Terps vs. Mountaineers: Quick Takes

Maryland fell to 1-2 on the season with a loss to out-of-conference rival West Virginia on Saturday 31-19. The Terps made a game of it late in the second half, but it was a case of too little, too late. Below are a few observations from the stands, starting with the negative, but ending with the positives going into next week against Wake Forest.

CONS:

1) Mother Nature. Maybe it's because I just turned 30, or maybe it's because I just returned to the East Coast from chilly Chicago, but I can't handle these early season football games with game-time temperatures in the upper 80's. Unless you sit below the Byrd Stadium press box, there is no relief from the sun in the seating bowl. These last two weekends have been brutal. Perhaps if we had won either of our first two home games, I wouldn't make this observation. But baking in the sun and watching the Terps fall flat week in and week out has to be similar to one of the rings of hell. More water, please!
2) The Running Game. Sorry, Terps fans, but Maryland is toast. We cannot run the ball, period. Forget the Navy game. Your 2005 Maryland running game is good for 50-75 yards of offense a game. And guess what that means? We are not going to win many games this season. The last two weeks the Terps have posted 56 and 50 net rushing yards (translating into 1.5 and 1.7 yards per carry). With no running game, get ready to stick that fork in the Terps. Sadly, I think the Terps are good for only three more wins this season (Wake, Temple, UNC), if we're lucky. We're not beating anyone else. Why? Read on...
3) The Fourth Quarter Defense. This is not a knock on the Terrapins defense in any way. Really, it's a knock on the Terps offense. At the end of three quarters on Saturday, the score was 7-6 in favor of WVU. At the end of three quarters a week ago, Maryland led 24-14. Terps ACC opponents over the last two weeks have gone on to score 38 fourth quarter points! Why? See #2 above. A friend of mine I took to game asked me before it started what I predicted. I stated that we had three quarters of defense, courtesy of our missing running game. WVU held the ball for 36 minutes to the Terps' 24. The Terrapin D was constantly on the field from the first quarter on, and the Mountaineers pounded away at the Terps with 301 net yards rushing. That's killer. Further, Maryland managed only two drives that lasted more than five plays. Don't fault the defense here, this is an offensive problem. Unfortunately, with the running game sputtering and no relief in sight, expect this phenomenon to continue to haunt our boys.

PROS:
1) TE Vernon Davis. This is a man among boys. When the ball is in his hands, expect excitement. 5 catches, 158 yards, 1 TD on a 73 yard reception, about 55 yards of which were after the catch. Davis makes Hollenbach a better QB. Don't expect the junior to be around next year, however.
2) The Terrapin Defense, Quarters 1-3. Maryland's defense continued to impress early in the game. Late, however, is another story. But you cannot expect a squad to remain fresh when they spend the majority of the game on the field, and take a relentless pounding by a running team. WVU had two long runs in the fourth quarter by its FB that highlighted the fatigue. For three quarters, however, the Terps D held firm and kept the Terps in the game.
3) QB Sam Hollenbach. With the exception of a couple ill-advised runs, that led to fumbles, Hollenbach looked good for the third consecutive week. Sam went 20-31-291-2-0 for the game, stats that, in a vacuum, look like the stats of a winning QB. The lack of support from the running game has Hollenbach 1-2 as a starter this year. His season stats, however, are more indicative of a QB who could be 3-0.

And finally, a SPECIAL CON goes out to the Maryland student section. Maryland will never have a big-time football program until its students learn how to be big time football program fans. I took the picture below at the 10:41 mark in the fourth quarter, with the Terps down only two TD's at 21-6. Two minutes and 17 seconds later, the Hollenbach overthrew a receiver in the back of the endzone on a two point conversion attempt that would have tied the game. Pathetically, half the Maryland student never saw that furious comeback. Contrast that with the Notre Dame student section on Saturday. At the 5:37 mark of the 3rd quarter, MSU punted with a 21 point lead. The students were still there. At the 13:46 mark, MSU missed a FG with a two TD lead. The students were still there. The Terps student section bailed out after WVU scored its second TD of the 4th quarter, with nearly 11 minutes to go. That's only a two TD lead, but the fans abandoned the team. In the blink of an eye, the score was nearly tied. The students were not there. Pathetic.