This Week's Sights From Terpland: Clemson Edition

As most of you know, Saturday's 28-24 loss to Clemson was not a banner day for the Terps. That being the case, I remind all the Tigers fans of this before we go on:

After tailgating for a while near Comcast Center, home of our Terrapin men's and women's basketball teams, the wife and I took the long, uphill stroll to Byrd Stadium. Anyone who has attended the University of Maryland knows what I'm talking about. On the sprawling campus of countless buildings, quads, parks, and parking lots, there is nothing but long, uphill walks.

Inevitably, when parking in the northeast lots, one has to walk past Ellicott Hall, the dorm across the street from Byrd...my first dorm at the University. Goodness, I hated that place. With no A/C and mental ward-like dorm rooms, and a dumpster just under my window, the place was the definition of "first-year dorm." Only two things about Ellicott made it interesting: 1) it was interesting to see what new and smashed object lay outside the front doors every morning (a tradition was started where drunk residents would toss something out the windows of the top floors to see it smash into a million awesome pieces on the front steps...best thing I saw: the common room TV...best rumored victim: an entire soda machine), and 2) its proximity to live college football.


A cloudy start to the day quickly gave way to intense heat and an unrelenting sun. I promise I won't complain about this when we play BC in November.



Unlike when I was a student at the university between 1995 and 1997, the Maryland student body now comes out to games in force and in red.

Early on, the Terps controlled the game, pulling ahead of Cats 24-14 heading into the fourth quarter. The cheerleaders couldn't get ahold of themselves and flipped out at the possibility of a Terps victory against 25th ranked Clemson.


Unfortunately, five personal fouls called against the Terps defense proved their undoing, as Clemson took advantage of each. The Terp was none too happy with the referees' liberal use of the yellow flag against Maryland.


Clemson took the win, 28-24 and left the Terrapins stunned and demoralized. This coming Saturday promises another tough home game against the Mountaineers of West Virginia. Expect the Terps D to be better disciplined this time around. What could prove Maryland's undoing this coming weekend is not overzealousness on the defensive side of the ball, but the lack of a running game on the other. Until then, the coaches have time work on their game plans, and you have time relax...the season is still young and there is plenty more football to be played. The Terps are not out of it yet.