Maryland football shows up

Maryland needed a perfect game to beat No. 8 West Virginia on Saturday. While the Terps played their hearts out, they made just enough mistakes to come up short in Morgantown.

Many viewers expected Maryland’s newest jersey style to be the only highlight in the Terps’ trip to West Virginia, especially when the Mountaineers opened the game with a 14-0 lead. The Terps’ battled back however, with two touchdown passes from a surprisingly efficient Perry Hills.

West Virginia would regain momentum with a field goal and then take advantage of a simple Maryland mistake. As West Virginia was driving before halftime, the Terps left star wide receiver Tavon Austin wide open in the end zone to give the Mountaineers a 10 point lead. Coming into the game, Maryland knew that stopping Austin was paramount to their success, and not paying attention to him in a 2-minute drill situation cost the Terps.

The next avoidable Maryland mistake occurred on the following possession. After an impressive drive with under a minute remaining in the half led by Hills, Maryland was set up at West Virginia’s 24-yard line. A great opportunity to seize momentum before half time was thwarted, however, when Brad Craddock missed a 42-yard field goal attempt, leaving the score at 24-14.

After a scoreless third quarter, Maryland made yet another crucial error in their attempts to come back. After a 25-yard completion from Hills, receiver Marcus Leak fumbled in West Virginia territory, halting a potential scoring drive. The Mountaineers would take the ensuing possession down the field for a touchdown, yet again to Austin. This deficit would be too great for Maryland to come back from, and the final score would read 31-21.

The fact that Maryland came up short after being in contention for almost the entire game might sting for some Terps fans. An upset over a top-ranked opponent on the road would have been an incredible achievement for this particular squad. However, when put into perspective, the Terps have a lot of positives to take away from this contest.

Hills’ performance has steadily improved with every game, and he played his best football to date Saturday, completing 69 percent of his passes for 305 yards and three scores. He looked as comfortable as he has all season, which bodes well for ACC play.

Hills was helped by Saturday’s other breakout performer, Stefon Diggs. The explosive receiver finally was able to demonstrate why he was so highly recruited, catching two touchdown passes for 113 total yards. His 56-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter was as impressive as any play made by West Virginia’s star studded offense.

Finally, the Terps’ run defense was stout, allowing only 25 total rushing yards to the Mountaineers bevy of backs.

Late in the competition, one announcer spoke of how a game like this would look good for a rebuilding Maryland program. While teams don’t get any points for moral victories, this game might have opened a small window towards a promising future for Maryland football. And, for once, not because of their shiny new uniforms.