At both the pro and college levels, it’s not unusual to see teams use two or three running backs during the course of a game in an effort to keep fresh legs on the field and switch up the pace of the offense. On Saturday against Howard, however, DJ Durkin and the Terrapins took that idea to a very extreme level.

In Maryland’s season opener, five tailbacks — Kenneth Goins Jr., Trey Edmunds, Ty Johnson, Jake Funk and Lorenzo Harrison — received four or more carries, with Harrison leading the way with nine carries for 67 yards. What’s more: all five guys broke into the end zone, and played as if Durkin declared beforehand that any runner who didn’t score a touchdown would be dropped from the roster by nightfall.

After the matchup, there were plenty of compliments to go around for the rotation that was responsible for 262 of the home side’s 315 rushing yards.

“He showed his ability,” Durkin said of Harrison. “Lorenzo is a unique ball carrier because he can make you miss for sure and he can also run you over. I know he’s a freshman, but he doesn’t have that freshman look about him at all.”

Then there was Edmunds, who said about the other freshman standout: “Jake Funk is a runner. When I first saw him, I was like, ‘There’s no way this kid is just out of high school.’ He’s doing some things that I’m just learning how to do, or even things that I don’t even know how to do yet.”

Now, an issue that often plagues groups of talented people is the jealousy that follows when some begin to outshine others (otherwise known as the Destiny’s Child Effect). Fortunately for Maryland, it doesn’t sound like that’s going to be a problem anytime soon.

“We’re definitely happy for each other,” Edmunds said. “I’m the type of guy where someone’s succeeding or someone’s having success, then I’m just as happy as they are. We all rally around each other.”

Quarterback Perry Hills, meanwhile, said everyone contributing to the running game follows “a family mentality.”

So, to recap: Big time numbers? Check. Cohesiveness? Check. It feels as if the only thing really missing now from the Terps’ backfield is a sweet moniker.

That gap could be filled soon, though.

“Not yet, we haven’t come up with a nickname,” Edmunds told reporters. “That’s actually a good idea. I should propose that idea to the guys.”