MIAMI — Throughout the week, Maryland football’s offensive unit watched film of Florida International’s defensive scheme and took note of the Panthers’ tendencies.
One detail wide receiver D.J. Moore noticed often was how the Panthers’ defensive backs played far off the line of scrimmage.
“That was something we knew that we was going to attack,” Moore admitted in the bowels of FIU Stadium Friday after the game.
The sophomore was fresh off a career-best outing, hauling in six catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns, on a night the Terps hit a first-half offensive groove to cruise to a 41-14 victory in coach DJ Durkin’s first road game at the helm of the program.
“He’s just scratching the surface of what he can do and what we can do with him,” Durkin said. “He’s got big-play capability, which he’s showed, and he’s really dependable catching the ball.”
Midway through the second quarter, Moore said offensive coordinator Walt Bell told his unit they were going to run the same play — a pass to Moore down the left sideline — three times in a row.
The first attempt came on 3rd-and-5 with the Terps in danger of punting from their own 32-yard line. Instead, Moore snatched quarterback Perry Hills’ pass for a 23-yard gain. Moore did the same on the next play, darting past his defender, who sat back in coverage, to haul in the 45-yard touchdown.
“We’ve been looking forward to that all week,” Hills said. “D.J. had a spectacular day.”
The connection, which gave Moore a career-high 98 yards at the time, propped Maryland’s lead to 24-7. In his freshman year, Moore had never recorded more than four catches or 64 receiving yards in a single game.
The Terps added another touchdown and field goal before Hills and Moore teamed up again in the third quarter. That’s when the redshirt senior signal-caller hit the sophomore with a quick slant that Moore caught, juking defenders before racing 40 yards down the right sideline.
It wasn’t always a Hills-to-Moore connection, though.
On the team’s first drive of the game, Hills and Moore connected for 14 yards on a 3rd-and-6 just outside of field goal range. On the next play, Moore took a reverse handoff while Hills streaked open down the right sideline.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native finished the night 13-of-18 for 210 yards and three touchdowns, adhering to Durkin’s emphasis on ball security. He also added 52 yards on the ground, prompting Durkin to compliment his patience and decision-making after the game.
Yet Hills perhaps had the most fun making his first-career catch, a 21-yard heave from Moore, to position the Terps inside FIU’s 10-yard line.
“I almost lost the ball for a second in the light,” Hills admitted. “But it was a lot of fun.”
“We practiced it a few times,” Moore added, “so I got the nerves out.”
The drive stalled deep in the Panthers’ territory, so the Terps settled for a 23-yard field goal from kicker Adam Greene, who also converted on a 28-yard kick later in the game. Still, the players appreciated the creative play calling to exploit the defensive tendencies they had studied all week.
“We definitely always want to play bold,” Hills said. “Coach Bell just does an unbelievable job of seeing what the defense gives us and calling great plays, and we just go out there and execute.”
