Terp Talk – Maryland Sports

Opening statement:

“It will be good to get back out there and practice this afternoon for Virginia and the guys are looking forward to it. We know we have a tough challenge going down to Charlottesville for the game on Saturday. We see a talented team in Virginia and we have to prepare well.  I like how our guys are competing and how they are finishing, playing hard for 60 minutes and winning games in the fourth quarter. We’ve lost our games by a total of 13 points. That bodes well but we must continue – especially when we are playing all the young guys we are playing – to be patient and understand there are going to be mistakes.  We have to go out to work today and rectify those mistakes on all three phases.  That approach is what we are going to take this week and work to get a little better. We have a quarterback who is very tough and when you look at it, when we needed to make drives in our games in the fourth quarter, he’s stood up tall.  That’s what you look for in a quarterback.  There are things we have to approve upon with Perry (Hills) as well. When the time came in the games we have won, he’s stood up and made those drives he’s needed to make and I think that says a lot about our quarterback.”

On what the running back corps needs to improve on: 

“It’s just a matter of getting better with guys and their footwork and hat placement and running backs making sure they’re reading their keys correctly in terms of who we are reading whether it’s a one technique or the three technique or a five technique.  It’s just that consistency part with everybody.  We have to push on the line of scrimmage, we have to get movement, we have to sustain blocks and receivers need to get in sometimes and dig people out.  Backs need to make the right read. I think when you take a look at the offensive line, we’re going through some growing pains there with those guys playing together and meshing.  Add to that the young guys who are still learning and those are things that take some time. We need to keep working at it and get better at it.  We need to be able to run the football because I want to be a physical team.”

On what makes Demetrius Hartsfield good and what he is like off the field:

“I think that the biggest thing with [Demetrius] is that he puts the time and effort into studying the game and watching film. He wants to be good, so he will do what he has to do physically and mentally to make himself better. Off the field, he’s just a really quiet guy. He’s a great guy to be around. Never gets too high, never gets too low, very steady. I see a big difference in him from last year in the knowledge and the confidence that he has been playing with. He understands the importance of practicing hard. Watching him practice, you can tell that he is very competitive and wants to win.”