The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Maryland – INSIDE SLANT
And suddenly the only number that mattered to Maryland was “two.” After all the talk about seven starters out to begin the season and 14 freshmen in the two-deep, the Terrapins overcame those numbers and looked up after Week 2 and were 2-0.
And the Terps’ 36-27 win at Temple didn’t just avenge a 31-point home loss last year and match that entire season’s win total, it was Maryland’s first win over a BCS opponent since last year’s opening-night thriller over Miami.
And yeah, the Terrapins did it still missing those seven starters and with those 14 freshmen dotting the two-deep.
It was Maryland’s first road win since Nov. 13, 2010, a 42-23 victory at Virginia.
“I think last year is definitely behind us,” said senior linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield, who had a late interception to seal the win. “Not too many people talk about last year. Yeah, Temple beat us last year and it wasn’t pretty, but it’s this year now and we beat them.”
And now attention turns to trying to go to 3-0 for the first time in College Park since 2001’s ACC championship season.
Whoa. These Terrapins probably don’t have that potential — even completely healthy — but don’t tell them this week heading into Saturday’s “Edsall Bowl,” a 12:30 home matchup with their coach’s former team, Connecticut.
“I told them afterwards, we’re 2-0, and that’s the best we can be,” said Edsall following the Temple triumph. “There’s a lot of things we did well today and there’s a lot of things we have to learn from.”
For the second straight week, Maryland won despite losing the turnover battle, this time all four miscues coming from true freshmen. But Maryland built an imposing 26-3 lead, and then weathered a furious Owls’ rally.
It was the kind of resiliency that last year Maryland could never muster.
“It was definitely an issue last year, and a main concern this year — making sure that we played all four quarters,” said running back Justus Pickett, who had the clinching score for the second straight week. “As a team, the chemistry came together and we knew we had to go out there and make plays. That’s what everybody did.”
And that’s how an unheralded Terps team got to 2-0.
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NCAAF Team Report – Maryland – NOTES, QUOTES
WHAT’S AHEAD: The depleted Terps return home with a newfound confidence and sense of accomplishment after avenging last year’s 38-7 loss to Temple. Freshman QB Perry Hills showed vast improvement in his second start and the defense came up with plays when it had to. How good is this Maryland team? Randy Edsall’s former team, UConn, is headed to town to find out in what shapes up as an interesting matchup.
–Maryland forced a fumble on Temple’s first offensive play, but for the second straight week, the Terrapins committed more turnovers and still won. All four Maryland miscues were by freshmen — two fumbles by RB Wes Brown, one by Perry Hills and a muffed punt by Stefon Diggs. All three made positive plays, too, and for the second straight week, LB Demetrius Hartsfield had a game-sealing takeaway. He had an interception with 2:05 left, on the heels of a late fumble recovery to clinch the William & Mary win.
–After dominating last year’s game with 285 yards rushing, the Owls accounted for just 52 yards on the ground in this game on 39 carries (1.3 average). Temple had just 34 total yards in the first half as Maryland built a 26-3 lead. The Terps defense also got its first safety in five years on an errant shotgun snap. The Maryland front seven dominated action much of the day, recording seven tackles for loss and recovering two fumbles.
–Freshman Perry Hills seemed to come of age Saturday, hitting 11-of-21 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns, and running for another score. Late in the game, when the Terps had to have a score to hold off the Owls, he took Maryland 75 yards in 11 plays, converting three third downs. Edsall talked about how much the coaches learned in the first game in how to better utilize Hills and it showed in Week 2. Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley had some plays designed to start one way and then allowed Hills to come back and find single coverage the other way, including a beautifully executed 22-yard touchdown to TE Matt Furstenburg.
KEEP AN EYE ON: DE Joe Vellano was so key to the Temple win, even though he had just four tackles. Vellano stripped RB Matt Brown on the game’s first play, the fumble setting Maryland up for a quick start. Vellano also had a sack and another tackle for loss. He’s a defensive lineman worth taking your eye off the ball and following if you’re a fan of great football.
LOOKING GOOD: Maryland’s defense was stout on third down, holding the Owls to just four conversions in 15 attempts. Temple was 1-for-2 on fourth down, too. It was Maryland’s ability to stymie the Temple running game (52 yards in 39 rushes) that set the stage for that success. There was improvement in the pass defense, too, though the Owls still took wing to make a couple of big plays.
STILL NEEDS WORK: The kicking game took a step back. Kickoff coverage, a bugaboo last season, allowed a 45-yard return and freshman kicker Brad Craddock had a KO out of bounds. He hit two field goals but one of them, from 26 yards, bounced in off the left upright. P Nathan Renfro, a hero in the W&M; win, fell off this week with four punts for just a 31.0-yard average. Exciting KR Stefon Diggs had a costly muff of a punt early in the second half when momentum was swinging to Temple.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We knew after last year with the way they ran the ball on us, they were going to come out and try to run the ball down our throat. Our goal all week was to stop the run. Even third-and-long drills we anticipated the run all week. We wanted to make sure that the same kind of mistakes we made last year, we wouldn’t make them again.” — Senior DE A.J. Francis, after Maryland held Temple to 52 yards rushing, 233 yards less than in last season’s meeting.
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NCAAF Team Report – Maryland – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES:
–WR Marcus Leak had three receptions for 90 yards, including two huge plays — a 32-yard touchdown to give the Terps a 17-3 lead, and a key 39-yard grab in traffic on a third-and-17 in the third quarter. Leak had never had a play longer than 15 yards prior to this season.
–PK Brad Craddock banged home a 45-yard field goal on Maryland’s first possession, the first field goal of his career. He later banked a 26-yarder off the goal post but still good.
–TB Justus Pickett had 69 yards on 21 rushes, making his first start. The sophomore had 73 total all-purpose yards to go over 1,000 all-purpose yards in his career. His 7-yard run in the fourth quarter sealed a Terps victory for the second straight game.
–MLB Cole Farrand had a team-high six tackles against Temple, including one tackle for loss. He also forced a fumble.
–DE A.J. Francis blocked a field goal, had a sack and a fumble recovery.
ROSTER REPORT
–RB Wes Brown made his debut, rushing seven times for 50 yards (a RB-best 7.1 average) and catching a pass for seven yards. But two lost fumbles were a mitigating circumstance in him playing even more. Brown, a true freshman, has the RB’s best combination of size (6-1, 210), power and speed.
–TE Devonte Campbell got his first start since 2009, the Terps opening in a two tight-end set. Campbell, the most athletic pass catcher in a deep TE unit, doesn’t have any receptions this season. Freshman QB Perry Hills missed him wide open in the end zone last week.
–K Brad Craddock’s uneven performance, including a KO out of bounds, and just barely eking in a 26-yard field goal, may help speed the return of injured senior PK Nick Ferrara, out with a sore hip.
–S Sean Davis was burned on a 62-yard touchdown pass, and made a poor play on a key third down when he was out of position to make a tackle with the Terrapins blitzing from the corner. Maryland coaches are hoping Matt Robinson (shoulder) will be available soon to allow the true freshman a lesser role and more time to learn.
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