Maryland Pinstripe Bowl preview!

#72 R.P.I. Virginia Tech vs. #5o R.P.I. Maryland:

Today’s word of the day is… Pry.

/prī/
verb.

Genome:
early 19th century: from the verb prise.

verb: pry; 3rd person present: pries; past tense: pried; past participle: pried; gerund or present participle: prying.

  1. to inquire too closely into a person’s private affairs.
  2. to use force in order to move or open (something) or to separate (something) from something else.
  3. to obtain something from (someone) with effort or difficulty.
  4. …the close of business 2o21 Hokiebird market looking bearish fo’ ’22?

Maryland Head CoachMichael Anthony Locksley: age=52, (12–23 @Maryland and 14–49 overall); has a rep’ for: Good recruiter, Secondary work, and Offense overall. Having coached every O position less Oline Coach itself.
$2,500,000.oo.

Kido Locksley grew up in inner-city Washington D.C.

Baller Locksley played college football at Towson State University, now Towson University. He redshirted his first year on the Towson State Tigers and then spent two seasons sharing time at safety and then cornerback. For the 1990 season, he had 43 tackles and two interceptions at safety after he filled in for the injured Aaron Bates. He was named the Tigers’ Defensive Player of the Year for his senior season. Clearly, he rose to the occasion/opportunity, here.

Locksley.edu graduated in the spring of 1992 with a degree in marketing.

Locksley previously served as the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama. He also has coached at 10 different places having coached up a whopping 15 different Positions (O & D combined). So, no doubt about it… this is painting with a broad brush indeed.
And pretty vagabond or intenerate to boot.

…the homecourt 1o1!

After serving as an assistant coach for several college football squads, he became the head coach of the University of New Mexico in 2oo9, coming back to Maryland as an offensive coordinator after his dismissal from UNM in 2o11. In 2015, Locksley was named the interim head coach at Maryland after Randy Edsall was relieved of his duties. Locksley did not return to Maryland after that season, joining the University of Alabama as an offensive analyst. Locksley was promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2o18 season, and that year received the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach. Locksley returned to Maryland in December 2o18 as head coach, following the firing of D. J. Durkin.

@New Mexico, Head Coach Locksley cobbled together two, that’s (2) Ws in three years! @Maryalnd, Big Whistle Locksley has gone from: 1 to 3 back to 2 and now to 6 wins.
So, I suppose there is some measure of Terrapin’s progress in play here.

In between those two top-kicks, Locksley was an offensive analyst for ‘Bama and pocketed a 2o17 Championship Bling when promoted to on-field coach. (Hence the legacy Qb-connection down below). However, while out in New Mexico… late in May 2oo9, a former administrative assistant at New Mexico filed an age and sex discrimination complaint against Locksley with the Equal Opportunity Commission. The complaint was filed by Locksley’s former administrative assistant Sylvia Lopez, who claimed to have been subjected to age and sexual discrimination before being transferred out of Locksley’s office. The claims were later withdrawn. Then, late in September 2oo9, Locksley was reprimanded for an altercation with an assistant coach. He was subsequently suspended without pay for ten days. So, there is a past here— Coach God Bless!

In August 2o2o, Locksley announced the formation of the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches (NCMFC). The N.C.M.F.C. was formed as a multi-pronged effort to remove roadblocks, increase awareness and spur action toward fair and equitable hiring at all levels of football. The non-profit organization seeks to prepare, promote and produce qualified minority coaches to ascend in the ranks of college and professional football.

In the summer of 2o21, Locksley was voted onto the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington.

Daddy Locksley along with his wife Kia have four children, three sons, Mike Jr., Meiko, and Kai, and a daughter, Kori.

On September 3, 2o17, Meiko was fatally shot in Columbia, Maryland! St.Barbara (Patroness of Sudden Death) bless and intercede here. Mike’s son Kai was a college football quarterback
who played at Texas and Iowa Western Community College and
finished his final two years of eligibility at UTEP.

2o2o record: 2 up 3 down and .4oo in the Big-10.

Maryland Defense: (starters back=1o)

  • Thirty-four base set. (Will 5th Db at times too).
  • 94th in Total D.
  • 78th vs. the run.
  • 1o9th vs. the throw.
  • 89th in Team Passing Efficiency D.
  • 55th in zone D!
  • 3.5 of 1o in dLine Havoc. Great pass-rushing unit last year that was a bit run-fit skimpy at times. As last year 3o5 Lb. Dt1: JuCo all-everything stud, Mosiah Nasili-Kite led the team in sacks from his spot in the interior. He’s big, and Dt2: 33o lb. Ami Finau is even chunkier/bigger, and there’s even mo’ bulk behind them! “Where’s the beef?” As this is a Wendy’s kinda defensive front wall to be sure. This year De1: Sam Okuayinonu leads the way with 6-Qbs sacked and 9 TFL (tackles for a loss) so far. Lottsa 4-point stancing here that rocks way back. (Buttock closer to the heels… which is center of gravity begging for Bob & Doug C.F.L. savvy “steamrollers” to happen. In theory, this is a run-squatting look. Tho’… if you can get into them as they launch upwards with a lower center of mass? I’d take my chances with that, 25/8. That, or just block down by at least one gap every time and go East-West beyond all this quad-stancing nonsense. De1 Sam Okuayinonu has a lotta Natural metrics, he makes some northward things happen for them too. All upperclassmen or grad’s… bulky/lumpy guys if only normal on height. (Might help to go around the End, here).

  • 2 in 1o in Linebacking Havoc. The linebacking corps cashed out its star. Leading tackler Chance Campbell is off to Ole Miss. Tho’ this is a pretty deep group overall with 225 lb. Ruben Hyppolite II looking like a player in the middle and has several options on the outside to rotate with 216 lb.  Ahmad McCullough. Hyppolite and fellow linebacker Durrell Nchami can rush the passer—when Nchami is healthy that is.  They are still (somehow) sitting four-star freshman Demeioun Robinson, impact freshmen Branden Jennings (pure hitter), and five-star Terrence Lewis. Which at least speaks to present tense depth and future tense 2nd-layer ‘potential’. As it did not say so much on breaking 2o21 tape. Lotta bodies go here… so at least fatigue is a non-issue; although sorting out certainly was. ALL sophomoric 2nd-layer… good size/strength tho’… not a small Linebacking bunch. Tho’ it ain’t a good Linebacking bunch either. Might be the moist (get it?) available 2nd-layer we’ve faced all year long.
  • 4 outta 1o in Secondary Havoc. Two. That’s how many interceptions the Terps came up with in their five games last season. Still yet, the secondary should be a plus with everyone returning around all-star-level Fs Nick Cross (interception leader, 7 last two years) and second-leading tackler Ss Jordan Mosley. A rookie year and VHT (very highly touted) Cb1: Tarheeb Still has gotten a lotta attention and defensed a decent amount of the same. A very handsy guy who tips a lotta throws. He is borderline very good in pure Man-coverage. Pretty decent speed/rangy defensive backfield here. Only question is their G.P.S. or coach Tom-Tom. As they are off-course at times in angling or Coach Euclidean terms. Mosely is surely your alpha hind-4 guy here. He is heady (big head, like 12-gallon hat) and plays bigger than his 6′1″, 2o4 lb. listing for it. Mosely has a very solid nose-for-the-ball and can be an extra Linebacker vs. the run at times. Could be a Pro’… even if it is a N.A.F.T.A. one. 49 passes for 865 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior H.S. Wr, clearly, he has hands, and did I mention the ball-hawking, yet? Kinda tallish defensive backfield, experienced, and good size frame/physique wise as well. Honestly, it seems like they at least could be better if not ‘should’ itself.

    Terps base D: …note the 4-point deep rock back stancing Dt/Ng.
  • Terps D overall: D has a ‘Jack’ De quasi Lb hybrid look to it. Ostensibly operates outta a 3-4 base set. Will go Nickel at times with semi-variable front lines. Sam’s will cheat-up, so will the, well, Will’s. Not risk-averse at all either. Pretty much a hell or high h20 halt unit. Will red-dog and deal anyone anywhere in the front-7 construct. Some may say that just such a version of Risk (friendly, even eager) Management over pursues. Eye saw it mo’ as they over, scheme. I mean, they really attack whatever they think is coming… if they mislay their key(s) however? The skeleton keys go skeletons out of the closet and they do not have many peeps remaining backside to rally to the missed-attack vector on the front side; and bone… up. So, this is a Reggie Jackson stylized stop unit. HR or strikeout here we comes. Behind all of that -when it does miss- you will find… very high or army-looking tackling. Guys who catch mo’ blocks than they shed. And the queer part was… Eye saw this when they dealt heavily (on the blitz) and when they were more standardized read-n-react. In point of fact… they seemed almost a little too bulky in spots. Which delayed recovery alacrity when their keys did not pick your offensive lock. Not a very physical-looking D. Not a very high gridiron I’s or Q’s one either. Additionally, when they do penetrate -and this does happen- these guys are very spartan in maintaining their given Gap, until the ball got past them. As these are some helluva a don’t break glass in case of emergency rules!?! Safety-nets seem stronger than the Cb’s did to me on film. D does not look epically fast to the edge(s), nor on Fs helping/closing.

    Doomsday D Dawgg here. #Facts!
  • (Film-study): dLine realllllly minds their gap-responsibility store. Not very northward as you will see in TFL inflicted below for it to boot. Not finesse looking, just schematically lacking release physicality. Lotta read-n-react puts them on their heels for it; WHEN they do not blitz. When they do it is truly hit or miss football. Strange schizophrenic set. D does LOS (line-of-scrimmage) hands-up tip throws and will smack a Qb at the “echoooo” of the whistle. Maryland uses more edge Man-intensity and a bit less in the Slot. The Slot gave them some Rutgers work with outside releasing to the sideline. In short-yardage (anti-Lo.FM’s) did see the Terps morph into nine, that’s (9) guys in 2-point stances?!? Have no idea why you’d wanna play that high on short-yardage? As this is a highly elective and quirky D. Like that oddest 3-hour class you (’cause of some girl) took that was not major required. My only thought is… they think their blitzing can get into your gapping before your helmet can get into them. It did however aid and abet them an above-average amount in the redzone. They did get into/through r.zone Scarlett gaps. D will go Cover-1 with a really deep Cf (off-screen) or some halfling behind man-combinations and rolls upfront.
  • Maryland D ∑ (summary): returning D production= 85% (17th most!). Sam Okuayinonu and/or Jordan Mosely is your conflict defender(s) here. As them is pretty square, and maybe a couple of linemen and then a real drop exists downward pure football player-wise after that.
    Having 75% of your Top-4 tacklers starting in your Secondary is typically a tertiary sign at best/at most. Such is the case here. As there is a lotta Hero-Ball here or guys trying to make up for gaffs and Y.A.C.’s upfront upon breaking-tape.

Defensive letter-grade:

Maryland Offense: (returning starters=9, coulda been all 11)

  • 33rd in Total O.
  • 93rd in ground O.
  • 14th in aerial O.
  • 41st in Team Passing Efficiency O.
  • 119th in zone O!!!

    Terps base O look: (observe odd-side oLine stancing!)
  • O overall: other-Qb1: V.M.I. all-star transfer Pivot Reece Udinski suffered a torn A.C.L. (St.Nikon bless!) late in the 2o21 make-up FCS spring season. So, any Qb1-derby was done out about 9-10 months back. In lieu of dat… Qb1: (Ric Flair intro pic): or Maryland’s very own MV2… Taulia Tagovailoa: he of the mere: 3,595 yards on only 68.4% good for 8.0 ypp and a long of 66-yards. This on just a smidgeon above a decent-looking 2:1 passing ratio (TD’s:INT’s). On the other hand, (yes, they are related), little-bro’-Tua is nearly 7% improved from last year to this. So, there is that. There is also his massive fro’-flop-top ‘do. Then there was also his being tabbed the No. 4 pro-style quarterback by 247Sports. And his cumulative national ranking of 136th outta all H.S. ballers per ESPN.com. As this Tag’ reads: as a scholastic Qb1, he only threw for 3,728 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior at Thompson High School, (Alabama). Where Tau rewrote the Alabama high school record books, becoming the only quarterback in state history to have at least four 400-yard passing performances in his career! That does not suck, and neither did leading the Warriors to the Class AAAAAAA or septa-A state championship in 2o18! This Tua-Tag was born and raised in Hawaii, where he actually played C for his Miami Dolphin brother from grades 4-6. This Tag’ is the setter during family volleyball matches and he fluently plays the ukulele every night and is now learning the acoustic guitar. So, there is (all of) that too. As football goes… this Terp’ Qb1 has gone between 55% and 81% passing per game on the year. He suffered threw a miserable 8 Picks chucked in 10 Qs of midway 2021 work. Though, he has shaken himself and rebounded a bit to only drop below 61% passing once ever since. Tau the baller seems fun-loving enuff… and if you look close enuff upon breaking tape you will even see the Zebra’s LOL at his persona. As the Splits go… Tag only moved 1% home/away and only 2 Qb-points for it. The oddity was he was much wilder @home, with 267% of his interceptions hurled in his very own backyard. The other catch was… his mechanics are unusual as wind-up goes, and his release point is low (beyond 12 o’clock); which could suggest tips or deflections. That and he cuts 8% from 1Q to 2Q and then cuts 9% from 3Q to 4Q work. This speaks to a tired or possibly old-school thrown-out arm to me. As he has an okay arm, not a bionic one. The 4.91 forty timed, can’t dunk 24″ vertical, 5′11″, 2oo lb., r-Soph., Qb1 on the run Tua is a different story: check it out… he has tallied 76 rushes for 35-yards or 1.5′ per carry… however he has logged one long run of 45-yards! Do you see what Eye means?  (For 12 points on the ground). Or, in other words, less one long jaunt? Tua2 is averaging .133 ypg or about 4″ in reverse! And averaging even worse if you take his other good run (35-yards) out of the equation. Tho’ he did run for just under 500-yards as a scholastic senior, so he has been tagged (pardon the pun) dual-threat for it. Kinda reminds of a rushing-JAX with a livelier arm on film. This is a good Qb1, he is also the little bro’ Qb1 pun intended. And he will force a throw a little too high on selfies here-n-there. And oh, by the way… he only led the Big Ten in pass completions with 3o8. He also only set three program passing records at Maryland in 2o21! The only real knock would be… butterfingers. As he is close to averaging a fumble/game.
  • Rb’s: Rb(s): Rb1 Tayon Fleet-Davis (REAL good blocking-back, likewise really strong balance/core) and Rb2 Colby McDonald are prolly better than their passing-set digits suggest. The Terps ground-gainers are even bulkier/stronger than dat. What with: 222 lb. Davis, 215 lb. McDonald, backed-up by: 229 lb. (Hawaiian punched) Faamatau at Rb3 and then spelled a bit by Peny (that’s his 1st-name) fo’ yo’ thoughts 246 lb. “Boooooooone”. Who most preseason wraps thought to be the alpha-‘back pick here.

    Bonus points 4 the locker room dry ice, I guess?
  • Wr’s/Te’s: Wr1, (slick possession guy) VHT (very highly touted) recruit Rakim Jarrett; Wr2, (6′4″ stretch guy) Dontay Demus Jr.; Te1, (chain-mover/middle worker, Knee: St.Culbreth help, likely OUT here) Chigoziem Okonkwo; are every bit as good as they are various as a grab-gang goes. And behind them, there are two subs with 9 TD’s between ’em! The Top-4 from last year all return as does their 15+ per snag averages’. This year 10 of the top-12 average 11-yards or more, and 12 of the Top-12 average 9 or better. Or they basically average a 1st-down per catch no matter who hauls the aerial in! Be that: Wr, Te, or Rb. Wild ain’t it? Maryland courts eight different guys with ≥6-points scored, and four diff’ guys with 30-points or mo’! As there are a lotta doubles, triples, and more than a few HR’s here.  In point of fact, the 3rd-string: Wr’s, Te(s), and Rb’s all conspire to produce 36-receptions among ’em! Crazy production, ain’t it? As one source described these catch-corps as: “Shooting-G’s” all over, as the cross-sport metaphor goes. Only NEB.Cornhusker Wr1 transfer Marcus Fleming, Fr. and his deep-threat game have underwhelmed here. That, and these snaggers have combined for 12-tac’s on the year (which is not a good sign). Nor were their so-so hands which put a few on the ground at times. m.s (mid-script): the pre-snap bouncing by the Wideouts was a dead giveaway for patterning here. Nearly towering Wr’s with very developed S&C regiments right-mass wise. No shorties to de plane de plane, here. Te1: Chigoziem Okonkwo, (if available), is a husky sort who does a lotta sharp work on short to just barely medium looks. Almost an unsung star in the making. Very productive guy for being a throwback guy on his shorter throw-points.
  • oLine: The front five departed G1: Marcus Minor to Pitt and C1: Johnny Jordan to Virginia Tech. Tho’ three starters returned around Jaelyn Duncan, a 6′6″, 315 lb., blindside left-Ot who shoulda been a lock for the All-Big Ten team. Pass protection is Job One after finishing last in the conference in sacks allowed per game. And it did improve to ≅C+++ or so this season. All-Big Ten honorable mention pick Jaelyn Duncan is the next big thing at Ot. Johari Branch was a JuCo revelation. The versatile Austin Fontaine plays just about anywhere and everywhere in the middle of the line. Neat utility handyman type here. That all said… the best-laid plans have been punched in the face. As the Terps oLine has really toggled in the last few weeks… an Ot was seen @C1 last time out. This has only amplified a misQ prone block-unit, not getting outta its very own, way. 60% of the oLine is at least 33o lbs., or mo’! Skyscraping guys too… check-marks all around for getting off the bus looks. C1 Spencer Anderson is prolly your bell-cow this year and all-Big-10 next thereof. Not sure Eye detected a strong(er) side, tho’ the left or blind-side seemed the lesser side to me.

  • Maryland O ∑ (summary): returning O production=86% (14th most!). Former Cincinnati assistant and offensive guru Dan Enos is the new offensive coordinator and there is reported to have been an ace-recruiter (Ron) Zook’er sighting at Maryland (special-teams coach) to boot. That said, one of the few knocks here is lacking a Plan-B or at least Plan-C, as in (in-game) change(s). Or recalcitrance to come off-script when need be. Which comes hard for such a buffed tortoise-shelled staff. Enos hopes to add more play-action and screens to Tagovailoa’s repertoire, which he has. And the Screening has at least saved Tuaman from being so dang dinged/dented and black-n-blue.
  • (Film-Study): as b.Patterson hit first… very screen-heavy set. About 1 in 4 throws are Dooley looking in some manner or another. Including m.Cox/t.Greenwood ‘esque rolls and sprint-outs beyond the Ot-box or well outside the traditional V-shaped passing-cup. Tua himself reminds me of the final 7-8 game senior year Bryan Randall gold-rush. He moves very well and sandlot mad-libs in the rolling/moving pocket or when on the scripted roll. Really forces the D to choose him or something medium or beyond. There are a lotta quicker nearly quasi left-coast looks here. Tho’ these are designed to ZZZZ’s you for something play-action further later on; in theory. Maryland has some narrower splits at times and compacts the Ot-box to aid-n-abet in spreading or stretching things out East-West. You’d better not whiff at the LOS (line-of-scrimmage) as this is a very elastic rubber band O that is looking to snap you off if/when you do behind that. This is a 3-wide single-‘back look that will even stack Wr’s or use a near Wingback or Box look to compact the Ot-box all the mo’. Saw a few penta or 5-wide formations as well. Rb’s 1st or jab-step may or may not key the play here, and their oLline really backside folks well off of a countering or crossbucking jab-step. ASSIGNMENT football is paramount here. The extra Bowl weeks/reps should not hurt.

    boomer’ of a Lefty pitcher to be sure.
  • (film-study game II): …typical Spread-Gun Hb personnel with 3-wide and maybe a flexy H-back/Te here-n-there. The passing cup was adequate, not epic, tho’ C+++ or so on tape. Taulia wobbles or ‘quackerbacks’ a few ducking throws here in there on tape. Had me thinking Steve Casey syndrome again, rights (i.e., smaller-mits). However, this is why you run the maths, not thy moufs… as big bro’ only has among the largest N.F.L. Qb1 hands, ever! 10.13 inches, outstretched, from pinky to thumb if you are keeping score at home. And as you can see, these bear-paws swallow the ball. Palming the rock in hoops is nothing for this guy, here. Tho’ it overthrows the ball at times. And even if this is the better problem to have, it can prove bad weather (abnormal weighted football) problematic just the same. Best to keeps large hands on the receiving end rather than the passing end. Anywho… Maryland runs some medium to deeper things downfield, and yet gets the spinner out faster than you’d expect for at least some vertical stretching. The Terp grab-gang does a lotta inline or linear release things that continue up to 10+ yards downfield. Then they bend/break you off with a little sompthin proper. The ball can be thrown to a spot here (pre-break). Gotta stay focused here, as you get one chance to maintain coverage. Terps will cross/pick downfield off of this as well. Wr’s are darty, quick, and have decent enuff speeds (they even block well when they want to). And once they do all those medium+++ to deeper things they fill in underneath with a pretty creative screening attack. LOTTSA vertical stretching/contracting here. Then, they will inside screen or handoff behind all of that on E-W compression looks. Again, a highly elastic O here folks. Rubber-bands galore.
    oLine does well (handsy bunch) sealing edges and spilling plays beyond the 4 or 5-hole.  Terps will compress things with narrowing splits and bunching just outside the Ot-box. *the* best/quickest tandem releases I’ve seen on film in years, if not decades. Really sharp Wr-passing-game coaching lives here. Tau part II enjoys movement, very comfortable looking play-action guy (cross-bucking behind the roll) on the move. Kinda a modern/mobile Sonny Jurgensen for it. Tua II threw pretty sportingly under some Rutgers heat too. His whiskers got chin-checked and proved stubby indeed. Lottsa turn-n-shield blocking, on run-shapes, they will yield ground to turn/seal you off. Tua II will pull-n-keep in red-zone R.P.O.’s too. Rutgers gave this some ills with dLine submarines… not sure the low-bridge is in Jay.Cee’s wheelhouse or not? Likewise, the wide side edge blitz. Loved the trip-mesh-point fakes, nearly a version of the Harlem Globetrotters high-post. Still, and I know Tua II has a very sexxy Q-score (legacy-pop), tho’ still, they seem like they have mo’ run-Talent(s) than their passing fancy allows… as said pass-happiness will crack 500 aerial attempts before the 4Q expires!
  • 46% run:pass 54% mix. Rb1 or Rb2 is your secret sauce offender here.
    So, the overall words here are… staffing is in place with high-end assistant resumés, talent huddles up, and plenty of experience returned. All are in place to rock the possession-based boat. All sans consistency itself. Same drill as we saw from Maryland’s fancy-pants O in 202o. When they get it cooking with CH4 (natural gas) they can be burners on a full scoreboard flaming display. Every bit as much as their power-gets wet and they misfire an offensive dud a week or two later. Go (super) fig’ here? Caveat being… this O hits fo’ POWER. Lumberyard with Paker and Stargell-stars all over.

Offensive letter-grade:

Terripans Special Teams: (return)

Maryland is 82nd in Net Punting and oddly enough so is P1: Colton Spangler. Tho’ even mo’ oddly enuff… so is P1a Anthony Pecorella!

Odder yet however is that both punters —one to kick from each hashmark— are back. Anthony Pecorella and Colton Spangler combined to post a 39.7-yard net. Maryland was last in punt returns and next to last in kickoff returns in 2o2o, so Zook has work to do for the units he calls “wefense.”

Odd-hashmark (lefty) (5′12″, 18o lb., 3rd-year) Spangler, Colton… is architecture major. Who built things up as a near star Wr1 in scholastic terms: (as a receiver, he caught 35 passes for 558 yards and four TD’s). So, a trickeration look is surely in play here. Significant T&F (track-n-field) and seams (baseball) H.S. baller as well. So, the athleticism is downloaded onboard for Spangler. K3 for FGA’s as well.  Vends a: 2018 Class 3A Maryland Title ring as well— where he hit 3-clutch FGA’s for Chesaepeak H.S.

Even-hallmark (righty) (6′3″, 180 lb., Junior), Pecorella, Anthony… is only on pace for highest single-season punting average in program history (46.9 ypp)! And he is only third all-time in career punting average (42.9 yards)! He is a 2nd-degree flippin’ Black-Belt! Might not wanna try to Cliff Harris intimate Roy Gerela here. ‘tony also has a twin sister, Alessia, who he credits for much of his success.

Both graded out as B-letter-grade on length strength. A bit above average for their longer punts tho’ not quite Col. Steve Austin bionic-leg, either.

  • 117th in Punt Returns | 1o4th in KO returns. (Pretty inert here.)
  • 51st in punt coverage | 121st and in suicide-squad.
  • Maryland has blocked 2 kicks and yet allowed 3 kicks to be blocked!!
  • Maryland has blocked 0 punts and yet allowed 2 punts to be blocked!

Joseph Petrino is Maryland’s PK1… Joseph Petrino (6′, 180 lb. senior) is a decent Place-Kicker and frankly not a whole whole lot beyond that. 61.1% overall is just not that modern-era footsie epic. Nor is nearly an 11% chance to miss a P.A.T. (point-after, try). Joey is good closer up, 100% out to 30-yards. Then he enters a negative slope… 67% in the 30’s and 50% in the 40’s is nearly middle-aged just like dat. The truly skewing part(s) are… Joey was 88% as a rookie season K1. Then it went downhill after that. With six, that’s (6) career P.A.T. slices or hooks, and he has leg-range out to right at 50-yards on a good lick right between the screws. The Truly screwy part is that he has hit a number of game-winners overall; despite missing some seemingly likely makes. This is all from a 3.5 year starting K1; so you know experience is not the issue here. Nor should leg-swing itself be the issue when you have enuff ‘boom’ in your feets to Kickoff. AND, and, and… on top of all of dat you asks? Mr. Petrino was only rated 12th nationally among placekickers by 247sports. THEN, he was only was featured on SportsCenter’s “Top-10 Plays” for kicking 50-yard field goals with both his right and left foot in the same damn game!?! Shazam and WoW; never read that one before at any level. So, there is some talent(s) in play here; and Petrino was an H.S. futball (soccer star) behind all of that to boot. Ditto poppa-bear, as his father (John) played soccer at Rutgers University. And yet sonny is only 20% ≥50-yards all-time. Go fig’ on this overtly fickle K1 one here?

(Bonus: Db5: Osita Smith be Coach Clarence Carter… “Stroking to the east and stroking to the west.” Gotta find #22 before he coverage finds you!)

Maryland Special Teams letter-grade:
There is some Talent here… tho’ it really is hit-n-miss. And Mrs. and Ms. That lowers thing down to a D+++ or C— (at best) letter-grade

Unit Rankings:

  1. Maryland O.
  2. VT D/VT O (tied).
  3. Maryland D.

X-factor(s):

  • motive: …getting back to a bowl after a bowl drought is a major step for the Terps. With massive turnover, opt-outs, transfers/portals, and so forth over in the 24o6o… these Turtles should emotionally come outta their shell here. EDGE=Terps! (Big too).
  • weather: …for early-Winter up Nor-by-Nor-East? This ain’t ½ bad… and that ain’t good for run-heavy V.P.I. vs. passy-happy Maryland. EDGE=Terps.
  • health/off-field: Maryland is kra-kra healthy-looking from what I could snoop up. Like greatest Training Staff ever healthy-looking. VeeTee is missing a metric ton of peeps for variable reasoning. EDGE=Terps!!! (Maybe the largest ever in this category in point of fact).
  • penalties: Maryland is 99th best in yellow laundry on the year. EDGE=VeeTee (although by only half as much as it was in October).
  • intangibles: Maryland is a very user-friendly 1o7th best in all-important Turnover Margin on the year, and merely 94th in T.O.P. (time of possession). EDGE=VeeTee. (Noticeably on Turnover Margin too!)
  • fatigue: N/A here. Both teams should have fresh shooting legs for this one. (Tho’ do recall VeeTee was 8-straight work weeks wearied to end the Regular Season!)

 

R.A.T.T. ...who goes gutter-ball and who picks up the 8-10 split, here?

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Illationconclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Terps who could shell-out @Tech=12

the takeaway:

…the takeaway here is…

Third-year Maryland head coach Mike Locksley has spent a lot of time rebuilding the framework of what he believes can finally be a successful program in College Park. He has some insider information: Locksley was a key part of Ralph Friedgen’s staff in the late ’90s when the “Fridge” chilled out locals with a decade of winning football. And things have overall warmed up a bit over in College Park (to his credit).

On the other (interim) side of the field, we see that we should not be too taken with the loveable Shrek’s final big-whistle game. Cut the guy some they all left slack.

Conversely, this set of Turtles is a squirrely set of Turtles indeed(s).

The better set of Turtles could go offensive ninja here and pitch a real live fit.

The lesser set of Turtles could go cold and not shell out much of anything on O or D alike.


However, Shrek will either finish his (likely) Vah.Tech head-coaching career at .667 or at .333 overall.

And yet, either way, he won the one that mattered most.
(And got to keep his old-O&M-job, to boot)
“3-cheers” @JayCee Price!!!

***

xxx’s & ooo’s:
Prolly would favor VeeTee at full-strength on ball-control sitting Tua run-shapes.

Now though?

Not so much.

formulae here favors:
As Will pointed out after someone pointed it out to him… Maryland has massive Experience Curve checkmarks in play here, plural. (Prolly at least some middlecase Learning Curve checkmarks to boot). VeeTee=roster transition/turnover galore. As in… Maryland’s D charts a staggering 500% (at the min.) greater/steeper Experience Curve than the ex-Fu’fense does. (And if what Wide Receiving Owens Dining Hall leftovers we do still have get thrown out? It escalates to nearly 900%!) Maryland’s O is up an astounding near 700% rise overrun on the Experience Curve on top of all of dat. Just, krazy, ain’t it?!?

Coach Xerxes once said: “Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers.”

And this Experience burden seems a mite dangerous to me.

As in… so many inexperienced guys up in the mecca of experience itself?
Well, Gotham has surely seen a lotta sports figures that go from colt to dolt.

permutations:

  1. Δ1=50% that Maryland’s O is too much fo’ us to pace with.
  2. Δ2= 3o% that we can however cudgel the Terrapin D, as that is the 1-trick our Pony, now.
  3. Δ3=2o% that this one turns a bit, smelly. That unfresh feeling for the team with less to Staffing turnover play fo’.

#ChallangeA.c.c.epted… there are 1,440 minutes in a day and the Hokies gonna need another Ric Flair ≅60-minute-man to put this scoreboarding factory down.

the optics

Beta Mining Terps O:
The Terps O beta numbers (57th Beta O overall) came back far more middleocore than I had thought; less their SOS (strength of schedule for opposing D’s), 16th ranked is pretty Big-Ten stout here. Effective rushing (98th) and Effective Passing (21st) were the outliers here— tho’ nothing surprising about that.

the skinny

Beta Mining the Terps D:
The Terps D beta numbers (1o2nd Beta D overall) were more so 72-stroke Golf. Or, par for the (expected) course. Maryland was only average in Drive Efficiency and in opposing S.O.S. Offense. They were well below average or just the enemy of good in everything else. In particular, they suffered in giving up Explosive Plays (only 1o7th best). And likewise in Effective Passing D (1o2nd best). This caused/effected a slew of Negative Drives allowed (1o7th best). i.e., this is not a good D, and on its very best hair-day, it is barely adequate— if that.

Lo.FM (Long-field Management©)

  • VeeTee is a nearly inert-looking 1o1st best in 1st-down O! | Maryland is a below-average 84th best in 1st-down D allowed.
  • Maryland is a very decent 42nd best in 1st-down O | whereas VeeTee is a slightly above average 54th best in 1st-down D allowed.
  • VeeTee is a middle of the aisle 60th best in 3rd-down O | whereas Maryland is even less best at a rather available looking 91st best 3rd-down D allowed
  • Maryland is a C— or 80th best in 3rd-down O | whereas VeeTee is a very useful looking 30th best in 3rd-down D allowed.
  • Lo.FM Analysis: …so, here we see that if there is any real live science-fact advantage to be toggled here? It (at least was) the VeeTee 3rd down D. Tho’… where is it (n0w) down 3-starting reindeer; all three of which will at least get an N.f.l. tryout, sniff? (And with 2-replacements Questionable for Wednesday afternoon?) EDGE=??? or=Terps, (slightly).

TTT (Time To Throw©)

  • The Hokies are a reasonable 60th best in TFL (Tackles for a Loss) allowed O | while The Terps are a spongy looking 1o3rd best in TFL inflicted D!
  • The Terps are a beginning to look a lot like user-friendly 81st best TFL allowed O| while the Hokies are a not entirely hardened 87th best in TFL inflicted D.
  • The Hokies are a nearly centrist 72nd best in Sacks allowed O | while the Terps are double-nickels or 55th best in Sacks inflicted D.
  • The Terps are a moderate 56th best in Sacks allowed O | while the Hokies are also 72nd best in Sacks inflicted D.
  • TTT Analysis: …so, here we see nearly the same as we saw, above. Nobody serially wants to Jack the Rip this one and win this analysis. That said, with less aerial yardage to be Gobbled up, as the Ex-to-the-Post Facto fu’fense seems grounded to me… that tells me to weigh T.F.L. a bit heavier. This and a couple of just okay defensive advantages pushes this one into the O&M’s favor. (Tho’ it must stay close… or this one will get ‘outta whack’). EDGE=Hokies (tho’ not be a lot lot lot).

Fu’rther...
…this section is up 9 large on some island’s back-nine LOL… WAR j.Sexton!!!

3-game splits…
…here we see that Maryland has ever so quietly bettered by nearly +60 ypg on the ground of late. Whereas VeeTee has gained nearly +90 ypg on the ground recently. (With each club only moving +/- a 1st-down or so via the airwaves). Over on D, we see that Maryland has loosened up by about 30 extra ypg allowed (nearly equally run vs. throw split). While VeeTee has tightened up vs. the run a scosche, the Hokies have really gone to pot vs. the pass. Nearly 90 ypg aerially worse vs. opposing throw-shapes. Yikes!

H/A splits… not applicable here @neutral siteing.

Our handy dandy friend, the so-called: Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is merely calling for a mountaineer looksee. As curiously enuff… these Big-10 and this A.c.c. crews both scrummed vs. archrival w.V.u. The Fourm Guide is calling for a 12-point VomiT. Further data-mining gone drilling down yielded a stunning +145-yard rushing advantage to the pass-happy Terps. And, it also unearthed a (relatively) mere +40-yard throwing edge for the pass-happy Terps. (Tho’… our BAXcination has since expired, so there you go…)

the call...

…not the call I wanna make (nor that you will wanna read).
Old-school busy signal and static line-‘hissing’ galore.
Elf Off b.street!!!

Tho’ look at the point-spread swings… as you just do NOT see bowling season point swings of a touchdown or more (8-points here) for any good reason(s) whatsoever.
As in never. As in… ever!

Terps Projected S&P+: 52nd.
Terps Projected S&P wins: 6.7 W’s.

PLANDEMIC:

2:19 PM tip-off!

Two former Atlantic Coast Conference foes will face off for the first time since 2o13 in the Pinstripe Bowl on Wednesday, as Maryland takes on Virginia Tech up at well-fabled/hallowed Yankee Stadium in New York.

.5oo Maryland (6-6) left the A.c.c. for the Big Ten after the 2013 season and hasn’t seen the likewise .5oo Hokies (6-6) since. The Terps are 16-15 all-time against Virginia Tech.

This is the first time Maryland has gone to a bowl game since 2o16. The Terps beat Rutgers 4o-16 in their regular-season finale to reach .5oo and become bowl-eligible. Maryland hasn’t won a bowl game since the 2o1o Military Bowl.

oOo

Those cookie-cutter pleasantries aside… we are back to the very same drills since you know Fu’ kicked rocks and bailed out premature on Virginia Tech. Namely…

  • firstly, same as @w.v.u., same as @uVa… if you combined these two so-so squadrons you might just have one 1st-flight. “Might”…
  • secondly, same as the last 3-games… VeeTee is NOT not not built t0 chase. Nor to have to play pitch-n-catch-up up on the scoreboard. Ergo, therefore, to Whit, remaining within one play or not mo’ than 1.5 full plays is a MUST must must here. As this bowl game will be the most grounded O&M bowl game since Cyrus Lawrence and Co. game Miami all they hand-off could way way back when in the 1981 Peach {sic: bowl}.
  • thirdly, ‘k so I added one here… as in, which one has mo’ to play fo’ here? Well, sourcing indicates that Coach Locksley has heavily repped-up his 2022’s with the extra Bowl Practing reps. This is a strategic enuff move… -in particular if the 1’s were 2o21 regular-season, spent- tho’ it reminds of beloved F.Beams getting a little too Bowl=Holiday trip, lax. Then Eye heard that we had done the very same.

    ♦ 

Plato‘s Cave

The Allegory of the Cave, or Plato’s Cave, is an allegory presented by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work Republic (514a–520a) to compare “the effect of education (παιδεία) and the lack of it on our nature”. It is written as a dialogue between Plato’s brother Glaucon and his mentor Socrates, narrated by the latter. The allegory is presented after the analogy of the sun (508b–509c) and the analogy of the divided line (509d–511e).

In the allegory, Socrates describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them and give names to these shadows. The shadows are the prisoners’ reality, but are not accurate representations of the real world.

the sportlight…

…here in the sportlight, we are concerned by all that (potential) cave-in-shadowing. As only one of these two clubs is anywhere at or near full-strength.

As one of these combatants is prolly a bit mo’ excited/sparky to be here… as they have not been any-here in a long while. The other side is more parts acedia. Or, possible ascendency… and on to greener Ag.School pastures… tho’ there I go again, putting the cart before the, horse!

In point of science-fact… one school is down 31.8% on starters (with 6 mo’ soon to be gonzo), whereas the other team is virtually 5×5 or five-by-five on their Top-22.

••• ——— •••

And frankly, when you give your O&M contacts a good R.A.T.T. rinse here?

It is gonna be pretty dang hard -if not very- for V.P.I. to Pry one free.

As in… our 43% passer vs. their 69% thrower?

You do the, maths…
 then… FREE Wr9, Tink Boyd!!!
Spelunk dat, Plato!

🐢🏈🐢

💯

🙏>>>😷>>>🏈

upset Index=28%

#wimps!

Virginia Tech=16, Maryland=44

LETS GO!

Please support the VT F.C.A.!

HOKIES!

bourbonstreet**

 

6 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. So there’s a chance? I’m thankful that the turtle D won’t make the Hokie O look to bad. The differences? Contain Tua and run the ball.

    1. Aye.

      Prolly warrants some Terp’s Turnover Margin O&M winning help tho.
      not real sure we can win this one toe-to-toe with what little we have left?

      b.street

  2. Terps gonna score through the air, it’s time for J-Ham to have a swan song as Dax & get VT some INTs & punts via blitz packages with Dax & Tisdale as VT offense can lean on that “vaulted preseason OL” to keep it close but atlas without a vertical passing game & inexperience in the catch department. It may be a bridge too far for a VicTory.

    Regardless Section 7 in town to see these Price is right Hokies as this section can’t say enough how happy we are that Fu’ever is over.

    1. Kinda what Eye just said above…

      …we need Maryland to be in a Holiday ‘giving’ mood.

      b.street

  3. The new coaching staff can’t take over quickly enough… not meant as a reflection on Coach Price.

    VT football needs to be Hokie football as it used to be played. Either buy in or get out. The lack of commitment to anything other than self must be a thing of the past… period.

    Football is a team sport. There are no I’s in football, team, or fans.

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