Now riding a three-game losing streak, there’s no relief to be found for Maryland, which heads on the road for the second straight week, this time to No. 5 Ohio State.
“Obviously the last three weeks isn’t isn’t good enough, isn’t the standard that we need to have for our program,” coach Mike Locksley said Tuesday. “Our players know it. We, as coaches, know it. Obviously, I know it. Nobody’s hanging their heads. Got a lot of work to do. We’ll keep working through it.”
The most imposing game on the Terrapins’ schedule — in Columbus, on the Buckeyes’ (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) homecoming — comes at the worst possible time. Locksley’s job status remains in a neutral state despite the lopsided losses, with no indication if or when athletic director Jim Smith will make a coaching change.
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The odds are even more against Maryland this week. The Terrapins are 0-19 against ranked Big Ten programs in Locksley’s previous seven seasons and winless in nine tries all-time against the Buckeyes. The coach, however, saw growth among the weeds in a lopsided setback at Nebraska.
“I saw us look like a team — the team that I thought we could be — but only for about a half. I thought once we threw the pick six, that the energy went out of our team,” Locksley said.
The 81-yard pick six, the third quarterback Malik Washington has thrown this season, flipped the script from a 23-14 Maryland lead late in the second quarter to a 34-straight point run by the Cornhuskers and a 48-23 victory.
“When you throw the ball as much as we have, you’ll have some [of that],” Locksley said. “Both interceptions he threw this Saturday, I call them 400-level reads. Those are 400-level things that people are doing because of the talent he has at quarterback.”
Beyond Washington, whom Locklsey made clear he has no intention of replacing, a readjustment of focus is necessary for the Terrapins (2-3, 0-2) to limit their mistakes.
“It’s more about the focus. The focus level has to be all the way there. And it starts with the older guys like myself. We have to beat that into the younger guys’ heads,” said defensive back Lavain Scruggs. “I don’t think it’s lacking. I think it’s more of a some some some guys just trying to go 100% and do do other people’s job and not just do their job.”
Focus will be necessary to keep one of the likely Heisman Trophy finalists in line in a matchup that features leading receivers on both sides.
OSU’s Jeremiah Smith is head and shoulders above anyone else, with his 44 receptions, 823 yards and 9 touchdowns all best in the nation. The reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week is now the Buckeyes’ all-time career leader in receiving touchdowns and receptions with his 11 catch, 206 yard, two TD performance in a win at No. 14 Iowa last week.
“It starts with playing high to low on him. We got to be deep, as deep as [we can] back there. We’ve got to limit the explosives on him. I think that’s really what it is,” Scruggs said. “At the end of the day, we still have to play football, but we have to be deep on him, for sure.”
For Maryland, Chris Durr Jr. has been the lone bright spot in a tough season. His 42 catches trail only Smith, and his 461 yards receiving are fifth in the Big Ten, including a career-high 149 against the Huskers.
“The grass is green, the end zone is the end zone, turf is the turf. So it’s just going to be a regular game,” Durr said. Another game, another opportunity to prove why we should be here, why Maryland belongs in the Big Ten.”
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