No Father's Son

[Caesar]

Time to show us you tough, Armando

[redsox907]

Time to show us you tough, Armando

soy duro

[redsox907]

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Oregon Ends Maryland's Dream Season With Dominant 4th-Quarter

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Marcus Washington // Terpsville • Published: December 30th, 2028

The Maryland Terrapins' dream of crashing the 2028 National Championship is officially dashed after the Oregon Ducks flexed their muscles as the No. 1 overall seed in a 42-34 victory at the Rose Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals.

At one point, the Maryland Terrapins held a 14-0 lead over the Ducks, who had yet to earn their first first down in the contest. But once the Ducks offensive engine awoke, it never stopped chugging.

Facing 4th-and-2 from right past midfield, Coach Leon opted for the conservative approach, sending out Donald Byler for the 51-yard field goal. Byler would miss the first of two field goals, and from there the Ducks started chugging down the track.

Darren Kopp's 48-yard touchdown grab came swiftly after the missed field goal, giving the Ducks a touchdown before they'd secured a first down. The momentum had quickly swung to the Ducks who mounted another scoring drive after a swift Terps three-and-out. But with time ticking down and the game tied, Washington strung together another scoring drive before finding Emanuel Ross on a 13-yard dig to re-take the lead. It wouldn't hold for long.

On the next play from scrimmage for Oregon, slot wide receiver Slade Runyan wiggled free up the seam for an 87-yard catch-and-run to send the game into the half tied at 21 all.

The Terrapins would pull ahead again in the third, behind a Byler field goal and a 9-yard run by Malik Washington, but Oregon was hot on their heels with a 38-yard run by reserve back Jose LaCounte as Maryland took the slim 31-28 lead into the 4th quarter.

It was a missed Byler field goal that once again swung the momentum back to the Ducks, this time for good.

Up 31-28 with just under six minutes remaining and facing 4th-and-8 from just past midfield, Coach Leon was faced with a decision. Punt the ball and make Oregon go the length of the field, or attempt another 50+ yard field goal for the points.

Leon went for the points; Byler's kick clanked off the front bar, and five plays later Elijah Sampson found Slade Runyan on a flare route for the go-ahead touchdown.

Still, there was just over four minutes remaining and the Terrapins had Malik Washington. Hope was alive.

That is until Aydin Breland steamrolled guard Clarence Montrosse, throwing him to the turf as Washington collected the shotgun snap. Washington had no time to react, and was swallowed whole by the 6'5", 309-pound defensive tackle, losing the football in the process.

Oregon would recover and Elijah Sampson would find Cooper Perry on the next play for the quarterback's fifth touchdown and an 11-point lead.

To their credit, Maryland never gave up. Malik Washington drove the team into scoring range, but facing 4th-and-5, Coach Leon opted for the field goal instead of a touchdown. This time, Byler would connect, but the Terrapins would never see the ball again.

Facing 3rd-and-12 from his own 22-yard line, with just under two minutes remaining, Sampson won the game with a 14-yard dig route to who else but Slade Runyan. Sampson would kneel out the clock and the gong officially hit midnight on the Maryland Terrapins.


•••


Question One - Molly McGrath (ESPN): "Coach Leon, your team seemed to be in control midway through the second with a 14-point lead while the Ducks had yet to secure a first down. What happened to swing the momentum where suddenly Elijah Sampson was slinging it and you found yourselves tied at the half?"

Armando Leon: "The missed field goal appeared to breathe new life into them. It's one of those situations where in retrospect, maybe I should go for the first down. 53 is right at the edge of Don's range; I asked him if he felt comfortable, he said he was. Maybe I should have just stuck with being aggressive and gone for it, but then if we don't get it, same situation. Those are the types of decisions that keep you up late into the offseason and I can tell you, it's certainly going to eat at me for a while. Once they had the momentum, it was hard to slow their stride."

Question Two - Aisha Thompson (Terps Magazine): "Malik Washington's athletic ability has been a key component to your offense throughout the season, and even early on in this game. It seemed like after that touchdown run in the third quarter, he came up limping a little bit, and we didn't see him take off from the pocket after that, including on that crucial strip-sack in the fourth that made it a two possession game. Was he battling through an injury, and if so, did that impact the game plan late in the game and his escapability, potentially leading to not taking that critical sack?"

Armando Leon: "Yeah, he's taking a lot of hits this year and those add up. He shed a tackle before hitting the end zone on that final run and it definitely knocked the wind out of him. I can't tell you the level of pain he was in, but it was enough that he told me he wasn't going to take off unless he had to. As for the sack, it was a bang-bang play. Even if he was fully healthy, I don't know if he would have had enough time to recognize Clare getting beat to be able to get out of there. It's unfortunate, he's battled all season and a lot of the talk after the game is going to be about that play and him losing the ball. I feel for him."

Question Three - John Shire (The Daily Emerald): "A lot of talk before this game was centered around the behind-the-scenes coaching situations of yourself and Dan Lanning. I don't know if you've had time to check, or have been notified, but both #LanningNo.1 and #LeonNo.11 are already trending by not only Oregon Duck fans, but it appears Texas Longhorns fans as well. Do you have any comments on the fact that, at least for the time being, Oklahoma got the worse of the two coaches between them and Oregon?"

Armando Leon: "I mean, is that a serious question? Twitter is going to do its thing; I'm not worried about what keyboard warriors type online. As far as the me versus Lanning debate, this game was about more than one individual person. But, you want to get technical, we'll bring out the facts. In our first years as head coaches, I've already won more games than Lanning. He was at Oregon; I was at Maryland. So, until Dan Lanning can throw a championship ring on the table, the 'who is better' talk is just semantics."


•••


I said before the game I expected Oregon to win, but more so than losing the game, what hurts is the way we lost. Leon was supposed to be the defensive mastermind, yet he let the Ducks punch their way back into the contest. Then, Malik Washington was supposed to be the X-Factor, and instead he handed Oregon the ball.

I don't put that blame on Washington, however. Maryland has used and abused Washington's athletic abilities all season. He ran 125 times this season and absorbed 20 sacks; that's a lot of punishment for one dude to stand up against. And it finally caught up with him. So, I'm disappointed in the Maryland coaching staff for not attempting to preserve his health later in the season—he was in multiple blowouts just to pad stats and 'prove a point' according to Leon—because then we could be talking about a different result.

The season is over and while it was one of the more triumphant ones in recent memory, we won't be entering the offseason with a renewed hope for the future. Rather, a renewed uncertainty. Last year, we watched longtime coach Mike Locksley leave for a conference rival. This year, we're watching Leon leave for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The question nagging every Terrapin fan is simply: is the next coach going to not only build upon this success, but even stay to keep it going?

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Maryland	7	14	10	3	34
Oregon	0	32	7	14	42

Q	Team	Time	Play	Maryland	Oregon
1st	Maryland	5:05	Iverson Howard, 40 Yd Run	7	0
2nd	Maryland	9:20	Za'Ron Collins, 4 Yd Pass From Malik Washington	14	0
2nd	Oregon	5:40	Darren Kopp, 48 Yd Pass From Elijah Sampson	14	7
2nd	Oregon	1:56	Baron Naone, 34 Yd Pass From Elijah Sampson	14	14
2nd	Maryland	0:51	Emanuel Ross, 13 Yd Pass From Malik Washington	21	14
2nd	Oregon	0:38	Slade Runyan, 87 Yd Pass From Elijah Sampson	21	21
3rd	Maryland	7:00	Donald Byler, 45 Yd FG	24	21
3rd	Oregon	4:20	Jose LaCouture, 38 Yd Run	24	28
3rd	Maryland	0:52	Malik Washington, 9 Yd Run	31	28
4th	Oregon	4:29	Slade Runyan, 5 Yd Pass From Elijah Sampson	31	35
4th	Oregon	4:14	Cooper Perry, 4 Yd Pass From Elijah Sampson	31	42
4th	Maryland	2:31	Donald Byler, 36 Yd FG	34	42

Maryland                                                   Oregon

Passing               | Stats                              Passing            | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Malik Washington      | 27/51, 320 Yds, 2 TD               Elijah Sampson     | 25/36, 389 Yds, 5 TD

Rushing               | Stats                              Rushing            | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Iverson Howard        | 13 Att, 98 Yds, TD                 Jose LaCouture     | 14 Att, 95 Yds, TD
Malik Washington      | 11 Att, 37 Yds, TD                 Elijah Sampson     | 4 Att, -27 Yds

Receiving             | Stats                              Receiving          | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Emanuel Ross          | 7 Rec, 69 Yds, TD                  Slade Runyan       | 9 Rec, 171 Yds, 2 TD
Za'Ron Collins        | 6 Rec, 55 Yds, TD                  Darren Kopp        | 6 Rec, 96 Yds
JT Taggart            | 5 Rec, 83 Yds                      Cooper Perry       | 3 Rec, 40 Yds, TD

Defensive             | Stats                              Defensive          | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
MLB Gordon Paul       | 8 Tkl, TFL                         FS Trey McNutt     | 9 Tkl
DE Garrison Dobbs     | 5 Tkl, 4 TFL                       LB Kamar Mothudi   | 4 Tkl, TFL
LB Jordon Robinson    | 3 Tkl, TFL, Sack                   DT Aydin Breland   | 3 Tkl, TFL, Sack

College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Results
Cotton Bowl: 31 #5 Clemson (12-3) @ #4 LSU (12-2) 35
Orange Bowl: 24 #6 Miami (13-2) @ #3 Georgia (11-2) 21
Sugar Bowl: #7 NC State (11-3) @ #2 Texas (12-2) 38

Additional Media

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[Caesar]

#exposed

[redsox907]

#exposed

I mean, they are a team rated 13 points overall with the 2nd best quarterback in the country

Besides, losing to the man who your new school wanted first is better narratively then us beating him. Extra drama once you see the National Championship matchup

[redsox907]

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Jerry Mack Announced As Sooners' New Offensive Coordinator

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Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: January 9th, 2029

Armando Leon wasted little time filling out the rest of his coaching staff after officially ending his commitment to the Maryland Terrapins following their 42-34 defeat to Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.

Leon, who had already announced longtime Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz as his defensive coordinator, announced on Monday that former Kennesaw State head coach Jerry Mack would be joining his staff as the offensive coordinator.

"You see the work that Jerry has put in during his time at Kennesaw State, it speaks for itself," lauded Leon when speaking about the hire, "The Owls were 26th in scoring and 2nd nationally in yards per game, and I feel that is a direct result of Jerry's tutelage and hard work. He was eager to get into a premier coordinator position with the SEC and is hoping that he can parlay that into a Power Four coaching opportunity in the future."

I'll tell you that I raised an eyebrow when I heard that Mack, who has been the head coach at Kennesaw State since 2025, would leave the Owls after four largely successful years. From what I'm gathering from those close to the former collegiate wide receiver, the allure of more money and prestige in the SEC ultimately drew him to take the position with Oklahoma.

Mack will be earning $1.25 million each season on the three year deal he signed with the Sooners, a $350 thousand raise to join Leon's staff.

Listen, I didn't think anything would cheer me up after seeing the Texas Longhorns and Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks advance to face off in the National Championship next weekend. This signing, in addition to the position coaches we'll get to in a second, at least brightened my day a smidge. Mack is a heckuva coach and you only have to look at the points his Owls teams put up to see he's going to make an instant impact.

Among the position coach signings announced today came the news that former Sooner back DeMarco Murray would return to the team as the running backs coach, a position he held from 2020-2025 before leaving for the Kansas City Chiefs, and that tight-end coach Jason Witten would be retained.

Witten may be a former Vol, but the work he's done with recruiting and helping prepare the next generation of Sooners is enough to give him a pass, so long as he doesn't wear that gaudy orange around campus. I'm not ashamed to tell you I was sad to see Murray go a few years ago, and while seeing Lanning in the National Championship after spurning us still chaps my ass, Leon working to bring back some former Sooners for his staff definitely salves the wound slightly.

The most impactful signing may not be a former Sooner, or even a new offensive coordinator, as former FSU defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr. has signed on for the same role with the Sooners. Surtain spent three seasons as the Florida State Seminoles defensive back coach, earning rave reviews for his recruiting acumen and ability to connect with his players, but when Tony White was brought in and wanted to switch to a more zone-heavy scheme, instead of Surtain's man-coverage heavy tutelage, Surtain was given his papers.

Since, Surtain has rejoined the Miami Dolphins staff as a secondary coach, but according to the folks I talked to, Surtain was itching to get back into the college game. The thing I love about his hire, aside from his recruiting ability that he demonstrated at Florida State, is he is a direct fit with Leon. They both like to see their defensive backs get in the opposition's face, play physical, and make them earn every yard.

After watching our defense get humped up and down the field last year, I'd love to see some Sooners just laying lumber out there first game of the season.

The National Championship between the Oregon Ducks and Texas Longhorns is next week and once that final game hits the books, hopefully in a stalemate, then we'll officially be underway into the first year of the Leon Era.

But judging by the early additions to his staff, he's off to a mighty fine start.

[djp73]

star studded staff, no excuses now

[Captain Canada]

Elijah Sampson put it on you, my God

Rinse your hands and move onto Norman

[redsox907]

star studded staff, no excuses now

Elijah Sampson put it on you, my God

Rinse your hands and move onto Norman

2nd best QB in the country gave us the work. We move tho

[redsox907]

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Texas Longhorns Last Minute Touchdown Secures Second Championship In Three Years

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Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: January 15th, 2029

The Texas Longhorns are your 2028 National Champions after Heisman winner Brad Jackson threw the game-winning touchdown pass with just under a minute remaining delivering the second championship in three years for the Texas Longhorns with the 35-33 victory.

If you want more details, read the box score. I ain't about to celebrate another Longhorns championship.

If anything, this puts even more pressure on Armando Leon. Our biggest rival won two championships in the last three years, while we have yet to win a playoff game.

Makes me sick.