After leading the Terrapin football team in interceptions and being named the team’s most improved defensive player last season, Cameron Chism was expected to step in as the team’s top cornerback and a leader in an inexperienced secondary.
But things haven’t quite gone according to plan.
After spending the offseason eagerly awaiting the season opener against Navy, Chism suffered a hamstring injury and missed all of training camp.
Chism returned in time to play in the game against the Midshipmen, and yesterday he said his hamstring hasn’t slowed him down this season. The missed repetitions in practice did, however, delay his progression. And heading into Saturday’s showdown against a pass-happy Duke team, coach Ralph Friedgen is waiting for Chism to live up to his potential and take charge of a Terp secondary that has taken its lumps.
“He’s struggling right now,” Friedgen said. “Cameron missed all of training camp and that kind of set him back. He was only cleared a week before Navy, and a lot of his fundamentals are not where they need to be. We kind of figured he was a veteran, but he’s got to play better for us than he is right now.”
Chism, who leads the team in pass breakups and passes defended with six of each, largely embodies the woes that have befallen a secondary that has shown flashes of improvement but remains inconsistent.
In their past two games, against West Virginia and Florida International, the Terps have allowed 623 passing yards and six passing touchdowns. This week, they face a Blue Devil passing offense that is 20th in the country, averaging 281.25 yards through the air per game.
Things got so bad for Chism last week that after gambling on pass defense and giving up a long touchdown in the first half, defensive coordinator Don Brown replaced Chism with redshirt freshman Dexter McDougle in the second half.
“I guess I just got beat so he took me out,” Chism said.
Chism wasn’t on the bench very long, though. And after the game, Brown lauded Chism’s attitude and said the junior played much better as the Terps pulled away from the Golden Panthers.
“I am still just as confident,” Chism said. “I think it’s just that I am so eager to make a play, I forget the technique or something. It’s just the little things. I just have to calm down and do my job.”
He will need to be exceptional at his job Saturday. Duke wideouts Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner are two of the better pass-catchers in the conference, already having combined for 51 catches and 707 yards this season.
Chism and the rest of the secondary are well aware of the Blue Devils’ playmakers. The Terps will be better Saturday, Chism said, and so will he.
“If I get my hands on the ball, I want to score,” Chism said. “No missed tackles, no coverage busts. I just want to help us win.”
lemaire@umdbk.com
