Mike Locksley on Maryland football's run game struggles, TE Dorian Fleming, LB Daniel Wingate

Ahmed Ghafir
4 days ago
8 min read

Everything that Maryland football head coach Mike Locksley said after the 20-9 win vs. Northern Illinois:

Opening statement

“Credit Northern Illinois, Thomas Hammock. His team, they came in and played their tails on like we expected. [I] talked to our team that this would be a four quarter game. It'd be a tough, hard fought game and really proud of our guys the way they fought. We faced adversity for the first time as a team together. I like the way we responded. We’re 2-0, something that we don't take for granted around here. Some of the positives, I like our defense. I think just a few some other points that they've given up in two games since, I think, like 2001 when I was here before. Daniel Wingate continues to lead us on the defensive side of the ball, showing tremendous leadership over there. And then offensively, when we needed to make plays, we found ways to do it. But as a young team and inexperienced team, each week, I'll come in here, and there [will] be things we got to get cleaned up. We got the penalties cleaned up this week, third down shows up on there, something that we got to get fixed on both sides of the ball. But again, clean up the things that we need to get cleaned up, and we'll enjoy it for the night and get ready for Towson coming in here next week at The Shell.”

On QB Malik Washington’s performance

“I mean, he had a tough game today. We got to help him with – again, the drops showed up again like they did a week ago. To me, as we start looking in each week, starting to plug holes and fix problems, the drops have been consistent the last two games. So we'll do the things we need to do here to ensure that the guys are making the plays we need to make. The run game was inconsistent. I thought it got better. If you look at the yards per carry, it improved, but the consistency of it is another thing that can help him, and those are things that we'll work on. Our third down offense again, being in third and longs, third and mediums, we've got to be able to get things executed a little bit better. And it's like I said, our defense played well, but the third downs, not getting off the field causes them to play a few too many plays for us. As with the young team, we'll continue to fix the things that show up on tape, make the corrections and improve our team.”

On the improvements in the secondary

“Yeah, again, you know, when you look at 14 and six, [Jamare] Glasker and [Dontay] Joyner and Braydon Lee coming in, as well as La’Khi Roland, we feel like we've got four guys and it's what they've shown all throughout camp. I've been really pleased with the way we've contested the ball in the passing game, which a year ago was an Achillies heel for us. Being able to play a better man coverage, a little stickier man coverage. [We] didn't affect the quarterback as much as I would like to see us do it today, but we need to be in coverage position. I feel like we've been in great coverage position.”

On LB Daniel Wingate setting a career-high 14 tackles

“His leadership is what really jumps out. He's been one of those young leaders that he's been this way since he got here on campus and has played behind some really talented players. But I like the way that Danny has really stepped up and playing physical. In the run game today, was all over the field. He's the guy that's kind of got the green dot on his helmet, which means he's getting guys lined up and making the necessary calls and adjustments, and has a really good feel for what Ted [Monachino] is trying to get accomplished and doing a tremendous job [of] leading our defense.”

On what the run game needs to get consistency, Locksley’s level of concern

“I'm not really concerned because I think when you play a young quarterback, you're going to get eight main boxes. The big runs that I saw on the other side of the ball were [a] byproduct of missed tackles. We've got good running backs that have to, sometimes, navigate an unblocked guy. The things I would like to see us do better fundamentally, I thought we played a little high and that's on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Northern Illinois is a run-first first team. They've had a good scheme. They spread us out a couple of times, and we're able to make a guy miss. For the run game for us, the point of attack blocks there, our tight end position has got to be a little bit better. And then with the eight man box, sometimes you're going to have to throw the football to get guys out of the box. And today, we made a few plays down the field.”

On the adjustments in second half on third down defense vs. Northern Illinois

“I think we had 19 plays on offense in the first half. And it's a byproduct of, again, not getting off the field on those third downs that we – 3^rd-and-16, when they pop a run in there and get a first down. Those are the type of plays we've got to kind of get corrected here sooner rather than later. Much like last week, where we improved as the game went along, I thought we improved on third down. In the second half, we focused on a run game, which allowed us to use a little clock and help take the defense off the field. And it was intentional on our part because I wanted to get the run game going. I thought we were able to run the ball okay, but we still got to be better. And I expect us to get better.”

On having EJ Henderson, D’Qwell Jackson in attendance, whether they spoke to the team

“Those guys got down here I guess just in time for game, but EJ, D’Qwell, two guys I know very well, played a part in recruiting both here. Both had great, great careers here at Maryland. EJ leaves here as probably the most decorated player in the history of Maryland. So to have EJ back, it's great to see these guys starting to come back and support the program, and EJ has been one of those guys. We were out there a couple of years ago for his College Football Hall of Fame induction. Really great to see these guys come back, included D’Qwell.”

On overcoming adversity vs. Northern Illinois

“It was a close hard for game in the first half. They made a few plays, and the thing that happened is, I like the way we responded. They got the ball down in the red area a couple of times on the defense. We held them down inside the red zone. Those type of plays are the ones that will come back and benefit us later in the year because it's not gonna always be pretty. And again, we don't get style points for how we win. The goal is to find a way to score one more point than our opponent. I thought we needed a game like this where we were going to be tested and played for four quarters. I never felt at any point that our team panicked throughout - the ball being on the ground. Malik, when the ball goes on the ground, the defense coming over saying, ‘we got you’ and they stood up for us tall. So those are the types of things you want to see. Maybe the stat sheet doesn't show, but I thought there was a lot of growth and this team is growing before our eyes.”

On WR Kaleb Webb stopping the fake punt, special teams

“Big, big play, play that was made by Messiah Delhomme as well. With the fake, he's responsible for setting the edge to the defense the way the ball does cut back so the freshman, Messiah, did a great job of forcing it and Kaleb got off the block. We were in a safe look to where we expected in that part of the field that could happen. Kaleb made a great play, a play we needed to make, and on special teams was good to see. All in all, I thought we kicked the ball off a little bit better today, which was huge for us. The drive starts were a little better and more advantageous for us. The two penalties are the things that jumped out to me, three total and two of them on special teams. So again, we'll take a peek and get those things fixed. But big play by Kaleb Webb, big play by Messiah Delhomme there on that pivotal time to get a stop on that fourth down with the fake punt.”

On DL Cam Rice

“Cam is the energy on that side of the ball for us. He's one of those guys that plays with a motor. Really liked the way he played inside, created some pushback. And when the team was running the ball and we knew that they were going to come in and check our oil in the run game, I like the way Cam was able to be physical at the line of scrimmage. A couple of times we had some guys out their gaps, and those are the things that can get fixed on tape.”

On the fourth down miscommunication between Malik Washington, Dorian Fleming, Octavian Smith

“We got to run our offense. Malik missed a lot of time for us during training camp, and so every rep that he takes is important. And those are the valuable reps that down the line will benefit us when we have to find ways to score. That was a play there where Dorian intercepted the ball that was not intended for him. He should have been on the front pylon, [Octavian] was running the back pylon and Dorian drifted. And so we'll get those things fixed. Dorian has been making some plays for us, but this is where the attention to detail, spacing on that part of the field, we got to have a little bit better.”

On cutting down the penalties in week two

“As I like to say, when you make mistakes, it's a disguise for progress if you get the lesson out of it. We were able to fix some of the issues that happened last week, the non-competitive penalties, the false starts, the offsides got cleaned up. You achieve what you emphasize. We made, again, a big point about good teams don't beat themselves. We continue to take care of the football for the most part on offense which I like. Defensively, we didn't come up with the turnovers we had a week ago, but these fourth down stops are like turnovers for us. So credit to our punt team, but our defense also had a couple of fourth down stops to end the game. So once we clean up a few things here with this young team every week, there's going to be things that we have to get cleaned up and the third down offense, third down defense in the first half would be probably the first things we get after as we go watch the tape and make the necessary adjustments.”

On TE Dorian Fleming’s performance

“Dorian is a guy we brought in here to do what we saw him do today. If you were to watch this tape a year ago at Georgia State, an All-Conference player. He enters the portal. We have a need for that position. Fleming continues to make the plays for us. The thing that always has jumped out about his game is his YACs, yards after catch and his ability to extend plays. He made some big plays early in the game and set up some scores for us. [He] was able to get, I think, another touchdown today, so I think he's playing at a high level in the passing game. Still some work to do in the run game.”

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