Keys to the Game: Maryland 2009

I apologize for the lack of updates recently. As some of you may know, I just recently moved to NYC and am things have been a bit chaotic with the move and career wise. Not that most of you care. But nonetheless, I am absolutely juiced, like A-ROD (Rodriguez, not Rogers), for the beginning of football season and the opener just days, no just hours away.

(BWF is PUMPED.)

I was going to do a full depth chart breakdown, but most avid Cal fans have already undoubtedly exhausted most recent developments in recent days (Seawright with placekick, Sofele will not redshirt, Riley is starting, Tedford is coaching, yadda yadda). So instead I will get back into my Keys to the Game feature, as should hopefully be the case for each game.

Hopefully, you have all checked out my interviews with the Testudo Times as well as the Terrapins Examiner to get some insight about the Terrapins. Here are some quick keys to the game to ensure the Bears are most certainly golden this Saturday.

Watch the Blitz!

Cal should be more talented than the Terrapins on both sides of the ball. Plain and simple. They have arguably more athletic and experienced players at nearly every position. Case in point: Maryland has 28 players on its two-deep depth chart that have not played in a single FBS collegiate game.

However, if there is one aspect of the Maryland squad that I’m a bit fearful of, is that they feature a much publicized and somewhat mysterious new offense under former Massachusetts Coach Don Brown. The new scheme is under wraps in some ways, as Brown’s former team was in the FCS subdivision, limiting the amount of actual game tape and scouting information available to coaches.

What is known however, is that the defense is expected to be blitz heavy and with DB presses. What this means is that one can expect the safety to drop down, have seven to eight men load the box, and that defensive backs will likely press receivers and be forced to play one on one. A recent Washington Post report even described an instance in which three defensive backs blitzed from one side, blowing up a play completely. Don’t be surprised to find yourself asking, “Is that a…geez, they’re running a 2-3-6!”

Naturally, this shakes things up offensively for the Bears to see a completely different defense this year as opposed to last. The onus really falls on the offensive line, the backfield, and particularly QB Kevin Riley to pick up on pressure before the ball is snapped.

Also, playcalling will obviously need to be adjusted to account for the pressure, with short passes and plays that will take advantage of one on one matchups. I thought Tedford and Cignetti did an excellent job last year for example, during the Big Game, in really using Stanford’s blitzing defense against them for long gains on reverses and screens.

Inside traps could also bode well for the offense and open up huge holes for Best and company.

While I expect that it might take the Bears a few series to adjust and familiarize themselves with the Terps defense, the matchup should provide a very early and challenging test to see how in sync the Bears can be in executing efficiently on offense.


Dominate on Defense

In a game where I have but just a few questions on the offense’s ability to adjust to facing a new defense, my expectation that the Bears will emerge as winners is predicated on the fact that we have more talented players, particularly on defense.

That is, even with the my lingering fears on offense, I think the Bears will roll because I’m THAT confident in our defense (which is too experienced and talented not to be as good as, if not better than last year’s squad) that it’s hard for me to imagine that the Bears should control the game from the get go.

Furthermore, throw Maryland’s inexperienced offensive line, and like many Cal fans, overconfidence begins to pulse and lead to my belief that the Bears will absolutely dominate the Terrapins’ offense. However, one needs to only remember last year’s debacle when Maryland rolled up 28 points in the first three quarters.

The truth is that Maryland will actually feature a good amount of talent with a veteran QB in Chris Dynamite Turner and one of the best backs in the ACC in Da-Rel Scott who absolutely rolled over the Bears last year before leaving the game with an injury. Their receivers, albeit inexperienced, might be even more talented than last year.

(Peligroso!)

The Bear Will Not Quit has an absolutely outstanding breakdown of Maryland’s offense that highlights a number of things I was going to argue, which in essence call for the Bears to be incredibly disciplined in their assignments particularly on runs to the outside, as well as passing routes in 1-1 situations.

Read it there. And save me the work.

Don’t Let the Hype Getcha

As much as the Bears have vowed to be focused on Maryland, there are a lot of ways a team might fall flat on its face in the season opener.

The highest preseason ranking since 2006 (which also subsequently coincided with an embarrassing debut at Knoxville).

A Las Vegas Line at 21 points.

The natural expectations for a veteran team to reach the illustrious berth to Pasadena.

Opening day jitters.

Whatever the case, the Bears will need to focus in early and quickly to execute and not beat themselves in a game against a widely-considered inferior opponent. Penalties, turnovers, missed blocking assignments could lead to a nightmare situation in which the Bears just squeak by or *gasp* lose. Talk about a disaster.

Let’s face it. Given all that is on the line this season, style points will matter. In a season in which many eyes will be on the Bears wondering whether they will finally step up into becoming one of the elite programs or again crumble to become a West Coast version of Clemson, it will be absolutely critical that the Bears look the part of a BCS bowl team.

Prediction: 31-13