The Terrapins football team’s three-point home loss to West Virginia on Sept. 13 didn’t sit well with center Sal Conaboy.
The senior prides himself on protecting the quarterback and executing blocks in third-and-short situations. But the Terps offensive line didn’t do either against the Mountaineers, as C.J. Brown was sacked twice and hit hard often, while the offense failed on a crucial third-and-1 late in the fourth quarter when fullback Kenneth Goins Jr. was tackled for a loss of five yards on a run up the middle.
So, as the offensive lineman on the Terps’ leadership council, Conaboy made a commitment to improving in the week leading up to the team’s 34-20 win at Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. He spent hours in the film room. He wanted to know everything the Orange defense could possibly throw at him. He made sure he wouldn’t feel outmatched.
And that steadfast preparation resulted in a performance from Conaboy that rivaled any in his five-year career in College Park — one that earned him the offensive game ball for the week despite a near-career day passing from Brown.
“Sal played one of his best games since he’s been here,” coach Randy Edsall said. “[He] did a great job with the checks with all of the stuff that we were getting and making the identifications the right way.”
The Syracuse front brought blitz after blitz for all 60 minutes Saturday, but the Terps offensive line held strong under Conaboy’s direction.
The Orange’s go-to blitz that afternoon featured rushers off the edge, and it was used predominantly on third down. But Syracuse had run the same play against the Terps last year in a blowout victory at Byrd Stadium. Conaboy saw it on tape during the week and was prepared.
“Coming out of West Virginia, I knew we didn’t play our best up front. I knew I didn’t, myself, lead the best, lead how I wanted to,” Conaboy said. “So coming out of that game, [I] just got in the film room and prepped a lot, because I knew they were going to try and throw a lot at us. And I wanted to be in a position where I could tell our guys ‘I got this.’”
The offensive line’s ability to pick up blitzes was instrumental in the Terps’ hot offensive start against the Orange. Brown began the game 4-of-4 passing for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the first two drives, and three of those four throws came on plays when Syracuse rushed at least five defenders.
“[Brown] did a good job of getting the ball out of his hands pretty quick,” Conaboy said. “When they bring a lot of pressure, it’s hard to hold up for a long time.”
On multiple occasions, Brown has talked about how he’s starting to feel more comfortable on the field. That has translated to significant success both on the ground — he rushed for 161 yards against West Virginia — and in the air — he threw for 280 yards against the Orange.
A large part of that production stems from the chemistry between Brown and Conaboy, who’ve started together for the past two seasons.
“We have to be like one,” Conaboy said. “Us playing together for so long has really helped. He knows if he messes up or misses something or doesn’t see something, I’ll pick it up, and I know the same.”
Conaboy said there were several times against the Orange when he pointed something out to his fellow linemen before Brown approached the line of scrimmage to correct him.
“He’ll come up to the line and say ‘no, no, no, over here’ because he can see a little bit more than me,” Conaboy said. “We really work well together.”
That rapport between Brown and Conaboy goes back to preparation — something Conaboy said he truly embraced last season.
Now, it’s routine.
Entering every weekend, Conaboy not only understands the favorite moves or tendencies of the defensive lineman he will face on a down-to-down basis, he comprehends the scheme of the opponent’s defense.
That way, the rest of the Terps offense can rely on him to lead.
“That helps me to be able to play faster. It helps me to be able to make my calls faster,” Conaboy said. “I want to do my best for us to be successful. And for us to be successful, I have to get in there and prep.”
