Quarterback C.J. Brown pitches the ball while in the grasp of FIU defensive end Michael Wakefield in the Terps’ 43-10 win on Aug. 31, 2013.

In its first game after the 2012 season ended in disaster, the Terrapins football team worked to erase memories of the quarterback carousel and injury-marred campaign.

On Saturday, the Terps were off to a good start.

Keyed by the return of quarterback C.J. Brown, the Terps dismantled Florida International, 43-10, before 36,321 on a warm and humid afternoon at Byrd Stadium.

“It makes you sleep better at night, that’s for sure,” coach Randy Edsall said. “I slept pretty good last night. I’m out there every day and I see how they handle themselves, and your quarterback set the tempo for who you are as a team and just not only his abilities, but how he handles himself.”

The Terps scored on their first four possessions for the first time since 2010 and built a 20-3 lead, thanks to two field goals by kicker Brad Craddock, a 29-yard touchdown run by Brown and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Brown to wide receiver Deon Long.

Long, playing his first game with the Terps after transferring from Iowa Western Community College, caught nine passes for 110 yards and a touchdown as a primary target for Brown.

“I felt like I looked good, but always room for improvement on my blocking, my running routes and stuff like that,” Long said. “I can improve.”

The FIU offense struggled early and often. The Panthers had three three-and-outs on their first four possessions and didn’t record a first down until less than 12 minutes remained in the second quarter. The Panthers’ two scores — a 32-yard field goal by kicker Sergio Sroka and a one-yard touchdown run by running back Lamarq Caldwell — came after Terps turnovers set them up with good field position.

The Terps entered halftime with a 40-10 lead. Brown was nearly perfect, completing 15-of-16 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns and rolling for 99 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Playing in his first game since Nov. 26, 2011 after tearing his ACL before the start of last season, Brown showed no ill effects and was hard for FIU to contain. On his first touchdown run, he pulled back a read-option handoff and bounced to the outside and rolled through space for the score.

In the second quarter, Brown set up the Terps’ third touchdown with a 64-yard run on an option keeper. He tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kenneth Goins one play later to give the Terps a 26-10 lead.

“It felt good,” Brown said. “Nerves weren’t too crazy. Most of the nerves were during the pregame meal and the bus ride over. Once I got on the field everything kind of calmed down when I ran around a bit and broke a sweat. It wasn’t too bad. And once I got that first hit, everything was by the wayside.”

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs got in on the scoring action later in the second quarter, too. He had already had a few big plays earlier — a 40-yard return on the opening kickoff, a 26-yard run on an option pitch — but he hadn’t found the end zone yet. With about six minutes left in the first half, the Panthers blew a coverage assignment, leaving Diggs wide open. Brown heaved up a pass, Diggs caught it and stumbled before regaining his balance and running untouched into the end zone for a 66-yard score. He finished the game with five catches for 98 yards and a touchdown and 194 all-purpose yards overall.

A Brown touchdown run with less than two minutes left in the half would give the Terps a 40-10 lead at halftime.

The lone score in the second half was a Craddock field goal. The starters played until about halfway through the third quarter, and Brown was relieved by backup Caleb Rowe. The win was the Terps’ first since Oct. 13, 2012 at Virginia.

It’s put the Terps off to a fast start, too. In last year’s season opener against William & Mary, an FCS opponent, the Terps struggled to pull out a 7-6 victory. The 43 points were more than they scored in any game last season, and they might need the same offensive outburst next week, with pass-happy Old Dominion visiting Byrd Stadium.

“As a team we did what we had to do, we executed on all cylinders,” said defensive end Quentin Jefferson. “It felt good, out offense putting up points and us getting stops. That’s how it’s got to be all year, we can’t get complacent with this win.”