Darrius Heyward-Bey Must Be Pissed

Here he is, in a position to be a breakout receiver in the ACC this year and work his way up the board for the 2010 NFL Draft. Instead, Maryland Terrapins receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey is on the inside looking out at a season of diminishing expectations and puzzling output.

He has the most touchdown catches on the Terrapins squad with three, and he’s third in the conference in that category. But his team-leading 267 yards receiving are only good enough for eighth in the ACC, and he hasn’t caught a pass in the last two games.

I take that back. Puzzling isn’t even the word. Stupid is more appropriate.

It’s stupid because Ralph Friedgen is a good enough coach to get the ball to Heyward-Bey. Screens, slants, direct snaps, something can be done to get this guy in the offense. If you’re going to lose to the Virginia Cavaliers and drop to 1-1 in the conference, lose with your best players holding the ball as many times as possible, not holding donuts in the stat sheets.

I correctly predicted that the Terps would go 2-1 in the last three game stretch, but incorrectly predicted that the loss would be at Clemson instead of at Virginia. You don’t know what’s going to happen with any Terps team, and that much we can accept. But what we shouldn’t accept is a tremendous talent like Heyward-Bey’s being shut out of the Terps’ real chances at an ACC title, or a lucrative professional career.