WAKE FOREST, NC - Just when Terrapin fans felt their team was safe after winning its first in-conference game, reality sunk in Saturday. Coming into Saturday’s game the Maryland offense had been struggling throughout the season and its defense was ranked 12th (last) in the ACC in points allowed. Nonetheless last week the Terrapin defense was able to battle major disadvantages to lead the team to a solid win over Clemson, giving hope to the season and starting the team off to a 1-0 record. Unfortunately, all of this came crashing down Saturday, and in a hurry.

 

There was barely enough time to adjust your eyes to the lights on the scoreboard before Wake scored the first seven points of the game on a 48-yard run down the right sideline by running back Josh Adams. Maryland answered when wide receiver Torrey Smith was able to run back the ensuing kickoff 85 yards before he was tripped and stumbled at the Wake Forest 15-yard-line. The Terps then ran the ball in for their first touchdown on a fourth-and-goal rush from the four-yard-line by Davin Meggett.

And then Riley Skinner took over.  Finding receiver after receiver in position after perfect position for touchdowns, the Wake Forest quarterback left Maryland fans yelling an angry “Skinnerrrr!” (à la Superintendent Chalmers from the Simpsons) after every completion. Skinner was able to lead the Demon Deacons’ offense to 11 first downs in the first quarter alone.

"We knew what they were going to do” said Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen. “They threw a lot of screens into the pressure and Skinner is good about seeing the pressure. They got a veteran offensive line that gave Skinner enough time to look downfield. That was the difference."

With a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, Skinner lit up the Maryland defense for three more touchdowns while only missing on two pass attempts. By halftime Skinner would leave the field with a 35-10, having hit over 8,000 yards passing for his career in the process.

"We usually come out and fumble the first play, give them the lead and fight back” said Wake Forest Head Coach Jim Grobe. “That's typically the way we've played. When we went and scored the first touchdown, had the long kickoff return and Maryland went right in and scored I thought, `Oh, here we go again.' But I thought … our athletes executed well. That's probably as good a first half of football we've ever played."

Last Saturday it was the Terrapin defense that was able to make crucial plays that kept Maryland in the game and eventually led to a surprising win. This week, however, the defense appeared to make no plays as Wake Forest piled on the points. The gutty performance of last week from the Terrapin defense would not make any difference against the number one ranked offense of the ACC in Wake Forest.

Offensively, unlike what they have shown throughout the season, the Terps had not turned the ball over and the penalties were at a minimum but nothing seemed to go in their favor.

“I thought our guys came out focused,” said Coach Friedgen. “We had a very good warm-up and we were more vocal than we have been. I thought we were ready to play but we went out there and were blowing everything. Normally we’re not were not very loud pre-game but this time we were. I guess it was more bravado instead of substance.”

And a rude awakening to that realization presented itself as the Wake Forest offense proved just how far away the Terps are from becoming a top team in the ACC.

The second half was an improvement on the part of the Terrapins, but with a 25-point deficit, almost anything would be an improvement. Maryland’s offense was able to get into gear, scoring 22 points but the game was all but decided at the end of the first half.

The Terps continued to fight hard but Wake never panicked and was never really in danger of losing the lead. Coach Grobe said after the game “Coming out in the second half your mindset as a coaching staff is defensively don't give up big plays and offensively, don't turn the football over. On one hand we didn't turn the ball over, but trying to stay aggressive with a big lead is hard. It's something we didn't do a very good job of. But you have to give a lot of credit to Maryland's athletes. They came out in the second half and didn't quit, they fought and chipped their way back into the game. I'm proud of our athletes for winning the football game. It's a strange thing when you've got a big lead at halftime. You come out and you'd like to play as well as you did in the first half, but I thought that first half was played pretty well by the Deacs [Demon Deacons] tonight."

Maryland actually had a slim chance to climb back into the game in the fourth quarter trailing Wake 42-25 with about eight minutes to go but quarterback Chris Turner, who had 307 passing yards and three touchdowns, threw an interception in the endzone as he was being crushed by Wake defenders.

"We obviously played poorly in the first half and they [Wake Forest] played really well” said Coach Friedgen. “You have to give it to our kids. They hung in there and kept fighting. If we had scored that touchdown with eight minutes to go, who knows what would have happened. We blew a lot of coverages in the first half and didn't get a whole lot going offensively. Other than the long kick return, I wasn't real pleased with our special teams. We then played better in the second half but it was too little too late."

While the final score, 42-32, does not accurately depict just how much more superior Wake appeared to be than the Terps, neither do the teams’ conference records with Wake sitting at 2-1 and the Terps right behind them at 1-1.

"We missed one heck of an opportunity” declared Friedgen. “If we could have gotten a win on the road here against a good Wake Forest team, that would have only helped us down the road. We still only have one loss in the conference. I told our guys to build on the second half and get ready for Virginia next week. I told them I was proud of the way they hung in there tonight."

Hopefully this loss proves to be another stepping stone for the Terps on their climb to maturity. They are not there yet and with the competition the way it is in the ACC this year, they will need to “wake” up and get there soon.