One win from bowl eligibility, Terps football team not looking ahead

COLLEGE PARK — Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was asked Wednesday whether the Terps are talking at all about being one win away from gaining bowl eligibility.

"It hasn't even come up," Locksley said.

Being bowl-eligible is the first priority on the Terps' checklist going into every season.

However, at 5-2 through seven games and fresh off a win over previously 5-1 Iowa, Maryland coaches and players are all focused on more than just going to a bowl game.

"I think that's a good thing that they're not talking about bowl eligibility, because I think with them not talking about bowl eligibility, they see us as a better team than we [were]," inside linebacker L.A. Goree said. "If everybody was excited about us being bowl-eligible, then they didn't really expect it."

At 2-1 in Big Ten play, the Terps are third in the East Division behind Michigan State (3-0) and Ohio State (2-0) and are one of just six teams in the conference with a winning percentage of .667 or better in league play heading into Saturday's game against Wisconsin (4-2 overall, 1-1 Big Ten).

"We talk about the 'next game mentality,' " Locksley said. "Right now, that is Wisconsin. And at the end, you'll count them up."