Saturday night’s 14-point win over Middle Tennessee left the Terrapin football team with mixed emotions that were reminiscent of feelings after beating William & Mary.

But as those emotions varied, there was a defined focus in players’ voices when they talked about the win: West Virginia.

After snapping up their second win of the season, the Terps were eager to zero in on their upcoming trip to Morgantown, W.Va., and examine how their first two wins will prepare them for the Mountaineers.

Looking ahead to their first big test of the season, coach Ralph Friedgen and his players spoke about building confidence and momentum, while also noting that the Terps must play better to knock off No. 5 West Virginia.

“We have to play a whole lot better. Without a doubt,” senior quarterback Sam Hollenbach said. “Little mistakes that we got away with these first two weeks – that’s not going to cut it against a team like West Virginia.”

After the game, some of the players admitted Friedgen was not using his playbook to its full potential with the Mountaineers looming. But even with the conservative game plan, the Terps were still able to take care of Middle Tennessee.

Running back Lance Ball scored two touchdowns, Hollenbach added a third, and the Terps left Byrd Stadium Saturday with an uneventful 24-10 win over Middle Tennessee. Clearly, though, the Terps understand that the first two games of the season were just stepping stones to Thursday’s national TV showdown.

Ball, who has been thinking about facing West Virginia since the summer, said the Terps’ first two wins provided some confidence for young players who hadn’t gotten much playing time.

Despite not blowing out William & Mary or Middle Tennessee, junior nose tackle Dre Moore described the Terps’ locker room demeanor as happy.

“These wins may not mean a lot to other people outside College Park. But as a team, it does a lot for your confidence after going 5-6 two years in a row,” Moore said.

The Terps can draw confidence from big plays such as Josh Wilson’s opening 61-yard kickoff return. While Friedgen deemed it a “good win,” he wasn’t completely satisfied.

“I told our team afterwards that it seems like we’re playing on eggshells. We play much more aggressively against ourselves than we do in the games,” Friedgen said. “I don’t know if that’s youth, or inexperience, or we’re afraid to make a mistake, but we can play harder.”

Last week, the checklist for improvement included improving the passing game, cutting down on turnovers and tackling better. The first concern was reduced by Hollenbach’s mistake-free 11-of-16 night. The Terps’ only turnover came when J.J. Justice fumbled the same ball he had just intercepted. The third concern, Friedgen said, is still a worry, and the defense must improve on third-down after allowing the Blue Raiders to convert nine of 16 chances.

“On third down, we gotta do better. Coaches are going crazy on the sidelines. – They’re like suicidal on the sidelines,” Friedgen said. “We gotta get to where we’re not playing timid, we’re playing aggressively.”

On defense, junior linebacker Wesley Jefferson and Justice said the Terps had to be sharper, and Hollenbach pointed to himself for offensive improvement. The senior – who has not committed a turnover this season – said he needs to play smarter.

Sophomore receiver Isaiah Williams is confident Friedgen knows what he’s doing by not unveiling certain plays during the first two weeks.

Still, even if the Terps possess a hidden repertoire on offense, they know a repeat performance of Saturday night won’t be enough against the Mountaineers. When asked if he felt the Terps could play the same way Thursday as they did to beat Middle Tennessee, Jefferson was definitive in his response.

“Absolutely not. Absolutely not,” he said.

Whether it means eliminating turnovers completely, making key third-down stops or standing up to immense pressure, the Terps now can focus on playing a top-10 team on the road. Friedgen realizes his young team still has work to do.

“It’ll be interesting to see how our team reacts to Thursday night,” he said. “We gotta go up there, and we gotta raise our game, no doubt.”

Contact reporter Stephen Whyno at whynodbk@gmail.com.