COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland opens spring football practice Tuesday when the Terps hold their first of 15 workouts over the course of the next five weeks.

The Terps are scheduled to practice three times per week (each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), concluding spring ball with the annual Red-White Spring Game on Saturday, April 25. The spring game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. The game is the culmination of Maryland Day, a university-sponsored family celebration.

Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen will kick off spring practice with a news conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The Terps return 38 letterwinners, including 10 starters (six offense/four defense), from last year's squad which advanced to the team's sixth bowl game (Humanitarian Bowl) in the last eight years.

Senior quarterback Chris Turner, junior running back Da'Rel Scott and sophomore wide receiver Torrey Smith headline the offense.

Turner is entering his third season as the starter. He ranks seventh in school history in career passing yards (4,474) and has gone 5-1 as a starter vs. Top 25 teams in his career.

Scott and Smith are coming off breakouts years. Scott, a 2008 first-team All-ACC choice, rushed for 1,133 yards, the seventh-highest single-season total in school history, while Smith set the ACC single-season record for kickoff return yards (1,089) and had 24 receptions for 336 yards.

Junior linebacker Alex Wujciak, who will sit out the spring after having off-season knee surgery, is expected to spearhead the defense which welcomes new coordinator Don Brown. Wujciak was a 2008 second-team All-ACC performer last season after posting 133 tackles, the second-most in the league.

Seniors Anthony Wiseman, Nolan Carroll, Terrell Skinner and Jamari McCollough each played significant roles last season and give Brown leadership in the secondary.

Media Note: Friedgen's news conference will be held in Young Dining Hall at the Gossett Football Team House and be streamed live on umterps.com. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. Select players will be available at 1:30 p.m. Among those expected to attend are Turner, Smith, Phil Costa and Travis Ivey. Parking for the news conference is available in either Union Lane garage (located between Stamp Student Union and Cole Field House) or Stadium Drive garage (adjacent to the west end zone of the stadium).

2009 Maryland Spring Football Practice Schedule

Day                  Date                          Time

Tuesday            March 24                    8 a.m.

Thursday           March 26                    8 a.m.

Saturday           March 28                    10 a.m.

Tuesday            March 31                    8 a.m.

Thursday           April 2                        8 a.m.

Saturday           April 4                        10 a.m.

Tuesday            April 7                        8 a.m.

Thursday           April 9                        8 a.m.

Saturday           April 11                      10 a.m.

Tuesday            April 14                      8 a.m.

Thursday           April 16                      8 a.m.

Saturday           April 18                      10 a.m

Tuesday            April 21                      8 a.m.

Thursday           April 23                      8 a.m.

Saturday           April 25                      3:30 p.m.&

& - Red-White Spring Game

All practice dates and times are subject to change.