U-G-L-Y you ain’t got no alibi, YOU UGLY (what what) YOU UGLY! I loved me some Wildcats back in the day. I even used to think Goldie Hawn was hot. 80’s hot.
On a wet day at Byrd Stadium yesterday, the Terrapins fell to a UVA team that managed only 201 yards of total offense. While the defense held its own, Maryland’s offense kept coughing up the ball and handed the Wahoos a win. Four turnovers did the Terps in, including a third quarter Chris Turner Pick-6 that gave the Cavaliers the lead for good. Maryland’s -1.8 per game turnover margin puts them at 117 out of 120 DI-A teams.
This game was not indicative of the Terps season long struggles with breakdowns in protection. While Chris Turner seemed to have more time to throw the ball this Saturday, he never got into a rhythm and coughed it up with the game on the line. The running game was plagued by fumbles. Offensively, the Terps moved the ball reasonably well, but they failed to get the ball in the end zone.
The defense seemed to turn things around yesterday. The Terps totaled 5 sacks against UVA and the D was getting constant penetration. Alex Wucjiak was everywhere, adding 14 tackles to his season total of 77. Wucjiak is now ranked 4th in DI-A in total tackles. Demetrius Hartsfield gutted it out with a broken hand to get seven tackles, and Adrian Moten ended up with two sacks. That was about it for Terps highlights.
Turnovers turnovers turnovers. Why all the turnovers? UVA has a good defense ranking 19th overall in total yards, but that’s no excuse for fumbles and interceptions. I think Maryland’s offense has been too predictable all year. Check that, they’ve been too predictable since 2006. They’ve fallen in love with the quick outs and the runs off tackle. The offensive rhythm is rarely staggered, allowing the defense to time their blitz better and zero in on the football. I’ve said it before, but I’d still like to see Maryland use more no huddle, especially in the second half. Chris Turner seems more in control when he’s thinking less, and mixing in the no huddle would keep the defense on its toes.
Otherwise, we all know it’s going to be a long season so let’s just hope for some incremental improvements. U-G-L-Y the Terps ain’t got no alibi, they ugly.
