DURHAM, N.C. | A football season is far more a year-round endeavor than a 12-week journey, ensuring that players treasure the few bye weeks they encounter.
Especially when their team is reeling.
Maryland stumbles into its only open date searching for many things - an occasional victory, answers for how to find the scant way to save a reeling season and a release from a grind that has grown worse with five losses over the past six weeks.
“I just want to enjoy myself and get away from football,” quarterback Chris Turner said after Saturday’s 17-13 loss at Duke. “I’m going to get out of town, probably. I just want to get away from it. That’s kind of what I want to do and have some alone time.”
It’s difficult to blame him. The Terrapins (2-6, 1-3 ACC) must produce a perfect November just to extend their season. Forget about division titles and conference championships. Maryland just needs some success.
It didn’t come in September, when the Terps broke in several new players and took some predictable lumps (California) and one that wasn’t anticipated (Middle Tennessee).
October was supposed to prove more forgiving, and a defeat of Clemson that looks more inexplicable by the week had a chance to galvanize the Terps. Instead, Maryland lost winnable games to Wake Forest, Virginia and Duke - not a juggernaut among them - in a stretch that could have made its season.
Instead, the Terps’ postseason pulse is faint and fading fast, the result of injuries, inexperience, turnovers and talent deficiencies in the wrong places.
“I’m disheartened, but I’ve got to be strong, too,” coach Ralph Friedgen said. “I have to go back to work. I’m pulling for them on every play. I look at the number of young kids we’re playing and the injuries we have, and as a coach I feel bad I can’t get them a win or have something go right for them.”
If the Terps cannot regroup in the next week - and a plethora of ailing players probably will turn the next few days into low-impact rest and recovery - then thoughts could drift to next season. The next setback assures Maryland of a losing season, as well as the prospect of meaningless games.
Friedgen undoubtedly will try to infuse some significance into the closing stretch, just as he did when the Terps faced Wake Forest in its 2004 finale. That was the lone game of Friedgen’s nine-year tenure imbued with virtually no long-term importance - be it for a conference crown, bowl positioning or a postseason trophy.
Whether this year’s Terps face a similar predicament, perhaps stretched over as many as three weeks rather than one, cannot be determined until a Nov. 7 date at struggling N.C. State.
Not much has helped Maryland in its attempts to resuscitate its season. The Terps only can hope hitting pause this week will help them avoid a deeper fall into a chasm rather than delaying it.
“We’ve just got to stay together a team,” Turner said. “At this point, there’s only so many things to play for. Right now, it’s just pride and just having fun and playing the way we’re capable of playing and just seeing what happens. It’s nice to have a bye week finally. It feels like it’s been a grueling season so far.”
Notes - Safety Eric Franklin became the 10th true freshman to play this season when he filled in after Antwine Perez was carted off Saturday. Friedgen said Perez probably will be ready to play after the bye week and that Franklin is expected to be added to some special teams units. …
Friedgen said guard Bennett Fulper (shoulder) will be evaluated Monday. Fulper did not make the trip to Duke. …
Defensive end Deege Galt, tight end Tommy Galt and guard Lamar Young, who have shoulder injuries, all are likely to play at N.C. State, Friedgen said.
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