Evening star., 1953-11-02
Monday Morning Quarterback
9 Straight Romps at Home Hurt 7erps
By MerreII WhittIesey

Maryland, "a; South Carolina, 6.
Maryland did not look the part
of the Nations second-ranking
football team against South
Carolina and people are saying
so. South Carolina undoubtedly
has better club than it is given
credit for, but still there probab-
ty are dozens of teams in the
country than can best it. The
tipoff is that it will have to beat
North Carolina this week to
prove that it is the third best
team in the Atlantic Coast con-
ference.
Maryland fans have that let
down feeling. It's on the faces
of the people who leave the sta
dium. It's in the press box. It's
because the team is too good for
most of the opposition. The
boys can't be "up" every week
for teams of South Cardinals
standing.
In every Maryland game this
season since the opener at Mis-
souri,, the fourth period has been
a boring Is minutes of sloppy
football by second. third and
some fourth-stringers. There was
enough spectacular play in the
first three quarters of the Geor-
gia game to make the spectators
forget the fourth quarter. In
the other games the letdown has
set in.
Last Thriller in 1851.
Not since the North Carolina
game in October. 1851. have
Maryland's home fans seen a
close ball game, and in that one
Maryland scored two quickie
touchdowns and hung on.
After that the Terps won by
$50, $50 and SAT- at home in
1851. Last year they played only
three home games and won 28-0;
1877 and 34-6. This year at
home they've won $40, 40-13 and
24-6. This makes nine straight
games in which there wasn't
much at stake in the second half
except the size of the score.
Bernie Faloney. Maryland's
All-American quarterback candi-
date, has played only So per cent
of the Terps' total playing time
this season and that includes So
minutes and Is seconds in the
opener against Missouri. In five
of the seven games Faloney has
averaged less than half the game.
This is not meant to imply
that Tatum should run up a
score. It's just that a combina-
ton of circumstances not
too strong schedule, the fact
that Maryland is a good first
half team, and Tatum'S reluc-
tance to take a chance on in
juries to his key players-cause
Byrd Stadium fans to leave
quietly instead of whooping it up.
Miracle Needed This Week.
The Maryland coaches kept
the team sharp mentally for the
first six games. But the squad
was fiat against the Gamecocks
and it will take a miracle job
to sell it on George Washington
this week.
One of the Maryland assistants
said the boys were, trying to act
impressed before the South Car
olina game, but their act was
as phoney as a three dollar bill.
The cheers were hollow and the
enthusiasm was forced. He added
that on the field one or two play
ers would be sharp on each play,
but never did the whole team
click.
However, after next Saturday,
the Terp fans should get their
fill of close ones and they might
see the first club go most of the
way. Mississippi is acting like
the best team in the South, and
Alabama still has lost only one
game dt has tied three) and
gave evidence last Saturday of
gaining momentum. The Grim
son Tide long has been a No
vember team.
After nine straight relatively
easy victories at home, the Terps
are heading for their fill of tough
ones.