Yesterday was the first substantial proof We have that this program has turned the Corner and is a legitimate contender. When You lose the Turnover Battle 4-0, score 42 Points and win by 14, something has drastically changed. Maryland may not be World Beaters, but they are a decent team with a good QB and good skill position players. This game proved that We can beat a decent team on a day when We aren't playing at our best. Would Yesterday's performance be enough to beat OSU, Michigan or Penn State when They are playing at their best? No. We need to have a much better performance against teams of that caliber. Hopefully, we got this one out of our system and can play better in our remaining games.
The biggest difference I'm seeing from past years is that the Offense and Defense are in sync and feeding off of each other which is allowing Us to play aggressively on both sides of the ball.
I don't know how many times in the past We have looked at a game and said Gee our Offense put up 40 points Yesterday and looked great, but our Defense gave up 50 and looked disinterested and not involved. Or the Defense gave up 20 points, which in this day and age should be enough to win a lot of games, but the offense was inconsistent, couldn't sustain drives and only scored 13.
The fact that the Defense took the field after each of the turnovers and didn't give up a point on the subsequent drives is another indicator. This team concentrates its effort on the next play and can quickly forget a bad result and move forward.
Finally, We are making mistakes and getting some penalties, but We aren't seeing the type of mistakes and stupid penalties that kill drives or extend drives for the opponent when the game is on the line. This Team is disciplined. No more fake hustle from players and excuses from Coaches. Play smart, do Your job, or take a seat.