Last season, the Maryland football team ranked last in the Big Ten in takeaways (12) and interceptions (five). A lack of turnovers isn't the only reason the Terps finished 11th in the Big Ten in scoring defense – the Terps also struggled to stop the run, for one -- but a failure to make big plays lingered on the minds of Maryland's defensive players all spring.
"The biggest improvement that we need as a defense is we need to get the ball back," rising senior linebacker Jermaine Carter said after the Terps' first practice open to the media March 30. "We need to create more turnovers, and we need to be better in the red zone. That was two of our weakest points. We didn't create enough turnovers, and we didn't stop the offense enough in the red zone."
It remains to be seen whether it's a sign of things to come, but Maryland's defense picked off two passes thrown by rising sophomore quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome during the annual red-white spring game April 22.
