COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland Terrapins capped off their first week of preseason football camp with a spirited two-hour scrimmage Saturday evening at the on-campus practice facility.

With many regulars playing limited snaps, the coaching staff used the first of three preseason scrimmages to evaluate a number of the younger players.

"We've got to get guys in the right spots," head coach Ralph Friedgen said after the scrimmage. "We've got to look at this film and make some good decisions on who we think can help us. Then we have to start working with those guys and try to get them better."

The Maryland defense, under first-year coordinator Don Brown, looked to be ahead of the offense, racking up 12 sacks, including two each by Derek Drummond and Obum Akunyili.

Drummond, who is expected to be a fixture at one of the end positions, also had the first scoring play of the day, sacking Jamarr Robinson in the end zone for a safety on the third series, which began at the 5-yard line.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland Terrapins football team returned to the practice field Tuesday for the second day of preseason camp.

The Terps continued practice without pads, spending much of the session working on timing, technique and learning the playbook.

For the second straight day, the team practiced in high heat and humidity as temperatures soared into the mid 90s. The weather may have played a role in Tuesday's workout.

"Today wasn't as good as day one," said Friedgen. "We didn't catch it as well as I like us to. But we still got a lot done. We had a lot of reps. We got a lot of young kids plenty of work. We're running two teams so I'm like a traffic cop out there."

In order to get more work for a roster which has 58 of its 85 scholarship with three or four years of eligibility left, Friedgen has split the practice into two groups, with the first and third teams squaring off against each other, and second and fourth teams working on an adjacent field.

Maryland football Coach Ralph Friedgen stopped by Comcast SportsNet's "Washington Post Live" on Thursday night.

He talks about the season opener against California, the team's depth at running back and wide receiver, how linebacker Alex Wujciak likes to trash-talk with offensive coordinator James Franklin, the team's youth, how the SEC's huge television deal affects other conferences and his substantive weight loss (he's lost 105 pounds).

Wide Receiver

Despite the loss of the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Maryland has a chance to have an improved receiving corps this season.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was drafted by Oakland, ended his college career one year early, but finished second in school history in all-time receiving yards (2,089) and third in receptions (138).

The Terps have a deep nucleus returning despite the loss of Heyward-Bey, as well as Danny Oquendo and Isaiah Williams, who both started during their careers. Oquendo was a dependable third-down receiver the last three years.

The future looks bright with no seniors and just three juniors among the team's top nine wide receivers.

Head coach Ralph Friedgen
will maintain the same philosophy - a balanced offensive attack and
hard-nosed defense - that has taken his squads to six bowl games in the
last eight years.

But the Terps will have to replace a number of productive
players from a team which went 8-5, including four wins over ranked
teams and a victory in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl.

Friedgen said goodbye to his largest senior class (30) - a
group that made the postseason in each of the last three seasons - with
a win over Nevada in last year's bowl game. Now the Terps will have to
find replacements for that productive group as 23 of those players
started at least one game last year and 13 were either selected in the
2009 NFL Draft or signed free-agent contracts.

But the cupboard is not bare.

Maryland returns 38 letterwinners, including 10 starters (six on
offense and four on defense) and a host of talented, young players.
Eight players received preseason recognition this summer and only three
of them are seniors.

Friedgen, Turner and Carroll to represent Maryland Sunday and Monday in Greensboro

College Park, Md. - Fans of college football and University of Maryland followers can gear up for the 2009 season starting next week.

The third season of `Terrapins Rising,' an eight-episode reality series chronicling the Maryland football program, debuts Tuesday. The show will air at 9:30 p.m. each Tuesday for eight consecutive weeks culminating Sept. 1, just prior to the team's season opener against California.