Maryland gets players back but will be without Sumlin at Northwestern

Maryland returns from a bye week healthier and looking to end a two-game losing streak, but now faces an unneeded distraction.

Terrapins co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Kevin Sumlin was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Tampa, Florida, this past weekend. 

Sumlin was arrested at 12:40 a.m. Saturday at a RaceTrac gas station at 5951 U.S. Route 301 in the northeast section of the city. The Hillsborough County police report of his arrest says Sumlin refused a breathalyzer and was released on a $500 bond. The charge carries up to a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

Maryland coach Mike Locksley said Tuesday he was aware of the charges and that the news about Sumlin, the former Houston, Texas A&M and Arizona coach whom he hired earlier this year, was disappointing.

“As coaches, we have to set the example and model the behavior that we want [for] our players, and we take it very seriously,” Locksley said. “At the same time, I will also say he’s part of our football family, and we’re going to support Kevin.”

Locksley said Sumlin is not with the team this week as it prepares to travel to Northwestern and didn’t indicate when he would return. He did say he expects disciplinary action for Sumlin, emphasizing that the issue is a “personnel matter.”

“It’s a personnel matter, it’ll be handled,” Locksley said. “If you look at the track record of what we’ve done in the past, you can probably have an idea of what will take place.”

Maryland (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) won’t have Sumlin when it heads to the shores of Lake Michigan, but it will have a plethora of players returning from injury.

Locksley said he expects cornerback Tarheeb Still and running back Ramon Brown to play against the Wildcats. Still has not played in Maryland’s last two games, and Brown has been listed as out on the injury report every week this season.

Tight end Corey Dyches and offensive lineman Corey Bullock are both “back” this week, Locksley said, and safety Dante Trader Jr. “has been practicing this week.” The trio all missed Maryland’s disappointing 27-24 loss to Illinois on Oct. 14, a game Locksley said “exposed us.”

“The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time,” Locksley said. “Would have loved to have entered the bye week with a little better feeling than what we have now. We’ve gone three weeks, if you count the bye week, without having success. And as I told our team, it’s important to try to flush that toilet that’s been sitting there for three weeks.”

Being close to full health against Northwestern (3-4, 1-3) will also allow Maryland to find more consistency on offense, Locksley said, likening the time to heal to a NASCAR pit stop. The previously high-speed Terrapins offense had its tires cooled in the second half of a loss at Ohio State on Oct. 7 and sputtered to gain traction on an overcast homecoming two weeks ago against the Illini.

“Getting back into rhythm is what I call doing what your players can get executed, calling the plays that fit the personnel we have,” Locksley said. “Getting back into rhythm is those things — it’s playing fast, it’s being efficient on first-and-10, which allows us to stay on track. Those are all things we consider being in rhythm.”

NOTE: Locksley said he was “surprised” when hearing about the NCAA’s sign-stealing investigation into Michigan and Wolverines staff member Connor Stalions, saying the practice “goes on in college football, now maybe not as elaborate as maybe that.”

Sources told ESPN that Stalions purchased tickets near the sidelines to more than 30 football games at 11 different Big Ten schools besides Michigan over the last three years. The NCAA prohibits in-person, off-campus scouting of future opponents. Michigan comes to College Park on Nov. 18.

“We have to decide whether we want to wristband things, whether we change our signals based on if someone has them,” Locksley said. “Those things do come into play.”