Maryland coach Mike Locksley had the wrong team on his mind for a moment Tuesday, and it made for an easy opening to UConn week.
Locksley was supposed to be talking about the Terrapins’ next opponent, but when he shifted from Maryland’s 62-0 win over FCS program Hampton to Saturday’s game in East Hartford, he briefly called UConn “Toledo.” He corrected himself quickly, but the slip was noticeable.
“Closed the book on them on Sunday, reviewed everything, took a long look at things that we need to improve upon from game one to game two that was on the tape,” Locksley said of the Hampton game. “Got it corrected, and then used (Monday) to get recovered, to get some guys in here get healthy, and to get a jump start on obviously this week's opponent, Toledo.”
Jason Candle was the head coach at Toledo for 10 years before taking over at UConn last December after Jim Mora departed, so the mistake was harmless enough. Still, it’s the kind of thing the crowd at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford may have fun with on Saturday.
That crowd could matter. UConn drew 31,831 for its 56-7 win over FCS school Lafayette, and the stadium’s listed capacity is 36,000, with room for standing-room-only additions. Maryland is one of three Power Four programs that will play in East Hartford this season, so a strong turnout is expected.
Last year, UConn had 38,106 fans in the building when it knocked off Power Four opponent Duke 37-34 in East Hartford.
Locksley made it clear he understands the value of a loud home crowd, especially when students get involved early.
“I think it was 10,000 students that showed up at the start of that game and carried the momentum into halftime that helped us,” Locksley said Tuesday of his team's opener.
Even with the mix-up, Locksley’s comments made clear he has plenty of respect for Candle and the Huskies.
“A lot of respect for our opponent this week, UConn,” he told reporters. “I know Jason Candle really well.
Did tremendous job at Toledo. Has put together a big-time staff up there at UConn.
“Obviously, UConn's coming off of a big year, where they lost their head coach, bowl eligible a year ago. A bunch of those guys are returning, but if you look at Jason and what he's been able to do at Toledo, and you look at the landscape of how he was able to bring a lot of the players that were successful for him there at Toledo to UConn…”
Locksley is in his ninth season at Maryland. The Terrapins have finished 4-8 in each of the last two seasons, and his record at the school stands at 38-49.
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