Maryland Terrapins Football: 5 Lessons Learned from Last Year

After finishing last season with only two victories, the Maryland Terrapins have little to boast and much to learn.

14 months ago, Athletic Director Kevin Anderson made a bold move by replacing long-time head coach Ralph Friedgen with Connecticut's Randy Edsall.  This marked the first time in NCAA history that an AD fired the reigning conference coach of the year.

Although this move came with vitriol, it is well in the past. 

Instead of worrying about what the team could've been, it's time to focus on what they can become.

Here are five lessons that Edsall can take from his first year at College Park.

No Lead Is Big Enough

It’s almost as if this team was allergic to winning.

Aside from their two victories, the team held leads in only three other contests.

In their November 5 matchup against Atlantic Coast Conference rival the Virginia Cavaliers, the Terps grabbed a 13-7 lead with 2:49 left in the first half.  With momentum and home-field advantage on their side, the team responded by allowing a touchdown just 75 seconds later. 

Maryland entered halftime trailing by only a single point, yet the game already seemed lost. 

The Terps would go on to allow 17 second-half points en route to a 31-13 defeat.

Although blowing a six-point lead may not seem too devastating, consider the fact that Edsall’s team allowed a program their first November victory in four years.

This should make you wonder.

The Terrapins not only succeeded at blowing single-digit leads, but also excelled at losing track of leads up to 30 points.

In their meeting against No. 8 Clemson, the Terrapins held an 18-point advantage after a second-quarter touchdown by C.J. Brown, only to see the margin trimmed to 11 before halftime. 

After Brown put Maryland back up by 18 with a third-quarter touchdown pass, the defense allowed the Tigers to score 39 second-half points. The Terps lost 56-45.

A win against a top-ranked opponent would’ve been a huge morale boost for Edsall and an indication that the team was headed in the right direction; however, it turned out to be just another major disappointment.

Even with that loss in mind, the most painful defeat had to have been the final game of the season against North Carolina State.

For those who only looked at the 56-41 final score, one might think of it as an entertaining shootout where both teams took turns scoring touchdowns and with the victor finally squeaking out a competitive win.

That is far from the truth.

The first 35 minutes of the game had been absolutely dominated by Maryland as they built a 41-14 lead.  The defense gave up a 6-yard touchdown toss and took a 20-point lead into the final quarter of the season.

What happened afterwards is something that Terps fans will want to forget. 

Instead of closing out strong, Maryland allowed five touchdown scores in the final 15 minutes, including a 59-yard interception return on the potential game-tying drive.

If Edsall and his staff want more than two wins next season, they better figure out how to close ballgames and maintain leads that they are fortunate to accomplish.

Manage Expectations

Before the season started, Anderson sold Terrapin fans on an exciting brand of football that would feature high scoring and explosive playmaking. 

He had also referenced ex-Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach as one of the primary candidates to replace Friedgen.

Even with his legal baggage, Leach would’ve brought 10 years of coaching experience and an impressive 84-43 record that featured opponents from the Big 12 Conference’s South Division.

After two interviews, including one campus trip, Leach was expected to succeed Friedgen and put Maryland back on the map.

His high-scoring offenses and prolific passing attacks were exactly what Maryland needed in terms of generating excitement and wins.

When Edsall’s hiring was announced, the Terp Nation felt betrayed.

They were led on to believe Leach would be the man for the job and once he was passed on, attendance began to shrink.

Edsall’s coaching style can be viewed as conservative, as the majority of his big offensive plays come as a byproduct of trailing during games, instead of by design.

His team’s inability to meet Anderson’s present expectations should teach the program to avoid any unnecessary pressure that already exists in this tense situation.

Be Media Friendly

Sometimes in college sports, the importance of smiling for the camera is underrated.

With the ability to influence the culture and talent of present and future teams, a coach's ability to work the media should be held in high regard.

So far, Edsall has completely failed in this area.

Since he began his tenure at Maryland, 24 different players have been lost due to something other than graduation or injury.

That is a staggering amount and speaks loudly about his style of coaching.

Edsall’s awkward and stiff demeanor doesn’t translate well on screen.  This gives fans and prospective recruits a negative attitude towards the program and its direction.

In a way, he has already addressed his shortcomings in this department through the hiring of Mike Locksley as Offensive Coordinator.

Locksley is regarded as one of the best at acquiring top-notch talent. 

He has an impressive resume, including a top-15 class at Illinois, even after the Illini combined for a 1-15 conference record after two seasons.

His personality is infectious and translates extremely well among prospects. 

Although the nation’s top receiving prospect Stefon Diggs had offers from many big-time universities, he chose to stay at home and play for the Terrapins, thanks largely to Locksley.

With a new face at the helm of recruiting, Edsall has put his team in a competitive position to land top classes for the next four years.

Culture Change Is Harder Than It Appears

Along with the new coach came a change in team philosophy and culture.

Edsall came to College Park looking to install a system of accountability and discipline.  Needless to say, it was ill-received and might be the primary reason why so many players are transferring after one season.

Among the 24 players who have left the team for reasons other than injuries or graduation is starting quarterback and former ACC Rookie of the Year, Danny O’Brien.

O’Brien struggled in a conservative offense that constantly switched between two quarterbacks.

You can tell he didn’t buy into Edsall’s system, which means Maryland essentially went through an entire season without a definitive leader. 

Now that the “bad apples” are gone, Edsall has an opportunity to offer his type of players a chance at earlier and extended playing time.

As the friction among returning players finds its way out the door, a new chance at redemption and change will present itself.

Good Can Come from the Bad

There’s no way around it—the Maryland Terrapins were awful in 2011.

However, that just might prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Due to their two-win season, it was obvious that Maryland needed to undergo some changes.  This would be less evident if the team had finished with a mediocre, but not terrible record like 5-7. 

When Anderson chose Edsall over Leach, it was considered to be the safe move.

Now the program has been forced into just making moves.

One failed season later and you can already begin to see the progress that the Terrapins have made through hiring Locksley and their highly-touted recruitment class.

Without the dire wake up call that was last year, Maryland might have been subjected to complacency and a lower degree of satisfaction in their off-season adjustments. 

Thanks to last season’s shortcomings, the Terps have addressed some issues and are in position to contend within the ACC.