Cornerback Sean Davis intercepts a pass during the Terps’ 35-17 victory over USF on Sep. 19 at Byrd Stadium.
It became a haunting theme of the Terrapins football team’s 48-27 loss to mid-major Bowling Green on Sept. 12. Play after play, quarterback Matt Johnson connected with wide receiver Roger Lewis, leaving cornerback Sean Davis trailing behind.
When it was over, Lewis had compiled 15 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns to key the Falcons’ surprising victory.
“I knew that that wasn’t me on the field,” Davis said. “I just don’t want to be the weak link of the defense.”
[ READ MORE: Maryland defense shows marked improvement in win over USF ]
So during the week, Davis met coach Randy Edsall for dinner. The Terps still had confidence in Davis, Edsall maintained. Davis just needed to focus on the essentials and keep playing hard.
The senior got some redemption Saturday, snatching two interceptions, forcing a fumble and making nine tackles in the Terps’ game against South Florida. A week after the disappointing loss to Bowling Green, the Terps pulled out a convincing 35-17 win, and Davis was no longer the “weak link.”
“I just felt horrible last week, giving up those touchdowns,” Davis said. Edsall “told me, ‘You’re better than that, just focus up and you’ll be all right.’ I took that to heart.”
Davis was a mainstay in the Terps’ lineup as a safety the past two years, notching a team-high 102 tackles in 2013 before racking up 115 last season, the most among Big Ten defensive backs.
During the offseason, though, the Terps coaching staff thought Davis’ skill set translated well to playing cornerback. The Terps envisioned the duo of Davis, a three-year starting cornerback at Maret, and preseason All-American Will Likely teaming up to cover the opposition’s top wide receivers.
Davis faltered in his new role last week, however, as the Washington D.C. native regularly got beaten in deep coverage. With the Terps nursing a 13-6 lead early in the third quarter, Davis thought he’d be receiving help on Lewis on a third and 10. When the help never came, Davis was left to watch Lewis sprint into the end zone for a 58-yard touchdown.
So Davis altered his routine while preparing for South Florida. He said he cut back on some things in his personal life and spent more time in the film room. He improved his focus. He wasn’t going to get embarrassed again.
“You don’t play your best, you want to go out and redeem yourself and you work hard,” Edsall said.
In a game Davis said the Terps knew they couldn’t afford to lose, he made a substantial impact in the secondary. On the third play of the second quarter, Bulls quarterback Quinton Flowers tossed a high-arcing pass to wide receiver Rodney Adams along the right sideline. Davis kept pace with Adams before jumping toward the ball and grabbing it at its highest point.
And Davis wasn’t done. In the fourth quarter, he corralled a tipped ball and returned it 33 yards to the Bulls’ 17-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Caleb Rowe connected with tight end Avery Edwards to give the Terps a 35-17 advantage.
“If he would’ve caught it that would’ve been a great catch,” Davis said of his second interception. “But I kind of saw that it was overthrown and I just slow-played it. I wish I had more legs, could have scored.”
As the season wears on and the Terps challenge more prominent offenses, Davis’ presence will continue to be important. On Saturday, the Terps will look to knock off a West Virginia team that’s averaging more than 40 points through its first two games.
After the game, Davis insisted that the Bowling Green game didn’t shake his confidence. Yet as he looked toward the future, Davis seemed relieved.
“I needed this game,” Davis said. “Coming off of last week, that’s not the player who I envision to be and that’s not who I am. Today was a good game for me.”
