Image Credit: PressBox Online
The Maryland Terrapins’ football team had quite a few questions that needed to be answered coming into their game against the Syracuse Orange. With an impressive 34-20 victory, many of those questions have been answered. The Terps were up 31-13 on the Orange at halftime, and never looked back. Better play by quarterback C.J. Brown paired with better play by his offensive line sparked life into an offense that had struggled with consistency over the first three weeks of the season. Though the Maryland defense was missing four of their starting front seven, they did well holding Syracuse to just 20 points (7 of which came very late in the game). This was a big win for Randy Edsall and his team as they head into Big Ten play next week.
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- C.J. Brown can be good when protected – Maryland’s offensive line had struggled in pass protection over the first three weeks of the season, but did much better against the pass-rush of Syracuse. Brown was given better pockets to throw out of, and was able to set his feet more regularly when passing. He finished the day with 16 completions on 26 attempts for 280 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
- Jacquille Veii, WR or RB? – After Levern Jacobs was suspended for the season, Jacquille Veii made the move from RB to slot WR. Today, he led the running backs in carries with 8 for 42 yards and had no catches. He is a very versatile player, and I’d expect him to see time in both roles moving forward.
- Finally, no turnovers – For the first time this season, Maryland finished a game with no turnovers committed by their offense. C.J. Brown played a very clean game, and only made one or two poor decisions in the passing game.
- Bend, don’t break – The Maryland defense was missing four of its starting front seven, and allowed 577 total yards to the Orange. However, many of Syracuse’s drives ended well short of the end zone, resulting in very few opportunities for scores. It may not have been pretty, but the Maryland defense got the job done.
- William Likely is a special player – Maryland’s star sophomore cornerback had a big day for the Terps defensively. His biggest highlight was an 88-yard interception returned for a touchdown just before halftime. He was all over the field, and had a huge hit on a swing pass behind the line of scrimmage. Many people passed him over as a 5-foot-7 cornerback, but he plays like a man who stands 6-foot-3.
- Marcus Leak’s return has been huge – Nigel King certainly had talent as the Terps’ #3 wideout last season, but Marcus Leak adds a whole new dimension to the passing game. Everyone knows about Deon Long and Stefon Diggs’ talent, but Leak has been extremely impressive so far this season. He had 4 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown today, including a huge 46-yard catch that saw him wrestle an interception away from a Syracuse defensive back.
- Andrew Isaacs, get well soon – Starting tight end Andrew Isaacs went down with a gruesome knee injury in the second half, and was taken off of the field on a stretcher. Early reports are that he suffered a dislocated knee, and could very well be done for the season. We will obviously keep an eye on official reports, but our thoughts go out to Isaacs and his entire family.
- Take the win, move on – Winning this game was crucial for Randy Edsall and his team, and they played their best football of the season. The Terps face another tough task at Indiana next week in their first Big Ten matchup, so looking towards Ohio State cannot happen.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.