Demetrius Hartsfield, here being burned by Cal's Jahvid Best in the season opener, has improved as much as any Terp over the course of this season. Photo courtesy of Getty Images
In a fourth-and-goal situation from the Terp football team’s 1-yard line Saturday, Rutgers decided to go conventional and run the ball up the gut with starting running back Jourdan Brooks.
This was supposed to be a porous Terp defense, after all, one that had allowed at least 32 points in every game so far.
But linebackers Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten busted through the Scarlet Knight offensive line and took down Brooks behind the line for a loss of one and a crucial turnover — or at least, what at the time was a crucial turnover.
The big-time play kept the Terps ahead by three in the third quarter Saturday. In the aftermath of the 34-13 loss, in which Rutgers reeled off 24 unanswered points, the goal line stand seems trivial. But it serves as a reminder of the kind of potential the Terp linebacking corps has.
After the game, Wujciak and fellow ‘backer Demetrius Hartsfield were the only defensive players brought out to speak with the media. Hartsfield, Moten and Wujciak were easily the Terps’ top three tacklers Saturday, combining for 12 solo tackles and 22 assisted tackles.
Wujciak, in particular, let loose with 17 tackles in the game.
The Terps have yet to show too much confidence in their backup linebackers this year. In fact, Saturday, the only linebacker other than Hartsfield, Moten and Wujciak to record a single tackle on defense was Ben Pooler.
But part of that comes from the dramatically improved play of the three starters. Against California, Hartsfield appeared lost, Moten overmatched and Wujciak slow. Against James Madison and Middle Tennessee, the group simply didn’t make enough plays.
Saturday, the Terp defense could have used a big play and didn’t get one. But what they did get was dramatically improved linebackers who shut down Rutgers’ ground game for essentially 53 minutes and played a big part in holding Rutgers without an offensive touchdown until 55:03 in.
Hartsfield complimented defensive tackles Travis Ivey and A.J. Francis for creating holes to work with. He also said Rutgers’ more conventional offense was a crucial change of pace for the linebackers, who had grown tired of the spread after James Maidson and Middle Tennessee.
But there’s also little denying a bit of a learning curve. The linebackers were one of the few positives to take out of Saturday’s game, and there was never really a play reminiscent of James Madison quarterback Drew Dudzik running right past Hartsfield on a 70-yard touchdown run.
This season, Wujciak holds a dominant team lead in tackles, with 45. But Moten leads the team in sacks, 2.5. And Hartsfield, whom Moten affectionately calls “Lil Brother,” has improved dramatically in four weeks.
The linebackers, then, have been a bright spot in a season otherwise darkened by a 1-3 nonconference record and the prospect of finishing with a losing record for the fourth time in six years.
ajoseph@umdbk.com