ESPN 8:00 EST MIAMI AT MARYLAND PICK AND WRITEUP

LAST NIGHT: TEXAS A&M EASY WINNER AND MARSHALL GAME WAS CALLED

Tonight:

The U opens up the season in a ton of turmoil, a bunch of suspensions leading to this game with 5 defensive starters out. Basically their whole Dline, star linebacker and star free safety all not gonna be in a uniform tonight. Not to mention QB Jacory Harris who if anything brought a little swagger in the QB position. Now what the U does have going for them tonight is a tremendous running back in Lamar Miller who has 4.3 speed and will be pounding the rock behind a pretty solid line. However the Terps run D is no slouch they return Second team all acc selection Joe Vellano and two year starter AJ Francis. At LB watch out for converted free saftey All ACC Kenny Tate, this boy is a baller!! Hes 6-4 220 and he will be all over the field with his great speed. He had a 100 tackles last year and 8.5 were behind the line of scrimmage from the FS position. The Terps do have experience in the secondary and should cope well with Miami's depleted WR's with the suspension of Benjamin. Maryland on offense has a young QB Wiz kid in Danny O'brien the kid is a true student of the game and if you ask both Friedgen and Edsall they are confident that he will be one of the next great QB's to come out of Maryland. He passed for 2438 yards and 22 td's a year ago. At RB Terps return Davin Meggett son of NY Giant great Dave Meggett. He ran for 720 yards and 4tds last year sharing time with NFL draft pick D. Scott. He is expected to be the workhorse back coach Randy Edsall is used to having.

Game Prediction: This is a huge game for Maryland and for Edsall!! There will be recruits at the game who will want to see big time football as well as basketball recruits. There will be a sell out crowd who will be expecting big things after the team fired favorable coach Friedgen. Edsall needs to win this game to put Maryland football back on the map in front of not only a sell out crowd but a national audience. You better believe his team will be ready to play. This doesnt bode well for a team that is missing 9 players. I expect Maryland to run the ball exceptionally well against a team that has their whole Dline out and which will also give QB Danny OBrien all day to throw. Maryland should put up about 30 in this game. On the other side of the ball the Canes will try to pound it, they will have some success in doing it however I see the Terps making some key stops and creating some turnovers. BTW the forecast tonight is calling for 2 inches of rain which will favor the more experienced team out on the gridiron tonight the Terrapins. I will gladly lay the 3.5 as I see at least a touchdown win.

How much do you want the line to jump, it went from +5.5 to -4 thats a huge increase.

Yeah I dont see any early scores coming. OBrien should be able to do what he pleases with this secondary.