Maryland head coach Mike Locksley knows his game against Nebraska on Saturday could be a major factor in whether he keeps his job. He’s confident he knows how to adjust the Terps’ offense to give his team the best chance to topple a 4-0 Huskers squad in Lincoln.
On the heels of a 54-3 loss to UCLA, Maryland has plenty to fix. However, until last Saturday, quarterback Malik Washington was having a very good season. Among other accomplishments, he hadn’t thrown a single interception and had 6 touchdowns before the game against the Bruins. Then he threw 4 interceptions, two of which were returned for scores.
The response will be to “condense” Washington’s pre-snap thought process to help “limit” the decisions he has to make in the heat of the moment inside Memorial Stadium. “Nebraska is a tough task,” Locksley said during his weekly press conference. “They’re one of the top defenses in the country.”
For the Huskers, the idea that Maryland has to “simplify” its offense for a sophomore quarterback who started every game last year should be welcome news. It’s clear that Locksley and his coaches are very, very concerned about the way Washington played last weekend.
Mike Locksley changes Maryland offense as Nebraska football showdown raises pressure
It’s especially interesting because of how well the Terps’ quarterback played in his first three games. Locksley and the staff may have known something was wrong before the Bruins. UCLA was just able to diagnose and stop him better than Virginia Tech or Howard, or UCONN could.
It’s also a sign that Locksley knows his job is hanging by a thread, even if he won’t admit it yet.
“I’m 56 years old,” Locksley said. “I know how to insulate myself. I know how to put my phone down. I know how to not read or indulge with things that aren’t going to help the team for the next opponent, which is Nebraska. What I’ve tried to do is model some of that for our players.”
He talks a good game, but revamping the offense when the defense was also quite an issue the last few weeks shows that Locksley is grasping at straws.
That’s not to say that Nebraska should take Maryland lightly. The Terrapins have been a difficult opponent every time the Huskers have played them in the Matt Rhule era. However, it seems this year's bad losses have rattled the Terps.
A good start for Nebraska could turn up the heat and make Maryland lose its cool. That’s how the Huskers get to 5-0.
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