Dexter McDougle and Alex Twine

Marcus Whitfield struggled to find consistency last season in his first year as a linebacker for the Terrapins football team after transitioning from defensive end to fit defensive coordinator Brian Stewart’s 3-4 scheme. Despite playing in all 12 games, Whitfield recorded just nine total tackles and half a sack.

This season, though, the senior has been thrust into a larger role for the Terps as a starter and key pass rusher, and in Saturday’s season-opening 43-10 victory over Florida Atlantic, he delivered. Whitfield had a career-high five tackles and 1.5 sacks, helping him earn a game ball from coach Randy Edsall.

The Germantown native’s performance in the comfortable win was indicative of the entire defense, a group that had several players step up to take over for five departed starters from last season’s front seven.

L.A. Goree, who started just three games at inside linebacker last year, led the team with 10 tackles and defensive end Quinton Jefferson added seven tackles, 1.5 for a loss, in his first career start.

“We’re youthful, but I feel like we got a lot of energy, we’re athletic,” Jefferson said. “I feel like we’re just as strong or maybe even stronger than the guys last year, I feel like there’s not really a drop off.”

The Terps defense allowed the Panthers to gain just 171 yards on the game and FIU didn’t have its a first down until midway through the second quarter. The Panthers only two scoring drives started in Terps’ territory after turnovers.

Edsall’s lone criticism of the defense was that they missed some tackles, but he said the unit made up for that with its energy.

“I think that’s the big thing, “ Edsall said. “When you have guys giving a lot of effort on defense sometimes the missed tackles don’t hurt you as much because you got guys flying around.”

Those guys flying around in the front seven accounted for 5 sacks Saturday and 9.5 tackles for loss. That effort combined with stellar play from the Terps defensive backs led to FIU quarterbacks finishing the game just 10-for-22 and cornerback Dexter McDougle making a nifty juggling interception.

And if you believe McDougle, the best of the Terps’ defense is still to come.

“We didn’t play our best game,” McDougle said, “but we played really good.”