Maryland closed out non-conference play with a 38-20 win vs. Villanova as head coach Mike Locksley recaps what went right, wrong, impressions on his freshman tackle and ‘Taisman’ in College Park:
Opening statement
Obviously, one of the things that's showing up for us as a team and that I'm liking about this team is the maturity level that they're showing. We win a game and we go in the locker room and it's almost as if we lost because they know we didn't play as well as they wanted to play and we had some opportunities. But, as a coach, I've got to make sure that they understand that you can't take winning football games for granted. And I say this a lot in here and maybe you guys don't understand because you play the game on paper, that every single game will be a tough game if we don't execute. It's always more about us than it is the other team. So you [give] credit the Villanova, [a] well coached team. They stole a couple possessions in the middle eight of the game, which for me, it's frustrating because we want to develop some of the younger players. When you lose that third quarter the way we lost it, we lost opportunities to develop the rest of our roster. So that's for me, the disappointment. Obviously, on offense, Billy [Edwards Jr.] was really efficient. Man, Billy's playing clean football for us, and Tai [Felton] continues to be Tai and make the plays that he's capable of. It was great to see Kaden [Prather] get off to a fast start as well. So, you know, offensively we lost [Andre] Roye or a late scratch this week. [Marcus] Dumervil gets nicked up there early in the game, and next thing you know, you look out and you see true freshman Terez Davis out there, starting and playing left tackle for 80% of the game and really did a good job holding his own, which is why it's important that we develop players and develop our guys.
Some things on defense, I thought we had a strong first half. Didn't like the third quarter drive where we gave up a bunch of yardage, but ended up with the missed field goal, but then gave the ball back. So a lot of good things, lot of good teaching, a lot of cleaning up that we can get done. We're back in the conference play now on the road, which is always tough, going on the road in the Big Ten against a really strong Indiana team. [I] had a chance to see them on a couple games and they're doing a good job over there. I'm excited for us to enjoy this one, put it behind us, make the necessary corrections, get in Monday and start putting together a winning plan for us to go to Bloomington and find a way to take a victory.”
On the run game establishing momentum
“One of the best things about this technology is you get to see the run game in real time, so it gives me a better view. There were still some times where we're on edges and we're just –we ran the ball well early on because our backs made guys miss. Ran with great pad level, attacked the line of scrimmage. I do like early on that we tried to lay down on people and cover people up but there came some times where we had the run through showing up, the movement with the moving pieces in there, with Dumervil leaving and then Terez coming in. There were some things that we had to get cleaned up. I thought the running game was just okay. When we needed to run the ball today, a couple [of] times, in some situational football, we were able as backs to make the tough yardage. But I don't know how clean it was and that's the work in progress of the two inexperienced areas of our team – our [offensive] line and corners. And it keeps showing up, but some of the issues are showing up less. And to me, that's part of the development as we get into the season.”
On WR Tai Felton’s fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving game, whether it surprised Locksley
“Not really, man. I mean, going into this season. I don't know if you know. I know the question mark was about quarterback. It wasn't about skill. And if you look at the plays that have been made – the Dylan Wade play, huge play, Preston Howard, all three of those running backs typically have been making plays, Kaden and Tai…over the edges and [Octavian Smith]. We've got pieces and now it's just a matter now of settling into the best run game that fits these pieces. I think the piece that makes it all go well is the quarterback play. And right now, our quarterback's playing at a really, really high level, and I feel like we can put a little bit more on him to allow him to get those pieces the ball a little bit more.”
On eight penalties for 89 yards
“It's concerning. I mean, when you tackle, Glen's playing without the helmet on. Those are plays that – I don’t know how many times you talk about things where part of the rule book a few years ago, if the helmet comes off, you can't continue to play. We coach it. We hit situational football. We've got to execute stuff and it's my job to get it executed. The horse-collar tackle is a lack of fundamentals. We do sideline tackle drills, long strides, short strides, close and strike – don't stop your feet. When you stop your feet, you reach and grab and those are coaching. So we're able to see it, we got to get it corrected.”
On allowing Villanova’s onside kick
“It comes from within, but it's a mixture, man. Accountability is horizontal where, yeah, I'm gonna hold them accountable. The surprise on size should not have been a surprise. And for me as a coach that's coaching my coaches and coaching the team. When I look and see that, they must have saw something on tape that we're showing. Well, one of the fundamentals of being on the front line of kickoff return is not leaving until you see the ball kicked. And it's a fundamental. And, we got a true freshman there, [Keyshawn] Flowers, 23. Good player that's going to be a great player for us. I know we hate to hear but I bet you he won't leave early on the kickoff return anymore. And I always say it, it gets us when it gets us. These are the learning and growing pains of playing these young guys in these situations. I'm gonna keep playing them because it'll pay dividends for us down the road and we'll have to deal with it and coach and learn and teach. That's what they're paying me for. And we'll get those things corrected. And I like that it happened in a game where we won so that I can make these corrections and we'll be okay.”
On getting out to a fast start on offense compared to week three
“It was huge, huge for us, because I know going into the game, one of our concerns – when we look at the analytics of how they play – out of a scale of five in terms of pace, they're like 1.5. 1.5 with one being the lowest. They like to shrink the game, play slow, use the clock, which when that happens for an offense like ours that that thrives off of explosives, it puts pressure on you. And so going to part of the chess match for us was do we take the ball the first drive or do we defer? Well, we decided we took the ball on offense, knowing and studying how they wanted to shrink the game. And so that first touchdown drive and then defensively, going three and out and then getting another score was huge. And for a team like Villanova, a veteran FCS team coming in, if you can strangle a life out of them early. It was never a question about the game, in my mind, how we were playing. I just hate that we don't play clean. And that's the job of me as a coach to figure out how to get us – one game is the last part of the half. One game is how we don't finish in the fourth quarter vs. Michigan State. This game, the middle eight came in and got us. We're plugging and playing and fixing and correcting, which is all part of being a developmental program. And we got good coaches that we’ll get it fixed and the players are taking the coaching. The player-led culture is really helping us, so we'll get it fixed going into Indiana.”
On DL Tommy Akingbesote’s sack, development
“You're exactly right. With him, it's the motor. He has the size, he has the skill, and now he's playing with the necessary motor that you need big guys to play. And I think he's starting to understand that if you want to play at the next level, that group likes big guys that play with a motor. And I think Tommy because of the way he's practicing and I keep talking about practice should be the show and the show should be more like practice. That's what you're seeing with Tommy. And so that maturity is continuing with him. Now, the consistency is something that we've got to get from him. And I like what I'm saying so far.”
On OL Terez Davis in his first extensive minutes
“He’s a guy that was late to football. He went to DeMatha, basketball guy, the son of Ricky Davis and a basketball player who noticed early on and then played tight end. You're right, played a lot of positions, but he's the type of player that we thrive off of recruiting. We see –it's like Preston Howard was a quarterback that we said, hey, if you put some weight on and these are the skills we're looking for, pretty good tight ends. So I like the way that we've evaluated. Obviously, Terez has put in the work to be able to go in – playing left tackle as a true freshman, like I know everybody here is probably can get it coached up. But for me to have a true freshman play left tackle is a testament to the work that that guy has done, but also the job our coaches have done to get them prepared to play. And I don't care who it's against. Terez is going to be a great player for us. He's getting exposed and learning early. Gave up the early sack. Again, a young player that's playing, we're learning and winning. The sack maybe didn't hurt us now but it'll benefit us down the road as he develops.”
On the secondary’s development
“Insert early quote – [offensive] line, corner, inexperience, playing a lot of players, failing our way to gaining the experience, learning, filling the toolbox. I saw number 11 [Kevyn “Kerm” Humes]. He was closer today, right? And now he's getting [pass interferences]. Before he wasn't even in the last frame of the film two games ago and now he's in position where he's in phase and now it's playing the ball in the air, taking a peek as you're in phase. Aazaar [Abdul-Rahim] coaches crap out of him. We’re playing a lot of guys out on the edge and the perimeter as we are trying to develop them because, as I said, we've had some success with veteran guys that have moved on, and now these young guys had opportunities today to grow. I saw 11 get better today. Kevis Thomas was back out there today. Chantz Harley, they had a couple check Chantz’s where they saw Chantz one on one, and a former Villanova wildcat, they wanted to check his oil a little bit, and he came up big for us, made some plays. The young corners are going to continue to be tested and we've got to continue. I thought [Brian Williams] did a better job again today of mixing the picture up to protect them against some of those things that people want to attack. And we got better today, but we did give up some plays that we can teach and coach. I think the big coaching point is they're closer now than coverage, and now that's becoming the receiver and playing the ball in the air to where we've had had a couple PIs on third down, which we can't have.”
On family weekend for Villanova game
“I know it's a lot of extra traffic as we tried to get off campus and get on campus, which is a good thing so kudos to our marketing team and the people over at XFINITY for finding a way to get a bunch of people to come see this football program as we continue to grow and develop it. Obviously, it was Mental Health Awareness as well, which is something really big to me and our program. And so the mixture of having our parents back here with their kids, did a great job of getting people into the stadium and keeping them there for the most part, and then the awareness that we continue to show and the resources they continue to pour into the mental health piece, which has become even more prominent with the football program here and so great day for Terps. Great day in Terpsville. I'm the mayor, I think.”
On whether WR Tai Felton is worthy of Heisman talk
“I mean, that's for Heisman voters and people to think. I think the high tide rises all ships – the better we play, the better opportunities guys have. Having been a part of some guys that have had the opportunity to compete and go to the Heisman trophies, guys that have played in this system, like Mac [Jones] and Tua [Tagovailoa] and Jalen [Hurts] and guys like [DeVonta Smith] and those guys have. So the system creates these opportunities. Tai has taken advantage of these opportunities, and if the people have spoken, let the marketing begin because he's playing at a high level.”
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