Maryland Football Spring Practice: Randy Edsall Trying To Pick Up The Pace On Offense

The Maryland football team has a new head coach and two new coordinators. So we don't really know what the team is going to look like on the field, scheme-wise. That's what Spring Practice is for, working out all those kinks and trying to find your identity.

According to Tarik El-Bashir at the Washinton Post, Maryland wants their identity to look a lot like Oregon's. They are trying to emulate the break-neck speed with which the Oregon's offense runs, in the hopes of keeping defenses off balance and unable to react to different packages.

“We’ve watched a little Oregon film, so there’s going to be some influence there,” (QB Danny) O’Brien said. “What we run may be a little different as far as the actual plays, but the style of how we get the play in fast, run more no-huddle, it’s going to be similar to that.”

They won't have the personnel (star RB, mobile QB) to run the types of plays that Oregon runs, but if they can get that fast-pace tempo going, it could be a huge advantage for them.

Maryland Football Spring Practice: Randy Edsall Is Running A Tight Ship

Randy Edsall has only been the Maryland football coach for a few months, but he hasn't wasted any time in instilling new rules and regulations that the team must follow. During 2011 Spring Practice, the team is beginning to experience what playing for Edsall will be like, and according to Jeff Barker at the Baltimore Sun, it's considerably more strict than playing for Ralph Friedgen.

No wearing ball caps or do-rags inside the Gossett Football Team House. No earrings. Players say they'll be able to have facial hair if it is neatly trimmed.

"What we're trying to do is prepare these kids for life," Edsall said in an interview. "When you meet people for the first time, you make a lasting impression. We're trying to instill discipline and give them an advantage over other people when they leave college. I know what employers are looking for."

Edsall has also brought an NFL tradition to the team, punishing players for being late to team meetings. Defensive Tackle A.J. Francis has already been punished for his tardiness, and his sentence was a whole mess of bear-crawls. So far, there haven't been any complaints from players about the rules. A little apprehension because it is not what they are used to, but no outright complaints.

I like a coach who is going not only expect the best out of his players, but demand it. I know this isn't a professional football team, but the players need to act professional if they want to win. And if his new rules lead to wins, then I think the players will be more receptive to these stricter regulations.

Maryland Football Spring Practice Underway, Randy Edsall Continues To Shuffle Roster

Spring Practice at the University of Maryland is underway, and it is Reandy Edsall's first opportunity to really put his imprint on the team. For more info on the team, be sure to check out our Maryland blog Testudo Times. Here are some storylines to follow this Spring.

• Maryland might be losing scholarships because of poor academic performance.
  
• Star safety Kenny Tate will be moved to outside linebacker this season, and apparently he is pretty excited about it. 
• Randy Edsall has been changing a lot of guys' positions this Spring in an effort to get the best eleven players on the field at the same time. But he also says that depth chart is fluid and could "change every week."
• Danny O'Brien enters this season as the unquestioned starter at QB and with pretty high expectations. How will he handle being the face of the program, and the focal point of the offense?
• Who is going to help replace the production lost when Torrey Smith declared for the draft?
• Will Edsall be able to earn the players' trust and respect?

I'm sure there will be plenty of other news and interesting info to come out of these Spring Practices, and we'll keep track of them in this thread.