DJ Durkin has coached his first half as Maryland football’s leader, and he has to be pleased with what he saw from his team in the opening 30 minutes.

Yes, it’s Howard, but Maryland was flawless. Quarterback Perry Hills, starting his third season opener, went 14-for-16. The defense allowed three first downs. The Terps did not commit a penalty, and they even scored on special teams. The only thing that went wrong was the ball falling off the tee a few times before Adam Greene could kick off.

With such a demanding lead, look for the Terps to start subbing in their reserves on both sides of the ball. For now, though, here are some observations from the first half.

1. Hills under center

Hills left “no doubt” in Durkin’s mind that the redshirt senior deserved to be the No. 1 starter. He showed that over the first two quarters.

Offensive coordinator Walt Bell simplified the offense for Hills, whose throws consisted mostly of short passes and dump offs to running backs. He finished 14-for-16 with 126 yards. His lone carry went for five yards.

Freshmen quarterbacks Tyrrell Pigrome and Max Bortenschlager are both listed as the backups under center. They should see the field in the second half.

2. Running back by committee

Running back Ty Johnson and cornerback Will Likely began the game in the backfield, but six players carried the ball in the first half. Johnson led the Terps with six carries for 48 yards and a score, while running backs Trey Edmunds, Kenneth Goins Jr. and Lorenzo Harrison also added touchdown runs. Likely, who Durkin plans to use in all three phases, had one carry for two yards.

Freshman running back Jake Funk, No. 3 on the depth chart, did not rush the ball in the first half, but expect the Gaithersburg native to see time in the backfield after intermission.

3. Edmunds’ debut

It took Edmunds, a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, less than 12 minutes playing for Maryland to score on offense and special teams.

His first carry went for 29 yards, setting up Goins Jr. to score the Terps first points of the season.

Edmunds crossed the goal line on the next possession from three yards out. The Terps were up 14-0 with 5:49 left in the first quarter.

Howard’s ensuing possession, like many in the first half, went three downs and out, so the Bison set up to punt. Only this time, the ball never came close to Likely, who was preparing for the return. Johnson came up with the block, allowing Edmunds to scoop up the ball and score the 13-yard touchdown.

It marked Maryland’s first special teams’ touchdown since 2014.

Edmunds finished the first half with five carries for 37 yards. He’ll likely one of several Terps running backs who will carry the ball throughout the year.

Correction: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this story incorrectly stated defensive back Milan Collins blocked the punt. Running back Ty Johnson actually blocked the punt. This story has been updated.