Last season, Maryland’s offense was one of the most disappointing parts of their 3-9 campaign. Out of 127 Division I teams, they were ranked 87th in yards per game, 95th in points per game and played three games where they failed to score more than seven points.
When coach DJ Durkin began filling out his staff, he knew he needed someone who could turn one of the Big Ten’s most underwhelming offenses into a unit that could take on the talented defenses from teams such as Michigan and Ohio State. Durkin decided to entrust the control to Walt Bell.
Last year, Bell’s Red Wolves were 12th in the country in points per game, outscoring teams like Clemson and eventual national champion Alabama.
One reason why Bell’s offense worked was his focus on running an up-tempo scheme. As the Terps progress in preseason practices, Bell’s style has stood out to the team.
When asked to describe what going up against Bell’s offense is like in practice, defensive end Melvin Keihn and defensive back Josh Woods both had one word come to mind: “fast.”
“I’ve never played like an offense like this,” Keihn said. “They’re doing a great job getting lined up, not waiting for us, snapping the ball and going. We’ve got to be ready to go. If we’re not lined up, they are not waiting for us.”
Woods described the change from last year’s offense as “a complete 180.” Keihn also thinks the defense can benefit from facing an offense like this in practice.
“They’re all working together as an offense to make sure that the offense is going,” Keihn said. “I love it because at the end of the day we’re going to have to be ready for other teams running a fast tempo offense.”
The speed is a change from what former coach Randy Edsall and offensive coordinator Mike Locksley used last season, but the transition has not been difficult on the offense.
“For me, the last offensive system we had, there were so many plays, it was really complex,” offensive lineman Michael Dunn said. “When Coach Bell came in, he made it simple for us. All of the stuff he had, I had already done in the past. It was just a simpler version of it all, so it’s pretty easy for me to learn.”
In addition to the tempo, the unit is focused on running the ball. Bell’s Red Wolves ran the ball almost 47 times per game last season compared to Maryland’s 37 rushes per game.
“To be able to have lineman who are athletic and strong enough to get a good push and to have our incredible running backs, any one of them you could stick in there and be confident they can run for a big gain,” Dunn said. “It’s great to have a system that’s so heavy with the running game.”
“In this conference or any conference, you need to be able to move the ball on the ground,” Durkin added. “That’s definitely the emphasis for us.”
Durkin also spoke positively of his running backs at practice as the Terps continue preparing to face the Big Ten’s top contenders.
“Our running back group is doing really well,” Durkin said. “There’s good competition, and there’s depth at the position.”
