Testudo Times - Maryland vs. Bowling Green 2015 game updatesSB Nation's award-winning Maryland Terrapins sitehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50025/testudo-fav.png2015-09-19T09:00:06-04:00http://www.testudotimes.com/rss/stream/90406942015-09-19T09:00:06-04:002015-09-19T09:00:06-04:00Maryland paid $400,000 to lose to BGSU
<figure>
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<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>As part of a three-game series, Maryland will pay $800,000 in guarantees and collect $150,000 for a road game. </p> <p>The University of Maryland athletic department agreed to pay Bowling Green a $400,000 guarantee to play the Terrapins at Byrd Stadium on Sept. 12, according to contract documents provided by Bowling Green through an Ohio public records request. The Falcons beat Maryland, 48-27, in the first meeting of a three-game series outlined under a contract first signed in 2007. Paying smaller schools to travel (and presumably lose) is common practice for power programs.</p>
<p>Maryland will also play Bowling Green in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, Bowling Green will host Maryland and pay the Terrapins a $150,000 guarantee. In 2019, the Falcons will return to Byrd Stadium and collect another $400,000. In total, for the three games between this year and 2018, Maryland will pay out $800,000, making for a net guarantee cost of $650,000.</p>
<p>In 2007, under former athletic director Debbie Yow, Maryland had agreed with Bowling Green on a three-game series between 2010 and 2015, with this year's game being the capper. But records say the series was officially pushed back in 2011, after Maryland's administration had shifted to new athletic director Kevin Anderson.</p>
<p>According to the documents, Maryland was originally to pay Bowling Green guarantees of $325,000 for each visit to College Park, but those figures were raised to $400,000 later. Maryland's $150,000 road game guarantee is unchanged.</p>
<p>An addendum to the 2007 contract, finalized in 2011, bears the signatures of Anderson and former BGSU athletic director Greg Christopher. There are some other interesting items in the contract, too, especially for those of us not used to seeing what the paperwork between college athletic departments look like. Among them:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span>Maryland gave Bowling Green an even 400 complimentary tickets, plus a sales allotment of 2,000. If amounts of those tickets remained unsold within certain times from game day, they were to be returned. (No word on if this actually happened.) </span></li>
<li><span>Each team was allowed 50 sideline passes.</span></li>
<li><span>Maryland agreed to give Bowling Green a CPA-audited "game report" by February, though it's not clear what revenue-sharing purpose this might hold. The contract indicates Maryland will not pay Bowling Green any cut of the game's ticket sales. </span></li>
<li><span>Either party would have paid a $500,000 penalty for no-showing for the game.</span></li>
<li><span>The entire series contract fits to an ACC letterform, suggesting Maryland's deals with other schools are (or were) similar in scope and structure, if not in financial detail. </span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Contract specifics notwithstanding, t</span>he business being done between Maryland and Bowling Green is not abnormal in major college football. In fact, Maryland's paying out a lot less than some of the sport's biggest programs early this season</p>
<p><a href="LINK%20LINK%20LINK" target="new"> </a></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<a href="LINK%20LINK%20LINK" target="new"></a><br>
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="LINK%20LINK%20LINK" target="new">Pay for play guarantee college FB games tomorrow, in order of payout </a><a href="http://t.co/4329AGuCXC">pic.twitter.com/4329AGuCXC</a></p>
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) <a href="https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/640010921163784192">September 5, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>Just a week before it took $400,000 from Maryland, Bowling Green earned $1.2 million to lose, 59-30, at Tennessee.</p>
<p>On some level, Maryland's payment to Bowling Green is actually a pittance. Plenty of other schools not known for being football giants have paid out higher sums: Pitt and Texas Tech respectively spent $420,000 and $450,000 to cruise past Youngstown State and Sam Houston State in their season openers this fall. On opening weekend in 2014, teams <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11430182/college-football-teams-paying-opponents-least-128m-combined-weekend" target="_blank">spent at least $12.9 million </a>in guarantees.</p>
<p>Maryland may have been able to schedule Bowling Green at a cut rate (33 percent of what the Falcons earned to play Tennessee) by agreeing to a three-game slate. It is likely Maryland further lowered its costs by agreeing to travel to Bowling Green for its own six-figure (albeit smaller) payout in 2018.</p>
<p>How much Maryland makes in revenues to host a team like Bowling Green isn't certain. It's likely well more than $400,000, but how high that figure goes depends heavily on ticket sales and concession revenue. Attendance was announced at 36,332 for the Sept. 12 game. Byrd Stadium's football capacity is just under 52,000.</p>
<p>At least in the Big Ten, the paycheck game practice will decline a bit when league commissioner Jim Delany <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fncaaf%2Fbigten%2F2015%2F07%2F31%2Fbig-ten-schedule-nine-league-games-no-fcs-teams-2016%2F30938987%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.testudotimes.com%2F2015%2F9%2F19%2F9340219%2Fmaryland-bowling-green-football-game-contract-2015" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">institutes a ban starting next year</a> on the scheduling of FCS opponents, except those already contracted to play Big Ten teams. That means Maryland, for instance, will still play Howard and Towson in the next two years. The league will also begin to play a nine-game conference schedule, eliminating one payout game from the current format.</p>
<p>It can't be stressed enough that most documents of this nature between public institutions are public record and subject to state and federal open-records laws. Consistent with this point, you can file for records with Maryland <a href="http://umd.edu/pia/">here</a>.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/19/9340219/maryland-bowling-green-football-game-contract-2015Alex Kirshner2015-09-15T12:00:06-04:002015-09-15T12:00:06-04:00TT Podcast #11: Welp
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<img alt="Maryland's next coach? " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j6-4jidN0GqrKIq3qZxa07jNf7Y=/0x0:2082x1388/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47188134/usa-today-8795724.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Maryland's next coach? | Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Maryland lost to a MAC team! We tried not to cry about it. </p> <p>Pete Volk, Alex Kirshner and I discuss and cry a little over Maryland's shocking home defeat to Bowling Green, have more QB conversations and then deep dive into potential Randy Edsall replacements because it puts us in a happy place. It's a good coping mechanism. We also tried to preview USF, too. Hopefully, next week's podcast will be a happier occasion. Make sure to rate and subscribe on iTunes and Soundcloud! <iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/223914021&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true"></iframe></p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/15/9328019/testudo-times-podcast-11-maryland-footballMatt Lichtenstadter2015-09-15T09:00:04-04:002015-09-15T09:00:04-04:00Why Maryland was forced to switch QBs
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wFEpJUtkyZ9SU5bJqI8a716M6IM=/0x0:4993x3329/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47181658/usa-today-8795710.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Another poor passing performance for the Terps leads to a blowout loss. That and other notes from charting Maryland's humiliating defeat.</p> <p><i>Welcome back to the Maryland post-game report, where we're all turtles on our backs, kicking our feet in the air.</i></p>
<p>Maryland was very bad on Saturday, in large part due to its unwillingness to run the ball against a team that couldn't run the ball. Instead, the Terps chose to throw the ball 30 times with Perry Hills. Caleb Rowe <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/14/9324121/caleb-rowe-maryland-football-perry-hills-quarteback">will start at quarterback against South Florida</a>, as Hills's poor performances in his two starts sent him tumbling off the two-deep.</p>
<p>We've already talked at length about <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/13/9316225/maryland-bowling-green-football-tire-fire-burn-it-all">Maryland's bad gameplan against the Falcons</a>. Let's take a closer look at those passes!</p>
<p>Hills threw two balls away, so those aren't included (that's why he's listed at 15/28 instead of 15/30).</p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" dir="ltr" border="1">
<colgroup> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> </colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Perry Hills"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]"><b>Perry Hills</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Left"]'><b>Left</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Middle"]'><b>Middle</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Right"]'><b>Right</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"All"]'><b>All</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"15+ yards"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]"><b>15+ yards</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"0/2"]'>0/2</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"2/3, 64 yards, 2 TDs"]'>2/3, 64 yards, 2 TDs</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"0/1"]'>0/1</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"2/6, 64 yards, 2 TDs"]'>2/6, 64 yards, 2 TDs</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"10-14 yards"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]"><b>10-14 yards</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"1/2, 14 yards"]'>1/2, 14 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"1/1, 12 yards"]'>1/1, 12 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"0/0"]'>0/0</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"2/3, 26 yards"]'>2/3, 26 yards</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"5-9 yards"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]"><b>5-9 yards</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"1/4, 24 yards"]'>1/4, 24 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"0/0"]'>0/0</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"4/5, 45 yards"]'>4/5, 45 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"5/9, 69 yards"]'>5/9, 69 yards</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"0-4 yards"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]"><b>0-4 yards</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"1/2, 7 yards"]'>1/2, 7 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"0/0"]'>0/0</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"1/2, 1 yard"]'>1/2, 1 yard</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"2/4, 8 yards"]'>2/4, 8 yards</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Less than 0 yards"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]"><b>Less than 0 yards</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"1/1, -7 yards"]'>1/1, -7 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"2/3, 5 yards"]'>2/3, 5 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"1/2, 3 yards"]'>1/2, 3 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"4/6, 1 yard"]'>4/6, 1 yard</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"All"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]"><b>All</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"4/11, 38 yards"]'>4/11, 38 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"5/7, 81 yards, 2 TDs"]'>5/7, 81 yards, 2 TDs</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"6/10, 49 yards"]'>6/10, 49 yards</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"15/28, 168 yards"]'>15/28, 168 yards</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/8/9271881/maryland-football-perry-hills-passing-game">Once again</a>, Hills had by far the most success over the middle, and once again it was the place Maryland threw to least frequently. For a little more context, let's look at success rate for each direction an interval. Here's a great <a href="http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2015/9/1/9239369/video-football-stats-success-rate-what-it-is">video primer</a>, but to sum up: a play is successful if it gains 50% of necessary yardage on first down, 70% on second or 100% on third or fourth. The national average is around 40%.</p>
<p>Hills's success rate throwing to the left was 27.3%, to the right was 30% and over the middle was 42.9%. On passes behind the line of scrimmage, Hills had a 0% success rate, and 25% for passes that travelled 0-4 yards. His success rate was notably higher on throws farther away from the line of scrimmage: 44.4% on throws 5-9 yards, 66.7% on 10-14 and 33.3% on throws of 15+ yards.</p>
<p>How about the incompletions? Well, underthrows reared their ugly head again, but this time there was a new culprit: drops.</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NUSdPGrHuNYL5DtbqFxa-DPK9-o=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4059332/image__14_.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>Caleb Rowe threw two interceptions late against Bowling Green, but with him at quarterback (and D.J. Moore in the starting lineup now), Maryland's vertical game should at least be more present.</p>
<p>Malcolm Culmer was the team leader with two drops, but Amba Etta-Tawo, Avery Edwards and Derrick Hayward each dropped one as well. Here's the full target distribution for while Hills was playing quarterback.</p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" dir="ltr" border="1">
<colgroup> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> <col width="100"> </colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Receiver"]'><b>Receiver</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Targets"]'><b>Targets</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Catches"]'><b>Catches</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yards"]'><b>Yards</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Catch rate"]'><b>Catch rate</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"YAC"]'><b>YAC</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yards per catch"]'><b>Yards per catch</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yards per target"]'><b>Yards per target</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Amba Etta-Tawo"]'>Amba Etta-Tawo</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,6]">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,5]">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,49]">49</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.8333333333333334]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.0%"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-2]/R[0]C[-3]">83.3%</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,13]">13</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,9.8]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]/R[0]C[-4]">9.8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8.166666666666666]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-4]/R[0]C[-6]">8.2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Levern Jacobs"]'>Levern Jacobs</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,6]">6</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,3]">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,32]">32</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.5]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.0%"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-2]/R[0]C[-3]">50.0%</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,4]">4</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,10.666666666666666]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]/R[0]C[-4]">10.7</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,5.333333333333333]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-4]/R[0]C[-6]">5.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Malcolm Culmer"]'>Malcolm Culmer</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,5]">5</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,3]">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,9]">9</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.6]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.0%"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-2]/R[0]C[-3]">60.0%</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,3]">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,3]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]/R[0]C[-4]">3.0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1.8]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-4]/R[0]C[-6]">1.8</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Avery Edwards"]'>Avery Edwards</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,4]">4</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1]">1</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8]">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.25]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.0%"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-2]/R[0]C[-3]">25.0%</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8]">8</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]/R[0]C[-4]">8.0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-4]/R[0]C[-6]">2.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"D.J. Moore"]'>D.J. Moore</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,3]">3</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1]">1</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,42]">42</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0.3333333333333333]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.0%"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-2]/R[0]C[-3]">33.3%</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,27]">27</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,42]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]/R[0]C[-4]">42.0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,14]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-4]/R[0]C[-6]">14.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Wes Brown"]'>Wes Brown</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2]">2</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2]">2</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,28]">28</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.0%"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-2]/R[0]C[-3]">100.0%</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,19]">19</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,14]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-3]/R[0]C[-4]">14.0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,14]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-4]/R[0]C[-6]">14.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Derrick Hayward"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]">Derrick Hayward</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1]">1</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]">0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]">0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.0%"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-2]/R[0]C[-3]">0.0%</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]">0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]'>0.0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-4]/R[0]C[-6]">0.0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Brandon Ross"]' data-sheets-numberformat="[null,1]">Brandon Ross</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1]">1</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]">0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]">0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,3,"0.0%"]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-2]/R[0]C[-3]">0.0%</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]">0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]'>0.0</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,0]" data-sheets-numberformat='[null,2,"0.0",1]' data-sheets-formula="=R[0]C[-4]/R[0]C[-6]">0.0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>The true freshman Moore was among the top two in yards per target <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/7/9266145/will-likely-maryland-football-punt-return-record">last week</a>, as well. Maryland had trouble consistently getting the ball to Levern Jacobs and Moore this week, who have been the team's two most explosive playmakers so far. Another big-play threat, Taivon Jacobs, wasn't targeted once, but he'll be starting against South Florida as well. Culmer had a particularly bad day (and is no longer starting), as did Edwards.</p>
<p>Alright, enough about the bad stuff. Let's break down one good play, Hills's touchdown pass to Moore, who is really turning into a neat weapon and could be utilized in exciting ways with a more vertical passing attack.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-video">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BTN won't let me embed this, so I'm tweeting it so I can embed it in a story. Sorry! Hi, readers! <a href="http://t.co/PEapmPWrfx">http://t.co/PEapmPWrfx</a></p>
— dino babers fan (@Pete_Volk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pete_Volk/status/643448404165595137">September 14, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<p>The play is set up with trips left, Moore on the right. The trips receivers will run one deep route combined with two out routes, stacking that side of the field so Moore can run a slant over the middle in man coverage</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/U5oE5QgtrqyH5FxtfE6dUNM2s1I=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4059406/Screen_Shot_2015-09-14_at_10.59.22_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>It works! This is how it looks when Hills is about to throw:</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GWB2pS9HPHg1hdrfFZdR3w4RkPg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4059412/Screen_Shot_2015-09-14_at_11.01.38_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>And here's how it looks when he releases:</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wCeG1XdMnE_gmCqGufsB4M9w0sQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4059416/Screen_Shot_2015-09-14_at_11.01.47_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>Moore does not have to break stride, as it's a perfect throw by Hills. Moore catches it here: already a first down, with the opportunity for your playmaker to make a play.</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yiQDtrLnxiup35-7sK4ZM6lW2Dc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4059418/Screen_Shot_2015-09-14_at_11.03.56_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>One simple move, and the Bowling Green defenders crash into each other...</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dOmVtBgbIanm21jlLuPeOg0P_ro=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4059422/Screen_Shot_2015-09-14_at_11.04.33_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>...leaving Moore free for the end zone.</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8o-E3w_WQxqFg_28o4smPQ6Nyyk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4059424/Screen_Shot_2015-09-14_at_11.05.35_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>Touchdown, Maryland.</p>
<p>Other notes:</p>
<ul>
<li> <b>WILL LIKELY RECORD WATCH</b>: the NCAA single-season punt return record is 791 yards, and Likely is now at 315 through two games. That puts him on pace to break the record in Week 5, rather than Week 3.</li>
<li><span>Jermaine Carter Jr. and Sean Davis had active tackling games, but for Davis it was mostly because Bowling Green was able to complete so many passes to Roger Lewis. A.J. Hendy had another bad week, missing multiple tackles, and the secondary continues to be a question mark beyond Likely.</span></li>
<li>Of the nine passes thrown towards Will Likely's man, just two were completed. He broke up five passes this week by our count (one more than last week) and provided tight enough coverage on two others to force incompletions. No one else on the team had more than one pass defense (but Jalen Brooks <i>did</i> pick off a pass).</li>
</ul>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/15/9322845/maryland-bowling-green-perry-hills-caleb-rowePete Volk2015-09-14T09:00:03-04:002015-09-14T09:00:03-04:00What now?
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vcniLSNTR0TR45V2S_6yw3LphpQ=/0x0:5396x3597/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47173624/usa-today-8796186.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There's clearly trouble ahead, but it probably won't come this week. </p> <p>In Randy Edsall's first four seasons and now change as Maryland's head coach, the Terrapins have one good win. They are 0-10 against teams ranked in the top 25, but their win at Virginia Tech (which finished 20th in S&P+) in 2013 was a legitimately good one. Otherwise? Nothing much. By that metric, their best wins were against Michigan and Penn State last year (Nos. 45 and 46). Nobody else has even been a top-50 team and lost to Maryland. If losing to power opponents is your thing, Maryland has been the team for you in the last four years.</p>
<p>Maryland's saving grace all this time has been not really losing to <i>really </i>bad<i> </i>teams, at least not too often. Sure, there have been a few: Wake Forest in 2013 and Temple in 2011 come to mind, but not very many. Maybe Bowling Green isn't <i>bad </i>per se, but it's still a mid-major school that played at roughly a top-90 level last year. There are only 128 FBS teams. It's funny, because by percentile performance in S&P+, that's exactly what the Falcons were in this season's Week 1: the 90th-best team out of 128. What this adds up to, basically, is that Bowling Green probably <i>is </i>bad, or something approximating it. And since Bowling Green just beat Maryland by a triple-touchdown at Byrd Stadium, there's just one logical deduction to be made: Maryland is also bad – even more bad. This isn't complicated reasoning.</p>
<p>What comes next for Maryland? Probably a win to move to 2-1 on the season before things really get brutal.</p>
<h4>Maryland vs. Bowling Green – What we saw</h4>
<p><b>1. Maryland's defense was bad. </b></p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8JkpN_39mICWmrLzF0awtr8hMNA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4055190/Screen_Shot_2015-09-12_at_8.26.51_PM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>What is there to say?</p>
<p><b>2. Maryland's offense was bad. </b>The badness of Maryland's offense requires a little bit more parsing, but it's significant in its own way. The Terps scored 27 points, which isn't the worst. But: They turned the ball over four times, had at least four drops (Pete stopped charting, because the game became too NSFW.) and had 341 total yards against a defense that allowed 400 <i>rushing </i>yards seven days prior. Bowling Green (by both S&P+ and points per game) had one of the 25 worst defenses in the country last year, then graduated most of its front seven. The Terps couldn't do much of anything against what remained, a week after Tennessee hung a 59 spot against the same unit.</p>
<p><b>3. Maryland's gameplan was bad. </b>Did I mention those 400 rushing yards Bowling Green just let up? Maryland decided to throw on 33 of 59 offensive plays. No Maryland runner had more than nine attempts. This was as Maryland's quarterbacks completed an even 50 percent of their passes. No one was more relieved than Bowling Green.</p>
<h4>Maryland vs. South Florida – What we're looking for</h4>
<p><b>1. An opponent that is bad. </b>The positive thing for Maryland is the next team on the schedule. South Florida is terrible, and Maryland is <i>probably </i>better. This team was 115th in S&P+ last year, and our colleague Bill Connelly pegs the Bulls as No. 115 for 2015. This team has virtually no redeeming qualities. It should not beat Maryland, or any other power-conference team, with the possible exception of Kansas.</p>
<p><b>2. A quality of play that is bad. </b>Of course, Maryland and South Florida have an ugly recent history. You might recall that they met in an empty NFL stadium a year ago and tried to pass victory back and forth like a hot potato. C.J. Brown threw a couple of interceptions here, Steven Bench sprinkled one in there and Maryland ultimately prevailed by virtue of a punt block touchdown. The score was 24-17, and Maryland won in spite of six turnovers. It strains reason to expect this year's game will be the visually pleasing sort.</p>
<p><b>3. A result that should be ... good? </b>And yet! South Florida is a greater degree of bad than Maryland on every measurable and projectable level. Maryland should settle as somewhere between Nos. 60 and 80 in terms of S&P+, scoring margin and record this year, while South Florida will be around the 100 club. Maryland's playing this game at home. Though the crowd isn't likely to be any great advantage, it won't hurt anything, and Maryland remains objectively more skilled than next week's visitors. The Terrapins should win. If they don't, they're headed to a dark place.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/14/9311641/maryland-football-bowling-green-west-virginia-recap-preview-stats-2015Alex Kirshner2015-09-13T16:37:10-04:002015-09-13T16:37:10-04:00Edsall talks to media after Bowling Green loss
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j6qZE6l8lpeBlHSoREasv-CdVqU=/0x14:3757x2519/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47177278/usa-today-8796265.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Notes from Randy Edsall's media teleconference on Sunday. </p> <p>A day after Maryland's 48-27 loss to Bowling Green on Saturday, Randy Edsall spoke with Terrapins media on a 10-minute conference call. Here's some of what he said:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span>Drive sustainment on offense is an important ingredient for helping Maryland's defense. On Saturday, Bowling Green put Maryland's defense through 105 snaps and racked up 692 yards. Maryland's offense sat and watched for 37 minutes out of 60, while the defense went through the Falcons' wringer.</span></li>
<li> <span>Edsall was asked what message he had for the Terrapins on the day after a loss like this one: </span><span>"The message is this," he said. "Offensively, we've got to be able to throw the ball and take advantages of the opportunities we have, and we didn't do that. There were plays to be made out there on the field that we didn't make." </span> </li>
<li> <span>Edsall lamented Maryland's struggles to convert scoring opportunities into touchdowns. "We have to take advantage of those situations that lend themselves for us to be successful," he said. The Terps had just four scoring opportunities on 14 possessions (defined as a first down at or inside the opposing 40-yard line) and averaged 5 points on those opportunities. Brad Craddock kicked two field goals, and Maryland had two touchdowns. </span><span>"I knew going into this game that we couldn't settle for field goals," he said. "As we get down into the scoring zone, we've got to come away with touchdowns."</span> </li>
<li><span>Part of keeping drives alive? "We've got to be better on the money downs," Edsall said. Indeed, Maryland was 3 of 12 on third downs and 0 for 1 on fourth down against Bowling Green. </span></li>
<li><span>Save for Will Likely's muffed punt that led to a Bowling Green score, Edsall like Maryland's special teams effort. "I thought we did some really good things on special teams yesterday," he said. "I thought our kickoff coverage team was outstanding." Bowling Green averaged just 17 yards per kickoff return. </span></li>
<li><span>Expect to see Craddock handle short-distance punts more often. On Saturday, he replaced starter Nicolas Pritchard and pooched one 39 yards until it was downed at the Bowling Green 1. "Brad's going to do that for us," Edsall said. </span></li>
<li><span>(If Maryland's going to regularly punt from the 40-yard line this year, well, that's not good.)</span></li>
<li><span>Edsall was asked if, given a plethora of Maryland receiver drops, some of the criticism directed toward quarterback Perry Hills is unwarranted. "Guys did drop the ball, and those are the things that we're going to be addressing," he responded. Maryland's quarterback situation remains somewhat unclear. </span></li>
<li><span>On Maryland's vertical passing game: "I think we have to do that, because we have to be able to have people respect us. They have to be able to respect us that way so they don't gang people up on us and we're able to run the ball," Edsall said. "We've got to be able to do that. We've got to be able to stretch it horizontally. We've got to be able to stretch it vertically. We've got to be able to run." </span></li>
</ul>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/13/9319819/maryland-bowling-green-edsall-quotes-game-2015Alex Kirshner2015-09-13T10:52:12-04:002015-09-13T10:52:12-04:00Edsall and Locksley have lots to answer for
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ko1VihTwjh2JCMXvq-HMtYosHNw=/3x0:4368x2910/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47175850/usa-today-8782643.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Losing by three touchdowns to a MAC team as touchdown home favorites is a new low, but how the Terps managed it is even more maddening.</p> <p>There was a chance that Maryland would be bad this year, but *this* bad was nearly unthinkable.</p>
<p>In Year 5 of Randy Edsall, the Terrapins have no passing game to speak of (and yet insist on relying on it regularly) and make too many mistakes to win with their ultra-conservative style. When faced with an up-and-coming forward-thinking coach in Bowling Green's Dino Babers, one thing was clear: Edsall and offensive coordinator Mike Locksley were overmatched.</p>
<p>With Maryland's defenders playing deeper in coverage due to Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson's ability to sling it down the field, the Falcons focused almost entirely on quick passes to get the ball to playmakers like Roger Lewis (15 receptions, 200 yards) in space. Bowling Green also ran the ball nearly as much as it passed (55 pass attempts, 50 rushes), averaging 4.0 yards per carry, and the variety of playcalling combined with the Falcons' frenetic pace kept the defense guessing.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Maryland's offense was an absolute trainwreck, once again.</p>
<p>I mean, look at this. What the heck is this?</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lO2VNvidYIzK_s7LirP_EsdNAHA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4056268/Screen_Shot_2015-09-13_at_10.15.47_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>You're going up against a team that <i>just</i> gave up 399 yards rushing on 6.2 yards per carry, after a game in which it was clear your running game was <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/7/9266145/will-likely-maryland-football-punt-return-record">much stronger</a> than <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/8/9271881/maryland-football-perry-hills-passing-game">your passing game</a>, and not a <i>single</i> back gets more than nine carries? It's even worse than it looks! Five of Hills's eight runs were designed pass plays that turned into scrambles, meaning the actual playcalling difference was closer to 38 passes, 21 rushes.</p>
<p>What <b>is</b> Maryland's offensive identity? It can't just be "pray the other team kicks to Will Likely," so, what is it?</p>
<p>Despite C.J. Brown's limitations, at least with him at quarterback Maryland knew it could have some success with the read option game. The Richmond game suggested the Terrapins would develop more of a power-running style this year. The success of Wes Brown in his limited carries Saturday sure seems to suggest that would have been a better idea than having Perry Hills throw 30 passes.</p>
<p>None of this was more evident than when Maryland, in a close game in the second half, called eight straight passing plays over the course of three drives. Those eight plays totaled nine yards and resulted in two punts for Maryland, and then the game ended like this.</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uwFpKPXMlZ-f_PgB-b5rAYM3tsE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4056286/Screen_Shot_2015-09-13_at_10.40.50_AM.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>Most of these issues come down to one fact: Maryland does not have a capable quarterback on its roster. That is the fault of the coaching staff, which has been unable to bring in a quality passer or develop one in five years under Edsall (and four under Locksley). Maryland has also proven unable to adjust its offensive gameplan without a capable quarterback, which <i>again</i> is the job of the coaching staff.</p>
<p>So let's talk about Mike Locksley!</p>
<p>Mike Locksley has had exactly one good offense and one passable offense in his 10 years as an offensive coordinator/head coach, and none of them have been at Maryland.</p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" dir="ltr" border="1">
<colgroup> <col width="35"> <col width="103"> <col width="40"> </colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Year"]'>Year</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Locksley offense"]'>Locksley offense</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"S&P+"]'><a href="http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ncaa">S&P+</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2005]">2005</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Illinois"]'>Illinois</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,96]">96</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2006]">2006</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Illinois"]'>Illinois</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,67]">67</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2007]">2007</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Illinois"]'>Illinois</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,13]">13</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2008]">2008</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Illinois"]'>Illinois</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,33]">33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2009]">2009</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"New Mexico"]'>New Mexico</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,97]">97</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2010]">2010</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"New Mexico"]'>New Mexico</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,120]">120</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2011]">2011</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"New Mexico"]'>New Mexico</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,118]">118</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2012]">2012</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Maryland"]'>Maryland</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,120]">120</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2013]">2013</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Maryland"]'>Maryland</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,54]">54</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2014]">2014</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Maryland"]'>Maryland</td>
<td data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,68]">68</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>In 2007, Illinois had Rashard Mendenhall, Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn. In 2008, the Illini had the latter two players. <i>At no other time has Mike Locksley produced a top-50 offense.</i></p>
<p>Locksley is a terrific recruiter who is one of the best in the nation at locking down DMV talent. Four-star quarterback Dwayne Haskins comes in next year (as well as some other notable <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2015/7/31/6027335/tino-ellis-recruiting-maryland-football-commits">local</a> <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2014/12/1/7317823/keandre-jones-recruiting-maryland-commits-2016">blue-chippers</a>), and that should help in the long term. But we're in the present now, and what we saw Saturday was absolutely miserable.</p>
<p><b>Every single defense Maryland will play from here on out will be better than Bowling Green's, and Maryland's inability to find ways to move the ball against the Falcons is unacceptable.</b></p>
<p>Maryland lost because of a series of errors, not just one. And those errors started before Saturday.</p>
<p>In short, it's become really hard to blame these fans:</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"RAAAA-AAAALPH FRIEDGEN" chants audible on BTN</p>
— draxx grootman (@Pete_Volk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pete_Volk/status/642793864726753281">September 12, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/13/9316225/maryland-bowling-green-football-tire-fire-burn-it-allPete Volk2015-09-13T09:00:03-04:002015-09-13T09:00:03-04:00Stock report: Bowling Green
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VTeqVqN7ztenxgvjcAUjMqvV2us=/0x0:7776x5184/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47173428/usa-today-8796161.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Parsing some particulars from Maryland's loss to Bowling Green.</p> <p>Maryland's loss to Bowling Green on Saturday was awful in a host of ways. The Terps couldn't really move the ball (341 yards against a bad defense), <i>definitely </i>couldn't stop the ball (692 yards, non-satirically) and generally stumbled and bumbled their way to a three-touchdown loss against a team from a mid-major conference in their own stadium.</p>
<p>Other than that, the game was fine.</p>
<p>Here are some particulars from Maryland's long day at the office. As always, this list is non-exhaustive.</p>
<h4><span>Stock up</span></h4>
<p><b>Will Likely, cornerback/returner. </b>Likely had a 29-yard punt return average and set a Maryland and Big Ten single-game record with 233 punt return yards last week. He had more in store Saturday. His 85-yard return score was a thing of beauty: He started back on the ball, adjusted himself and blew away 11 white jerseys. It didn't even look hard.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-video" lang="en">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">He's done it again! <a href="https://twitter.com/umterps">@umterps</a>' Will Likely returns a punt 85 yards for TD. Brought to you by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrubHub?src=hash">#GrubHub</a>. <a href="http://t.co/B2SlUavlQX">http://t.co/B2SlUavlQX</a></p>
— Maryland on BTN (@MarylandOnBTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarylandOnBTN/status/642740552442601472">September 12, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p>Likely also had a gorgeous hit and pass break-up on a deep ball from Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson to receiver Robbie Rhodes. He got rung up for a bad pass-interference call in the first half, but that's on the back judge, not on Likely. Bowling Green receiver Roger Lewis torched Sean Davis, but Likely kept him in check in limited duty.</p>
<p>Likely did, of course, muff a punt that led to a Bowling Green score. So, let's say he was responsible for a net of zero points, or maybe a little more. That places him right at the top of Maryland's bell curve for the day. No muffed punt is good or even acceptable, but Likely's at least makes sense insofar as he knows he's the extent of Maryland's offense these days and needs to rip off yardage.</p>
<p><b>Yannick Ngakoue, defensive end. </b>Ngakoue entered the season as Maryland's best breakout candidate on either side of the ball. Through two games, it seems that status wasn't unfounded. He had seven QB pressures against Richmond in the opener, and he piled up three sacks against a marginally better offensive line for Bowling Green. His back-to-back takedowns of Johnson on third and fourth down near the Maryland 25-yard line kept at least three points off the board in the first quarter. He was a force all day.</p>
<h4>Stock holding</h4>
<p>Uh, not much. Maybe the concessions? This wasn't a very in-between kind of game.</p>
<h4>Stock falling</h4>
<p><b>Maryland's offensive line. </b>Last week's showing against Richmond was pretty good. This week's was not. The first half wasn't great, as Maryland's only rushing success came on QB scrambles after the pocket broke down. As the game went on, the line did punch open a few holes for Wes Brown (5.9 yards per run), but the line mostly didn't get push against a defensive front that sorely needed some pushing. These guys got punctured for 400 rushing yards a week ago. Maryland was good for 156, which translates to approximately 12 against Penn State or Ohio State. Terrapin quarterbacks still haven't been sacked this year, which is terrific, but it's only so useful because, well ...</p>
<p><b>Maryland's quarterbacking. </b>For awhile, Perry Hills was on his way to turning in one of those "game manager" days college coaches begrudgingly accept from their quarterbacks. But Hills, like Maryland on the whole, went off the rails down the stretch. He finished 15 of 30 for 168 yards, two scores and an interception (which was on fourth down, so whatever). Just like in the first game of the year, those are pretty standard mediocre college QB numbers. But Hills doesn't seem to have any downfield throwing strength, and the guy who does – his backup, Caleb Rowe – tossed two picks on three throws, as he tried to do exactly that. Maryland's head coach didn't seem to know where he'd go from here. Neither do I.</p>
<p><b>Randy Edsall. </b>It's en vogue to criticize Edsall right now, but losses like Saturday's are firmly in the realm of "losses that can lead to coaches losing their jobs." I don't expect that to happen. Edsall has a high-end recruiting class on its way next year, and his progress has been painfully slow but also, until right now, reasonably steady. So he's probably not going anywhere, and that's all well and good. Unless Maryland goes, say, 3-9. That didn't seem possible on Friday, but it sure seems possible now. Maryland got <i>crushed </i>by a MAC team. At home. And blew a couple of different leads to do it.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/13/9301653/maryland-football-bowling-green-stock-report-stats-final-game-2015Alex Kirshner2015-09-12T16:32:55-04:002015-09-12T16:32:55-04:00Terps embarrassed by Bowling Green
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<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A dark day for the Terrapins. </p> <p>The Maryland football team took one of its worst losses in years on Saturday, falling to Bowling Green, 48-27, before a sparse crowd at Byrd Stadium.</p>
<p>The Terps allowed 692 yards of total offense against their MAC visitors, losing a couple of one-touchdown leads to fall by three scores. A 55-minute inclement weather delay prolonged a four-and-a-half-hour game.</p>
<p>Will Likely had an 85-yard punt return touchdown for Maryland, one of precious few bright spots. The Terrapins fell to 1-1, getting poor performances from multiple quarterbacks in the process. Entering as 7.5-point favorites, they were obliterated.</p>
<p>Maryland's offense underwhelmed from the get-go. The Terps put together a few abbreviated scoring drives that ended with Brad Craddock field goals, but the only first-half touchdown beyond that came courtesy of Likely's long return. The Terrapin offense didn't mount a drive longer than 52 yards or eight plays, even against a defense that let up 59 points and 400 rushing yards last weekend. Maryland's most substantial source of offense was 82 yards on six quarterback keepers from Hills, who exploited openings in the middle of Bowling Green's defense to get free.</p>
<p>Then came the 55-minute weather delay, after which Maryland didn't look sharp. Bowling Green got a 55-yard touchdown from Johnson to Roger Lewis, who beat Sean Davis to the end zone by several steps. The teams traded scores immediately afterward – D.J. Moore for Maryland and Travis Greene for Bowling Green, after a Likely muffed punt. Maryland mostly wasted a Jalen Brooks interception at the BGSU 40-yard line, going three-and-out after a questionable out of bounds call on a Moore catch attempt.</p>
<p>After that, Craddock, making an unusual punting cameo, kicked a ball that was downed at Bowling Green's 1-yard line. And then Maryland's defense, maybe gassed from defending more than 70 plays from the fast-paced Falcons, fell apart. Johnson stewarded Bowling Green's offense methodically downfield. By the time he found Ryan Burbrink in the back of the end zone to make the score 27-20, Bowling Green's drive was 99 yards across 18 plays in 5:23. No lie.</p>
<p>Maryland mounted an eight-play, 75-yard response drive from there, culminating in a 22-yard strike from Hills to Levern Jacobs. It came after Maryland had been stopped on third down deep inside its own half, but a Bowling Green defender was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Terps' offense, for the first time all day, took advantage of the opportunity</p>
<p>But Maryland's defense still had to come back on the field. It took Bowling Green all of 2:33 to get back ahead, when Lewis again beat Davis deep for a 27-yard score. It was a brutal day in one-on-one coverage for Davis. Bowling Green added another touchdown on its next drive – another deep ball – and then Caleb Rowe, upon replacing Hills at quarterback, threw an interception on his very first play. Then Bowling Green scored again, and things were off the rails. Rowe threw another interception later, when the game was well out of hand.</p>
<p>Maryland lost by 21 points. The play was more lopsided than that.</p>
<h4><span>Three things to know</span></h4>
<p><b>1. Maryland's running game declined</b>. Hills and Wes Brown had big gainers on designed running plays early, but most of the Terps' limited successes on the ground came from happenstance Hills scrambles where Bowling Green simply lost containment. That's not going to happen much against opponents like West Virginia or anyone in the Big Ten. For Maryland to reliably move the ball against those teams, the offensive line needs to get push, and Brandon Ross needs to hit holes hard. Those things didn't happen against Bowling Green, which was a bottom-of-the-country run defense last year and looked in its opener to be just as bad this year.</p>
<p><b>2. Special teams were strong again, unless they weren't. </b>The presence of Likely and Craddock may well give Maryland the best punt returner and kicker in college football, bar nobody. I'm out of superlatives for Likely, whose 85-yard score would have been thrilling if it weren't so predictable to everyone but Richmond special teams coach Tom Kaufman, who irrationally didn't have his punter send the ball into the bleachers. Likely's day was, unfortunately, a bit tempered when he muffed a punt that led to a Richmond score in the third quarter. Craddock had a few hiccups in his first game, but he put through two more field goals and a handful of touchbacks on Saturday. Unfortunately, teams need more than good kickers – and good returners – to win football games.</p>
<p><b>3. Maryland is bad. </b>Since before this season started, the best hope for Maryland in 2015 was somewhere around a 6-6 record. That was predicated, based on a tough Big Ten East, on Maryland not losing any of its first three out-of-conference games at home. Well, that's out the window. And the Terps didn't just <i>lose </i>on Saturday. They were obliterated, by a mid-major opponent on their own field. There are a great many flaws to this iteration of the Maryland football team – and also some excellent individual players – but this looks like a solidly below average team. Maybe it will change. But we need to deal in probabilities, and it probably won't.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/9/12/9311575/maryland-bowling-green-football-game-score-final-stats-2015Alex Kirshner