Head coach Michael Locksley was quick to call Maryland football’s performance against Florida Atlantic “not their best.” Locksley believes the biggest stride a team can make is between week one and week two.
The Terps will need to clean up some areas from Saturday if they hope to improve to 2-0 and extend their winning streak against nonconference opponents to 17 — the longest in the country.
While quarterback Malik Washington’s three-touchdown, 258-yard outing propelled Maryland to a comfortable victory, his second quarter statline overshadowed a lackluster start. The Terps’ first-quarter performance was anything but comfortable.
Maryland was sloppy early on, with seven defensive penalties and a delay of game on the opening two drives. Those penalties didn’t come back to bite them, though, as the Terps’ defense stonewalled Florida Atlantic in the redzone. However, good teams will make Maryland pay for the extra yards.
The offense didn’t fare much better in the opening quarter, in large part due to Washington’s shaky start. The true freshman was often flushed out of the pocket and really didn’t have much to work with downfield. But when he had open receivers, the four-star recruit failed to set his feet and sent passes awry. He started 3-of-11 with 19 passing yards.
If it wasn’t for a defensive masterclass, the Terps likely would’ve faced a deficit that could have changed the complexion of the game.
Maryland’s pass rush bulldozed through Florida Atlantic’s offensive line to get pressure on quarterback Cade Veltkamp. The Terps finished with three sacks and a safety from freshman defensive lineman Sidney Stewart. Between Stewart and freshman Zahir Mathis, Maryland has a defensive line that can wreak havoc for years to come.
When defenders were barreling down on Veltkamp, the redshirt junior usually made questionable decisions with the ball. He forced balls downfield into double coverage and overthrew targets, resulting in six interceptions and two more taken away by flags. That was the Terps’ highest total number of picks since 1998.
The defense accounted for nine of the Terps’ first 12 points, including linebacker Daniel Wingate’s pick-six to open the scoring.
But Northern Illinois’s offense should present a different challenge to Maryland.
While quarterback Josh Holtz’s season-opening performance was lackluster — he completed 12 of his 18 passes for just 101 yards and threw a pick — the Huskies rely on a prolific run game to manufacture points.
Running backs Chavon Wright and Telly Johnson Jr. were Northern Illinois’s one-two punch in the backfield against Holy Cross.
A transfer from Charleston, Wright totalled a Division II-leading 2,233 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns last season. He set a single-season Division II record for most scores. Wright only needed 11 carries in the season opener to post 77 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson Jr. received the bulk of the Huskies ground workload last week, with nearly half of the team’s 48 rush attempts. Despite not being as efficient with his carries, he produced 67 rushing yards on 3.2 yards per attempt.
Northern Illinois wasn’t required to throw the ball often — amounting 178 yards on the ground — but when it aired it out, wide receiver DeAree Rogers was the recipient of those passes. He reeled in half of the Huskies completions for 73 yards.
Similar to Maryland early on in its first game, the Huskies worked a low-scoring contest to start the season on the right foot. Northern Illinois defeated Holy Cross, 19-17, on the backs of shutdown defense and timely special teams plays.
The Huskies’ linebacking corps is electric in both run stopping and ticking up the pressure.
Quinn Urwiler and Marc Pretto returned from last season’s starting unit, and made their presence felt in the first game. Urwiler recorded 10 tackles, five for a loss and half a sack, teaming up with Pretto to take down the quarterback. While Pretto’s numbers weren’t as high, his presence was felt in the run game.
Dev’ion Reynolds took a 96-yard kick return to the house, handing his team a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Northern Illinois is a trap game for any team on its schedule. The Huskies might not haul in impressive recruiting and transfer classes or play in a flashy conference, but head coach Thomas Hammock instils belief in his team.
Now in his seventh season at the helm, Hammock has the third-most wins in program history and two bowl victories under his belt. However, the biggest win on his resume came last season. Northern Illinois slayed the Goliath that was eventual national champion runner-up Notre Dame. That win was the conference’s first against a top-five team ever.
The Huskies are well-equipped to take down Maryland tonight at 7:30 p.m. if they can keep it a defensive affair. But the Terps’ offense might be one of the most talented units they’ll face all season. Maryland’s receiving depth will be the biggest challenge to contain with Washington connecting with 10 players last week.
Washington believes he has the potential to raise his game to another level as the season progresses. If Saturday’s performance against Florida Atlantic was the first rung on his ascend to the top of college football, Terps’ fans should be treated to a special season.
“Wasn’t the start I wanted, but we finished up pretty strong and there’s always room for improvement,” Washington said.
Maryland’s goals this season will rest on the shoulders of the young quarterback. But through one game, he has shown maturity and poise beyond his years — essential elements to resurrect the program.
