STRENGTHS: The running backs and offensive line may be the crème of the 2002 defending ACC Champions. Last year's superb rookie contributor Bruce Perry sat out the spring with the same nagging abdominal injury that slowed him in the Orange Bowl. The vacancy has allowed the UM offense to discover that several of the gentlemen pushing for playing time are dynamite. Coach Friedgen has made many fine remarks concerning his backfield and he is dead right. Tailback Jason Crawford comes in at 6-2, 220 pounds and runs exceptionally hard. The other noticeable wheels belong to freshman Mario Mills. Either one of these three could ride the distance from Ocean City to Deep Creek Lake. Then you take the human bowling ball, monster James Lynch at fullback. Standing at a full 5-11 and 267 pounds, this kid looks like one of those huge rocks just sitting in the middle of the Potomac River. The sweetest combination with the backs for Maryland in 2002 will be the boys up front. The offensive line could be the shining star. Someone has been lighting a fire under this group since the lackluster blocking performances that were served up to LaMont Jordan two seasons ago. The big difference for last year's turn around began with the starting front and they have been moving people off the ball ever since. At receiver, Latrez Harrison has moved over from QB and was the biggest playmaker all spring. He is a straight stick clutch performer. The kicking game looks to be as solid as ever since the Terps found their man Nick Novak, who closed his freshman campaign last year in strong fashion, including a last second field goal in regulation to help defeat Georgia Tech in Atlanta, sending the Terps on to the conference crown. .

CONCERNS: One spot stands out like a sore thumb. Chris Kelley's knee injury in the spring game kicked a large dent in the Terrapin plans. Coaches do not expect him to return until late in the fall if even at all for 2002. The poor kid just cannot buy any luck. A heralded high school player out of the state's top prep school dynasty Seneca Valley, Kelley showed great promise. A left knee injury the summer before he enrolled on campus two years ago continued to linger. As the healing progress was about complete, he managed to tear the ACL on the right knee. The incumbents are Scott McBrien, a transfer from WVU, and 4-star JUCO recruit Orlando Evans from California, who just so happened to originally transfer from Oregon as Joey Harrington's back up. McBrien is your post-spring leader. Both have skills, McBrien your better passer, Evans your better runner, but the inexperience factor places coaches in a huge deficit to start August practice. Although the starting offensive line is a huge plus, the backups have caused a lot of concern, placing a priority on keeping people healthy and locating some depth. The receivers were a question mark headed into spring, but the emergence of Latrez Harrison, after switching over from quarterback, has really raised some eyebrows. He is partnered with some quality wide outs, including gasoline powered Scooter Monroe and Jafar Williams.

STRENGTHS: Defensively Maryland revolves around middle linebacker EJ Henderson, the clear leader for the Butkus Award. Last year, EJ was the teams leading tackler in every game but one. He was the ACC Player of the Year and led the conference in tackles and tackles for loss. A back surgery in the spring has kept him off the field and there is some question that he may not be able to return for the first game against Notre Dame in the Kickoff Classic. Henderson has been quoted as saying he is 85% sure of a return by then. They need him, as depth at linebacker is for the most part nothing but new faces. Leon Joe is a solid performer on the outside of the haystack. In the backfield, both cornerbacks Foxworth and Cox have good skills and are young talents but have much to prove after some lapses against upper level competition last fall. The best punter this writer has ever seen in person at a college level resides in College Park. First team All-American Brooks Barnard is a huge weapon.

CONCERNS: The roots of concern go back to last year's tale of the tape. The defensive backs were some cause for huge heartache against the big dogs. Is it a good thing that four of the mainstays have left? Not as far as depth. Injuries could really hurt this unit. There has been some shuffling of players in the fairway in an attempt to locate both starting safeties. Denard Wilson and Madieu Williams look to be the front-runners. At major void at defensive end exists as Mike Whaley left the team in February due to poor grade issues. Depth overall on defense is young and coaches will be the first to come right out and say it. Maryland has a young defense. Andrew Henley did a fantastic job of filling in for the injured Henderson at linebacker this spring, but the defense needs leaders to keep the young kids together and without EJ things could be a little rough.