NAVY 24, TERPS 21
By Jonas Shaffer
As you pull onto Interstate 95 from Baltimore toward Washington, there it is, a towering billboard with an unmistakable tagline.
“BE THERE FOR THE COMEBACK”
There might be a comeback in these Terps, but it won’t happen Monday.
Sure, they’ve had all summer to prepare for stopping Ricky Dobbs and Co. But they did last year, too, and we all remember what Jahvid Best ended up doing to avenge his stomach-churning memories of the year before.
Quite simply, Navy is better at what it does best — the triple option — than Maryland is at what it does best — about which we still have no clue.
It might not be pretty, and the Mids’ minute-eating attack might not sit well with fans hoping for a good ol’ time at Monday’s matinee, but it will be ruthlessly effective. They don’t call it three yards and a cloud of dust for nothin’, folks.
The Terps have too much talent at the skill positions to render this a blowout. But with questions lingering at quarterback and offensive line, the extent of their efficacy remains uncertain. Any one of Torrey Smith, Da’Rel Scott or Jamarr Robinson could explode Monday, but without a stable offensive line that ensures the Terps’ stars will work in concert, I wouldn’t hold your breath.
With the two defenses seemingly equal and the Terps’ special team issues still unresolved, Monday’s victor will be the afternoon’s better offense. Unless coach Ralph Friedgen has somehow molded this young and unproven group into the type that ran through the ACC when he first arrived, the advantage clearly goes to the Midshipmen.
Jonas Shaffer is The Diamondback’s sports editor. He can be reached at shaffer@umdbk.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jonas_shaffer.