Testudo Times - Maryland vs. Penn State 2015 game updatesSB Nation's award-winning Maryland Terrapins sitehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50025/testudo-fav.png2015-10-26T08:30:02-04:00http://www.testudotimes.com/rss/stream/93317782015-10-26T08:30:02-04:002015-10-26T08:30:02-04:00Terps pivot toward Iowa
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<figcaption>Sammi Silber</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps showed positive signs against the Nittany Lions, but old problems reared their heads. </p> <p>The Maryland football team lost to Penn State, 31--30, on Saturday, but not everything was bad. The Terps showed some genuinely positive things against the Nittany Lions, even as genuinely negative things held them back.</p>
<p>Here's some of what worked and what didn't, and what to expect as 2-5 Maryland visits Iowa next weekend.</p>
<h4>What we saw last week – Maryland vs. Penn State</h4>
<p><b>1. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, and turnovers</b>. Did I mention turnovers? Maryland had five of them – three Perry Hills interceptions and two coughed up fumbles, plus a Brad Craddock missed field goal that functioned as a sixth giveaway. Maryland probably doesn't have the talent to win games when turning the ball over more than once or certainly twice, and it speaks to Penn State's general ineptitude that Maryland stayed within a single point in spite of its turnover misery. The Terps could really be onto something if they cut this out, but they've got a long way to go.</p>
<p><b>2. Perry Hills played well. </b>Those turnovers are an important qualifier hanging over all that comes next, but: Hills was a force on the ground for a second-straight week, notching 124 yards on 26 carries. Unlike what felt like some dumb-luck success against Ohio State, Maryland clearly purposed Hills as a main part of its running game, and Hills delivered against a stout defense. He also threw for 225 yards on 19-of-28 passing, which isn't great but is plenty to win a game against a Big Ten opponent if you aren't throwing interceptions.</p>
<p><b>3. Yannick Ngakoue has very officially arrived. </b>Ngakoue has been a known stud for about a year now, and maybe it's wrong to gush over defensive lineman for dominating against Penn State's permeable offensive line. But Ngakoue was a wrecking crew. He sacked Christian Hackenberg twice and repeatedly exploded the NIttany Lions' edge running attempts. Ngakoue has thrived against bad offensive lines, but also good ones. He worked on Michigan tackle Mason Cole with good success a few weeks ago, then played a sturdy game against Ohio State's Taylor Decker. Meeting Penn State's wretched line must have felt like a picnic.</p>
<h4>What we're looking for this week – Maryland vs. Iowa</h4>
<p><b>1. Iowa's going to get tons of big plays. </b>Maryland did a fine job bottling up running back Saquon Barkley against Penn State, but Christian Hackenberg and his receivers blew the lid off Maryland's secondary time and time again. The Terps gave up <i>10 </i>chunk passing plays of more than 14 yards to Penn State. Maryland has had <a href="http://www.cfbstats.com/2015/leader/national/team/defense/split01/category32/sort01.html">serious trouble</a> defending vertical passing all season, and Iowa has developed a highly un-Iowan degree of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/10/20/9570281/iowa-offense-explosive-plays-cj-beathard-akrum-wadley-greg-davis">explosiveness on offense</a>.</p>
<p><b>2. Maryland's probably going to turn it over some more. </b>Iowa is No. 22 in the country in takeways, with 15. Maryland is No. 127 and worst among all power conference teams in giveaways, with an outrageous 24. Some things don't require deep analytical foresight to predict, and this is one of those things. Iowa is going to take a few footballs out of Maryland players' hands.</p>
<p><b>3. A chance to be the spoiler. </b>Iowa is undefeated. Iowa! For the sake of the moral fiber of Middle America, this is not something that should continue. Maryland could restore some natural order to the planet by getting a win on Saturday, and the Terps would be worthy of national – <i>nay, global </i>– appreciation if they could prevent the coronation of Undefeated Iowa.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-football/2015/10/26/9609098/terps-psu-iowa-game-recap-stats-previewAlex Kirshner2015-10-25T17:14:20-04:002015-10-25T17:14:20-04:00Locksley speaks after Terps loss to Penn State
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<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Notes from Mike Locksley's Sunday media teleconference.</p> <p>A day after Maryland's 31-30 loss to Penn State at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, interim head coach Mike Locksley spoke to media members on a short conference call. Here's some of what he said:</p>
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<li><span>Freshman wideout D.J. Moore, freshman offensive tackle Damian Prince, senior guard Andrew Zeller and sophomore defensive lineman Kingsley Opara are all "day-to-day" with various injuries. Locksley said the team would know more after a couple of the players get MRIs this week.</span></li>
<li>Throughout the week, players stressed that Locksley emphasized finishing games. The coach was satisfied with the Terps' performance in that department, saying "This was the first time we collectively played a 60-minute game."</li>
<li><span>Locksley said Brad Craddock suffered a high-ankle sprain when a Penn State defender ran into him after a field goal attempt, but brushed aside any idea that it would affect his performance. "I don't anticipate him having any issues," he said.</span></li>
<li>On Denzel Conyers and DeAndre Lane: "it's good to see a kid like DeAndre get rewarded. He's worked his butt off since he's been here, and he's always been a guy who's been the fourth or fifth guy in at the receiver position," he said. "I know Denzel was involved in a hit on the quarterback and a fumble recovery, and DeAndre scored his first touchdown as a Terp. I know when we saw the celebration after he scored, a lot of these guys were really excited for him."</li>
<li>On putting more guys in on offense and defense: "We made some decisions that we want to play a lot of players," Locksley said. "I know I talked to both sides of the ball about making sure we get some guys involved early in the game that hadn't typically been involved, because our starters were playing so many snaps and in the fourth quarter we weren't always as sharp as we needed to be. When you do that, they also feel like they have some ownership in the program, and their concentration level goes up. We have better effort in practice when guys feel like they're going to play, and both those guys reall did a good job with that extended playing time."</li>
<li>He seemed satisfied with his coaching staff's performance in its first game post-Randy Edsall. "I liked the way the game was called," he said. "We were agressive in all three phases, like we said we needed to be. I didn't see any glitches in communication. There were times I took over calling plays, and we were able to make a seamless transition."</li>
<li>Locksley has yet to officially name a new offensive coordinator, but tight ends coach John Dunn has clearly become a huge contributor on the coaching staff. "I got to give him a lot of credit for picking up some of the slack with all of the other things I've had to do," Locksley said.</li>
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https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/10/25/9611562/maryland-penn-state-football-locksley-quotes-game-2015Ryan Connors2015-10-25T14:58:53-04:002015-10-25T14:58:53-04:00Maryland will visit top-10 Iowa team
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<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps visit a top-10 team this week. </p> <p>Maryland's next opponent is now No. 10 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 12 in the latest Coaches Poll, as the Iowa Hawkeyes moved up in both despite not playing a game this weekend.</p>
<p>Iowa is now being seriously considered as a College Football Playoff contender, and rightfully so. The Hawkeyes are undefeated ahead of Maryland's visit to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday.</p>
<p>In the Big Ten, Ohio State hammered Rutgers 49-7, and J.T. Barrett looked like his old self again as he assumed the starting role for the first time this season. Similarly, Michigan State took care of business Indiana 52-26 behind . Michigan had a bye week, where the Wolverines looked to recover after last week's last-second loss against the Spartans.</p>
<p>In the ACC, Clemson absolutely annihilated Miami, and is now the team to beat in the conference after Georgia Tech upset Florida State on an <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/10/24/9609404/georgia-tech-blocked-kick-florida-state">outrageous blocked-field goal-touchdown</a>.</p>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Coaches"]'>Coaches</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"AP"]'>AP</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,1]">1</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Ohio State (49)"]'>Ohio State (49)</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Ohio State (39)"]'>Ohio State (39)</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,2]">2</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Baylor (10)"]'>Baylor (10)</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Baylor (7)"]'>Baylor (7)</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,3]">3</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"TCU (2) "]'>TCU (2)</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Clemson (6)"]'>Clemson (6)</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,4]">4</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"LSU (1) "]'>LSU (1)</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"LSU (5)"]'>LSU (5)</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,5]">5</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Michigan State"]'>Michigan State</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"TCU (3)"]'>TCU (3)</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,6]">6</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Clemson (1)"]'>Clemson (1)</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Michigan State"]'>Michigan State</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,7]">7</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Alabama"]'>Alabama</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Alabama (1)"]'>Alabama (1)</td>
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<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,8]">8</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Stanford"]'>Stanford</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Stanford "]'>Stanford</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,9]">9</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Notre Dame"]'>Notre Dame</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Notre Dame"]'>Notre Dame</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,10]">10</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Oklahoma State"]'>Oklahoma State</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Iowa"]'>Iowa</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,11]">11</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Iowa"]'>Iowa</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Florida"]'>Florida</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,12]">12</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Florida"]'>Florida</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Oklahoma State"]'>Oklahoma State</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,13]">13</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Oklahoma"]'>Oklahoma</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Utah"]'>Utah</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,14]">14</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Utah"]'>Utah</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Oklahoma"]'>Oklahoma</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,15]">15</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Florida State"]'>Florida State</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Michigan"]'>Michigan</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,16]">16</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Memphis"]'>Memphis</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Memphis"]'>Memphis</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,17]">17</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Michigan"]'>Michigan</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Florida State"]'>Florida State</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,18]">18</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Duke"]'>Duke</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Houston"]'>Houston</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,19]">19</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Houston"]'>Houston</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Ole Miss"]'>Ole Miss</td>
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<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,20]">20</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Toledo"]'>Toledo</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Toledo"]'>Toledo</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,21]">21</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Ole Miss"]'>Ole Miss</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Temple"]'>Temple</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,22]">22</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Temple"]'>Temple</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Duke"]'>Duke</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,23]">23</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Georgia"]'>Georgia</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Pitt"]'>Pitt</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,24]">24</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Pitt"]'>Pitt</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"UCLA"]'>UCLA</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 21px;">
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" data-sheets-value="[null,3,null,25]">25</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"UCLA"]'>UCLA</td>
<td style="padding: 2px 3px 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;" data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Mississippi State"]'>Mississippi State</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/10/25/9611146/ncaa-cfb-rankings-top-25-week-9-maryland-iowaRyan Connors2015-10-25T10:00:02-04:002015-10-25T10:00:02-04:00Is Likely's role on offense about to increase?
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<figcaption>Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Likely was one of the team's most effective players when he saw time on offense against Penn State, but how much time can he see before his defensive play suffers?</p> <p>Maryland cornerback Will Likely went in for one play on offense in the team's loss at Ohio State, but against Penn State this Saturday, interim head coach Mike Locksley loosened his grip on the Likely-offense leash quite a bit.</p>
<p>Putting Likely in on offense makes sense. He's a tremendous open-field runner who excels at making people miss and breaking tackles, and has many of the same attributes as Stefon Diggs, whom he stole the punt-return job from upon his arrival to College Park.</p>
<p>Likely was a considerable part of Maryland's offense against the Nittany Lions, coming in on several series. He broke a few tackles and made some defenders miss on a 17-yard carry in the second quarter, which was a peek at what this offense could look like if it chooses to utilize Likely more often. He finished the day with four carries for 30 yards.</p>
<p>Even when he wasn't touching the ball, Likely had a tremendous effect on the defense. On most of the plays he particpated in, Likely would go in motion before the snap and the quarterback would fake a reverse to him before turning around and throwing a quick pass to a receiver on the outside. While none of these plays were huge gainers, Likely always took a huge portion of the defense's attention away from the guy who actually had the ball.</p>
<p>"He's just an overall talented dude," running back Brandon Ross said. "He had a couple good runs today, and he's just a weapon on both sides of the ball, and that's what coach [Locksley] saw."</p>
<p>However, playing Likely on defense comes at a cost. It's not unheard of that a player in college football would see time on both sides of the ball, but no player can play the entire game on offense, defense AND special teams. Combining a heavy dose of offensive plays with Likely's already full-time particpation returning kicks would not be a logical solution.</p>
<p>A similar case to this is that of UCLA and linebacker Myles Jack. Recruited as a linebacker, the team took advantage of Jack's spectacular athletic ability by putting him at running back, and did so with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/11/8/7179373/myles-jack-ucla-td-run-washington-huskies-video" target="_blank">great success</a>. He finished 2013 as the PAC-12 offensive and defensive freshman of the year.</p>
<p>In Jack's case, he stayed mainly a defensive player, only averaging two carries per game his freshman and sophomore years, <a href="http://www.cfbstats.com/2015/player/110/1059670/index.html" target="_blank">according to cfbstats.com</a>. As a freshman, he had seven rushing touchdowns and averaged over seven yards per carry, but then saw his productivity decrease as a sophomore, only averaging four yards per carry, before getting hurt three games into his junior season.</p>
<p>The Bruins elected to have Jack focus on his defense, and even after suffering a season-ending knee injury this year, he's expected to be a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Chances are he wouldn't have become such a dominant defensive player if he had spent half of his time focusing on offense.</p>
<p>The Terrapins face a similar problem with Likely.</p>
<p>Objectively speaking, Maryland's secondary did not play well against Penn State. In the week before the game, Maryland linebacker Jermaine Carter said big plays were really putting the team in a hole on defense. This game was no different. Maryland's defensive backs were often outmatched against Penn State's receviers, giving up long completions and often getting out-jumped or out-muscled for balls. Likely is undoubtedly the team's best corner, and he'll need to be at his best for the Terps to have their best chance at winning another football game this season.</p>
<p>However, Maryland's offense looked its best when Likely was on the field. It'll be interesting to see how Locksley approaches this situation when the Terps take on the No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes next week.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/10/25/9609144/maryland-football-will-likely-offenseRyan Connors2015-10-24T20:43:28-04:002015-10-24T20:43:28-04:00Stock Report: Penn State
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<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>What was good – and what wasn't – in Maryland's loss. </p> <p>Maryland played its best conference game of the season against Penn State Saturday, but it still wasn't enough to win. The Terps held a brief advantage in the third quarter after Perry Hills completed a 10-yard touchdown to DeAndre Lane but were ultimately overtaken in the fourth quarter and unable to charge back late.</p>
<p>Here's a non-exhaustive list of who's up and who's down after the loss:</p>
<h4>Stock rising</h4>
<p><b>Yannick Ngakoue, defensive end.</b> The junior end has been having a great season, but he had his best game so far against Penn State. He was a constant disruptor, getting to Christian Hackenberg on several occasions, sacking him twice and forcing an intentional grounding penalty in the second quarter that led to a Brad Craddock field goal. He also had four tackles and two tackles for a loss in a performance that is sure to put him on the map among Big Ten defensive ends who aren't named Carl Nassib or Joey Bosa.</p>
<p><b>Will Likely on offense.</b> He was electric when he got the ball in open space, and he was also an extremely effective decoy when Mike Locksley sent him out on offense. He ran the ball four times 30 yards, including a 17-yard gain where he made several defenders miss. When he wasn't carrying the ball, the Terps would usually send him in motion and fake a reverse to him before quickly throwing a bubble screen or some other pass to a receiver on the outside. Likely was scary enough in the few times they did give him the ball that he received a good bit of attention on every play. Chances are we'll be seeing a good deal more of him on offense this season.</p>
<p><b>Maryland's rushing defense</b> The team's front seven, headed by Ngakoue, held Penn State running back Saquon Barkley to 65 yards rushing on 20 carries. The talented freshman averaged 3.3 yards per carry after coming into the game averaging 8.3. Barkley had broken runs of over 50 yards three times in his four games, but his longest run on the day was 10 yards. Ngakoue and company on the defensive line got a great push against Penn State's subpar offensive line all game, making five tackles behind the line of scrimmage. This performance came after they were able to hold Heisman candidate Ezekiel Elliott to his second-lowest yardage total of the season. Things are looking up for a group that's lost nose tackle David Shaw and linebackers Abner Logan and Jefferson Ashiru.</p>
<h4>Stock holding</h4>
<p><b>Mike Locksley, interim head coach.</b> A Locksley mantra since being named interim head coach has been that "football is supposed to be fun." That mindset was clear in this game. Players on the sideline were jumping up and down, waving towels, and generally looking excited for the first time in a while. However, he didn't coach a perfect game, and he deserves some of the blame for Maryland's struggles against the pass and the team's inability to score in the fourth quarter, where a Brad Craddock field goal was the team's sole source of points.</p>
<h4>Stock falling</h4>
<p><h> </h></p>
<p><b>Maryland's pass defense.</b> This was a scary-bad game for the Terps' secondary. After coming into the game averaging 12.1 yards per catch, Penn State's receivers averaged 24.2 yards per catch, constantly burning or just out-fighting Maryland defenders for the ball. Despite completing less than half of his passes, Hackenberg had a season-high 315 passing yards. Maryland just couldn't stop the deep ball, allowing five completions of over 30 yards, including a two-play drive that consisted of a 38-yard pass to Saeed Blacknall and a 37-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin. Overall, this was a day the Terps' secondary would probably rather forget.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-football/2015/10/24/9608246/maryland-penn-state-football-stock-report-stats-final-game-2015Ryan Connors2015-10-24T19:16:34-04:002015-10-24T19:16:34-04:00Terps lose heartbreaker, 31-30
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<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps fall to 2-5 in a heartbreaking defeat. </p> <p>The Maryland football team lost to Penn State on Saturday, 31-30, in Mike Locksley's first game as the Terps' interim head coach. Maryland and Penn State played before a bipartisan crowd of 69,948 at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium.</p>
<p>On the day when he became Penn State's all-time completions leader, Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg went over 300 yards and had three touchdowns. Maryland quarterback Perry Hills ran for 124 yards and threw for 225, but he threw three interceptions that prevented Maryland from getting over the top.</p>
<p>Their loss pushes the Terps to 2-5 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten, and it all but extinguishes whatever faint hopes they might've had at cobbling together six wins for bowl eligibility.</p>
<p>The Terps out-gained Penn State on offense, 466 yards to 363, but a barrage of mistakes and misfortune prevented Maryland from eking out a win.</p>
<p>Maryland was competitive from the game's outset and actually outplayed Penn State for most of the first half. The Terps moved the ball with efficiency, getting inside Nittany Lion territory on each of their first seven possessions – bolstered, no doubt, by repeatedly strong field position. But Hills threw an interception on Maryland's first drive and then fumbled in the shadow of Penn State's goalposts later in the quarter. And when Penn State running back Saquon Barkley fumbled the ball away in the second quarter deep inside Lion territory. (After six weeks without attempting a field goal, Brad Craddock missed a 51-yarder in his first attempt Saturday.)</p>
<p>The second half was easily the most exciting half of football Maryland has played in a while. The teams traded leads several times, with one sequence seeing five scores in a row between the two teams. DeAndre Lane caught the first touchdown of his career and only his second catch of the season on a 10-yard strike from Hills at the end of the third quarter as part of a frenetic series of lead changes. The teams traded fumble recoveries with 10 minutes left on the clock and Maryland trailing, 31-30, but neither team could score.</p>
<p>That set up a tense conclusion. Hackenberg fumbled away a snap just inside midfield with a shade more than five minutes to play. The turnover gave Maryland, still trailing by a point, a critical chance to get ahead. The Terps turned the ball over on downs, but the game's late offensive futility continued when Penn State went three downs and out after that. Hills and Maryland's offense took the field with more than a minute of clock time and a one-point deficit – and a terrific chance to win the game. But Hills's first pass of the series was tipped and intercepted, sealing the defeat.</p>
<h4>Three things to know</h4>
<p><b>1. Maryland's offense was really fun. </b>Honestly! Locksley pulled out all sorts of trickery on Saturday: Will Likely end-arounds, Will Likely <i>fake </i>end-arounds to set up swing passes and screens, misdirections, options, you name it. And things went pretty well, despite a few turnovers. The Terps scored 30 points against a great defense, and they rang up almost 500 yards of total offense on 76 plays. For one afternoon, Maryland's offense was both interesting and reasonably good.</p>
<p><b>2. The big play scorched Maryland. </b>The Terps did well against Penn State's putrid offensive line and harassed Hackenberg well enough for most of the game. But for whatever faults he has, Hackenberg has always retained the ability to deliver a crisp deep ball. As the second quarter wound down, Hackenberg was just 4 of 11 passing, but he'd thrown for 153 yards and a touchdown because Maryland's secondary couldn't do anything about his most vertical throws. Maryland's toast was spread evenly: Safety Anthony Nixon (twice) and cornerbacks Will Likely and Sean Davis were each victimized on one of Hackenberg's bombs. Those led directly to each of Penn State's 17 first-half points, and similar struggles plagued the defense in the second half, too.</p>
<p><b>3. The game atmosphere worked well. </b>An announced total of 69,948 patrons filed into Baltimore's NFL facility to watch Saturday's game. The crowd was split close to evenly, with probably a few thousand more Maryland fans in the building than Penn State fans. But everyone was loud, the tailgates looked vibrant and reports of feuding fans were scarce. Those in attendance were treated to a decent enough football game, and Maryland got to sink its teeth a bit more deeply into the Baltimore market. The game was reasonably interesting, albeit <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/10/24/9608706/penn-state-maryland-put-this-guy-in-the-press-box-to-sleep">apparently not enough for everybody</a>.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-football/2015/10/24/9608078/maryland-psu-terps-game-score-final-stats-2015Alex Kirshner2015-10-24T18:20:33-04:002015-10-24T18:20:33-04:00Penn State almost burned Maryland, then dropped it
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<figcaption>Via ESPN.</figcaption>
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<p>Penn State's offense, in one GIF. </p> <p>Saturday's Penn State Maryland has seen its share of mistakes. Both teams have committed ghastly turnovers, and there have been enough missed field goals and blown assignments to tide each team over for weeks.</p>
<p>But this unfortunate drop by Penn State running back Akeel Lynch might take the cake:</p>
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<p>Penn State had called for a fun double-pass play. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg threw a backward pass to receiver Geno Lewis, who had running back Akeel Lynch streak free down the right side of the field.</p>
<p>It would've been a 30-plus-yard completion on a really fun play for Penn State's offense. It was not.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/10/24/9608776/akeel-lynch-drop-double-pass-psu-marylandAlex Kirshner2015-10-24T15:48:23-04:002015-10-24T15:48:23-04:00Dwayne Haskins meets Boomer Esiason<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/dh_simba7/status/657994200995209216">Here's Maryland QB commit Dwayne Haskins with former Terps great Boomer&nbsp;Esiason</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>The team's top commit is hanging out with the team's most famous former quarterback at the Terps' matchup against Penn State at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.</p></p></div>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2015/10/24/9608272/heres-maryland-qb-commit-dwayne-haskins-with-former-terps-greatRyan Connors