for the ACC championship. They lose important pieces like Gary, tailback Marc Riley(Bruce's lead blocker) and Quarterback Shaun Hill, but help is on the way. The Terps are said to be the front-runner to land star recruit Marcus Vick, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick. Marcus is quite an athlete in his own right. He's 6-1, 185, runs a 4.4 and benches 265.
    All signs point to Maryland becoming a successful program. Their schedule hasn't been challenging this year and isn't in the upcoming years, although that is more due to the lack of success of other programs rather than the Terps scheduling cupcakes. Florida State, a perennial power, is just 6-4 this season. Still, the Seminoles were good enough to beat the Terps 52-31 in their October 27th meeting in Florida. The game was much closer than the score indicates as the game was tied with ten minutes remaining. Maryland actually jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the Terps beat themselves in this one. They turned the ball over four times and dropped several key passes. Bruce wasn't at his best in this one. He put the ball on the ground twice in this one, including a costly fumble late that led to a Florida State touchdown. He also dropped a ton of passes. Still, it was good to see Bruce battle through the tough times. He finished with a respectable 67 yards on 13 carries and caught 6 passes for 70 yards. He had a remarkable play in which he caught the ball at the 8, eluded several Seminole defenders and leaped over a defender for a touchdown that gave Maryland a 24-21 lead. Jafar also had a tough day. Although he had 3 catches for 48 yards, he dropped a sure touchdown pass late. Jafar had his man beaten badly but he couldn't hold on to the ball. If he would have caught it, he would've been gone for a 75 yard touchdown. With another year of experience, Bruce and Jafar will probably make these plays. They'll get that chance next year when Florida State comes to Maryland to play at Byrd Stadium. Maryland might be the ACC champions, but they'll need to beat Florida State to cement their position as the ACC's top dog.
  It's so easy to focus on the negative(that being the loss to Florida State), but it's important to focus on the positives. There were so many memorable moments from this season. The 23-7 victory over North Carolina that started the season and in which Bruce proved he was ready to emerge. The 50-3 beating administered to Eastern Michigan in which our mascot, Testudo the Terrapin, engaged in a fisticuffs with the Eastern Michigan Eagle. The 59-17 drubbing of hated enemy Duke(one needs to be a Maryland student to understand how good it feels to beat Duke). The improbable 20-17 road overtime victory over Georgia Tech which proved the Terps were for real. And the last-second victory at N.C. State which cliched our status as ACC Champions.
    The team will have two weeks off so they can rest and study for final exams (information thanks to Freshman Walk-On Dave Brown). The Terps will find out which bowl they are in on December 9th and the Fridge can start developing his strategy. Kieran Leary is planning to make a trip to whatever bowl they play in to support the Terps and I'll file a report before the bowl to let you know how the Terps are preparing, who they'll be playing, etc. With Philly without a D1 football team (no, Temple doesn't count), Maryland, with the Philly connections would be a good bandwagon to jump on.

SEPT. 30
     No story this week. Just an update. Maryland's football team has moved
to 4-0 after a 32-20 win at home versus West Virginia. Bruce Perry, the
nation's leading rusher and reigning ACC Player of the Week, carried 31
times for 153 yards. This brings Perry's total rushing stats after 4 games
to 98 carries for 678 yards. Also, Jafar Williams chipped in with 3 catches
for 37 yards. His season stats now read 12 receptions for 138 yards.
Williams, after 4 games, has already surpassed his receiving totals from
last year (9 catches for 113 yards in 2000). Defensive End Scott Smith was a
little more involved this week as he registered a couple of tackles.
     Next week the Terps play host to Virginia (3-1, 2-0 in ACC), a game in
which the winner will be the only undefeated team in the ACC. While Virginia
should provide more of a challenge than Maryland has faced in their first 4
games, the Terps are at home so expect them to emerge as the ACC's leader
thanks to a big day from Perry.

SEPT. 23
    It's late September at the University of Maryland and the mood is
different than usual. In the past years the beginning of fall brings the
excitement of Terrapin basketball, a hugely successful program that was a
Final Four participant last year and figures to contend again.
    This fall, however, the talk of the school is the football team. Sure,
alumnus Ralph Friedgen being named head coach lifted spirits but even
he couldn't alone revitalize this long-suffering team.
    Luckily for him, he's had more than enough help from Philadelphia's
Bruce Perry.
    Perry, a 5-foot-9, 190-lb. sophomore tailback from George Washington
High School (via Cardinal Dougherty and West Catholic), has had the difficult
task of replacing graduated tailback LaMont Jordan, an All-American
currently playing professionally for the New York Jets.
    Instead of going through the usual growing pains that first-year starters
endure, Perry has been the catalyst for the surprising 3-0 Terrapins. In those
three games Perry has rushed for 525 yards on 67 carries, a total that places
him tops in rushing in the ACC, a conference that boasts national powers such as
Florida State and Georgia Tech.
    In his last game, a 27-20 win over Wake Forest, Perry rushed 30 times
for 276 yards, a total which is the second-highest in school history. This
outburst included touchdown-scoring runs of 50 and 80 yards.
    Perry, though, isn't the lone contributer on the team from George
Washington. Fellow 1999 grads Jafar Williams and Scott Smith are also
contributers. Williams, a 6'2'', 200-lb. sophomore wideout, has caught 6
passes this season for 56 yards. Williams, for undisclosed reasons, did not
play Saturday versus Wake Forest.
    Smith, a 6'4'', 271-lb. sophomore, is a backup for the Terps at
Defensive End and had one tackle in the season's first two games. He figures
to be a huge presence in the future due to his strength and speed (4.71 in
the 40). Last year, his freshman season, Smith had 3 three sacks in the
final 5 games after missing his first 6 games due to a back injury.
    Next weekend Maryland is home against West Virginia (2-1,0-1 in Big
East), a team that Perry should have no problem running the ball against.
The Terps are poised to move to 4-0 and, more important to Philadelphia
fans, Perry is on the verge of becoming a national name.
    Can you say Heisman?