The entire Maryland defense began to hum the riff from the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” during 11-on-11 drills late during Wednesday’s practice, using the anthem to seep into the psyche of their offensive counterparts. It seemed to work, too. On one of the final plays of the afternoon, highly-touted transfer J.C. Jackson forced a fumble near the right sideline. A heap of defenders recovered the loose ball, sending new offensive coordinator Walt Bell and his unit back to drawing board and eliciting a raucous reaction from the sideline.
The unit’s prize for winning? Watching casually as the coaching staff punished the offense with rounds of squats in the middle of the field, forcing players to crouch in a sitting position until their legs wobbled.