Friedgen has been pleased with the spring thus far and hopes the development continues.

"Last scrimmage I thought we made some progress offensively and did a pretty good job of handling all the blitzes," Friedgen said. "The defense has a bunch of new (blitzes) in so we'll see how we go from there."

Friedgen is expecting a physical scrimmage with a lot on the line for players looking to improve their depth chart positioning.

"I think Saturday will be a pretty good scrimmage," Friedgen said. "I think they'll get after each other pretty good even though they're beaten up and sore. They know a lot is riding on this scrimmage."

Saturday's scrimmage will be even more game like than the first one as all phases of special teams will be utilized. There were no kickoffs or kickoff returns in last week's scrimmage.

The regular season is nearly five months away, but preparation has already begun especially since the Terps open against the unconventional triple-option attack of Navy.

"We'll have some periods next week where we'll start putting stuff in for Navy," Friedgen said. "(We'll) start getting our offense ready for normal defenses. Tuesday and Thursday next week we'll spend some time in that and try to get a lot of our Navy game-plan in."

Practice Notes:

Friedgen was pleased with Thursday's practice and the team's work ethic this spring. "We had a good practice today," Friedgen said. "We faded a little and picked it back up at the end. I have no complaints with the way they're working this spring."

Friedgen announced after Thursday's practice that running back Morgan Green has left the team. Green, who was going to be a senior in the fall, is expected to graduate this summer and hopes to transfer locally so he can play in the fall. He did not figure into the Terps plans at tailback, one of the deepest spots on the team. "He's been a good kid since he's been here," Friedgen said. "He's worked hard so we'll try to help him out."

Despite losing three starters (Anthony Wiseman, Terrell Skinner and Jamari McCollough) and one projected starter (Nolan Carroll) from last season's team, Friedgen thinks the team can be solid in the defensive backfield. "We're a young secondary but I think we have a chance to be pretty good," Friedgen said. "I think Trenton Hughes is much improved and I like the two young kids - Avery Graham and Dexter McDougle. I think they're going to play a lot of football for us next year."

Seeing action in the final four games of last season seems to have done wonders for progress of junior quarterback Jamarr Robinson. His pocket presence and dissection of the defense has improved since earning time at the end of 2009 when starting quarterback Chris Turner went down with a knee injury. "So far this spring he's exceeded my expectations," Friedgen said. "Last scrimmage I thought he was very good. There are just a couple things to me - managing the game and it seems like he gets off to a slow start. He has a lot of self-inflicted wounds the first couple of plays and then he seems to settle down. But I thought he played very well on Friday (in the scrimmage). He just was very poised. There were times when he was hot and he just waited until the receiver came open. He probably would have taken a hit in the game. It looks like he's very calm and very poised. He's seeing coverage so much better - it's not even close." Friedgen said right now there is separation between Robinson and Danny O'Brien for first and second string, as well as C.J. Brown for the No. 3 spot. Clay Belton and Devin Burns are also a little behind Brown as the fourth and fifth string signal-callers.