Three takeaways from Maryland football’s 14-0 deficit against Minnesota at halftime

The Maryland football team responded to its first loss of the season with a putrid first-half performance against Minnesota. Coach DJ Durkin’s bunch is down, 14-0, and has 101 yards of total offense after the first 30 minutes..

Here are three takeaways from the Terps’ struggles.

1) Pigrome makes first start

Starting quarterback Perry Hills didn’t play in the second half against Penn State after injuring his right shoulder, but it appeared the redshirt senior would be healthy enough to open the game under center in the Terps’ clash against the Golden Gophers.

Coach DJ Durkin called Hills “day-to-day” in his weekly press conference Tuesday afternoon. He spoke again about Hills’ toughness and said the days leading up to the Golden Gophers’ game would give some time to recover.

But when the Terps opened the game on offense, freshman Tyrrell Pigrome took the huddle while Hills stood on the sideline in a hat.

The former Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year started shaky. With a chance to hit a wide-open D.J. Moore for a first down on the first drive, Pigrome’s pass was too high and hard for the sophomore wide receiver to handle. On the ensuing possession, Pigrome rolled to his right and threw it right to defensive back KiAnte Hardin. Neither of these mistakes resulted in points for Minnesota.

Pigrome was ineffective in the first half, as he completed six of his 12 passes for 36 yards and rushed for 30 yards on seven carries. Several times, penalties derailed Terps’ drives.

2) Costly miscues

Running back Lorenzo Harrison made several Golden Gophers defenders miss on a carry midway through the second quarter. He needed 20 yards on the third-down play. The elusive freshman got 21.

But like several other big gains in the first half, a holding penalty negated Harrison’s run. The Terps’ drive ended with Wade Lees’ fourth punt of the game.

The number of Terps punts (five) and penalties (seven) were more than the three first downs Maryland converted in the first half.

The sloppiness bled into special teams, and it came from an unlikely source. All-American punt returner Will Likely muffed the ball on the second play of the second quarter, and Minnesota recovered inside the Maryland 20-yard line.

Running back Rodney Smith capitalized on the turnover with an eight-yard rushing touchdown to open the scoring moments later.

3) Stopping the run

Maryland defensive coordinator Andy Buh made stopping the run a priority after Penn State compiled 372 rushing yards in its 38-14 win last weekend, but Terps struggled to limit the two-headed attack of Smith and running back Shannon Brooks.

Smith and Brooks combined to run for more than five yards per carry, which kept Minnesota moving down the field despite quarterback’s Conor Rhoda ineffectiveness. Rhoda attempted just nine passes, though he did connect with Brooks for a 17-yard touchdown in the waning moments of the second half to put the Golden Gophers up two scores.

Minnesota hasn’t gashed the Terps’ defense on the ground, but Buh’s unit spent a lot of time on the field in the first half. If Maryland can’t jumpstart its attack after the break, the Golden Gophers could wear down the Terps as the second half unfolds.