Mike Locksley is staring at a difficult stretch at Maryland after a brutal 54-3 loss to UCLA pushed the Terrapins to 2-2 before October even arrived.
That kind of start would be worrisome in any season. For Maryland, it lands with extra weight because the program has often been known for starting fast and fading late. This time, the trouble has come early, and a blowout like Saturday’s doesn’t leave much room to spin things positively.
After the game, Locksley was asked directly about where things stand with his future at the school, and he made clear he understands the questions.
“I still have a lot of confidence in myself and this staff to get this thing fixed,” Locksley said. “Again, that will have to be earned, I won’t be able to claim it.
I understand why people question it. I’m gonna have to earn it, I can’t sit up here and claim it.”
Those comments only added to the uncertainty around a coach who is in his 8th season leading the program. Locksley’s time at Maryland has followed his noted stint in Nick Saban ‘s “Coaching Rehab” at Alabama, but recent years have brought a clear downturn. The Terrapins have finished 4-8 in consecutive seasons after promising starts, and the back-to-back losses against Power 4 opponents to end September have done nothing to quiet the concern around the program.
The schedule doesn’t offer much relief, either. Maryland is headed into road games against Nebraska and Ohio State next, and the path ahead looks even steeper from here.
In Other News...
Alabama Just Got A Serious Warning Before Mississippi State
Mississippi State comes into Saturdays matchup with Alabama carrying real momentum, and much of it has flowed through Kamario Taylor. The Bulldogs are 4-0 and ranked No. 16 in the AP poll, with Taylor piling up 1,377 total yards and 15 touchdowns in the early going while steering a fast-paced offense that has made people around the league take notice. Even before kickoff, the Tide know this is not the kind of early SEC test you can treat like a routine tune-up.
Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack added to that sense of urgency by calling Taylor possibly the best quarterback his defense has seen in the last three years. Wommack pointed to Taylors deep ball, his RPO decision-making and the way he leads a quick, athletic receiving group, all of which help explain why Mississippi State has looked so sharp. With a nationally televised 11 a.m. CT start looming, Alabama is staring at a fast start in Starkville and a quarterback who has already issued a loud warning. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Has Little Margin For Error In Starkville After One Warning Sign
Alabama came out of the South Carolina game with plenty to feel good about, but the film also left behind a few reminders that there is still work to do. The Tide looked sharp in stretches, yet the same concerns that have lingered at times this season showed up again in run defense and in the back end of the secondary, two areas that can get exposed quickly if a game gets loose.
Starkville does not figure to offer much room for a slow start. Mississippi State brings a physical running game and a quarterback in Kamario Taylor who can force defenses to stay honest, which means Alabama will need cleaner execution on both sides of the ball than it has shown in some recent moments. If the Tide want to leave with a win, the defense has to hold its ground and the offense has to turn efficient drives into points without giving the Bulldogs extra chances. [Read more 🡒]
DeBoer Just Put Alabamas Recruiting Pressure In Clear Focus
Kalen DeBoer used a recent look inside Alabamas recruiting operation to put the programs priorities in sharper focus, and it started with the role Courtney Morgan has carved out as the first general manager in school history. Morgan has become a central figure in coordinating the Tides recruiting work, setting weekly meetings that bring the recruiting staff and coaching assistants onto the same page as Alabama tries to keep its roster-building machine moving in step with the standards that come with the job.
The broader picture is one of transition and pressure, because Alabamas class rankings have fluctuated and the program has already leaned heavily on the transfer market, bringing in 20 transfers last offseason. Even with that approach, the plan is to put more emphasis on high school recruiting going forward, which makes the alignment DeBoer praised even more important as the Tide try to balance immediate help with the long-term pipeline that has always defined the programs edge. [Read more 🡒]