The picture oozes swagger and bravado.
Maryland wide receiver Danny Oquendo’s headshot is one of the most recognizable on the Terrapins roster. With his head tilted slightly backwards and to the side, Oquendo bears a knowing grin that hints of the fireworks he can ignite on the field.
Yet the sophomore from Hackensack, N.J., hasn’t caught a pass in almost three weeks.
“He’s a playmaker,” said Terps senior cornerback Josh Wilson. “Playmakers sometimes aren’t going to get their plays here or there. But when they get the opportunity, they come through.”
Oquendo got his chance Saturday against Florida State, highlighting an outstanding special teams performance with punt returns of 35 and 45 yards. Maryland also blocked the game-tying field goal and held the Seminoles to 22 return yards from five punts and six kickoffs.
“Being able to get some long returns on a fast team like Florida State is a huge boost, actually,” said Oquendo, who leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 219 yards on punt returns. “Knowing that I can get a get a good return on a fast team like that. If I can run with these guys, I can run with anybody.”
Oquendo couldn’t help but get wide-eyed in last weekend’s gusty conditions, breaking his first return on a short kick with the wind at his back and the second with the wind in his face after the Seminoles out-punted their coverage.
“That’s time to get a lot of YAC [yards after catch],” said Oquendo, whose dangerous ability on punts, along with Wilson’s game-breaking speed on kickoffs, give the Terrapins one of the best returning tandems in the ACC.
Both players also aren’t afraid to block or tackle. As a freshman last year, Oquendo led the special teams with 10 tackles and two fumble recoveries. He got his first tackle of this season against the Seminoles.
Oquendo knows he’s got to make plays whenever he can because the entire Maryland passing game has taken a back seat to the ground attack. The Terrapins’ 191 pass attempts, 1,268 total yards passing and 158.5 yards passing per game rank them 11th out of 12 ACC teams.
“If receivers have to go out there and block, that’s what we’re going to do to get the W,” said Oquendo. “Winning is the ultimate elixir.”
