Maryland loss to Temple sends Terps into desperation mode
Well, that one could have gone better.
What was supposed to be the Terps’ comeback week, the game that showed the Maryland faithful that one tough loss to West Virginia wasn’t really all that bad, ended up being an utter 38-7 catastrophe.
I’m not too sure if the defensive line even showed up for Temple or if they just stayed at home and watched the game on TV. It wouldn’t have made any difference really. Bernard Pierce did nothing short of embarrass the Terps, exploding for five touchdowns and 149 yards, making the Maryland defense look like pee-wee players who were still learning how to put their pads on.
Normally I’m overly and unrealistically optimistic when it comes to my Terps. Even when they were down by 24 at one point to West Virginia, I had faith in Danny O’Brien and the 15th best passing offense in the nation. Despite giving up 37 in their loss to the Mountaineers, I still, for some unknown reason, had confidence that the turnover forcing defense we saw in the second half would be the one we would see all season. But perhaps my optimism was again a bit overreaching.
It wasn’t just that the Terps were bad against Temple, they were atrocious. It was the worst defensive effort from any college team I’ve seen in some time, and I’ve witnessed some serious doozies by Maryland. I’ve seen them lose to Middle Tennessee. Twice. But that disaster put on by the defense this weekend was on a level of its own.
While the defense is clearly going to have to take the brunt of the blame for the debacle that was the Temple game, there wasn’t a single positive note from the offense or even the special teams. O’Brien looked lost again, tossing for a rough 153 yards with a pick while completing just 17 of 33. The offensive line, which is actually normally one of the best in college football, (there’s the optimism again) couldn’t seem to figure out their assignments. O’Brien was sacked three times in the contest after not being taken down a single time in the first two games. The Terps’ rushing attack, which shocked the offense back into life against WVU, managed just 45 yards. And just when you thought it was bad enough there were the costly mistakes on special teams. For the first time in over a decade Maryland had a punt blocked. You know it’s bad when the best streak a program has is about punting, but it’s even worse when that streak gets broken and all you have is…nothing…except for a 1-2 record, a deflated fan base, and a laundry list of problems for Randy Edsall and the coaching staff to figure out, and quickly.
Next week’s game against Towson, yes Towson, actually has me nervous. I’ve seen them lose to some teams that were guaranteed, 100 percent wins. Like Middle Tennessee. And from what they looked like last week, there is absolutely no reason for me to feel some comfort because there is nothing good that can come from playing a team like Towson. Get a win and congratulations, you beat a horrible team that you should beat 100 out of 100 times. Lose and, well, there goes the season without a doubt. Fan base is gone, buzz about the jerseys and the season is out the window, and Randy Edsall would be in one hell of a recruiting spot.
In the meantime, how ‘bout them Ravens?
