WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Through much of his first season in charge of Maryland football, Ron Vanderlinden has said the record didn't reflect the level of his team's play.
He's right. The Terps are fortunate to be 2-5.
For the second straight season, Maryland made history against Wake Forest, but it wasn't seeking this line in the record book. The Demon Deacons whipped the Terps, 35-17, yesterday. A year ago today, Maryland beat Wake, 52-0, for its most lopsided win ever in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The 70-point swing is the biggest in ACC history.
Maryland (2-5, 1-3) hasn't won more than six games since 1985, and its role reversal against Wake Forest (3-4, 2-3) was a stark reminder that there is no guarantee that its latest rebuilding job will be completed this century. Vanderlinden said his staff needs to do a better job, but he also reiterated that he needs better players.
"Right now, we're not making the plays we need to make to be successful," Vanderlinden said. "The answer lies within our ranks. It starts with me. I've got to do a better job, our coaches have got to do a better job. When players don't perform, it's because they can be coached more effectively.
"We've got to shore some areas up. That answer will come from recruiting."
Maryland will not be able to add to its roster before Saturday's homecoming game against Clemson, which hasn't allowed the Terps a touchdown since 1992.
From third place on down, the ACC is loaded with mediocrity, but the Terps haven't been deep enough or mature enough to challenge for their first bowl berth since 1990. Fact is, they were fortunate to beat Duke, which hasn't won in the ACC in two years, and Temple, possibly the nation's worst major-college program for much of this decade.
The transition from Mark Duffner to Vanderlinden hasn't been smooth. The Terps have struggled with a new system and more than a dozen new starters. The Terps made too many mistakes before a crowd of 17,893 yesterday, but even when they were in position, they couldn't finish plays.
Wake Forest moved out to a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter and didn't put away Maryland until the fourth, but the game turned on a couple of fourth downs in the third quarter.
Senior quarterback Brian Cummings, who had career highs for completions, 27, and attempts, 47, rallied Maryland with second-quarter touchdown passes to Omar Cheeseboro and Jason Hatala. The deficit remained 21-17 when free safety Paul Jackson intercepted Brian Kuklick at the Terps' 1-yard line midway through the third quarter.
