Testudo Times - Maryland football plays Boston College in the Quick Lane Bowl - game updatesSB Nation's award-winning Maryland Terrapins sitehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50025/testudo-fav.png2017-01-11T15:36:34-05:00http://www.testudotimes.com/rss/stream/138392192017-01-11T15:36:34-05:002017-01-11T15:36:34-05:00Lorenzo Harrison, D.J. Turner cleared of criminal charges
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Purdue at Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/veevMRqDlzIQdo4G8dsbPhwkgcY=/0x0:2929x1953/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52463111/usa_today_9580752.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>They’ll return to the team for spring practice.</p> <p id="hSJudb"><em>Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Dec. 26 and updated the next day when the school ended the players’ suspensions.</em></p>
<p id="3deaAw">Maryland football’s Lorenzo Harrison and D.J. Turner have been cleared of all charges, the Prince George’s County state’s attorney’s office confirmed Wednesday.</p>
<p id="rGmR0S">Each player faced three counts of second-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of school molestation. The charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.</p>
<p id="HoE6K3">The school announced in December that both players “will rejoin the football program in full capacity when the team begins offseason workouts.”</p>
<p id="LzznmW">Harrison tweeted about it after the Terps’ Quick Lane Bowl loss to Boston College.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today's game was the last one I had to miss, see ya'll in Texas.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TerpNation?src=hash">#TerpNation</a></p>— Lorenzo Harrison III (@lolo_xxiii) <a href="https://twitter.com/lolo_xxiii/status/813541325484261381">December 27, 2016</a>
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<p id="70TMDN">Maryland opens next season on the road against Texas, and Harrison and Turner will now be eligible for this game.</p>
<p id="TKQH8H">Both Harrison and Turner were suspended indefinitely after they shot at pedestrians with airsoft guns while driving around campus. Each was charged with three counts of second-degree assault and reckless endangerment and one count of school molestation, which is when a student is threatened on university property.</p>
<p id="MW6CgQ">Each player missed the final four games of Maryland’s season.</p>
<p id="an2QiG">Harrison was 57 yards away from breaking Maryland’s freshman rushing record at the time of his suspension. He finishes the season with 633 yards on 88 carries. He averaged 7.2 yards per rush, good for 16th in the country. </p>
<p id="bSbv1W">Turner had two receptions for 19 yards on six targets. Both were in their true freshman season out of DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md.</p>
<p id="tLvgL1">Maryland played without them for the last four games of the season. The two figure to factor extensively in offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s plans for next season.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/12/26/14084852/lorenzo-harrison-dj-turner-suspension-tweets-clearedRyan ConnorsThomas Kendziora2016-12-29T12:42:26-05:002016-12-29T12:42:26-05:00Looking closer at Maryland’s Quick Lane Bowl loss to BC
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Quick Lane Bowl-Boston College vs Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Mqmei-BIfRoizGCfuEkIqQ7i6eE=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52510021/usa_today_9769302.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A film review of the Terps’ final game of 2016.</p> <p id="QwAI2a">Against Boston College in the Quick Lane Bowl, Maryland football was up against one of the best defenses — and worst offenses — college football has to offer.</p>
<p id="EvdnrU">The result? A weirdly disjointed game where the Terps were able to score quickly, but weren’t able to punch it into the end zone when they needed a score in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p id="9HeStn">Let’s look at each of Maryland’s scoring drives:</p>
<ul>
<li id="FFVpjr"><strong>3 plays, 75 yards — TD on a 62-yard Ty Johnson run</strong></li>
<li id="eDax1n"><strong>3 plays, 45 yards — TD on a 30-yard Ty Johnson run.</strong></li>
<li id="w8qmmr"><strong>2 plays, 78 yards -- TD on a 63-yard completion to Teldrick Morgan</strong></li>
<li id="qZFlvF"><strong>2 plays, 65 yards — TD on a 52-yard completion to Levern Jacobs</strong></li>
</ul>
<p id="6zmVFy">The latter two drives came in the first five minutes of the second half, and helped trim a 36-13 deficit to 36-27. These explosive plays are the single thing that brought Maryland back into the game.</p>
<p id="lzeYhH">When juxtaposed with Maryland’s other drives, it’s easy to see this offense’s shocking disparity in production. The Terps averaged 26.3 yards per play on those scoring drives. For the rest of the game, they averaged 1.6 yards per play. Next year, this team’s going to need to figure out how to raise its efficiency. A lot of that might have to do with quarterback play, and we’ll explore that another time.</p>
<p id="PT1ETY">Part of that can be attributed to a voracious Boston College defense. The Eagles entered the game as the No. 21 defense in the country, according to S&P+. The fact that Maryland scored 30 points against a team that gives up an average of 24.6 means the offense still kind of did its job.</p>
<h3 id="7DURqr">Maryland allowed 29 first-half points to Boston College. Uhhh, what?</h3>
<p id="kxMjjk">Boston College came into the Quick Lane Bowl having scored 30 or more points only twice against FBS opponents this season. The Eagles had the fourth-worst offense in the country, according to S&P+. Maryland’s defense certainly wasn’t good, but it had done a fine enough job against the other bad offenses it faced in 2016. </p>
<p id="69Ro7N">The Eagles then proceeded to score 23 points in the second quarter to take a 29-13 halftime lead. This can be traced back to three distinct causes:</p>
<ul>
<li id="2dxUdg">Maryland lost the field position battle by a lot/only had one yard of offense in the first quarter. The Terps started six of their eight first-half drives inside their own 30-yard line.</li>
<li id="RXXIJk">Maryland had three turnovers and Boston College had zero.</li>
<li id="NEUmF1">BC hit on a crucial 49-yard touchdown pass at the end of the first half. Maryland was playing press coverage on the outside with not much help over the top, for some reason, and JC Jackson got burned. </li>
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<img alt="JC Jackson" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/W6a-9EOOFXHNhIYC2s2K2nvQC3g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7712063/bctd.gif">
<cite>Via ESPN</cite>
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<p id="kb8qQ8">Towles made a perfect throw, to be sure, but Maryland really shouldn’t have been in this position in the first place.</p>
<p id="ooGSV5">But to Andy Buh and DJ Durkin’s credit, the defense bounced back in the second half. The Terps didn’t let the Eagles score an offensive touchdown, and kept them to 110 total yards (3.2 per play) after halftime.</p>
<h3 id="octFjK">The offensive line was leaky against the pass, but good enough against the run.</h3>
<p id="xn4mWl">Maryland’s big men up front had their hands full with one of the best defensive lines in the country. </p>
<p id="hrYOjh">The Terps allowed seven sacks, but that wasn’t it. BC was able to knife right through Maryland’s line to get into the backfield untouched on several plays, including this fumble the Eagles recovered for a touchdown.</p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QzdVIXgPFynrfuPDADpyd8OxIkk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7704633/hillsfumble.gif">
<cite>Via ESPN</cite>
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<p id="00scrZ">It looked on this play like Damian Prince was supposed to have the block, filling in for a pulling Terrance Davis, but Noa Merritt got right past him and swallowed Hills and Johnson at the same time.</p>
<h3 id="Z3wq5J">Sacks:</h3>
<ul>
<li id="uVtwUD">
<strong>No. 1: </strong>Ray Smith got around Terrance Davis, who was part of a double team. </li>
<li id="HckwCN">
<strong>No. 2:</strong> Miscommunication on a stunt. BC’s Zach Allen got around Brendan Moore, who expected Davis to be there. Except Davis followed his man inside, so Allen had a free lane to Hills.</li>
<li id="O6Z0Kb">
<strong>No. 3:</strong> Ty Johnson whiffed on blitzing linebacker Matt Milano, but it might not have mattered. Connor Strachan got right by Moore and was hot on Milano’s heels.</li>
<li id="IEkMFu">
<strong>No. 4:</strong> Kevin Kovalek put a swim move on tight end Derrick Hayward, then bull rushed Johnson, getting to Hills and forcing a fumble. It’s tough to put too much of the blame on Johnson here, because a running back isn’t going to have too much of a chance against a defensive end one-on-one. This led to a BC field goal.</li>
<li id="mtJolr">
<strong>No. 5:</strong> Harold Landry lined up right over Moore and blazed right past him to force Hills to step up in the pocket, right into a couple waiting Eagle linemen.</li>
<li id="0mxvHN">
<strong>No. 6:</strong> Zach Allen bulldozed tight end Derrick Hayward and Johnson missed his block in the backfield, giving the Eagles’ defensive end an easy route to take Hills down.</li>
<li id="l4At82">
<strong>No. 7:</strong> Damian Prince was one-on-one against Landry, who got right past him as Maryland ran some play-action.</li>
<li id="YyfJnR">
<strong>No. 8:</strong> On Maryland’s last play of the game, Landry sped around right tackle Damian Prince to take down Hills, who didn’t sense him.</li>
</ul>
<p id="55iN7O">But enough with the bad news. The good news is those same linemen helped Johnson have a big day. On his 62-yard touchdown run, Prince and Davis opened a lane for him beautifully.</p>
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<img alt="Ty Johnson Quick Lane bowl" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/90ji5AFRLTL9WiNcfg2tYSAiado=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7704213/ty_johnson.gif">
<cite>Via ESPN</cite>
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<p id="VH3q7t">Against a defensive line as good as BC’s, that’s is as good as it’s going to get.</p>
<p id="LhqJOM"><strong>Ty Johnson had 159 yards rushing. He didn’t carry the ball in the game’s final seven minutes. </strong></p>
<p id="lljTPn">On the surface, this is a statement worth yelling about. But upon further investigation, it’s actually a fairly defensible thing. Well, at least 75 percent defensible. I think.</p>
<p id="ybFHFF">In the Terps’ famed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/26/14084350/maryland-boston-college-quick-lane-bowl-2016-final-score-results">10 plays after getting to the BC two-yard line</a>, they had Wes Brown and Kenneth Goins Jr. in as running backs. Each is bigger and better than Johnson in short-yardage situations. Johnson the big-play threat. They didn’t need a big play there.</p>
<p id="SFGxXf">BC’s run defense is really, really good. I’m guessing Bell didn’t want to run right into the teeth of that, so he tried to go around it. And on the Terps’ final drive, they were passing because they had almost no time. They’d broken as many big pass plays as they had run plays, and it’s very possible that BC would have stuffed any run play Maryland would have called. But yes, it seems silly not to at least <em>try </em>to give Johnson the chance to break one loose.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/12/29/14097282/quick-lane-bowl-boston-college-game-statsRyan Connors2016-12-26T19:35:54-05:002016-12-26T19:35:54-05:00The boring Quick Lane Bowl turned out to be awesome
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Quick Lane Bowl-Boston College vs Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2hUh20EHnpmcmHC-CvM1gtIMFNs=/0x107:2145x1537/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52462177/usa_today_9769277.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Maryland and Boston College aren’t supposed to be this much fun.</p> <p id="6YdHdx">The Quick Lane Bowl matched up two opponents no impartial fan cared much about. Maryland and Boston College came into the game as unexciting 6-6 teams, and looked to offer nothing more than a relatively low-scoring contest between two boring teams.</p>
<p id="COZ1pB">It didn’t turn out that way at all.</p>
<p id="FB16Gr">The two teams combined for 66 total points, nine touchdowns, and six turnovers in an outrageous turn of events between two of the lowest-rated teams involved in this bowl season.</p>
<p id="8pkkqa">In the beginning, this game was looking like the clunker everyone feared it would be. Maryland had one total yard of offense in the first quarter before finally showing some signs of life in the second.</p>
<h3 id="uDo0FT">This looked over in the first half.</h3>
<p id="8G2ra8">Most of those signs of life were sponsored by Ty Johnson. The Terps’ sophomore running back got them on the board with a 62-yard touchdown, and would finish with 159 yards on the day.</p>
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<img alt="Ty Johnson Quick Lane bowl" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/90ji5AFRLTL9WiNcfg2tYSAiado=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7704213/ty_johnson.gif">
<cite>Via ESPN</cite>
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<p id="TgU85M">Another Johnson score off a read-option from Perry Hills made it a 23-13 game, but BC quarterback Brian Towles hit receiver Michael Walker before halftime to deflate Maryland fans and make it 29-13 going into the break. </p>
<h3 id="zlE7ov">Then it looked over again in the third quarter.</h3>
<p id="4N7ZU9">One play into their first drive of the second half, the Terps looked doomed.</p>
<p id="tpaYXW">BC’s Noa Merritt got in Maryland’s backfield unblocked (a common occurrence on Monday) and got to Hills before he could even hand the ball off to Ty Johnson. Kevin Kavalec recovered it in the end zone. All of a sudden the Terps were facing a 36-13 deficit, and they hadn’t done much to think they’d make a run. </p>
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<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QzdVIXgPFynrfuPDADpyd8OxIkk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7704633/hillsfumble.gif">
<cite>Via ESPN</cite>
</figure>
<p id="G0WYC2">But they did, just two plays later. This was some insanity.</p>
<p id="NOvmxJ">Perry Hills hasn’t been great at throwing the deep ball all season. So he promptly completed two passes of 50-plus yards to get his team in prime comeback mode.</p>
<p id="bL71Lg">Hills hit Teldrick Morgan for a 62-yard touchdown. After BC stalled, he connected with Levern Jacobs for a 52-yard score. All of a sudden it was a 36-27 game. And there were still 25 minutes of game time left.</p>
<p id="aepwk5">Everyone started loving a game they were supposed to be making fun of.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center" data-conversation="none">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE QUICK LANE BOWL IS WHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL EXISTS</p>— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomFornelli/status/813517383616827397">December 26, 2016</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Quick Lane Bowl is wild drunk.</p>— SB Nation (@SBNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBNation/status/813519318298296320">December 26, 2016</a>
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<h3 id="HGVeKR">Maryland kept it just close enough, but had some costly errors.</h3>
<p id="5y4NBa">If you’re a Maryland fan (and you’re reading this site, so you probably are), this last part’s gonna hurt.</p>
<p id="XmfmJD">The end of this game was completely bonkers. This was a Maryland fourth-down conversion attempt gone totally wrong, then maybe right, then definitely short.</p>
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<img alt="Kenneth Goins" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p0UE6BoWPra3Ea8DpVyx74GQ_aQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7704609/hillsgoins.gif">
<cite>Via ESPN</cite>
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<p id="ojO5TC">It didn’t end up mattering, because with nine minutes left in the game, Darnell Savage picked off a pass tipped by Jesse Aniebonam to give the Terps prime field position.</p>
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<img alt="Darnell Savage Quick Lane Bowl" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/agmGwB0GkJ4IGKSFax_aTr3Vebs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7704575/savageintbc.gif">
<cite>Via ESPN</cite>
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<p id="XKzeKR">This helped Maryland get the ball all the way to the Boston College two-yard line, but they would not score. The Terps caught a break with a defensive facemask call and got to the goal line again, but <em>did not score</em>. That seems impossible. Maybe in a normal game, but this was the Quick Lane Bowl.</p>
<p id="mP7I5L">When it seemed like a one-yard Wes Brown run got the Terps to the BC one-yard line, a holding call brought them back. A two-yard run inched them forward. Then a sack brought them even further back. Another holding call on a scramble set up a third-and-goal from the BC 27. Then a sack ended things.</p>
<p id="t1bFXZ">Except it didn’t. </p>
<p id="PY8dQc">A pretty clear facemask by BC’s Zach Allen gave Maryland an automatic first down. A 12-yard D.J. Moore end around got the Terps to the BC one-yard line. Just when his team was knocking the door, Hills fumbled and BC recovered, seemingly ending the best chance Maryland would have all day.</p>
<p id="y45kMT">Except, somehow, it didn’t.</p>
<p id="xfvlKX">Three plays later, Boston College FUMBLED THE BALL RIGHT BACK. This was an eventful turn worthy of the zaniness that proceeded it. </p>
<p id="esQJ8C">Maryland took over on the BC five-yard line and threw three head-scratching incompletions, electing not to give the ball to Johnson, who wouldn’t get another touch in the final seven minutes. An Adam Greene field goal made it 36-30, but that’s as close as it would get.</p>
<p id="eUEOrD">Maryland, somewhat inexplicably, called four straight pass plays on its final drive. The last ended in a sack, BC’s eighth of the day. It was an anticlimactic end, but what came right before it was enough to leave everyone breathless.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/12/26/14083522/quick-lane-bowl-boston-college-game-stats-final-scoreRyan Connors2016-12-26T18:24:25-05:002016-12-26T18:24:25-05:00Maryland loses to BC, 36-30, in an outrageous Quick Lane Bowl
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Quick Lane Bowl-Boston College vs Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_Jm8bUepAVNOmL5HhVEzPerzQAs=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52461783/usa_today_9769298.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Terps couldn’t complete an insane second-half comeback.</p> <p id="XmxzY6">Maryland football capped its 2016 season Monday with a 36-30 loss to Boston College in the Quick Lane Bowl.</p>
<p id="V3XC0q">In an unexpectedly wild game, the Terps fell behind early but fought their way back. They faced deficits of 16-0 and 36-13, but cut it all all the way down to a six-point game before falling short on the final drive.</p>
<p id="fkPJAV">Maryland shot itself in the foot just a couple times too many. The Terps committed four turnovers, allowed eight BC sacks and were scorched too frequently early in the proceedings.</p>
<p id="a5fqLh">The Boston College offense, which averaged just 19 points per game in the regular season, put up 29 in the first half. The Eagles were consistently gifted with strong field position (starting at their own 48, on average) and capitalized. However, Maryland clamped down in the second half, holding BC scoreless after a defensive touchdown at the start of the third quarter.</p>
<p id="ZtYN1p">The Terps needed big plays to stay in the game, and they got them. First, it was Ty Johnson on the ground. Then it was bombs to Teldrick Morgan and Levern Jacobs. But Maryland couldn’t move the ball in the final minutes.</p>
<p id="19m1pn">Perry Hills ended his Maryland career with a fittingly up-and-down game. The senior turned it over four times, but energized the team with some explosive gains. He completed 15 of his 35 passes for 229 yards and two scores.</p>
<p id="5FiYfL">Maryland couldn’t get anything going early on. The Terps had one singular yard of offense in the opening quarter and punted on their first four drives, a streak that ended with a strip-sack of Hills deep in their own territory.</p>
<p id="wLi9LM">Jon Hilliman’s one-yard touchdown rush started the scoring, but Maryland blocked the extra point to hold the score at 6-0. The Eagles scored again early in the second quarter, as tight end Tommy Sweeney was completely abandoned in the end zone. The margin reached 16 on a short field goal that was set up by Hills’ fumble.</p>
<p id="aBblx7">The Maryland offense—read: Ty Johnson—came alive in the second quarter. The sophomore broke free for a 62-yard run that put the Terps on the board, and he followed it up with a 30-yard score on Maryland’s next possession.</p>
<p id="pL4vH8">But BC kept pace, its chronically sluggish offense decimating the Terps. A trick-play touchdown pass from wideout Jeff Smith to quarterback Patrick Towles occurred between Johnson’s two big runs, and the Eagles ended the half by zipping 70 yards in just two plays to take a 29-13 lead (with two missed extra points) into the locker room.</p>
<p id="G2tZjv">The fireworks continued early in the second half. The Terps forced a three-and-out to start, but BC pinned Maryland deep, forced another Hills fumble and scooped it up on the goal line for a touchdown. Hills and Teldrick Morgan responded with a 63-yard score just two plays later, and a Hills-to-Levern Jacobs deep ball on the next Maryland possession made it 36-27 with only five minutes elapsed in the third quarter. </p>
<p id="htgXlx">Things settled down for a quarter and a half before getting wild again. Darnell Savage gave Maryland a chance by returning an interception to the BC 17. The Terps followed with an absolutely bizarre, five-minute, nine-play, 15-yard drive that ended with a botched snap near the goal line. BC took over with four minutes left but fumbled it right back, setting up an Adam Greene field goal with 2:55 remaining.</p>
<p id="6kdVw7">Maryland forced a three-and-out on the following possession and got the ball back with just under two minutes remaining. But three incomplete passes and a fourth-down sack ended it.</p>
<h3 id="zMaFVb">Three things to know</h3>
<p id="8XXkJL"><strong>1. The Quick Lane Bowl was actually really exciting.</strong> Neither Maryland nor Boston College is known for playing an exciting brand of football, and the over/under for this game was 44. Sixty-six points were scored in Detroit, with five plays of over 40 yards. Just in case you thought college football was predictable.</p>
<p id="9rrRCJ"><strong>2. Ty Johnson is a treasure.</strong> When the Terps’ offense looked dead, Johnson brought it to life. His 62-yard scamper in the first half was his 10th play of at least 40 yards this year. With his 159-yard performance Saturday, the sophomore finishes the season with over 1,000 yards on the ground. He figures to be the centerpiece of the offense next season.</p>
<p id="191GIy"><strong>3. Next year begins now.</strong> A 6-7 record in DJ Durkin’s first season is obviously not the destination, but it’s not a bad place for Maryland to be right now. Eight months sit between the Terps and the season-opening visit to Texas, and there’s reason to believe Durkin will make the most of that time.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/12/26/14082982/quick-lane-bowl-final-score-boston-college-bc-stats-game-boxThomas Kendziora2016-12-26T13:35:56-05:002016-12-26T13:35:56-05:00GameThread: Quick Lane Bowl
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-zRxhmdwqFsOzcaP_36cUIMRH48=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52459615/usa-today-9655291.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps and the Eagles are both looking to finish at 7-6. Only one of them will.</p> <p>The most important day of the year has arrived.</p>
<p>That's right. It's Quick Lane Bowl day.</p>
<p>Maryland and Boston College are facing off at 2:30 on ESPN to determine which team will finish above .500 after a dismal 2015 campaign and which has to go home saddened by a missed opportunity.</p>
<p>This is the second game on a day that<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/22/14054336/december-26-college-football-bowl-game-schedule-2016"> does not feature an above-.500 team</a>. Miami and Mississippi State are concluding play now, and N.C. State and Vanderbilt in action later. Should be fun.</p>
<p>Here's our big preview of the game, where you can <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/12/25/14065948/quick-lane-bowl-boston-college-preview-game-stats">get to know as much as you'll ever want to about Boston College football</a>. This might not be the best game you'll watch today, but it just might be the closest. So that's at least something.</p>
<p>Here are Maryland's digs for the game. Personally I thought they'd have something a little more crazy, but this is fine:</p>
<p><script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">What's black and white with PRIDE all over!?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OurArmour?src=hash">#OurArmour</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeatBC?src=hash">#BeatBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/5mvRYwcPvU">pic.twitter.com/5mvRYwcPvU</a></p>— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/TerpsFootball/status/813424125725315077">December 26, 2016</a> </blockquote>
<p>Be sure to follow along <a href="http://twitter.com/testudotimes">@testudotimes</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ryanconnors_">@ryanconnors_</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/mellentuck">@tkendziora37</a> for GIFs, commentary and updates throughout. Have fun :)</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2016/12/26/14081354/quick-lane-bowl-gamethread-maryland-football-vs-boston-collegeRyan Connors2016-12-24T10:32:30-05:002016-12-24T10:32:30-05:00BC Interruption previews Maryland-Boston College
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Boston College at Wake Forest" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cLV5NbFyv_qk-UtcUyJNhfDpE-g=/0x0:4970x3313/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52448199/usa_today_9706856.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Get to know the Eagles a little better.</p> <p id="DQK0rC">Just like Christmas, the Quick Lane Bowl is rapidly approaching, and we here at Testudo Times are scrambling to prepare. The Terps play Boston College at 2:30 p.m. Monday on ESPN. The game is in Detroit, but we can all watch from somewhere warm.</p>
<p id="aRupQw">To get to know the Eagles a little better, we brought in A.J. Black from our SB Nation friends at BC Interruption. Thanks to A.J. for taking the time. You can check out our corresponding Q&A <a href="http://www.bcinterruption.com/2016/12/23/14069780/quick-lane-bowl-preview-maryland-boston-college-perry-hills">here</a>.</p>
<p id="dTOSZW"><em>Testudo Times: BC turned 3-9 into 6-6 just like Maryland. What went right for the Eagles this season?</em></p>
<p id="MCunnk"><strong>BC Interruption:</strong> This sounds kind of Negative Nancy here but I'm going to say the reason BC won 6 games is because of the schedule they created. Putting together an out of conference schedule of Buffalo, UMass, UConn and Wagner is not exactly a murderer's row and even the weakest P5 teams can win those games. That being said the defense did a nice job against NC State and Wake Forest, and Patrick Towles and the offense did just enough to win those games. </p>
<p id="U6UXTA"><em>TT: The stats show that BC's defense is one of the nation's best, while the offense is one of the worst. What does the team do best on the defensive side and wrong when it has the ball?</em></p>
<p id="eH3TIb"><strong>BCI:</strong> I am one of those who believe the defensive stats are a bit misleading. As I said before those six games BC won, the defense played really well, but against the elite ACC teams they got steamrolled averaging almost 50 points a game allowed. I think they are a good defense, just not elite. Harold Landry, BC's All-ACC defensive end, is a beast, and probably will be on an NFL team in the next year or two. They have some talent as well in the linebacking corps, as Matt Milano, Connor Strachan and Ty Schwab make up a good [trio], specifically against the run. Secondary isn't bad, they made some big plays this year (sealing wins against both NC State/Wake Forest with game ending INTs), but they are prone to mistakes both in terms of penalties and allowing big plays. </p>
<p id="4fIgo5"><em>TT: The Eagles seem to have a deep backfield, with plenty of players getting carries but no stars. Who's the one guy Terps fans should watch out for?</em></p>
<p id="HqJrXD"><strong>BCI:</strong> If you asked me this question at the beginning of the year I would have said 4-star running back, red shirt sophomore Jon Hilliman. But he just doesn't seem right this year, and may still be recovering from a devastating year end injury that derailed his 2015 campaign. Now I would say to watch out for red shirt freshman Davon Jones. He seems to be the running back Steve Addazio trusts the most, and is the most consistent of the group. He has a decent burst, and can shed tackles, but when BC relies to heavily on the run defenses tee off on him. </p>
<p id="MxHTix"><em>TT: Similarly, who's going to be the key player on defense?</em></p>
<p id="0JEaWg"><strong>BCI:</strong> As mentioned before I would say Harold Landry. He led the ACC with 15 sacks this year, and made plays against good teams and poor teams. If Maryland wants to move the ball, containing Landry is going to have to be the priority. </p>
<p id="zlWiAB"><em>TT: What would it mean for this program to end the year with a win and a 7-6 record?</em></p>
<p id="OPR4Mo"><strong>BCI:</strong> For the team itself it would be huge, as Addazio had said that he wanted to make this team bowl eligible and win that bowl. The Eagles haven't won a bowl game in 9 years, so it would mean a lot to the team not only in the locker room but on the recruiting trail as well. Recruits are noticing that BC has turned themselves around, and coupling that with a new indoor practice facility that will be built soon, and Addazio should have some momentum heading into the offseason. For fans, this doesn't mean all that much, we watched the team play painfully inconsistent all season, and need to see Addazio and Co. put together a full season with a functional offense before we buy in again.</p>
<p id="NARQa3"><em>TT: Complete this sentence: _____ will win because ______.</em></p>
<p id="hx3wG3"><strong>BCI:</strong> Boston College will win because their defense will hold Maryland in check and BC's offense will do just enough to win an ugly ugly game.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/12/24/14070486/quick-lane-bowl-boston-college-previewThomas Kendziora2016-12-23T10:53:01-05:002016-12-23T10:53:01-05:00MM 12.23: Maryland is a 2.5-point favorite against Boston College
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Boston College at Wake Forest" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n1t3kwgVpe9C8G_Uyn8nfMWj7Zk=/0x291:1932x1579/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52439795/usa_today_9706833.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is the Maryland Minute, a short story followed by a roundup of Terps-related news.</p> <p id="tHWu7G">Maryland football’s Quick Lane Bowl matchup against Boston College has always looked like an evenly matched game, but Vegas is still giving a slight edge to the Terps.</p>
<p id="sge8wc">The Terps opened as one-point underdogs, and but now they’re favored by 2.5, <a href="http://www.oddsshark.com/ncaaf/maryland-boston-college-odds-december-26-2016-750155">according to Oddsshark</a>.</p>
<p id="Z1knRH">Both teams finished the season with 6-6 records, and Boston College is only one spot behind Maryland in S&P+ at No. 88. S&P+ says each team has a 50 percent chance of winning and gives Maryland the edge by 0.1 points.</p>
<p id="8tw3nH">The game’s over-under is 45, which isn’t particularly high, or shocking. Neither team possesses a high-powered offense, so we could be in for a low-scoring affair. </p>
<p id="fH3gn3">The Terps take on the Eagles on Dec. 26 at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich.</p>
<h3 id="3NxgdA">In other news</h3>
<p id="4UZGf2">Duke’s Grayson Allen <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/12/22/14053134/grayson-allen-suspended-indefinitely-duke-tripping-elon">got suspended</a> for his third tripping incident.</p>
<p id="zFW9Gk">Tiger Woods<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2016/12/22/14063560/tiger-woods-naked-santa-tweet-nips"> tweeted this weird picture </a>of him as “Mac Daddy Santa” and it was weird.</p>
<p id="uWXJop">The Idaho Potato Bowl had really <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/22/14066438/famous-idaho-potato-bowl-ridiculous-potato-ads">fun/odd commercials</a>.</p>
<p id="3JsreH">Today’s bowl action: Eastern Michigan vs. Old Dominion in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/23/13982886/old-dominion-eastern-michigan-bahamas-bowl-time-tv-schedule-online-streaming-2016">Bahamas Bowl</a>, Ohio vs. Troy in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/23/13979480/troy-ohio-dollar-general-bowl-time-tv-schedule-online-streaming-2016">Dollar General Bowl</a> and Louisiana Tech vs. Navy in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/23/13982886/old-dominion-eastern-michigan-bahamas-bowl-time-tv-schedule-online-streaming-2016">Armed Forces Bowl</a>.</p>
<p id="DlVJMh">SB Nation’s Jason Kirk says Monday (when Maryland plays in the Quick Lane Bowl) has the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/22/14054336/december-26-college-football-bowl-game-schedule-2016">worst bowl schedule of any day ever</a>.</p>
<p id="GpwDvW">Enjoy your weekend! We’ll have more Quick Lane Bowl coverage headed your way in the next two days.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/12/23/14055998/quick-lane-bowl-spread-boston-collegeRyan Connors2016-12-19T11:45:57-05:002016-12-19T11:45:57-05:00MM 12.19: Maryland football carpool karaoke
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QujSkmPy-SSQ5ftQ1DOZiYyBm9o=/114x0:914x533/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52357837/Screen_Shot_2016-12-19_at_11.27.38_AM.0.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>This is the Maryland Minute, a short story followed by a roundup of Terps-related news.</p> <p id="aUJFeN">Maryland football is headed to the Quick Lane Bowl, and with the semester coming to an end, players have a little more time to do fun things, like show their appreciation for Detroit music.</p>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The best thing you will see all weekend!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Road2Detroit?src=hash">#Road2Detroit</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeatBC?src=hash">#BeatBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/ez7lVghKi1">https://t.co/ez7lVghKi1</a></p>
— Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) <a href="https://twitter.com/umterps/status/809816734987272192">December 16, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<p id="WiwaCO">They hit all the applicable notes.</p>
<p id="U5VmbP">Eminem's "Lose Yourself":</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lj4E6FEZxJDo86dl24j51P23jl0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7670821/Screen_Shot_2016_12_19_at_11.05.01_AM.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>"Ain't No Mountain High Enough":</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ElOWT6rZ8GnJqdJHZcMxDe_eoM0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7670989/Screen_Shot_2016-12-19_at_11.27.38_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>KISS:</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/b1p22ppRd_YDwltREIxMlm2iZuA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7670779/Screen_Shot_2016_12_19_at_11.02.15_AM.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>Good fun.</p>
<h3>In other news</h3>
<p>We're a bit starved for news these days. Here's what happened over the weekend:</p>
<p>Three-star linebacker Kofi Wardlow <a target="_blank" href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football-recruiting/2016/12/17/13995040/kofi-wardlow-commits-st-johns">committed to Maryland</a>.</p>
<p>Junior college linebacker Nick Underwood<a target="_blank" href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football-recruiting/2016/12/17/13994220/nick-underwood-signs-commits-signs"> signed with Maryland</a>, making his previous commitment official.</p>
<p>Bowl season is finally underway. Here's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/18/13996970/san-diego-state-football-bowl-game-scores-2016">what happened on Saturday</a>. Today gives us the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/19/13941834/tulsa-central-michigan-miami-beach-bowl-time-tv-schedule-online-streaming-2016/in/13602131">Miami Beach Bowl </a>at 2:30 on ESPN.</p>
<p>Here's Bill Connelly on why the Big Ten <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/12/19/14004990/college-football-conference-rankings-2016-sec-big-ten-acc">isn't the nation's best conference</a>.</p>
<p>Kentucky's Malik Monk is really fun to watch. Ricky O'Donnell says he's Kentucky's <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/12/19/13999346/malik-monk-47-points-kentucky-nba-draft-freshman">best freshman scorer ever</a>, and he has numbers to back that up.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/12/19/14007012/quick-lane-bowl-carpool-karaokeRyan Connors