Maryland Coach Mike Locksley Jokes About Oregon Ducks' Dillon Gabriel's Age

Maryland Terrapins coach Mike Locksley previews their game against No. 1 Oregon Ducks in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Locksley discussed Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Tosh Lupoi, and defensive lineman Jordan Burch among others.

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley smiles while on the field before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks will host the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday at Autzen Stadium. It will be a big game for the Ducks as they look to extend their record to 10-0.

Maryland coach Mike Locksley previewed the upcoming matchup vs. the Ducks, complimenting Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel and discussing the long travel to Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

Oct 19, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley during the second half Southern California Trojans at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

On Ducks' quarterback Dillon Gabriel

"He makes them go, man. He makes them go. He's a really talented player. I swear he's been there for 10 years. It seems like I've – or I've heard his name for 10 years in college football. And all the kid does is just make plays, whether he extends it in the pocket. He is the guy that makes it go."

On Oregon's pass attack

"I mean, it's, they protect them well because he is – he manipulates the pocket. If you want to watch tape of how you manage your pocket because he doesn't need a lot of space to throw. And so they do do a good job of protecting them, but he also is really that crafty inside the pocket area, which allows him to extend plays. And I don't care how good a coverage or how much pass rush you have, if the quarterback has extra time to throw, it's not a great recipe for defensive backs. And so, yeah, we're gonna need to have the ability to contain him and get after him some."

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel makes a pass against Michigan during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Tosh Lupoi and the Oregon pass rush

"I mean, Tosh does a really good job. The big key is staying out of the third-down situations, to be honest. Because if you look at their disruptive or havoc rate, the third-down package that he has – his background, NFL background, once he left Bama. Understanding, we got to stay out of the third downs and third and longs against this team, which means we got to be efficient on first and second down. But their front seven is the strength of their defense, you know."

On dealing with travel and logistics

"No, I mean, it's obviously new to us, but it's – with anything we try to rehearse, you do the research. You try to figure out the best way to have your team prepared. … We're not doing anything that other teams haven't done, doing the research. We're leaving a day earlier than we typically do to give us a little time to acclimate out there to the time zone differences. So we'll get there Thursday to practice, and then use Friday for meetings and just acclimate. And we'll have a Friday walk, like we typically do, and then play the game at 7 p.m."

On how Terps are dealing with playing on the road vs. No. 1 team

"We know how tough it's going to be to go on the road and play the No. 1 team in the country, but I promise you this, nobody in Jones-Hill House is concerned about getting on the plane to go play."

On Oregon defensive lineman Jordan Burch

"Number one [Jordan Burch], I know he played 30 plays. Burch played 30 plays last game, and is working back from injury, and he's a big disrupter."

Oregon Ducks defensive end Jordan Burch celebrates a sack as the Ducks host the Spartans Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 9 and will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network.

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