Maryland Interim Head Coach Mike Locksley
Opening statement:
“You have to give Wisconsin a lot of credit. They’re a really good ball club. It’s our fifth straight week of facing really good teams. We have another opportunity next week against another top team in this league. I have to start off by saying how much I love this team that I’m coaching right now. Words can’t express how I feel about them because of the type of effort that they give. I’m sure you guys are getting tired of hearing about the effort but I think we got that part mastered, knowing how to play for sixty minutes and knowing how to fight. I’m sure that’s something that all the guys that put on the jersey can take pride in. I talked to these guys on Sunday about finishing, the missing piece for us is just the attention to detail. The coaching staff is going to continue to coach these guys up, there won’t be any ounce of quit in us. Defensively I think we played well enough to win the ball game. There were a few penalties at the end there that I’d love to see not happen. Offensively, we were a little too inconsistent. We missed some shots early in the game. We missed some advantageous field position opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. Again, as a coaching staff we’re going to find a way to get it corrected and find a way to go to Michigan State next week and get a win.”
On Wisconsin’s second half adjustments:
“They got a few pass plays. They went to throwing the football. They were in a condensed formation and they hit a few deep over routes. We were in man free, our post safety has to go make a play. At the end of the game you saw one that should’ve been an interception. Their thought process was since they weren’t able to run the football they would take a few shots. And they hit a few. We’re going to be hit with some shots when you play as much man coverage as we’re asking our defense to play. They made the plays and we didn’t.”
On the offense:
“We missed some shots. When you play against the type of defense that Wisconsin runs, with all the movement and the run blitzes, we knew running the football was going to be tough. We were going to have to make some plays on the perimeter. He hit a couple early and we missed two or three shots. They had a corner actually fell down and we worked the wrong side. In the passing game, that’s where we have to make improvements. I saw some improvements but we missed opportunities in the first half when we had the field position. I have to get it fixed, I have to get us making the right reads and to execute and take advantage of those opportunities. Because of our ability to run the ball, Perry is getting some looks where we should be able to throw the ball and get receivers open.”
On the penalty on the onside kick:
“The first thing is, it’s a guy on the back side of the play. It’s a penalty that shouldn’t happen. But you know what, I’m going to keep coaching them. It’s a learning opportunity. We had the play, it was there to be made. We have to get the guys to understand the attention to detail, doing all the little things right. We’re on the backside of the onside kick and there’s no way that Jarrett (Ross) would do that on purpose. I put my arm around him and say ‘hey, we’ll get the next one.'”
On Brad Craddock’s injury:
“Brad dislocated a bone in his hand on the kickoff return for a touchdown and it couldn’t reset. They took him up to shock trauma to do surgery to put it back in place.”
On Adam Greene in relief of Craddock:
“Adam Greene came in and did a heck of a job for us. He made a field goal, we had him in a tough situation on the second field goal opportunity. He did a good job on kickoffs and then executed a perfect onside kick. Adam’s a guy that has great ability. He’s another one of those guys with the next man up mentality. We’re going to use everyone on our roster to try to win games. I have no problem putting guys in that work their tails off from Sunday-Friday and Adam’s one of those guys.”
On the running game:
“Wes (Brown) does certain things well and Brandon (Ross) does certain things well. Today Brandon gave up two early sacks, it was very costly because we had two guys wide open. It was very unlike Brandon. Wes was part of the game plan. He’s really stepped it up with his execution, his effort, his practice habits. The past few weeks he’s played a few more reps. Both of those guys are available to us, both of those guys are capable. Today Brandon made a few mistakes and Wes had the opportunity to go out and get some things done. We’ll get Brandon corrected, he’ll be back out there next week.”
Todd
This might seem like piling on but here are two things Locksley said in his opening statement that I don’t think I ever heard Randy Edsall say (especially after a loss) in 4 + years:
“I have to start off by saying how much I love this team that I’m coaching right now. Words can’t express how I feel about them because of the type of effort that they give.”
“Again, as a coaching staff we’re going to find a way to get it corrected…”
· 11/12/2019
freddy from boca
todd, i’ve been following md football since 1961 which means i’m old but it also means i know a good deal about md football history the last 55 yrs or so, edsall rnks up there with bob ward and roy lester as the worst coaches not only in football but all sports at md.
not only was he a poor coach,,,,rarely making in game or half time adjustments…rarely putting his players in a position to succeed…being one of the worst at having his team ready to play at the start of each game and being miserable at preparing his team after a bye week but his constant classless throwing players under the bus and rarely taking personal responsibility for himself or his coaches may actually put him as thee worst coach in the last 55 yrs.
md is now playing with emotion, hustle and enthusiasm because they like their current coach and more importantly respect him
· 11/12/2019
Todd
Freddy
You go back a bit longer than as an ardent Terps fan I but not much. My temperament tends toward being circumspect but much of what you wrote certainly passed through my mind more than once in the past 5 seasons.
Paraphrasing what someone wrote on Testudo Times, Locksley might not be the answer but if you haven’t seen the enthusiasm, hustle and improved play, you’re just not looking.
· 11/12/2019