The Maryland Terrapins will need to have short memories this week, as they regroup and get on the road to visit the 11th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. How the terps bounce back after a rough Friday game may set the tone for the rest of the season.
Sooooo…This past Friday was NOT one for Terps Football record books.
The positive momentum generated by the early success of the season came to an abrupt, painful halt, as the Terps were outclassed by the 5th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, 51-14. Despite early glimpses of the explosive offensive output that had terps football fans extremely excited going into this match-up, a myriad of mental errors and an opportunistic Hawkeyes defense quickly erased any hope of a successful primetime outing for the Terrapins. Make no mistake; The stoutness of the Iowa Hawkeye defense IS as advertised. To add a sprinkling of misery onto the sting of this setback, star wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. suffered what looks to be a serious lower-leg injury on a kick-off return, effectively erasing one of the biggest field-stretching threats in the Big 10 for an extended period of time.
Of course, we’ve seen this movie before when it comes to big primetime games and their outcomes going forward. We’re left to ask a familiar question…Where do we go from here? Can both sides of the ball shake the stink of this forgettable outing off in time to go on the road to Columbus, Ohio, and face the 11th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes? One thing is for sure; Head Coach Mike Locksley and staff have a good deal of repair work to do to re-focus this team prior to hitting the turf in the horseshoe. Here are some things to look for going forward this week.