Maryland football coach Randy Edsall is often a quiet observer during practice. But Friday, near the end of the Terps first practice in full pads, he got plenty animated during a goal-line drill with the first-team defense on the field, getting in the face of several players in the front seven.

“We’re gonna give the ball to [Kenny] Goins every time,” Edsall yelled. “Man up and stop it. Man up and stop it.”

After two successful stops, Goins burst through the left side on his final try, bringing practice to an end.

“We gotta play lower on both sides of the ball,” Edsall said later. “We gotta stay on our feet more.”

After a rainstorm early Friday, practice was moved to Byrd Stadium. It was the Terps first chance to practice on the new FieldTurf, installed this summer.

“Definitely a nice field, back to what I’m used to from high school,” said sophomore running back Justus Pickett. “I like it better than grass personally, definitely a lot softer than what I’m used to playing on. I think this is faster. It’s easier to make cuts.”

Tate back to safety?

Maryland coach Randy Edsall hinted that Kenny Tate could be headed back to safety. In praising the play of sophomore outside linebacker Alex Twine, Edsall said that he might have to make room for him the lineup. Twine and Tate are listed as co-starters at the SAM spot.

“We’ll sit down as a coaching staff and say ‘Okay, who are our best guys,’” Edsall said. “I’m not saying we’re gonna make a position change. But if we’ve got a guy who, hey, he should be out on the field playing, then we’ve got to find a way to get him on the field if we possibly can. We all feel comfortable with Alex on the field with what he can get done”

Tate made all-ACC at safety as a junior, but struggled with a move to linebacker last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury and receiving a medical redshirt.

Notes

Junior defensive end Justin Anderson was back practicing after failing to finish a conditioning test. Two others who failed to finish their conditioning test will return on Saturday, according to Edsall.

Sophomore fullback Tyler Cierski (hamstring) and junior defensive end Isaiah Ross (knee) were held out of practice, but Edsall expects both to return in a few days.

Edsall praised freshman running back Albert Reid. “He just comes out here and works. You don’t hear a peep out of him,” he said. “It’s a credit to his high school program (Friendship Collegiate).”