COLLEGE PARK, MD — As the college football season hits its midpoint, Maryland football head coach Mike Locksley thoroughly evaluates his team’s performance ahead of a crucial matchup against the USC Trojans. In a candid discussion, Locksley expressed his focus on continuous improvement across all facets of the program.
“We’re at the halfway point of our season. And as I tell you, we evaluate every part of it, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s staff, whether it’s philosophy, whether it’s process,” Locksley stated. The first half of the season has brought challenges, prompting Locksley to make difficult but necessary adjustments internally. “I’ve made some tough decisions and significant moves internally. And as you guys know, when I make moves internally, I wouldn’t say I like to talk about them. Some things are in-house that I think I’ve earned the right to make these decisions and changes at all levels.”
Locksley emphasizes the importance of grit and consistency as the team navigates these changes. “When you look at the program from a holistic standpoint, the first thing I talk about and think about is grit. And that’s kind of being consistent and having a commitment to stay the course until these changes start to show the type of results that we need them to show,” he explained.
Reflecting on his extensive tenure at Maryland, Locksley noted, “I’m a positive guy. I’ve got to keep this because I’ve been around here a long time, 16 seasons. I know how it goes. That’s called wisdom. And wisdom is somewhere between positive experiences and negative experiences.”
Locksley also expressed the importance of player development, underscoring the program’s focus on providing young players with significant playing time to foster growth. “You don’t get better on the bench. That’s how we’re able to develop [players] that you see across the board having great success at the next level,” he pointed out.
Looking ahead to the upcoming game against USC, Locksley highlighted the significance of the matchup against such a storied program.
“We’re excited for an opportunity to play a blue blood program in USC. That’s coming across the country. A really talented team has played some really close, tough games. And as we found with college football, anything that happened on any weekend.“
With game captains Ruben Hippolyte, Rex Fleming, and Ty Felton leading the team, Maryland is set for a robust showdown during their homecoming game. Locksley analyzed USC’s strengths, particularly at the offensive and defensive lines, stating, “They put a lot on [QB Miller Moss] at the line of scrimmage, making a lot of decisions… they’ve got good players, a lot of different areas.”
As Locksley and his team prepare to host the Trojans, the emphasis remains on the internal fortitude and strategic adjustments that have positioned Maryland for success in the second half of the season.
