WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Nick Ferrara’s day started with a 15-yard punt. It continued with a pair of missed field goals.
It was hardly an ideal day for the junior, who did recover to make a 42-yard field goal in Maryland’s 31-10 loss at Wake Forest.
Ferrara is 12-for-19 on the season on field goal attempts, including just 4-for-9 on tries of at least 30 yards. He’s missed four of his last seven tries after a 9-for-12 start this season.
“I think the young man is trying so hard, he hurts himself,” coach Randy Edsall said. “He wants to do so well. I just told him ‘Relax, you’ve got a good leg, you’re a good kicker, you’re a good punter. Just relax.’ After I did that, then he started going out and booming the punts. It’s like I have to lay him down on the couch before the games and talk to him and just keep reminding him. He’s his own worst enemy.”
Ferrara’s field goal with 1:42 remaining in the third quarter pulled Maryland within 17-10. But after Ferrara missed tries of 32 and 26 yards, Edsall acknowledged he considered going for it on fourth-and-7 from the Wake 24.
“Things of those [nature], they start to go through my mind a little bit and I don’t like that to happen,” Edsall said. “I can only go by what my gut tells me and from what I see. That’s what I try to make decisions on, based on the flow of the game and what’s happening and all those things. That did cross my mind. When you look at where you are in terms of the score and everything else, you still have to go do it to help yourself in terms of being able to win ballgames.”
