Mike Locksley on postgame emotions after USC win, two-point conversion call, Octavian Smith breakout
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Oct 19, 2024
- 11 min read
Maryland football picked up its first Big Ten win of the 2024 season after mounting its largest fourth quarter comeback in four years, defeating USC 29-28 in the first-ever cross-country matchup between the two Big Ten foes.
Everything that Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said postgame:
Opening statement
“It's a great, great team win. [We] got a locker room full of guys that never stop believing in themselves. Lot of distractions, a lot of things take took place last few weeks, and this team just kept believing and stuck together. [I’m] really proud of the group. They played through adversity. As I tell people around here, man, we either have to earn it or take it and this was one of those ‘take it’ games. We came in saying we're going to be aggressive. We came in saying that we were pushing all of our chips to the middle of the table to get a win and we needed this to build on. Wins like this have become our expectation and it's not talk, it really is. Our guys never once have wavered going into games and if you come watch this practice, you'll understand what I'm saying, which is why we never lost faith in ourselves or a belief in ourselves. Really love this team. I think what y'all saw is this team grow right before your eyes. We had a bunch of young saplings – corners and young, inexperienced linemen that have kind of weathered the storm and then our best players showed up today and made some plays that allowed us to just stay in the fight, get it to the fourth quarter and find a way to win it. So really proud of the guys, really proud of the coaching staff. I mean, I got to give a great amount of – our staff did a great job preparing these guys, and they kept dialing and figuring out how to answer the things that were taking place. So proud of the staff, proud of the team, and really looking forward to getting some guys healthy, getting back in here Monday and building on it.”
On the final drive for QB Billy Edwards Jr.
“I think what you saw is we got into our mayday mode, which is our two-minute mode but we still knew, with the time on the clock that we'd have the ability to run it. Our end of the half, end of the game sequencing of plays even before the half, I think we showed the ability that our players understood like in two minutes before the half of what we needed to get executed. But with Billy, we wanted to spread it out to open the box, to allow us to still run it. But he also, with the weapons that he has, in Tai [Felton] and [Kaden Prather]. Again, I told Billy when he threw the interception in the end zone, I said they’re going to get us this ball back and we're gonna get another shot and I need you to release that play and get yourself ready to make the next play. So it was great to see him finish the drive. And hell of a job on that last play with the zone read pull and really, Billy did a great job. Threw a little bit more than I would expect or want him to, but really played at a high level today.”
On the second-half defensive adjustments
“It’s been the third down defense. We couldn't get off the field. We had some third and longs, third and extra longs, and it's just a matter of creating a pass rush as well. And then, being near guys, and I thought near the end. When I talk about growing right before your eyes, you think about that last fourth down stop. Similar play to where we weren't in the picture where they caught one to score before the half. Well, this time, we were in position to close and disrupt the ball out of there, and to me, it was a big time play, and our defense really gave us the opportunity because they held him to the field goal, got the block and got us the ball back and then our offense got going and executed two minutes before the end of the game, and Billy executed a high level and an [offensive] line protected.”
On the postgame emotions
“I mean, it's a special win because it's one at home for homecoming. Homecoming for me is a big deal to see guys like Chris Downs and Bruce Perry come back, Lamont Gore, some of these former players that I know. Man, it's been a rough couple of weeks for us and not a lot of people had a lot of good things to say about our team, about us. So be honest, I got a little bit of attitude because I don't want no new friends, man. I want us to stick on what we believe in which is in each other, not get distracted or listen to the things outside of our program. And that is the one area where I really got to give our team credit because, I mean, they really have kept things really tight inside in-house and they know that we've got a good team. We've got to play smarter, which I thought we did some better things today, but still a lot of room for growth. One that I expect us to build on this one.”
On the decision to go for two-point conversion to make it 28-22
“When the map and the terrain don't meet, you go with the terrain. We're playing to win the game against a really good team and I told my team that we were pushing the chips in the middle of the table, that we weren't going to earn it. We're going to go take it. And so the analytics tell you to go for two but you also have to look at where you are. You look at the momentum of it. We had a good play called. It was a play that we thought had an opportunity, and we knew that if we got that play, we could win the game in regulation, which is what the plan was and it executed itself out.”
On where the confidence comes from to go for two in that moment
“To be honest, this was one of those games where we don't look at the scoreboard. If you you look at that scoreboard, it creates anxiety for you. And I have really sold this team and I know it's sounds like coach talk, but if you don't look at the scoreboard, you don't know what the score is. You don't have anxiety. You just say, ‘what do I have to do on this play to get a play executed’ where, if it's 1st -and-10, second and medium, we need four more. If it's second and extra long, let's get half. If it's third down and possibly two down territory. So it's just playing the chess match. And you know what? This team continues to grow up, man. And I'm gonna let them grow up, regardless of how y'all feel about them. We're gonna let them grow up. And they're doing that right in front of all of us.”
On whether he expected fans to rush the field
“A lot of people had left. I don't know if you noticed, a lot of people had left, but the ones that stayed must know a little bit about this team and I appreciate the ones that did stay. Officer Weller, Captain Weller and I were going over to sing the song, and when I saw them running at me, I'm in better shape, but I wasn't going to take on all those kids. So I said exit, stage right. We turned around and got out of there. But no, it's great for our student section to be able to see and take place. I mean, as I told our team, this is what college football is all about. I mean, have USC, a traditional power come to Terpsville and play here at home. A lot of people always second guess the decision of one, but this is, I mean, I love the fact that we have opportunities like this as a team and I love for our fan base to get to see what it really feels like, looks like here at home, and what it can be like. We're not there yet, but we are a good team. We're not there yet.”
On the mishandled snap to end the first half
“You’ve got to rinse it, man. The negativity sometimes more powerful. Man, I get it. I get it sometimes. But I've realized, you know what? That's one play, we'll get another opportunity. I got to have the resilience. That's what this team has – resilience. And I know a lot of people don't know anything about it, because you guys are used to everything going your way and getting everything the built-in advantages. Well, you know what? We got good team, good program. We got great support and we got people that really want to see this team take the next step to become one of those type of programs that shows up here and can do really good things.”
On the identity of the current team
“One that is continuing to develop and to develop the habits that are necessary to compete for championships. I see [it]. I mean, it's happening right before my eyes. I'm watching, you know, some of these young corners out there battling. I'm watching number 10, our young pass rusher. I mean, Terez Davis was our player of the game last week as a true freshman [offensive] lineman. Billy the Kid. Billy continues to show tremendous leadership. Billy is a winning, a guy that’s a winner. And this team, he'll fight. So he's taking on the personality that we need him to have as a leader. Again, the staff, as I've said before, we've made some tough decisions around here the last couple of weeks and we've got the grit. I got the support, obviously, of my bosses that understand what we're doing. See not everybody understands what we're doing and what we're building, and everybody's transactional. It's disappointing that every week you got to come up here and defend yourself or defend your team. But understand this, we got a good team. We've recruited well. If our fan base and our supporters can understand it we're really, really close and now it ain't the time to jump off. Now's the time to double down on Maryland football. It's not just talking. I'm not saying we've arrived. I'm saying it's time to let's get out of the negative business about it and let's buy in that we can win around here and we can win big. And I think today was a step in the right direction.”
On the production of WR Octavian Smith
“It's huge, man. And [Octavian] is a speed guy. He's a guy that had a bunch of opportunities to leave this area. He's been dealing with a turf toe. And again, I very rarely get in here and talk about injuries and you look up and you see two safeties down, and now all of a sudden, we're thin there. And [Octavian], we've had to kind of slow him down because a speed guy with a bad wheel isn’t a good combination but today he was healthy. The bye week got him healthy. He made some huge plays for us. That touchdown catch early on, similar to the one he made in the NC State bowl game, if you think about it. And when I start talking about seeing guys grow up, man, I thought [Octavian] took a step in the right direction today. And you know what? Not very many people are surprised by it because Octavian Smith is a really talented player that just a sophomore, junior. He’s got, you got a bright future.”
On the balance in the offensive play calling through the game, especially second half
“I tell you balance is what? Being able to do both when you need to. They played man coverage 90% of the game. Man coverage adds a guy to the box. We have RPOs. We have a system that allows us. Now, I hate that we because Roman [Hemby] and [Nolan Ray] and even Colby [McDonald] going down. We got talented running backs. This [offensive] line is starting to come together. But the RPO game and the tags or add-ons allow us to not just let people load up in the box and then all of a sudden, we're getting tackled because they got more guys. And then you're saying, oh we punted nine times. Well, that's the beauty of our system, is that we have answers if they're going to play, man, then we got to throw the ball. And Octavian Smith and Tai Felton and these tight ends have to make these plays with the add-ons, and they did today when we needed them to. I sure would love to see us run the ball more and more efficiently, but today, getting down, getting into mayday mode early in the fourth quarter, we ran it when we needed to and Nolan Ray, and even you say [Roman Hemby] in the passing game, in the screen game. Really helped us.”
On Lavain Scrugg’s interception
“Those are the plays we haven’t had go our way and we were able to – Lavain made a big play. Again, he’s one of those guys when I talk about growing up man. He’s growing up. We needed that play. We needed that blocked field goal. I showed a week ago with our team, we had opportunities a week ago where we go to almost block a punt and instead of taking it off the foot, we flap at it. And today, these guys made the play. Our coaches had them prepared to play. We eliminated the distractions of the noise. It gets loud here in Terpsville, as the mayor of terpsville, the noise gets loud but good thing, I got good bosses that say, stick to your guns. Just stay the course. We're playing chess, not checkers.”
On the message to fans who left at halftime
“I mean, I would have left too probably, shoot. We just get the ball down in the red area. The ball gets snapped over our head. I mean, I lost my stuff too on that. I mean, I get it. I'm not complaining about fans leaving. That's my job to get us to score touchdown there. Maybe they stay. But I'm not going to get into that. The biggest thing I'd like to know everybody understand is that, man, just if this team has that energy of positivity around it, these kids really, really believe in themselves and I really believe in these kids. And if we can just somehow, some way. I've been here long enough to know how it goes the three years, ’83, ’83, ’85, Ralph Friedgen’s three years. We've had three good years and kind of now the expectation has risen and now we're bringing in some young guys to build on the foundation of the Tarheeb Stills and the Deonte Banks that have left here. And we got a good team. Just give us a chance to grow up, and we'll keep pushing the right buttons. And I'm excited to lead it and build on this one, though. It's about building on it.”
On the progression of the offensive line
“And it’s a thin group. We lost two guys in practice this week. [Michael] Hershey was unavailable, got rolled up on Thursday. [Deandre] Duffus, who's moved himself into where he's competing, he gets banged up. We lost Lavon Johnson in practice. And it's like, we don't talk about it and I know you guys see it, but we have guys that just continue to move in. And fortunately for us, we've created some depth where these young guys are forced in there, and I got to live with some of the mistakes, but I'm gonna tell you right now, man – they are doing everything we ask of them. We played smarter today, and that's, to me, the one area where as a team, when we talk about controlling the controllables, taking care of the things we can control, I thought we did a little bit better job of that today.”
On how Locksley feels postgame
“I'm a little frustrated. When you win a game like this, it just shows you that, man, I watch the other games that we have an opportunity. We've left some opportunities on the table, but you know what? I'm gonna take this one and enjoy it. I'm proud of the team. Appreciate the support that we get, and we're gonna build on it.”
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