Maryland football coach Michael Locksley said after the Terps’ season-opening win Saturday that the biggest jump a team makes is between the first and second weeks of the year.
Under Locksley, Maryland has historically faced a mediocre non-conference opponenent in week two. That’s not the case this year.
The Terps instead host Michigan State this weekend — their earliest conference matchup since Locksley took over besides the pandemic-affected, Big Ten-only 2020 campaign.
“I don’t necessarily think there’s challenges other than we’ve got to get going right now,” Locksley said.
The coach believes there are two seasons within every season. One is the regular season and the other is the start of conference outings.
Maryland started its season with three non-conference games in 2019, 2022 and 2023. It faced Illinois in the third week of the season in 2021 before closing out the out-of-conference slate the following week.
That scheduling allowed the Terps to collect themselves and work out any unknowns.
[Maryland football based its offense around playmakers in the season-opener]
In 2019, that included Locksley becoming a head coach for the first time in nearly a decade. Then it was Brian Williams’ rise to Maryland’s co-defensive coordinator position ahead of the 2021 season. The next campaign saw increased use of skill players such as Roman Hemby and Corey Dyches. Last year, the Terps had to replace five NFL draft picks.
While Maryland dominated UConn in week one, it will go from facing a team that hasn’t finished a season over .500 since 2010 to one it’s 3-6 against since joining the Big Ten — although the Terps have defeated MSU in the teams’ last two meetings.
The Terps showcased an entirely new offensive line against the Huskies, a unit with three transfers, a former defensive lineman from last season and another who played just 28 snaps.
In only their second game together, the front five will face a defense with a physicality that Locksley believes will pose a challenge.
Billy Edwards Jr. officially secured the reins as Maryland’s starting quarterback last week. And while he’s shined, he’s only started four collegiate games, including two bowl games, the first of which he appeared for just the opening drive.
[Billy Edwards Jr. shines in Maryland football’s 50-7 season-opening win over UConn]
While facing limited action, one of Edwards’ starts came against Northwestern in a conference matchup in place of an injured Taulia Tagovailoa in 2022.
All of the changes on this year’s team, coupled with the earlier conference opener, make the Michigan State match-up an intriguing test.
“You’re entering a different season,” running back Nolan Ray said. “Big Ten football is a little different.”
Locksley said the Terps understand the value of conference wins. Their difficult 2024 schedule — which includes traveling to Oregon and Penn State as well as hosting two more ranked opponents when they play USC and Iowa — increases the weight of an early-season Big Ten meeting.
Locksley said the decision to begin conference play earlier wasn’t in his control. He can help pick the out-of-conference opponents, but the Big Ten sets the conference schedule.
The coach knows every team in the league needs to deal with the choices of the conference’s staff. While he’s not completely in favor of facing Michigan State in week two, he won’t shy away from the task.
“Do I like it? I prefer to build into it, but I’ve never been one to cry about opponents,” Locksley said.
