QB – Caleb Rowe – 21-33-297 yards, 4 TDs, 3 picks in first start
Terps staff will add a lot of gray hair with their resident gunslinger, who will likely shoot them in and out of games all year. But he represents the Terps best shot at getting vertical, and moving the chains, and the offense needs to possess the ball and give the D more of a break this season.
The three picks were daggers, and against better teams that could have been a ‘L’. But the four TD passes helped make up for it as ‘big play’ was finally reintroduced at College Park. Rowe made some pro-like throws (see TD tosses to Taivon Jacobs and Avery Edwards’ first one). though he did have the dog picks as well and missed other reads and open receivers. He was also poor in communicating calls and signals to his teammates, which resulted in a few procedure calls at the line which were all on him. Rowe must continue to master all the little things pre-snap (and seeing coverages better), but we know he has the biggest arm, and best release, to find targets downfield in a hurry. He just needs to slow down at times his hasty decision making and careless tosses. Three picks is three picks, and it must end. In addition to his overthrown balls/picks yesterday, a few early ones were not very catchable. But he settled down well enough, and the Terps flashed some of their big-play potential and salted away the win despite some adversity. Another ugly moment was his wild option pitch to no one in the red zone, one Brandon Ross fortunately scooped up and took to pay-dirt to avert disaster. But these are the mental miscues/lack of focus that must be limited if the Terps are going to have any success this year.
Game Grade – B-
OL – Yes, Rowe was not sacked, and he had good time to stand tall in the pocket and extend the play and find many of those open receivers that have been running free all season (only problem, Perry Hills could not get them the ball.)
But the Terps rushed for just 114 yards yesterday against an average USF defense, and failed to dominate the LOS in the run block/push game. Pass pro was very solid, but they were often in max-protect and a lot of quick play action. But the Terps still aren’t physical and athletic enough to move bodies and create better lanes. It didn’t help that Wes Brown was tossed early (though he should have been getting more reps to begin with), while Brandon Ross was solid with 68 yards on 18 carries, and Ty Johnson chipped in 30 on 10 rushes. Ross danced again too much, riding the rollercoaster that is his game, and the Terps were missing their power back Brown who likes to find the holes, shake contact and get to the second level.
But looking at the schedule to come, the OL, especially the left side, better get better in a hurry, and the Terps more downhill, or it’s going to be a long one, The young pups tackles, Damian Prince and Derwin Gray, probably need some more run, not to mention Brandon Moore, as they are bigger and more athletic and represent the future. Like the pass pro thus far, but run block is a weak piece and it will only get tougher from here.
Game Grade – B-
WRs/TEs – The full unveiling (finally) of UMDs young receiver/tight ends corps, led by Avery Edwards and D.J. Moore, was a sight and had been a long time coming.
Clearly, Edwards (3-26, 2 TDs) at tight end, and Moore (3-47), probably should have been starting from jump, as both make it look so easy and stretch the field unlike the others. Meanwhile, their now-backups and former starters, Amba Etta Tawo and Derrick Hayward, often make it just the opposite with drops and missed routes or blocks. Edwards has emerged as one of the Terps best offensive weapons, while Moore looks like an upperclassman out there, getting separation, running sure routes, keeping his feet/balance, and gaining big yards after-the-catch.
The Terps also burned the redshirt of rookie receiver Jahrvis Davenport yesterday, and while he had a few uncatchable balls thrown his way, he also ran a few poor routes/reads on those stick routes. But he is another electric athlete the Terps will be ramping up now as others like Malcolm Culmer are relegated to backup.
The Terps have some true weapons now, and finally someone who can get them the ball. There were also no egregious drops yesterday, something that dogged the Terps in the opening weeks. And senior ‘steady-eddie’ Levern Jacobs was his typical self (at least when the Terps have a QB that can get him the ball), hauling in 8 balls for 107 yards. Kid bro Taivon was spectacular with his 70-yard TD haul from Rowe, in-stride and dropping it in the tight window perfectly down the sideline, and showed how he can finish plays in the end zone.
Overall, the Terps have enough (knock on wood no injuries) breakaway receiver talents for big-play strikes this season, and fans finally got to see another one in Taivon Jacobs yesterday. But now they also have a big, mobile inside target who should thrive in the middle (and save Rowe many a time) in the rookie Edwards, who has star-power already. Edwards was wide open on yet another would-be TD play Rowe failed to get him the ball.
Game Grade – A-
DL – Some like to slight Roman Braglio as an average talent a bit in over his head. While not the most physically imposing Big Ten DL talent, Braglio gets by on smarts, guile and all-out effort. Yesterday he paced the front four with 2 sacks, while his edge mate Yannick Ngakoue chipped in 1.5, and a whole lot of pocket collapsing pressure to keep the USF offense off-balance and out of rhythm much of the day.
USF gained just 300 yards on offense, a huge improvement since Maryland gave up 692 yards, 6 TDs and 48 points the week before to Bowling Green. The Terps tallied 6 sacks and 11 TFLs and brought good edge pressure and kept most everything contained and in front of them, flushing or collapsing the pocket often. The Terps interior DL needs to start doing more of the same, and backup DT Kinsgley Opara is beginning to show more athleticism and ability to disrupt the quarterback than yeoman starter David Shaw. So maybe his playing time will increase. End Jesse Aniebonam is also starting to blossom applying pressure, though he did have the one bad whiff where he went in high on the QB yesterday and missed, which led to a chunk play. The Terps need to keep generating pressure, and keep teams off balance, as the LBs corps is struggling and not great in support, and the coverage piece still fine-tuning as it prepares for the BIG schedule. Defense, too, has to get better tackling in the run game, led by the LBs, as does Ngakoue, who needs to be more stout against the run.
Game Grade – B+
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