DJ Durkin explains failed fourth-down call
STATE COLLEGE, PA. — As the third quarter was nearing its midpoint Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium, Maryland appeared to be on the verge of getting back into the game against Penn State.
With the Terps trailing 24-14 at halftime, a 44-yard run by freshman Lorenzo Harrison had put the ball at the Nittany Lions 30. Maryland eventually had a fourth-and-2 at the 22.
Just before a first-down run by backup quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome appeared to unfold, the Terps called a timeout. After the timeout, Pigrome handed to fellow freshman Jake Funk, who tried to go wide.
The play lost 5 yards and the Terps lost whatever momentum they might have gained for the rest of what turned into a 38-14 loss to Penn State.
“The fourth-down call, I don’t know, we went back and forth about it,” Maryland coach DJ Durkin said. “It was raining. It was the right hash. It was a tough kick. I think [ junior Adam Greene] can make the kick. We thought we could get [the first down], too.
“We thought we had a good call on fourth-and-2. We kind of changed our mind after we had to call timeout because the clock ran down. If we’re going to win a game, we should get 2 yards. If you can’t gain 2 yards, you don’t deserve to win a game.”
Given Funk’s status as the least experienced of the six running backs offensive coordinator Walt Bell has used this season, as well as the fact that several others are faster than Funk, it seemed to be a questionable decision. But Maryland’s running game went from dominant last week to nearly dormant overall.
“That was obviously something we were planning to do. In any game we’re planning on running the ball effectively,” Durkin said. “They did a good job of mixing up their looks and changing gaps, and we didn’t do a good job of getting a hat on a hat.”
Maryland found itself in several secondand-long and third-and-long situations as a result of poor execution in the passing game on first down. Fifth-year senior quarterback Perry Hills was sacked twice on the Terps’ opening series and later committed two turnovers before leaving the game with a shoulder injury late in the first half.
“A couple of the negative plays in the pass game hurt us first behind the sticks, and looking at where the game got to, we’re playing behind,” Durkin said. “Running the [ball] becomes more difficult when you’re behind and when you’re in second-and-long because you took a sack. We’ve got to stay on track with the sticks. Obviously playing with a lead helps us running the ball.” Flipping the script: While the Terps came in trailing only Ohio State among Big Ten teams with 300 rushing yards per game, Penn State came into Saturday next to last on the ground with a little over 108.2 yards per game.
The Nittany Lions looked like one of their more legendary ancestors in running for 372 yards, with sophomore Saquon Barkley getting a career-high 202 and redshirt sophomore quarterback Trace McSorley adding 81.
Barkley credited an offensive line anchored by senior center Brian Gaia (Gilman).
“I trust them and they trust me,” Barkley said. “I trust them that they’re going to give me a hole and they trust me that I’m going to make my guy miss. That’s something we’ve got to continue to have and continue to improve on.”
Barkley said it was good for an offensive line that has been criticized heavily the past two seasons.
“Those guys have taken a lot of hits from the media, but I’m so proud of those guys. Those guys are amazing,” Barkley said. “After the game, I looked on the scoreboard and saw we had 300-something rushing yards and I said, ‘That’s all you guys today.’ ”
Maryland linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. said Barkley, whom the Terps held to 65 rushing yards on 20 carries last season in a 31-30 win for the Nittany Lions in Baltimore, “has added some things to his game, but it comes down to us being in the gaps where we’re supposed to be and just running to the ball with fanatical effort. If we had played with more effort, we could have contained him better.” End zone: If not for the 66-yard catch-andrun by sophomore running back Ty Johnson from Hills for a touchdown in the first quarter, the rest of the passing offense was 9-for-15 for 34 yards. … Junior linebacker Shane Cockerille (Gilman) added to his team lead in tackles with 13 . ... After getting six sacks against Purdue, the defense had just three against the Nittany Lions.