As the time on the clock wore down in the fourth quarter, the anticipation kept building.
Members of the Terrapin football team had their eyes glued on the game film from Saturday’s win against Navy early this week, and they knew what was coming.
They howled as the screen replayed Lance Ball’s improbable fourth-down conversion, and then they were treated to the running back’s electric smile.
“He didn’t say much,” running backs coach John Donovan said. “Everyone else did the hooting and hollering.”
As many people on campus have learned from approaching Ball to congratulate his effort this week, the redshirt sophomore has an infectious grin to demonstrate his satisfaction with the way the season has started.
But those Terp fans who didn’t know Ball when he toiled on the scout team and bottom of the depth chart in the past two seasons may be surprised to learn that he hasn’t always been beaming with comfort and confidence.
“Lance has kind of matured as a kid,” coach Ralph Friedgen said. “When he makes a mistake and a coach gets on him, it doesn’t bother him as much as it used to. He’s able to take corrections now.”
In the past, when the 20-year-old fumbled or missed an assignment on the practice field, the coaches saw a player who tended to deflect blame and let a scowl hide his boyish grin and shiny white teeth.
“It was hard having everybody going down my throat,” Ball said. “But I’ve minimized my mistakes so I really don’t have that much pressure on me from the coaches. They feel more comfortable with me, and I feel more comfortable with them.”
Ball missed an assignment yesterday in practice, but he trotted back to the huddle, admitted to making the lapse and was ready for the next snap.
More opportunities to play with Josh Allen out for the season have contributed to Ball’s confidence, as has a blossoming relationship with Donovan.
The 30-year-old Donovan served as the Terps’ Assistant Recruiting Coordinator for four years and oversaw the graduate assistants and all of the football camps hosted by the university. That experience working closely with youngsters has translated to more clear communication since he took over for Bill O’Brien as the position coach this past offseason.
“He’s a good people person,” Ball said. “Before the season he sat me down, showed me the offense and went over all the plays with me. He’s more of a one-on-one teacher.”
With a better understanding of what is expected of him, Ball’s facial expressions have gone from grim to grins and his play has been stronger than ever.
“He’s very confident and he’s been very good with me,” said Donovan, who didn’t recall any attitude problems from Ball since he took the backs. “He works hard and he doesn’t say boo. He’s wanting to learn and he believes in himself.”
Friedgen agrees that Ball is “smiling a lot more,” and the team is just as delighted to have another strong runner in the backfield.
Ball dropped about 15 pounds from his previously 228-pound frame over the summer to add more explosiveness, and he put together a gaudy 7.8 yards-per-carry average on five rushes Saturday.
It also wasn’t a mistake that Ball was on the field on the most crucial down of Saturday’s 23-20 win. He is a member of the Terps’ “posse” personnel group — used primarily for passing situations — and Donovan believes Ball is the best route-runner and pass-catcher of the backs.
Ironically, Ball ran a poor pattern and was out of position on that fourth-and-8 play. He was supposed to be 6 yards out, but wound up close to the line of scrimmage after helping out on a block early in the play.
But Ball wasn’t concerned about losing his job or being sent back to the scout team when he realized where he was positioned. He instead remembered one of Donovan’s primary rules, to “know your situation and get the first down,” and eluded tacklers until he had reached the destination necessary to keep the Terps’ chances alive.
But Ball wasn’t completely free of criticism for that gaffe.
“We mentioned it,” Donovan said with a chuckle. “We let him get by one time. He knows he’s got to do better the next time.”
Still this week’s film study must have seemed more like a Ebert and Roeper movie screening to Ball, who is finally receiving more praise than critique.
But now that he’s no longer anonymous to the Terp faithful, is there more pressure for him to be flawless as the team welcomes Clemson for its home opener Saturday at Byrd Stadium?
“I’ve just got to perform every weekend,” Ball responded with his trademark smirk. “Relax and do my job.”
Contact reporter David Selig at dseligdbk@gmail.com.
