MIKE BURKE
Allegany Communications Sports
Head coach Mike Locksley admitted that Maryland’s 42-28 loss at Indiana on Saturday was “a frustrating game,” and then said something he’s been heard to say quite a bit over the last three seasons – “It’s just one game.”
Actually, it’s just two games now, as the home loss in week 3 to Michigan State was the first “just one game” of this season.
Indiana, or James Madison West if you prefer, entered the home game with Maryland as an undefeated team that had not committed a turnover all season. The Hoosiers concluded the game as a team that had just committed four turnovers, yet still as an undefeated team.
The revitalized Hoosiers are now 5-0 under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, who took 13 of his players from James Madison with him to Bloomington, and they look and play the way Maryland fans wished Maryland looked and played, which, in football, means from the inside out – aggressive with a plan.
Granted, it was a legitimate test for the young Terps (3-2, 0-2 in the Big Ten), as, unlike the Michigan State game, they went into Bloomington as 7-point underdog.
Maryland intercepted three passes in the game and recovered one fumble, yet failed to score a point after any of them, going three-and-out after the interceptions and gaining a net of minus-1 yard.
The Terps were also hit with 10 penalties worth 92 yards, but in fairness, there were a few that probably should not have been called, beginning with the early unsportsmanlike call on offensive lineman Aliou Bah, who Big Ten Network analyst Jake Butt said on-air “just made a good block” after watching the replay.
While the penalties remain a constant, the most disturbing aspect of Saturday’s game for Maryland eyes was the way the Terps’ offensive line was physically beat up by Indiana and, then, how the Maryland defensive front was handled by the IU offensive line, particularly in the second half.
Of course, that might have had something to do with the Maryland defense being on the field for most of the first half.
It’s become very draining for the Maryland fan base to see the Terps be physically beat up and mentally outmatched against borderline top 25 teams. Wins over Connecticut, Virginia and Villanova are great for your school in February and in March, but they don’t carry much cachet in the month of September.
This was expected to be what used to be called a rebuilding season for Maryland, but nobody uses the word “rebuilding” anymore, not so much to preserve self-dignity, but because there is so much money riding on every opportunity, and “rebuilding” sounds like a built-in excuse to those who write the checks.
Still, graduation hit Maryland the hardest along the offensive line and in the secondary, and with the injuries to key players again beginning to accumulate five weeks into the season, Maryland’s depth, or lack thereof, will be scrutinized, fairly or unfairly.
Well-coached and player-led teams don’t beat themselves as the Terps did against MIchigan State, or be physically whipped as they were against Indiana, two programs being led by first-year head coaches that seem more advanced already than Maryland’s program does.
There are missed assignments, poor play-calling and a lack of discipline, particularly in conference games that are supposed to be games that help the Maryland program turn the proverbial corner. Well, currently, that corner keeps getting in Maryland’s way like a Wes Unseld pick.
Maryland has shown it is resilient and tough, but seems to lack accountability, particularly against better competition.
Is it time to start playing the young offensive linemen? Clearly the starters haven’t been good enough. Is it time to re-think the offensive play-calling? Clearly, Maryland has no identity as an offense unless it hits on an explosive play.
We keep hearing how talented Maryland is and that may be true on both perimeters. But the truth is, the offensive lineman is the premium position because every team needs them, but there just aren’t many of them out there, at least those that make a clear difference. And those that are there who don’t go to the Ohio States, the Michigans or the SEC, are the ones you have to take a chance on and develop yourself.
“Unfortunately,” Locksley said, “our depth is inexperienced in probably two of the toughest areas, which is O-line and corner. Which are the two areas that if you’re trying to build a program, those are the two areas that you usually are most concerned about.
“So we got to take a look and make sure that we got the right people out there, but we also got to make sure we’re doing the things we need to do to help with their development and growth.”
Seems to be the perfect time for Maryland to have a bye week. Two weeks to figure it out.
Right?
Mike Burke writes about sports and other stuff for Allegany Communications. He began covering sports for the Prince George’s Sentinel in 1981 and joined the Cumberland Times-News sports staff in 1984, serving as sports editor for over 30 years. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @MikeBurkeMDT