Remember the way Virginia Tech's defense suffocated Ohio State a month ago? Don't look now, but head coach Urban Meyer said Maryland's crew could be better.
"They’re the most athletic defense we’ll face so far this year," he said Wednesday after practice.
That's saying a lot considering how the Hokies simply dismantled the Buckeyes' offense in a 35-21 win at Ohio Stadium Sept. 6.
Whether the Terrapins can do the same to Ohio State will be determined Saturday in College Park.
Notes:
- In a 50-28 win against Cincinnati, Dontre Wilson had six catches for 71 yards. The contest marked a considerable juxtaposition between Wilson now and last season. "He’s so little, and when you’re in a balanced offense you gotta be able to block and do all the things, so he was a little bit like a token player last year but he’s gained 15 pounds, he’s stronger, he’s much more suitable and also he’s the kind of guy we wanted to run him a little bit, and when you’re real little, it’s hard to run without getting beat up," Meyer said. "He’s done a nice job at getting big, we still want him to gain another 10 pounds. Meyer added Wilson has good hands, but is a bit of "a body catcher, but he’s worked hard on it. I like where he’s headed."
- Meyer said the offense is coming together, but added “we have to do it against better defenses — nothing against Kent State and Cincinnati — but we’ve got to continue to grow. What I think is going on best is the balance right now. You look up the scoreboard and seeing 250 or 300 each, you know, that’s a good sign. The last two years, we were kind of run-dominated.” Meyer added the need for the Buckeyes to multi-dimensional on offense.
- Ohio State, of course, opens its Big Ten slate of games Saturday. It's more or less no different than any other game, Meyer said. "It is different, but not really. Everybody’s just in survival mode and now you’re getting guys banged up a little bit — it’s Week Five, Week Six, whatever it is — and Big Ten does make everything a little different, but to say like ‘Well, did you practice harder?’ No, but we understand the significance of it because our goal is to compete for a championship in November. This is it."
- Meyer said starting center Jacoby Boren is a battler. “That’s what he is … he’s an undersized guy — his survival rate is because he’s a Boren. They’re all like that, the ones I’ve been able to coach and I wasn’t with the older brother but Zach’s the same way, he’s a grinder, he’s worker and their survival rate at this level is because they’re tough and they do things the right way … he’s doing a good job. He needs to continue to battle because he’s a little smaller in stature.
- In light of the NCAA’s expected move to autonomy that would give the Power Five conferences more control than ever before, the Big Ten issued a statement proposing cost of attendance, medical insurance, guaranteed four-year scholarships among other things. “I’m sure right in the middle of all that conversation. I haven’t been recently, but it’s the right thing to do.”
- Meyer, who has yet to play a game at Byrd Stadium, reiterated how he expects Maryland's campus to be a lively atmosphere this weekend: "I had my staff call, so they just told me a little bit about what it is, they said it’s a loud environment. I anticipate — I think it’s their first Big Ten home game — so it’s going to be a great environment."
