The Maryland football team and its 38-year-old ringleader — the youngest coach in the Big Ten — began the season with a resounding 52-13 victory Saturday afternoon.
Yes, coach DJ Durkin’s first win at the helm of the Terps program came against Howard, a FCS team who finished 1-10 last season and lost, 76-0, to Boston College, one of the worst offensive squads in the country, last September.
But with an entirely new coaching staff coming in after a 3-9 season, the Terps game against Howard served its purpose.
While its victory won’t tell us much about what lies ahead for Maryland — that may not come until the Terps return to College Park to play their Big Ten opener on Oct. 1 against Purdue — the players got acclimated to the new regime in College Park.
Against the Bison’s subpar defense, the Terps fast-paced attack under new offensive coordinator Walt Bell scored points at will.
Quarterback Perry Hills, after throwing 13 interceptions last season, began his third season-opening start by completing his first 10 throws, using dump downs to running backs and simple, mid-range passes. In a little over one half of work, the redshirt senior finished 14-for-19 for 126 yards.
Those aren’t astounding numbers, but he managed the game, which is exactly what he’ll need to do given the depth the Terps have at skills positions.
Hills also seems to have gained the full trust of his teammates.
“Perry has changed, and Perry is going to open up so many eyes this year. [Saturday was] only the beginning,” running back Trey Edmunds said. “Him being the quarterback, him being the leader, we love playing behind him, and we wouldn’t want anybody else at the position.”
Hills performed well, but Maryland was at its best when the signal caller was handing the ball off to Edmunds and the four other backs who carried the ball Saturday.
Running back Ty Johnson is the starter, and he began his sophomore campaign with 48 rushing yards and a score, but Edmunds and fellow running back Kenneth Goins Jr. also found the end zone. Leading 21-0 after three possessions, the Terps played freshmen running backs Lorenzo Harrison and Jake Funk, who both scored as well.
Durkin and Bell have praised the depth of the group, though there probably won’t be such a diverse rotation through the backfield every game. That’s why it was important, especially for the rookies, to see live action.
“Get them in there, let’s go,” Durkin said about the freshmen. “We’ll continue to do that. Those guys helped us today, and they’re going to have to continue to help us throughout the season.”
On defense, the Terps shut down the Bison, allowing only two first downs in the first half. Plus, Edmunds and Johnson teamed up to provide points off a blocked punt on special teams.
But the most impressive performance may have come from freshman quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome, a three-star recruit and former Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, who showcased ability to break down the defense through the air and with his legs.
Early in the third quarter, he threaded two 25-yard passes to wide receiver DeAndre Lane before capping the drive with a rushing touchdown. Pigrome finished 4-for-6 with 60 passing yards while rushing for 53 yards on seven carries, proving his potential as an option for later in the season or in future campaigns.
Maryland travels to play Florida International on Friday night in their first matchup against an FBS opponent. The Panthers, a mediocre program from Conference USA, should provide Durkin’s bunch with a stiffer test.
But after Maryland’s business-like first-half performance against the Bison — a 35-point shutout and no penalties — all signs point toward the Terps being up for the test.
“There’s plenty of things to clean up, get corrected and do much better, but at the end of the day it was a great win for us, a great way to start,” Durkin said. “To see the look on their faces in the locker room after the game, that’s what it’s all about.”
