For the past two games, the Terrapin football team has had a free pass as far as I’m concerned. Facing two top-10 teams (one on the road), the resulting losses were excusable.
But now the Terps have to win.
When they travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., this weekend, they have to win to avoid the situation that would otherwise result – taking a three-game losing streak into the season’s final two weeks and needing to win both for a chance at the postseason. They have to win because despite similar records, they are a superior team to the Tar Heels, who rank 11th in the ACC in scoring offense and 10th in scoring defense. And also, they have to win if they ever want to get past this Cornerstone brawl incident.
Coach Ralph Friedgen tried to minimize his comments about the actions that led to four players receiving suspensions. The players haven’t said anything. But if the Terps drop a winnable game at North Carolina, there’s going to be a lot to answer for. True or not, assumptions are going to be made linking the two events.
Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer recently drew a correlation between his team’s disappointing season and the tumult that preceded it, with nearly a dozen players having run-ins with the law within the past 13 months. From preseason national title contenders to out of the rankings completely, Fulmer needed a way to explain his team’s collapse, even if it wasn’t a good one.
The Terps’ situation is on a much smaller scale, but they still have plenty to lose. In winning three straight games leading up to the Virginia Tech-Florida State gauntlet, the Terps made themselves significant again.
Lowly regarded in the preseason, they had morphed into a team that seemed headed back to a bowl. Will the Cornerstone incident become an excuse if that doesn’t happen?
Friedgen’s tenure has been known for what has happened on the field. There was a 2003 recruiting violation that, aside from costing the program a very good player, blew over with no other ramifications of consequence.
The season prior, starting nose tackle William Shime got himself into trouble shortly before the Terps left for the Peach Bowl and was consequently suspended from the team and left home. But nobody remembers that because it was believed to be an isolated incident and the Terps manhandled, coincidentally, Tennessee for their first bowl victory since the 1980s. Those and other player transgressions never amounted to anything significant.
Now comes a very poorly timed mistake (and not because it roused the Fridge out of bed at 1:30 in the morning). Instead of talking about a pivotal game with equally bowl-hungry North Carolina, we’re asking what really happened at Cornerstone that night. Friedgen conducted his own investigation – like he doesn’t have enough responsibilities already.
From what I know of Friedgen, I don’t think he’ll blame a loss on this incident. He’ll say the team was just as prepared as always, that his players have overcome stiffer adversity in the past, etc. But if the Terps lose this weekend, many of us will wonder what role this distraction played.
The Terps have demonstrated in their win over a then-ranked Virginia team and narrow loss to then-No. 5 Florida State that they are good enough to win the two more games necessary for bowl consideration. And if they fall short, it won’t be the talent we’re left questioning.
Contact reporter Ryan Young at youngdbk@gmail.com.
