Kevin Dorsey
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — It was a trying week for the Terrapins football team. After suffering a heartbreaking loss to N.C. State, the Terps learned over a six-day stretch they had lost their starting quarterback, backup quarterback and second-leading wide receiver to season-ending injuries.
A 90-minute flight to Boston College, the only Atlantic Division team remaining without an ACC win, seemed an ideal cure to the Terps’ recent woes. The Eagles, after all, hadn’t beaten a single FBS opponent this season and ranked near the bottom of the conference in nearly every major statistical category.
No cure would arrive. After shrugging off a sluggish first half to tally 17 straight points, the Terps fell victim to yet another late drive and left Alumni Stadium with a 20-17 defeat.
“I feel for the kids. I really do. I feel for them,” coach Randy Edsall said. “I want them to win so bad because they’re doing all the things we’re asking them to do and playing their hearts out.”
Eagles quarterback Chase Rettig found a wide-open Johnathan Coleman for a 14-yard touchdown reception with 52 seconds remaining, forcing freshman quarterback Caleb Rowe to attempt the two-minute drill for the second straight Saturday.
But unlike last week, when he drove the Terps 60 yards downfield to set up a potential game-winning field goal, Rowe wouldn’t play hero. The Landrum, S.C., native ended the Terps’ comeback bid when he sent his last pass soaring directly into the hands of Boston College safety Spenser Rositano.
The misfire was Rowe’s third interception of the day, a statistic that will likely overshadow an otherwise sterling second-half performance.
“He made some mistakes in his first start,” defensive end A.J. Francis said. “I made some mistakes and it was my 31st, so we’ve all got room to improve. He’s going to learn from his mistakes and get better, and we need him to.”
After struggling to reach Eagles territory — much less the end zone — throughout the first half, Rowe directed two third-quarter scoring drives.
Then he let star wide receiver Stefon Diggs go to work. The Gaithersburg native caught a pass near midfield and outran the Boston College secondary for a 66-yard touchdown reception that put the Terps up, 17-10, with 8:47 left. Diggs finished the day with a career-high 152 receiving yards on 11 catches.
“I just give him the ball in space and let him do his thing,” Rowe said.
Defensive end Joe Vellano stripped Rettig of the ball on the Eagles’ next drive, and Francis recovered the fumble at the Boston College 39-yard line. But the Terps were unable to pad their lead on the ensuing possession, setting up Rettig’s game-winning touchdown toss.
Of course, Saturday’s result can hardly be blamed on one or two late-game lapses. Rowe, who was thrust into the starting quarterback role after Perry Hills and backup Devin Burns both suffered season-ending injuries against the Wolfpack, had two ill-advised passes intercepted in the first half. One pick resulted in a 36-yard Eagles field goal that gave Boston College a 10-0 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the second quarter.
But many of the Terps’ offensive struggles can likely be attributed to a lack of firepower. Wide receiver Marcus Leak, who ranks second on the team with 393 receiving yards, joined Hills and Burns on the done-for-the-season list last week with a broken toe.
With a number of bench players logging major minutes, the Terps dumped the zone-option and turned to the air. Rowe attempted 42 passes, by far the team’s most on the year, but finished with a relatively modest 240 passing yards.
Making matters worse, kicker Brad Craddock’s struggles persisted. Coming off a missed 33-yard field goal attempt in the waning seconds of the Terps’ 20-18 defeat to N.C. State, the freshman missed a 35-yarder in the first quarter. Freshman walk-on Brendan Magistro promptly replaced him, and converted a 28-yard attempt to bring the Terps within three, at 13-10, in the third quarter.
“I feel bad for Brad, but it’s one of those situations where you’ve got to put the best people on the field,” Edsall said. “We just can’t keep giving away opportunities and points and expect to win.”
Those missed opportunities could leave the Terps without a bowl appearance for the second straight year. After falling to an ACC bottom feeder, the team’s schedule won’t get any easier. It faces two top-25 teams — No. 10 Clemson and No. 9 Florida State — in November, and likely won’t be favored to win any of its final four games. Two more victories could be difficult to muster for a mistake-prone squad short on experience.
“It’s tough,” Vellano said. “We’ll get back to it this week, I guess.”
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