It’s easy to look at Maryland and consider the Terrapins fairly successful after two weeks.
After all, they’re 2-0 despite an absurdly youthful roster —- some of that thanks to offseason attrition, some of that because of injuries.
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Yet there’s one part of the equation that doesn’t compute, and that is Maryland’s turnovers.
The Terps have eight giveaways this season, four in each game to date.
“Young guys have all of our turnovers; they’re all by true freshmen,” coach Randy Edsall said. “They’re learning the intricacies of college football and how you have good ball security. We’ll continue to work on ball security and make the kids be more aware. I told the team [Sunday] we can’t continue to have this many turnovers and really expect to win.”
If there is some solace for the Terps, it is that the miscues in Saturday’s 36-27 victory at Temple weren’t the same as a week earlier. In Maryland’s opener, Perry Hills threw three interceptions and Albert Reid lost a fumble.
Hills wasn’t picked off Saturday, but still lost a fumble on a sack. Reid didn’t receive a carry, though fellow newcomer Wes Brown lost a pair of second-half fumbles. Return man Stefon Diggs muffed a fourth-quarter punt to account for the other giveaway.
“I think they’re correctable,” Edsall said. “If you look at it, we corrected the interceptions and didn’t have the interceptions [against Temple]. From the fumble standpoint, one was a young man who didn’t look the ball into his hands. Two of them was not putting two hands on the ball in a hitting zone, and guys will fall off blocks and try to strip the ball.”
More in tomorrow’s dead-tree edition on Maryland’s turnovers —- and how with a bunch of freshmen running around, it’s something the Terps will have to live with to some extent early in the season.
—- Patrick Stevens
