Maryland at Boston College: 5 Big Questions with Terrapin Station
By Joe Micik
2. In last year’s “Snow Bowl,” Maryland struggled badly with run defense (and this season, that’s BC’s problem). How does this element of the Terps’ defense stack up now?
TS: Ugh. Don’t remind me of that game. The one that featured (yet again) missed field goals, literally sub-zero temperatures, and about 4,000 people in the stands? Seriously, it looked like a high school game in the second half with the Terps down 21-3. This year, we no longer have to worry about Rolandan Finch [or others] eating us alive, because the 3-4 defense is predicated on stopping the run. Teams that have tried to go up the middle against the Terps have failed and failed miserably, and this game should be no different. A.J. Francis, Joe Vellano, and Drakeford are versatile guys who plug up holes really well, and Hartsfield is always in the backdrop. The defense swarms now and it results in a lot of three-and-outs for opposing teams.
Rushing over 50 times against this defense (as Boston College did last year) is a recipe for quick possessions and very few points, because this team has great stamina. Pounding away won’t get other teams anywhere anymore. Now, the Terrapins do struggle with runs to the outside because they stack the box, and Virginia’s Kevin Parks was proof of that. We just have to hope that Boston College skipped over that film.