The Maryland football team is searching for answers after a promising first half of the season turned sour.
The Terps have lost both games since their bye week and have not looked competitive in either loss. No phase clicked against Wisconsin or Penn State. Maryland scored only 10 points and allowed the Badgers to run the ball efficiently (278 yards) in Madison Nov. 5.
Then, Maryland followed up that performance with a worse one that saw the same mistakes. Penn State ran the ball easily (249 yards), pressured redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (seven sacks) and held the Terps to zero points.
“I told my team now is not the time to panic, but it is time that we, starting with myself, take a deep look at everything we are doing on offense, defense and special teams to find a way to get us back on the right track,” Maryland head coach Michael Locksley said after the loss to Penn State.
Although Maryland was far more competitive in losing to Michigan, 34-27, on Sept. 24, the Terps have yet to beat a Big Ten team with a record over .500.
“Some of the big teams we played like Michigan, Penn State, we do our thing in the second half. We did our thing, but it’s been that first half that we just fall apart,” junior safety Beau Brade said.
Maryland’s defense has been generally been better in the second half throughout the season, but the unit has yet to put it together in all four quarters. The defense held Penn State to three second-half points, but the game was out of hand by the second quarter.
“We came out in the second half, and they only scored three points [but] if we did that in the first half, then it would’ve been a different story,” Brade said, adding that “if the offense can’t get things going right away, we’ve got to step up and play for them too.”
Maryland’s offense has struggled mightily the past two weeks, and there could be a repeat performance against Ohio State Nov. 19 if the execution isn’t up to par. The offense combined for 323 yards against Wisconsin and Penn State. Maryland managed just 27 yards in the first half against Penn State before finishing with 134.
While much of the blame might fall on Tagovailoa’s shoulders, Locksley ensured that the offensive performances do not fall all on him.
“It’s always easy to say the quarterback because he has the ball in his hand,” Locksley said. “I think it takes not just our quarterback to play great. It takes the players around him and calling things that we can get executed. On the offensive side of the ball, we haven’t played very well. We haven’t executed nor gone out and did the things that I’ve seen us do in practice.”
Maryland’s remaining two games are against Ohio State (10-0, 7-0) and Rutgers (4-6, 1-6). The Terps are already bowl eligible and may be favored to beat Rutgers in their season finale, but the Buckeyes are 7-0 all time against Maryland.
“We’ve still got two games left,” Locksley added. “We’re still in a great situation. But it is time to take a hard look inside and ensure that we’re playing the right guys, doing the right things in all three phases, and getting it fixed to get us back on the right track.”
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