I looked at the box score and all of the Terps played less than 25 minutes, and the one that played 25 was one of the freshman. Three frosh played for 20 minutes or more. Bluefield State finished 2-23, last year; IUP was 21-9, lost in their conference championship game and made the DII tournament. Barring pulling a Blue Hen and having a talent like EDD fall in your lap, it seems like there is a significant difference in level of competition between those teams.
That tells me that this wasn't a run-up, just a serious mismatch. I agree that it looks like Maryland played tough D in the second half. I don't hold this against Frese.
Of course, I have no issue with her. I really don't know why so many on the Boneyard seem to, she's a good coach.
I'll only speak for myself. There were, at one time, an awful lot of rumors out of College Park regarding some unseemly recruiting matters. It was long enough ago that I have forgotten the details, but a tad of stench remains. I'll add that these were rumors coming out of supposed folks in the know, not pure fan imagination, although they were not necessarily true, of course.
Secondly, she is ultimately a "rah-rah" coach, as was Carolyn Peck and some others. I don't have a problem with a coach delegating some of the x's and o's, of course, but the rah-rah behavior on the sideline is a turnoff for me.
As to the thread topic, of course the exhibitions are intended to allow work on some specific aspect of the game. Back when they were allowed, RU played some traveling teams and I remember some fans being upset to learn that types of defense against RU (i.e. zone or man) and that the opposition was to take 3's at any opportunity (so RU could work on its 3 point defense) were decided by Coach Stringer and the other team's coach before the game. Of course, the talent differential wasn't as great, as the traveling teams were generally recently graduated D1 players, though not necessarily from the top schools nor "stars" (who were over-seas playing professionally).
Since I didn't see it I won't say one way or the other on the Maryland game, except that it isn't really about competition.