As its pressure builds, defensive line continues to burst through
COLLEGE PARK — The Maryland football team’s defensive line has made a second home in the backfield of its opponents in its first three games this season.
Through three games, the Terps rank second in the nation with 14 sacks, one behind Texas A&M’s 15.
In a 35-17 victory Saturday over South Florida, Maryland’s pass-rushing prowess was on full display. The Terps had six sacks TV: Radio:
Line: and11tackles for losses as the line got after Bulls quarterbacks Quinton Flowers and Steven Bench all afternoon at Byrd Stadium.
While there were concerns about the front seven’s transition from a 3-4 scheme to first-year defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinski’s 4-3 alignment, Maryland’s pass rush has been a force to be reckoned with this fall.
“It’s a team effort,” defensive end Roman Braglio (McDonogh) said. “Coach [Randy]
Edsall was saying the whole week, ‘Play every play like it’s your last,’ and that’s what we did. We came out, we worked hard, and you know, it takes everybody to get a sack. And that’s what we did. We played very well.”
Maryland’s six sacks were its most in a game since the Terps had seven in an overtime victory at Virginia Tech in November 2013 and the most in a home game since 2005. The11tackles for losses were the most since the Terps had 13 in a win at North Carolina State to close the 2013 regular season and the most at home since 2011.
The pressure helped the secondary hold South Florida to 60 passing yards, the first time Maryland had held an opponent to fewer than 65 since a win over West Virginia in September 2013.
Braglio was a standout against the Bulls and set a career high with two sacks and 21⁄ tackles for losses in the game. One of his sacks came on a fourth down in the third quarter, when South Florida was trying to answer a Maryland touchdown and cut into a 28-10 deficit. His other came in the fourth quarter, after the Terps extended their lead to 35-17.
“Preparation during the week,” Braglio said of what led to the defense’s performance. “We were all very focused this week, watching film and everything like that. We took advantage of what we could. We thought we could win on the outside and the inside.”
Braglio’s career day came a week after defensive end Yannick Ngakoue had a career-high three sacks in Maryland’s 48-27 loss to Bowling Green. Ngakoue added 11⁄ sacks against South Florida, giving him a nation’s-best 41⁄
Defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson’s 31⁄ sacks put him in a tie for 14th nationally.
Maryland’s defensive line has been in sync for much of the season so far. Jefferson and defensive tackle David Shaw push the middle of the pocket, allowing Braglio, Ngakoue and defensive end Jesse Aniebonam (two sacks) to attack from the outside.
And if the defensive ends get to the edge, the quarterback often is forced into the path of the defensive tackles. Maryland’s 23 tackles for losses are tied for 21st nationally.
The Terps line will have a stiff test this week in West Virginia. In coach Dana Holgorsen’s high-powered offense, the Mountaineers have their usual complement of playmakers, which means Braglio, Ngakoue and Aniebonam will be counted upon to be disruptive forces again.
“I think what happens is, they understand just how hard you have to play, how hard you have to play each and every week, how the attention to detail has to be there each and every week, and then what they know is this game’s over with,” Edsall said Saturday. “And now we’ve got to go and prepare for another really difficult team for next week, and you can carry those things over.”
NOTE: Maryland junior cornerback William Likely was named to the Paul Hornung Award national weekly honor roll after making four tackles, one for a loss, and breaking up a pass Saturday.