Whether you knew it then, by tuning into Saturday’s Terrapin football game at California, you were officially punching your ticket to one of the area’s wildest attractions.
Everyone who plopped down on a couch or crowded into a Route 1 bar has boarded the Terps’ sure-to-be roller coaster season.
Even if you didn’t keep the TV locked on ESPN2 through the end of the Golden Bears’ 52-13 beatdown, you’re locked in. Given recent history and the Terps’ almost unprecedented youth, it’s pretty clear this is just the beginning.
There are still 11 games and almost three months worth of football left. The Terps will play better and they might play just as bad. They will clean up the penalties and communication issues. And these problems that frustrated them in an embarrassing national television performance against Cal will probably flare up again.
Now that you’re invested in a team that sent 16 true or redshirt freshmen onto the field for their collegiate debuts Saturday, the best thing to do is take a page from the Terps themselves and just move on.
“When Monday comes, you’re watching film and when it’s done, it’s behind you,” said fifth-year anchor Deege Galt on the lessons he has learned from the toughest losses in his career. “Whether you win by 50 or lose by 50, you’ve just got to move on when Monday comes.”
That’s been the beauty of coach Ralph Friedgen’s teams in recent seasons. They not only say the right things in the weeks after disappointing defeats, but they have bounced back, too.
Many of the older players have pointed to the 2006 loss at West Virginia, in which the Terps were systematically dismantled 45-24 on a Thursday evening in Morgantown, W. Va. That season produced a 9-4 record, complete with a Champs Sports Bowl win.
And just last season, a senior-laden Terp squad followed up dismal performances at Middle Tennessee and at Virginia with statement-making wins. In total, the Terps were 4-1 following losses a year ago.
Sure, it’s hard to forget the uncomfortable second half as the now-No. 10 Golden Bears unloaded payback for their 2008 loss in College Park. But it’s not difficult to see where getting hammered by one of the nation’s best leaves the Terps.
“We’ve got to grow from that experience,” Friedgen said. “We’ve got to take that and learn from it and be better this week than we were last week. And we’ve got to do that each and every week.”
Inconsistency has been a constant battle in the last two seasons. Six wins against ranked opponents show the highs can be great. But you’ve got to be prepared for the barely explainable lapses, too.
Saturday’s loss doesn’t exactly fit into either category. Friedgen said he knew such an outcome was possible but didn’t expect it. Pretty much everything that could’ve went wrong did, and there’s plenty of time for the Terps to mature into a more known quantity. Most importantly, the team’s youthful swagger seems to still be intact, even after a tough cross-country plane ride back from Berkeley, Calif.
“We’re not the most talented team in the world,” linebacker Alex Wujciak said. “We’re not the fastest, but when we play fundamentally right and no mistakes and error-free, we can hang in there with anyone.”
That means the rest of the season should be fun as the Terps work out their growing pains. They’ve proven they can be beaten by 39 when they’re not at their best in a tough situation. But especially with several intriguing late-season ACC match-ups ahead, a few pleasant surprises are inevitable, too.
Expect some rises. A few more falls. Maybe a loop-the-loop. Enjoy the journey.
edetweiler@umdbk.com
