Motivating the Terps
Coach Friedgen referred to the Virginia game as a "trap."
He knows that:
* The Cavaliers lost to Duke, 31-3, and are having a miserable season.
* The Terps are coming off a big road win against a nationally ranked opponent. As we all know, big efforts are sometimes followed by puny ones.
But it shouldn't be hard to motivate the Terps given that they now believe they could have a memorable season, and that the Virginia-Maryland rivalry has the weight of history behind it.
Consider that:
* Virginia has won 12 of the past 16 meetings with Maryland. The teams have played every year since 1957.
* Most Maryland players will remember last season, when Mikell Simpson scored the winning touchdown with 16 seconds left in an 18-17 Virginia win.
I think what will really propel the Terps is that each game they win makes the next one more significant. Once the team has started to build something, there is increasingly more incentive to ensure that it's not knocked down.
Comments
I was a student in 1961 when Maryland beat Syracuse (with Ernie Davis held on a goal line stand) and Penn State (the last time for about 20+ years), and we had a shot at the Gator Bowl and all we had to do was beat Virginia in the last game.
Alas, it will be remembered as the year Dr. Elkins (the president) remarked as the year that Maryland tried to get to Florida without going through Virginia.
Posted by: john cooper | September 30, 2008 3:13 PM
Hopefully,they won't play down to Va. level and go out and try to crush them in the first half.They should be treated as Steelers in a Ravens game-eternal enemies on a football field.
Posted by: Dan R. | September 30, 2008 7:14 PM
Definitely a trap. Has MTSU all over it. Should be a win on paper, but thats why they make you play the game. MD has the potential and schedule set-up to possibly win, and I say potential, to win 9 regular season games this year, maybe 10 with the post-season. They just have to be wary of the let-downs.
Posted by: Scott G | October 1, 2008 2:20 AM