Terps host Ohio State on Senior Day
Maryland has to shake off the disappointment of last week’s loss at Indiana and get ready for the final home game of the 2018 season. And it’s the bad luck of the draw that Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State is coming to town at this particular juncture.
The Terrapins (5-5, 3-4) have lost two in a row and three of their last four. One more victory — like if the Terrapins had pulled out that 34-32 setback to Indiana in the final minute when they were driving — and Maryland could be eying their first bowl appearance since 2016.
“It came down to we kicked four field goals, you can’t do that,” said interim head coach Matt Canada. “We had four turnovers, you can’t do that. We had 10 penalties and they had three, that ratio doesn’t add up. Our kids played extremely hard.”
Along with the loss, Maryland added to a lengthening injury list. Some key players will be a game-time decision in what could be the Terrapins’ penultimate game.
Additionally, Maryland faces the daunting task of coming up with that sixth win either this week at noon against ninth-ranked Ohio State (9-1, 6-1), or the following week at 16th-ranked Penn State (7-3, 4-3). Last season, Maryland lost to Ohio State, 62-14, and to Penn State, 66-3.
“We have a ranked opponent coming in here and it’s senior week,” said Canada.
“We’ll be honoring our seniors who have been through quite a bit. They played for two head coaches (D.J. Durkin and Randy Edsall) and two interim coaches (Canada and Mike Locksley), let alone position coaches and coordinators. We’re really proud of the leadership they’ve shown this year. They’ll be honored Saturday and hopefully a lot of people will show up because those kids deserve to be honored.”
The Terrapins will be without starting quarterback Kasim Hill, who suffered a knee injury at Indiana. Sophomore Tyrrell Pigrome, who was replaced by Hill last year when Pigrome injured his knee in the season-opener, is an over-qualified backup. He came off the bench to hit 10-of-13 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown last week, taking the Terps to a 32-31 lead with under five minutes to play.
“He has played a lot of football,” Canada said of Pigrome.
“He is a guy that has played. He battled back from his knee injury through the summer, and it’s a great credit to Piggy. Everyone wants to play and everyone wants to start. It wasn’t the greatest situation, but he never complained and never pouted. As soon as that happened he stepped into the game, finished the game and played very, very well.”
Pigrome is much more of a running threat than Hill, too, giving Ohio State more to think about as the Buckeyes focus on taking away Maryland’s third-in-the-Big-Ten rushing attack (234.9 yards per game).
And could Ohio State’s attention be somewhat divided considering next week No. 4 Michigan shows up in Columbus in an annual game you may have heard something about?
Meanwhile, Maryland is more concerned about the Buckeyes’ big-time offensive attack which is averaging 40.6 points and 527.2 yards per game, both Big Ten bests. Quarterback Dwayne Haskins, a product of the nearby Bullis School in Potomac, Md., needs 51 yards passing to set a new Ohio State single season record, breaking Joe Germaine’s 20-year-old mark of 3,330 yards.
Maryland’s offense has accounted for about a third of that total through the air, and if Ohio State’s offense shifts into high gear the Terrapins will have trouble keeping pace. Since joining the Big Ten in 2014, Maryland has been outscored by an average of 39 points per meeting against the Buckeyes.