The Terrapins are 2-7, out of postseason play and on a six-game losing streak. But they're staying upbeat, they say, through close bonds and a love for competition.
This isn't how it was supposed to go. The Maryland football team didn't plan to lose six games in a row this season, go through a coaching change and miss postseason play with three games still left to play. No matter external expectations, this has always been a confident bunch of players and coaches. If it weren't, none of them would be here at all.
But with Maryland at 2-7, the motivational allure of a bowl game is no longer plausible.