Maryland spring practice: Terps hold first scrimmage of camp; updates on LBs, QBs

On today's scrimmage:

"It was very obvious today that the defense got the better end of the offense. Now we get a chance to go and take a look at the film and find out how guys have progressed and picked up everything through seven practices, with this being the eighth practice. It is good to be out there and get after it and all those things. Now we get a chance to evaluate it and grade it, then get back out on Monday and continue to get better and develop guys."

On how reps were split for the quarterbacks during today's scrimmage:

"We came into it and said what we were going to do was let Perry [Hills] take the reps with the one's for the first half of the scrimmage and then let Shane [Cockerille] take the reps with the one's for the second half of the scrimmage just to try and even it out with the guys to get each guy work with both groups. It was all planned and something that we wanted to do."

On the performance of the quarterbacks during today's scrimmage:

"Very inconsistent today. Today is the type of day that is tough conditions for a quarterback with the weather like the way it was and the wind. That is where you have to fight through things. This is the thing that spring is all about. Now you had this kind of weather today so what are you looking to try and get done? You have to understand the situation, you have to understand down and distance, understand the elements. Now you have to be a little bit more into maybe throwing the ball a little bit shorter, dropping it down. All those things are good things that we can work on, that we can teach and can go over with them."

On how productive today's scrimmage was:

"What you are trying to find out - it is all personnel evaluation is what it is. That is what the spring is all about. Every scrimmage is valuable; every practice is valuable because you are learning something each and every time you go on the field. You are learning about all these guys and how they are coming along. That is my whole thing. Every time we go out there we are finding out something a little bit more about each and every one of the players that is out there. As I have said many times, the spring isn't where we will be the final product because we have a bunch of guys who are out because of injury, surgeries. We have got incoming freshmen who aren't here. The spring is about developing our guys, getting them better, getting them to play with confidence and to play with good fundamentals and techniques. Yeah I was happy with what took place today because our guys had the chance to go out there and get better and get a lot of reps."

On who stood out on defense:

"The guy on defense that I think is really playing well and the leadership that he is bringing is Jermaine [Carter, Jr.]. I saw some things today with Abner [Logan] that were a little bit better. We kind of challenged him a little bit the other day saying that, especially after Monday's practice we didn't think he was as focused as he need to be and we told him he needs to stay focused all the time. We started to see that and those are the things that I look for. I think Jermaine is really playing well. I think he is really taking leadership of the defense. You see him up there moving guys around and that's what you need. He has really developed as the leader of the defense, the quarterback of the defense. Those are the things we want to continue to work with him on and help him get better and grow at this spring. Today I thought he did some really good things."

On the defensive backs and D'Andre Payne:

"I think the DB's are getting better. I think they are getting a lot better from a technique standpoint and doing the things there that are allowing them to play at a high level. The other thing that I think they are doing well is they are communicating well. They are talking to each other, they are communicating, which is a big thing in the secondary. D'Andre is a guy who is working extremely hard because he is a guy who is not going to be able to participate in the fall. He is taking advantage of all his reps that he is getting this spring, some have been with the two's and some with the three's. I am pleased with what I have seen from him on the field in terms of his work ethic and picking things up that we are doing."

On quarterback Perry Hills:

"Perry [Hills] is a competitor. He is a guy who wants to do well. He is a smart guy. What he always has to do is be sharp and be right with all of his decisions. He is working at it. He is a competitor. He wants to try and play and he wants to do everything he can to get on the field to continue to challenge the other guys at that position."

On what quarterback Shane Cockerille has improved on the most:

"I think the thing Shane [Cockerille] has done is he has matured more. He is being more of a quarterback than what he was previously. I think he is still getting better at it. There is still plenty of room for improvement and that is what he has got to do. He has to get better at being a quarterback, better at making all the decisions you have to make and making them as quickly as you can."