Locksley: “Friday night was an anomaly...” at Ohio State, Maryland football gets to try again

(Photo Courtesy of Maryland Athletics.)

Caput coach Michael Locksley called Maryland football game's concluding game an anomaly. A loss necessary for the team's growth. Something that needed to exist expelled from the squad'due south collective system.

"As I said, I think Friday night was an bibelot for [Taulia Tagovailoa] and for u.s. equally a team," Locksley said. "And we got it out of our organisation hopefully and now nosotros can play winning football, the way we demand to play, to give ourselves a adventure to exist competitive in games against good teams like nosotros got this week."

Maryland'south first loss of the season at the hands of then-No. five Iowa was precisely the blazon of adversity it had nevertheless to run into. Against an impressively talented, ranked side that began applying pressure on both sides of the ball, the Terps never institute an answer.

After senior wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. went down with a season-ending genu injury and the Hawkeyes jumped to a two possession lead, the Terps began to spiral.

Tagovailoa looked frantic, forcing the ball downfield — unsuccessfully — in an effort to manufacture a prompt comeback and his numbers displayed a tepid 157 yard, five interception performance earlier he was replaced in the fourth quarter. The defense was similarly mazed, for at to the lowest degree a quarter, failing to halt a unmarried scoring drive in a determinant second frame.

Merely the Terps' kickoff loss is now in their rearview and Locksley is confident that their performance will non exist the norm.

"I call up we're a ameliorate team than what we showed on Friday dark, there's no doubt about that," Locksley said. "I don't call back there'south a need for u.s.a. to panic. I got a lot of conviction in this squad. This is a squad that I feel is still together, and plays very well together that understands the standard that we've set knowing that we didn't encounter the standard on Friday night."

Of form, every bit has been the case all flavor, Locksley has a saying to encourage growth. Moving forward, his numerous mottos will exist adept to refer back to for the Terps as new, unfamiliar challenges await. With Demus out, it's the next man up mentality, and with a new ranked opponent ahead, the standard carries more than of an accent than the reigning Large Ten Champions.

The Terps response to their first loss of the season is vital. The answer to their 51-14 defeat is one constructive means of measuring improvement. And for this team, improvement is simply displaying an enhanced product from the week before — corrections that ensure Maryland isn't beating itself more than than its opponent.

Against No. 7 Ohio State, the margin for error on defense is simply as narrow every bit it was confronting then-No. five Iowa on offense.

The Buckeyes characteristic an explosive offense that is nationally recognized and has found ways to improve on a weekly footing. With the best yards per play (8.57) and yards per game (555.6) average in the country, Ohio State is already trending towards a record breaking season.

"We've got to come in as a defense ready to compete," linebacker Ruben Hyppolite 2 said. "And nosotros gotta be consistent with what we do and we have to proceed to play our brand of football, our style of football, which means being aggressive and contesting the catch."

Leading that trend under center is quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has enjoyed an impressive season with 13 touchdowns and iv interceptions with one of the most impressive receiving corps in the land. With a receiving grouping that includes Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and the two number ane receivers in the previous two recruiting classes coupled with a talented dual threat quarterback, the Terps' secondary and the entire defence force will accept a brand new claiming on the road.

Yet, the Terps and the Buckeyes are in similar positions. Both are four-one, reeling from unusual losses on an otherwise unblemished record in an attempt to figure out what type of team they can really be.

"You lot see the name and the logo and the big schools merely you accept information technology as another game," broad receiver Rakim Jarrett said. "I mean, those guys are the same age, doing the same kind of stuff you're doing and so I don't see it as like: 'oh I'm planning this large team.' This is some other opponent."

In Columbus, the Terps volition be taking a retest of sorts. It's a new risk, on the route, to face another top 10 opponent and to attempt to show concluding week'south contest was truly an anomaly and the weeks to come are definitely the best ahead.

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Source: http://wmucsports.net/at-ohio-state-maryland-football-gets-to-try-again/

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