The Terrapin football team’s defense provided an effort Saturday good enough to win. Players from both sides of the ball said as much, and given Virginia’s inability to move the ball down field throughout the game, the defenders clearly worked hard to earn that praise.
The problem, then, came with the Terps’ offensive output, or lack thereof. Simply put, the offense played poorly enough to lose in spite of the defense’s accomplishments. The result was a 20-9 loss to Virginia on homecoming, dropping the Terps to 2-5 (1-2 ACC).
After the game, defenders were left to wonder what more they could do to ensure victory.
In the players’ voices and statements, mounting frustration is more and more evident.
The defense has been forced to play with little margin for error this season, but Saturday, that margin was nearly invisible. As a result, the Terp defense, even as it has begun to hit stride under first-year coordinator Don Brown, has refused to settle for anything less than perfect.
“When your offense is struggling, you can score on defense, too,” defensive tackle Travis Ivey said. “Sometimes, we can take the pressure off them. And we need to do that because other teams are scoring on defense on us. That’s how they won the game — they scored on defense.”
Ivey landed on a fumble by Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell early in the second quarter. It was the only turnover the defense forced, but even that play should have been better, Ivey said.
The 325-pound lineman fell onto the ball after linebacker Adrian Moten knocked it out of Sewell’s clutches. But Ivey said, in retrospect, had he known how few Cavaliers were in the vicinity, he would have attempted to scoop the fumble up and run for a touchdown.
It’s been 40 games since the Terps last scored a defensive touchdown, which came on a 45-yard interception return by former standout Erin Henderson at Virginia more than three years ago.
Brown’s system is a complex one, featuring a wide variety of personnel groups and blitzing and coverage from all over the field. In its first test at the FBS level — Brown was previously the head coach at FCS-level Massachusetts — the defense was stumped by California. Players missed assignments and were slow to react to the ball, leading to a 52-13 rout.
With each week, the unit has improved. Aside from an ugly 35-point first half against Wake Forest two games ago, defenders have stayed with their assignments and the pass rush has improved tremendously.
Saturday, in wet conditions that slowed both offenses down quite a bit, the Terps produced a season-high five sacks. They knocked Sewell out of the game near the end of the third quarter with a sprained ankle. The only offensive touchdown the Cavaliers could muster was on a two-yard drive after a Terp turnover on downs.
But the Terp defense forced just one turnover. Meanwhile, the offense handed Virginia the ball four times.
“We gotta eliminate the big plays on offense and make more plays on defense, like getting more turnovers and stuff like that,” Moten said. “When we don’t make mistakes and bring the whole game together on offense, defense and special teams, I think you’ll see a different outcome.”
Still, as defensive players repeated the mantra of overall improvement, there was little question they had played well enough to win. Several offensive players admitted so after the game.
Linebacker Alex Wujciak stopped short of turning on his team’s offense, but the Terps’ leading tackler was clearly frustrated in watching his unit put up its best effort of the season to no avail.
“It’s a shame. This game, we deserved to win this game from a defensive side of the ball,” Wujciak said. “Giving up two field goals and a touchdown that started on the one-yard line. It’s frustrating to practice hard all week and play so well and not get any results.”
ajoseph@umdbk.com
