TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – When starting quarterback C.J. Brown left the field after a nasty head-to-head hit in the third quarter of the Terrapins football team’s game Saturday, the quarterback controversy that has consumed the program in recent weeks was reborn.
Positional battles, however, are the least of the Terps’ worries.
The team was thoroughly dismantled from the opening kickoff to the final whistle by host Florida State, falling to 0-11 all time at Doak Campbell Stadium and fading further from bowl eligibility with a 41-16 loss.
“We didn’t make all the plays that we needed to make today,” coach Randy Edsall said. “The one thing is we started a little bit slow today … and we just weren’t able to overcome their speed and athleticism.”
Slow starts have plagued the Terps (2-5, 1-3) all season, and Saturday was no exception. Quarterback E.J. Manuel and the Seminoles wasted little time in establishing themselves as the better team, taking the opening kickoff and driving 62 yards in 2:54 with remarkable precision.
When the Terps’ offense stalled out on the ensuing possession, Manuel simply did it again. After running in Florida State’s (4-3, 2-2 ACC) first touchdown, he threw for its second, and before the Terps could even work up a sweat, the Seminoles had a 14-0 lead.
Manuel was 8-for-9 for 120 yards passing and a touchdown on those first two drives, and that 14-point cushion alone proved too much for the Terps to overcome.
Their offense was anemic with Brown under center, as the Seminoles’ vaunted defense matched his athleticism and limited him on the ground.
One of his few backfield escapes ended his day. On third-and-15 midway through the third quarter, Brown dropped back, eluded pressure and scrambled up the middle.
But when he went into a late slide 5 yards downfield, Florida State linebacker Nigel Bradham stuck the crown of his helmet into Brown’s chin. Brown kneeled as the Terps’ medical staff tended to him and reserve Danny O’Brien loosened up on the sideline.
Brown was cleared to play after heading to the Terps’ locker room, but Edsall chose to stick with O’Brien.
And while O’Brien enjoyed some success — including a 69-yard third-quarter connection to wide receiver Quintin McCree and a 5-yard touchdown run shortly thereafter — he stood little chance of orchestrating a comeback.
The Seminoles piled up six sacks and forced the Terps to punt the ball a season-high 10 times. In 14 drives, the Terps advanced past Florida State’s 40-yard line only three times.
“I think you have to give Florida State credit,” Edsall said. “Florida State is very athletic and got tremendous speed and they did a good job. You give all the credit to Florida State’s defense.”
Following the Seminoles’ first two scores, the Terps’ defense settled down for a time. It limited Florida State to just 10 points over the second and third quarters, and the Terps’ pressure on Manuel (four sacks) put the ball back in the hands of their offense.
That didn’t matter, though. The Terps could find no semblance of an offensive identity, and while they posted 13 second-half points, half of those came on a last-minute touchdown pass from O’Brien to wide receiver Marcus Leak well after the game had already been decided.
With just 59 yards on 37 rushing attempts, the Terps struggled to maintain possession against the speedy Seminoles defense.
“It wasn’t anything the defense did, it was just all the mental things,” said McCree, who finished with a career-high nine catches for 177 yards. “You just can’t have three-and-outs. We’ve just got to capitalize.”
And when the Terps couldn’t, Florida State took full advantage. The Seminoles took to the ground to protect their lead in the fourth quarter and posted 17 points while keeping the Terps’ defense on the field for a staggering 12:09 in the final frame.
The young Terps defense that surrendered 576 yards against Clemson last weekend again was torn apart, and Florida State posted 482 total yards.
“We came out of halftime and came out great and I think, eventually, we just started to wear down a little bit,” safety Eric Franklin said. “You can’t give up that many yards and that many points and expect to win the game.”
The loss has left the Terps reeling, searching for answers. Most of the mistakes that have haunted them all season — slow starts, offensive ineptitude, poor field position — again reared their ugly head against the Seminoles, and against a team as talented as Florida State, the Terps were unable to answer for their miscues.
“They got tons of weapons on offense,” defensive tackle Joe Vellano said. “You can’t get behind on these teams, you really can’t. You can’t make it easy on them.”
The Terps did make it easy for them Saturday. And with five games remaining on their schedule, they’re running out of time to learn from their mistakes.
“We’ve got to coach them better, the kids have to do their part, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” Edsall said. “You take a look and there’s some very positive things out there. … We just don’t match up with the speed and athleticism of Clemson and Florida State, and that’s what we’re going to have to do from a recruiting standpoint.”
TERPS NOTE: Edsall said that the Terps’ starting quarterback Saturday against Boston College will be a game-time decision, as was the case against Clemson.
cwalsh@umdbk.com
