5 Maryland players to watch against Richmond

Oct 18, 2014; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins running back Brandon Ross (45) runs up the middle against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Byrd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4 Brandon Ross

Maryland didn’t exactly have the best ground attack during the 2014 season. The Terps had the 12th ranked rushing offense in the Big Ten of the 14 teams as they only averaged 121.8 yards-per-game. After all, C.J. Brown led Maryland in rushing with 539 yards on 161 carries (both team highs) and eight touchdowns. Obviously, when a team runs a read-option type of offense, the quarterback is going to have more opportunities to run the ball. However, even when Brandon Ross got carries, he struggled for the most part. Ross only had double-digit carries in two games last season and only topped the 50-yard mark in three games.

By all accounts, Ross won the starting job going away this summer and is really taking care of the football. With Perry Hills under center, Maryland will most likely be running a more traditional offense, so the running game will definitely have to be more of a factor. Ross has have the ability to be a very explosive back that can make a big play when in the open field. He’s also very productive in the screen game, which could be a security blanket of sorts for Hills. If Ross can establish himself as a traditional tailback early on against the Spiders, it could go a long way in terms of his development as a senior.