The biggest story of the weekend for Maryland football isn’t its Big Ten opener against Minnesota on Saturday.
On Friday morning, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents will meet, and be briefed, on the findings of the school’s external investigation into the death of Jordan McNair. McNair, an offensive lineman, suffered heatstroke at a May 29 team workout, and died two weeks later.
The findings will be presented to the public later Friday afternoon. It will almost certainly include more details about how Maryland’s trainers failed to properly treat McNair and could lead to personnel decisions, especially regarding trainers Wes Robinson and Steve Nordwall.
Then, less than 24 hours later, Maryland will try to continue competing through the off-field developments and bounce back from an abysmal performance against Temple in order to open Big Ten play with a win over the Golden Gophers’ No. 6-ranked defense.
“It’s not going to impact the team at all,” wide receiver Taivon Jacobs said. “We just strictly focus on the season and each game. One game at a time.”
[Read more: Findings of Jordan McNair investigation will be released Sept. 21]
Friday’s Board of Regents meeting will address only one of the investigations into Maryland’s football program. A second task force continues to investigate allegations of a “toxic” team culture under coach DJ Durkin, who has been on administrative leave since Aug. 11. That group’s investigation has no announced end date.
After two ESPN reports highlighted an abusive culture surrounding Durkin’s program and suggested it may have played a role in McNair’s death, the third-year coach was placed on leave along with Robinson, Nordwall and strength and conditioning coach Rick Court, who resigned Aug. 13.
Interim head coach Matt Canada has led Maryland in Durkin’s absence.
“We’re going to worry about the football game,” Canada said. “That’s our job, that’s our charge and that’s what we’re going to do. I continue to say how proud I am of our players for focusing on their job, on going to school, on playing football and on grieving Jordan. That’s what they’re worried about.”
[Read more: After Jordan McNair’s death, Maryland football’s players have stuck together]
Last week, Temple had its way over Maryland. The Terps’ offense managed 63 passing yards and scored zero offensive points in an ugly home opener.
During the open portion of Maryland’s Tuesday practice, quarterbacks Kasim Hill and Tyrrell Pigrome completed deep throws down the sideline — a threat that’s been nearly absent from the Terps’ attack thus far — as they practiced their hurry-up offense.
Against the Golden Gophers, who enter week four allowing an average of nine points per game, Maryland will need significantly better contributions from its offense.
Defensive lineman Jesse Aniebonam said with “all the distractions going on,” coaches have stressed the need for attention to details.
In numerous facets last week, those efforts seemed to fall short. The Terps were forced into third-and-longs they failed to convert nearly every time, and the defense allowed the Owls to extend drives with third-and-long conversions of their own.
So when the report is released on the eve of Maryland’s Big Ten opener, the players can’t afford to allow themselves to be distracted.
“With everything that’s been going on, this is bringing us closer and closer,” Aniebonam said. “Everything that happened over the summer was a tragedy, and it was extremely unfortunate. But, you know, this type of adversity pulls us together, pulls us stronger, pulls us closer. And so, we’re still just focused on the next game, the next challenge and honoring Jordan every step of the way.”
