Maryland football looks to cap off an eventful 2022 season finale with a Pinstripe Bowl win
(Photograph Courtesy of Maryland Athletics.)
It's been a fortunate holiday season for Maryland football.
On Dec. 15, festivities began with an eventful early signing period that included letters of intent from 4 of the top 10 players out of Maryland. The Terps connected to receive in the spirit of the holidays with a gear up of recalibrating December practices made possible past a coveted six-win 2022 campaign. Those 6 wins also punched Maryland'due south ticket to New York for the nigh giving gift for a rebuilding program.
Virginia Tech will be facing the Terps in the Pinstripe Bowl — Maryland's first basin game since 2016. And they plan on taking advantage of every benefit that has come of their regular season campaign — and the tumultuous climb that preceded the 2022 flavor.
Caput motorcoach Mike Locksley has emphasized the significance of his team's basin hopes all flavour. It's what he'due south stressed equally a major milestone for the progression of the struggling program that he inherited in 2019.
"The fact that nosotros're having an opportunity to play a meaningful game in December with a chance to take a winning season, to me, shows that progress is being made with our program," Locksley said. "And as nosotros continue to fix the standard of becoming a yearly bowl eligible team that then allows our fan base to go even more excited."
The extra game services every athlete on the roster. With the extra practices, the youth of the programme got to showcase their ability, grow and make their case for improved roles in 2022 and the veterans got opportunities to further hone their skills and improve their conditioning for the professional level.
"These practices have been so benign for our team," Locksley said. "You take the ability to develop our young players while besides, equally I talked well-nigh, going back and actually hitting the basics with the veteran players."
"Some of the younger guys [are] stepping up," receiver Rakim Jarrett said. "The guys that weren't really getting a chance … [are getting a chance] to show coaches they know what to do and that they can do it."
The seniors get to potentially finish the flavour with a win and close out their careers on a much needed high note. It'll exist a cherished feat considering many of the departing seniors have stayed with the programme since the decease of Hashemite kingdom of jordan McNair, weathering staff turnover, unprecedented controversy and losing seasons.
"My joy comes from seeing the smile on those 25 seniors' faces," Locksley said. "We had some guys that take endured quite a bit during your time here, skilful and bad … to exist able to requite these guys an opportunity to extend their flavor, to feel New York during the holidays, to play in an iconic Yankee Stadium. I mean, this is why they choose to come to Maryland."
Virtually importantly, everyone gets to compete for hardware and a winning record — both of which haven't been on Maryland's radar since 2016.
"We want to have fun and allow them take on this bowl feel as much as possible," Locksley said. "But the goal of information technology is to go up and find a manner to win the game, non merely be there."
Virginia Tech, with the same 6-6 record and a similarly turbulent regular season journey that included a parting caput coach, looks to regain its condition equally a winning program, a stardom information technology maintained for over xx years before the Hokies nigh recent sub-.500 campaign in 2020.
For the Hokies, their winning hopes are dependent on their adaptability. Like several other teams in the nation, Virginia Tech is dealing with a flux of transfer portal entries, to go along with the coaching staff alterations, forcing it to field an offense that is a shell of the team that granted it bowl eligibility.
Aside from the 1-1 acting caput passenger vehicle, J.C. Toll, who volition exist patrolling the sidelines in the Pinstripe Bowl, the Hokies will exist playing without their leading rusher, passer and height three receivers. All have opted out of the bowl for the NFL Typhoon or transfer portal. The turnover leaves Virginia Tech with an offense that will be led by quarterback Connor Blumrick, who's thrown merely 16 passes for 42 yards, a adequately serviceable running back and a banged upwards receiving cadre.
Unlike Virginia Tech, the holidays have been kind to Maryland. News of returning stars Johari Branch and Dontay Demus Jr., new heralded receiver transfer Jacob Copeland and flipped star recruits have headlined December's fun. But a bowl victory will likely be the highlight of the season and a springboard for the program.
"Every bit jitney Locksley says, this is the get-go of the adjacent season," defensive back Jakorian Bennett said. "We win this game and basically we'll exist starting neat [in 2022]. Then we just gonna employ this game to spring start this off-flavor and get everything rolling."
Source: http://wmucsports.net/maryland-football-looks-to-cap-off-an-eventful-2021-season-finale-with-a-pinstripe-bowl-win/
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