After a devastating home loss to Temple, Maryland (1-2, 1-0 ACC) looks to rebound against the Towson Tigers (3-0, 1-0 CAA). Terrapins Coach Randy Edsall welcomes his former offensive coordinator, Towson Head Coach Rob Ambrose, to College Park.
Ambrose and the Tigers have just cracked the NCAA FCS Top 25 this week at No. 23. While his team is riding their first win streak in years and a young Maryland team struggles, the Towson Coach still understands the challenge of facing an FBS team.
“This is a very good Maryland team and we aren’t fooled by that result against Temple. Maryland just ran into a buzz-saw,” Ambrose said. “Knowing Randy (Edsall) as I do, I know they will come out ‘amped up’ and ready to play. We are going to have our hands full this week.”
Following an emotionally-charged win over Miami, Maryland has dropped their last two contests to rival West Virginia and a widely underestimated Temple team. In his first year as head coach, Edsall is trying to focus his young roster on themselves.
“I am trying to figure out why we are starting so slow. We need to come out and play with energy. When you have a chance to compete you need to go out and give it all that you have,” Edsall said. “This week we have an undefeated Towson team coming in that is ranked 25th in the FCS polls. They are playing very well and are averaging 38 points a game, 468 yards a game [of offense] and have only turned the ball over three times.”
“We understand what they do, but what we need to do this week is focus in on ourselves and make sure that we do what we need to do.”
Maryland’s two largest schools have never met on the gridiron prior to Saturday’s match up in College Park. When this match up was announced 5 years ago, Edsall and Ambrose were in the thick of turning the University of Connecticut football program into a Big East Contender. When Ambrose left Edsall’s staff in 2009, he did not think he’d be facing his former boss a few years later in a game much anticipated by Towson fans.
“We work 365 days every year getting ready for these games. We could be playing the University of ‘Blank’ and we would be excited. We are always ready to play our hearts out,” Ambrose said.
When Ambrose last coached under Edsall, he turned tailback Donald Brown into a 2,000 yard rusher and first-round NFL Draft Pick. This season, Ambrose boasts the highest scoring and rushing offense in the Colonial Athletic Association with 38.3 points and 246 yards per game.
Sophomore quarterback Grant Enders has put up a combined 640 yards of offense in three games this season, 117 on the ground and 527 in the air.
“They are very multiple offensively,” Edsall said of Towson. “Their quarterback has been playing very well offensively. They bring about three different running backs out.”
The Terps also have a sophomore under center. Danny O’Brien broke out in 2010, earning the honors of ACC rookie of the year. He currently ranks fourth in the conference in passing yards. Senior tailback Davin Megget finds himself trying to infuse some experience on a roster with only nine senior starters and backups combined.
Edsall’s roster, while young, has a level of intensity that showed in a nationally televised win over Miami to kick off the season. The Maryland coach does not mind putting underclassmen as he learns how to best use his roster.
“There are going to be some more freshmen who play this week,” Edsall said. “I am trying to find those guys who fit into the process of what we are trying to get done.”
Maryland will be without sophomore defensive back Matt Robinson for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. The Terrapin defense is ranked last in the Atlantic Coast Conference, allowing 424 yards per game.
“I have to take a look as a head coach with the young guys that we have playing if we are trying to do too much,” Edsall said. “We haven't tackled well in addition to not executing the plays that we have called. I need to take a look a see what these guys do well and emphasize that.”
On Wednesday evening, Edsall tweeted that his captains selected red jerseys and black pants and helmets. In the beginning of the season, Maryland announced 32 uniform combinations they will be unveiling this season.
Towson, also an Under Armour school, will be wearing their road jerseys for the first time this year.
“The good news is we get to play in the state of Maryland,” Ambrose said. “ Let’s see if we can’t win over somebody else who kind of shares our colors”
“Do I care about Uniforms? Whatever.”
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