Diamondback Blogs

Rashad Henry is a senior running back buried behind talented youngsters Da’Rel Scott, Davin Meggett and Morgan Green, but he cherishes the opportunity to play Division I football nonetheless. A transfer from Bowie State, Henry has devoted himself to practicing hard, enjoying football, and providing a steadying presence for the team’s younger players. Henry sat down with us for this week’s edition of Meet the Team.

Terrapin Trail: First off, what was the team’s reaction when you guys heard that the latest AP poll had you ranked 25th in the country?

Rashad Henry: We were excited, but at the same time we still have four games to go. We just gotta take it one game at a time.

TT:  As a senior, you naturally assume a leadership role on the team. But because you haven’t seen the field this year, do you embrace that role or do you leave it to the guys who log a lot of snaps on Saturdays?

RH: No, I embrace it. I’ve been here for three years. We still have guys who are freshman and have never been in college, so my leadership goes far beyond just the field. It’s off the field, just life in general. There’s things I’ve been through that the freshman guys have never been through. So I try to shine some light on some things they have questions about - school, life, and football.

TT: You transferred from Bowie State, a school where you probably would have played a lot if you’d stayed for four years. What made you decide to tranfer to the Terps, where playing time is harder to come by?

RH: Everyone likes a challenge. Bowie was great, but at the same time I looked a little beyong that. I look at the degree, at the chance to make something out of myself. I’m not saying that Bowie was nothing, but I wanted to aim a little higher. Everybody wants to play Div. I football. I didn’t want to go through my life wondering, “what if?”

TT: I read that you like to play the saxaphone. How did that start?

RH: It’s an old hobby. I did that for, man, nine, ten years, back in the day. That was basically it. High school, and I just lost it after that.

TT: So you couldn’t still rip a tune on the sax?

RH: Oh no, I could. Oh yeah.

TT: You got any favorite tunes from ‘back in the day?‘

RH: Kenny G, for real for real. And I always liked the little sopranino sax, just the sound of it.

As promised, we’ve got some men’s basketball practice info:

The Terrapins will have their second open scrimmage of the year on Wednesday the 29th at 3:45 p.m. All are welcome.

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The 27-24 final score shows a game that was close between the victorious Terrapins and N.C. State, and the final stats indicate as much. Each team had 21 first downs and committed one turnover. The Wolfpack outgained the Terps by only 13 yards. But judging from the first half time of possession discrepancy, and the key to the Terps’ victory might have been their ability to keep the game tied after 30 minutes.

The Wolfpack enjoyed a stunning 22:11 to 7:49 advantage in first half time of possession, but a fumble deep in their own territory that was converted into six by the Terps helped keep the score knotted at 17 at half.

By keeping the score tied after the first half, during which N.C. State dominated both possession time and total yards - 200 to  131 - the Terps set themselves up to begin anew in the second half.

The Terps only had four second half possessions, but three went for 57 yards or more, and two resulted in points. The Wolfpack also had four second half possessions, and the first went for 70 yards and a touchdown. But the Terps’ defense bore down, and the Wolfpack gained only 47 yards through the last quarter and a half.

They didn’t play their best game on either side of the ball, but soaked in rain the Terps were able to suck it up when they needed to and were more clutch than the Wolfpack in critical moments. It’s these types of games when the box score does little good, when the reasons behind a victory remain buried in the mud rather than the final stat sheet.

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Before the football game this afternoon, the men’s basketball team held an open scrimmage at Comcast Center. Here are the rosters and some observations.

Red: Eric Hayes, Sean Mosley, Cliff Tucker, Dino Gregory, Dave Neal, Steve Goins

Black: Adrian Bowie, Greivis Vasquez, Landon Milbourne, Jerome Burney, Braxton Dupree, David Pearman

-On paper it would seem like the black team (coached by Chuck Dreisell and Robert Ehsan) had the stronger half of the Terrapins roster, but the Keith Booth-led Red squad pulled away with an easy 78-65 victory.

-The teams played two 20-minute halves. Black led for most of the first half until a stretch when Red nailed four consecutive three-pointers. In the second half, Red’s Cliff Tucker and Eric Hayes continued their hot shooting and helped their team pull away.

-Tucker took a while to ease into the game, but once he got going, he was unstoppable. He hit some threes, slashed to the basket, and played a tremendous offensive game, while also keeping Vasquez fairly quiet on the defensive end.

“Cliff’s been playing well in practice,” coach Gary Williams said. “Last year he made some moves that were spectacular, but this season he seems to be more consistent with it.”

-Hayes vs. Bowie was the most intriguing matchup to watch. Though both played off the ball for much of last year, they were the respective point guards for their teams this afternoon, and both handled the task exceptionally well. Bowie’s shooting stroke is far improved from last season, and Hayes’ leadership shined through. If Hayes looks that confident on the court during regular season games, he could be poised for a huge season.

“I’ve been working hard on my offense and trying to shoot the ball well; I’ve been shooting a lot,” Hayes said. But Adrian is real quick and I’m not the quickest guy, so he was denying me the ball today and I was glad he was pushing me.”

-With Bowie manning the point, Vasquez played the “two.” This allowed Vasquez to get more open shots, but he was not hitting them today. Vasquez seems far more effective running the show as a point guard, where his passing and playmaking can shine through. He did have a number of turnovers, however. On three different occasions, Vasquez picked up an offensive foul. His coach reminded him that in a real game situation, those fouls would free up a seat for Vasquez on the bench.

- Sophomore Dino Gregory finished last season with a DNP-coach’s decision in the final 16 games. But with an open frontcourt this season, it’s hard to imagine him stationed on the bench for 40 minutes of any game this year. He’s far from a finished product–his mid-range shooting still needs a lot of work–but Gregory was a force on the boards, and used his exceptional athleticism to score some easy buckets. At 6-7, he’s a bit undersized for a post player, but his leaping ability can make up for some of that height.

-Jerome Burney didn’t provide much offensively, but he blocked a number of shots in the paint. That’s what he’ll be called upon to do this season for coach Williams.

-Braxton Dupree wasn’t outstanding, but the loss of weight made him look a lot more smooth on the court. Just by watching the pre-game lay-up line, you could tell that ‘Big B’ is approaching the rim with more ease and explosion.

-Williams reiterated that he would like to use Milbourne as a power forward this season, but for the majority of the scrimmage, he played on the wing, matched up against freshman Sean Mosley. Both players seemed to be in mid-season form, physically.

-The team will likely have another scrimmage open to the public towards the middle of next week. More information on that when the Terps announce an official time.

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After Thursday’s practice, Terp coach Ralph Friedge wondered rhetorically, “What’s better than watching a football game in the rain?”

Right now those who have braved the elements to come out to Byrd Stadium for today’s homecoming game can answer it.

Throughout most of warm-ups, there were only sporadic showers, but since midway through the first quarter the skies have opened up. It’s pretty dark and wet. It’s obvious some got the forecast early and stayed home.

 In other news, senior quarterback Jordan Steffy is in uniform for the first time since fracturing his thumb in the season-opening win against Delaware. He’s wearing a headset to complement the Terps’ red jerseys and red pants.

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