Maryland coach Mike Locksley isn’t buying into the hype.
Despite his team getting off to a 4-0 start, he isn’t ready to make any grand proclamations about the Terrapins entering a Saturday Big Ten Conference matchup with Washington in College Park, Md.
“I don’t feel the swell of excitement because I try to insulate myself,” Locksley said on IMS Radio. “I came up in the Nick Saban school of thought: Don’t take the cheese, don’t eat the rat poison of it, because there weren’t very many people in December and January (backing us) when everybody was leaving this place and going other places and there wasn’t a lot of direction.
“We figured it out. We’ve put together a good roster. Now the goal is to continue to find a way to develop it and build on it so that we can get this thing back on track.”
The Terrapins, who have yet to trail this season, opened conference play on Sept. 20 with a 27-10 victory at Wisconsin, then had a bye last week.
Maryland’s defense has been stellar. The Terrapins are allowing just 10.8 points per game and entered last week’s bye with the most sacks (16) and interceptions (eight) in the nation.
“It’s not something we’re going to hang our hat on,” defensive lineman Dillan Fontus said. “It’s still the first four games. We’re not worried about stats and stuff like that. It’s just a testament to all the work we put in … It’s more of an expectation than a surprise or something to hang your hat on.”
The Huskies (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) had been cruising before a 24-6 loss at home last week against No. 1 Ohio State in their conference opener. They committed six penalties — two on coach Jedd Fisch — and Demond Williams Jr. was sacked six times.
“When you play the No. 1 team in the country, they know how to win,” Fisch said. “They’ve won a lot. They win every year. And if you’re going to be able to finish the game, and be able to win those games, those penalties can’t happen. Those sacks can’t happen. The mistakes that were made can’t happen.”
Williams, a sophomore who is completing 75.6 percent of his passing attempts, was 18 of 22 for 226 yards against the Buckeyes.
Fisch suggested it might have been better if Williams had completed fewer passes — throwing the ball away instead of taking a sack.
“I’ve got to help Demond understand that an incompletion is OK sometimes,” Fisch said. “He doesn’t throw many incompletions at all. Sometimes — sometimes — that leads to holding the ball a little bit longer and unfortunately, at times, it can turn into a sack.”
