Maryland knows it will probably spend part of its season opener playing a guessing game against Navy's triple option offense.
One way Ralph Friedgen is trying to minimize that is to just approach every option as the one that will ultimately do in the Terrapins on a specific play.
To that end, Friedgen has removed the ball from much of Maryland's prep work for the Midshipmen, instructing his players to treat the quarterback, fullback and slotback as rusherson every play.
"You should have seen the look on my face when I tried to explain that to the officials today," Friedgen said. "I said 'Let me blow the whistle because three guys have the ball --- the dive, the quarterback and the pitch.' What we've been doing is we run the option, and if nobody tackles you, you keep running. If a guy blows an assignment, then that guy's in the end zone."
On paper, it's not complicated. The quarterback and fullback must be wrapped up on every play during Maryland's practice session. The slotback just needs to be tagged off.
Except it's not really simple.
"You'd be surprised how many times a guy comes free," Friedgen said.
A lot of the benefit is mental, but there's a physical payoff as well. Without a ball, the scout team can simulate the speed the efficient Midshipmen utilize on an every-down basis.
Many times, Navy's quickness is what is difficult to prepare for. Friedgen is hoping his idea, borrowed in part from defensive coordinator Don Brown, can pay off in a couple weeks.
"It allows those kids to play faster because it takes the fumbling part out of it," Friedgen said. "You just tell them to run as hard as you can at your landmark until someone tackles you. If no one tackles you, I expect to see you in the end zone. I'm going to let you dance if you get to the end zone."
He can only hope Navy doesn't dance its way to six points very often on Sept. 6.
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