Posted By: JoshUnderCenter
Walk or drive around the state of Maryland and it's hard to not see the symbol of the University of Maryland somewhere; our beloved Testudo holding an "M". Look a little harder and you will see on cars, walls, and anywhere a passionate fan has been, the Maryland sport's tokened phrase, "Fear The Turtle".
University of Maryland is a school known not only for it's world renowned academics, but also for it's ACC sports teams that are surrounded with history. From Boomer Esiason throwing touchdown passes on Saturdays in the early 80's, to Gary Williams fist pumping towards the student section at basketball games, Maryland sports are surrounded in tradition, and it has become a common action for other teams to "fear the turtle". Going into the 2007 Football season, I'm sure Ralph Friedgen and his boys had the idea of keeping that going; but, apparently these things called ligaments and bones had different ideas. Ever heard of them?
The story of the 2007 hasn't been about fearing the turtle at all. Until this past Saturday, this season has overall just been a huge disappointment at best. Injuries have killed the Terps. During the Georgia Tech game at home I remember two separate Medivac helicopters landing and being flown away with injured players. The injuries are the root of the disappointing season. When you don't have the personnel to carry out plays, what are you supposed to do; it's just not going to happen and there's really not alot you can do about it. The back ups just don't match the competition in a highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference. There is no death warrant out for Ralph Friedgen for that reason; he just can't do anything about it. It's a tough thing to swallow, but it's reality. As a student here at UMD, I was highly anticipating this season, and after starting out a decent 4-2 and then losing 3 straight weeks, all to ACC foes, I was almost sure our season was all but done.
ACC losses on the road to Wake Forest (9/22, 31-24 in OT) and North Carolina (11/3, 16-13) and at home to Virginia (10/20, 18-17) and Clemson (10/27, 30-17) had Maryland fans coming into last Saturday's game vs. #8 ranked Boston College with about as much hope as a 3-legged horse has of winning the Preakness. But something happened on Saturday that no one expected. The Terps showed up with an offense finally; an electric offense at that. The Terps defense stayed right with Boston College's highly ranked defense, led by Heisman candidate Matt Ryan. It was something that no one expected and a perfect surprise for the fans that were tired of watching their team lose.
Sitting in Row P of Section 11 in the student section, I was stunned and going absolutely nuts. While it seemed our team hadn't thrown deep in ages, we were throwing bombs, and completing them. When we weren't throwing bombs, we were pounding the ball up the middle and to the side with Lance Ball or running reverses to Heyward-Bey for touchdowns. Trickery my friends, trickery. Who would've known? The Terps had new life.
As the clock ticked down in the 4th Quarter, and it read "Terps: 42 Boston College: 21", a possible win was starting to become a reality. By that point I had screamed "Hey, You Suck!" to the Boston College sideline so many times, I was waiting for them to run to their mothers crying. They were getting owned by the second worst team in the ACC on paper. The stairs were packed with students waiting to run onto the field. When Chris Turner kneeled for the final time to run the clock out and seal a 42-35 victory for the Terps, their second of the season over a Top-10 oppenent, the student section emptied onto the field. There were people running everywhere, and it was an amazing sight to see, especially for a team that had just won to go to 5-5. Standing in the middle of the field with 10,000 fellow students and the most excited football team in the country, Zombie Nation's "Kernkraft 400" played over the stadium speakers and the whole mob was jumping up and down together in joy, in new hope of possibly saving a season.
No one expected the Terps to win on Saturday. No one. The Diamondback, The University of Maryland school newspaper predicted a 38-10 Boston College victory. Upsets happen a lot in college football, but to see an offense that electric, a defense that held strong against a great offense, and a potential season saved is something so much sweeter than just stealing the candy from a team that was hoping for a possible National Championship berth.
After winning Saturday, with the pretty much disappointing season the Terps football team has had, I realized something. Through all the injuries, all the disappointing losses, all the criticism that this team has taken from people like myself and the media, they have a chance to potentially finish 8-5. 8 wins and 5 losses. Yes. Somehow.
8-5 is a good record in college football where anyone can beat anyone. Ask Michigan about that. With a season like this, 8-5 and a medicore bowl game would feel like something great to these players who have put their heart into every snap, and have been working hard to get past the boat load of injuries.
I wouldn't put it past them. After a win like I witnessed on Saturday, momentum is on their side, and obviously anything can happen in the ACC. Come on 8-5. Come on mediocre bowl game. Go Terps.
