The Maryland football team sits at five wins, one shy of bowl eligibility after last year’s 3-9 campaign, but it won’t clinch postseason contention against No. 2 Michigan on Saturday afternoon at the Big House.
Oddsmakers have the Terps as a 31-point underdog, and if you think that’s too much, it’s not. Coach DJ Durkin’s bunch hasn’t faced anything like the Wolverines’ smothering defense, and Maryland’s rush defense, which has allowed an average of 338.3 yards in the team’s three losses, will have all sorts of problems limiting Michigan’s ground attack, which ranks 14th in the nation.
Games like these provide little insight into what Maryland can improve on for the final stretch of the season. Even if the Terps suffer a blowout, make adjustments and play Michigan again in a few weeks, the result likely will not be much different. The talent discrepancy is too great.
What Durkin and his first-year coaching staff can take away from Saturday’s game is the formula Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh has used to reinvigorate a blue-blood program.
“Both are highly competitive, highly passionate coaches,” said defensive coordinator Andy Buh, who worked with Harbaugh and Durkin at Stanford. “They drive the team. They’re good leaders.”
Durkin has had the opportunity to work under Harbaugh, serving as the defensive end and special teams coordinator of the Cardinal from 2007 to 2009. After taking different career paths — Durkin went to Florida while Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers — the two reconvened last season.
Michigan hired Harbaugh as its head coach in 2014 with the hopes of turning around a program that combined to finish 20-18 the previous three seasons under former coach Brady Hoke. Durkin joined that cause as the team’s defensive coordinator. Together, the Wolverines finished 10-3 in 2015 and blew out Florida, 41-7, in the Citrus Bowl, marking the second time since 2006 Michigan had won at least 10 games.
This season, Maryland (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) has made its own turnaround less than a year after the midseason firing of former coach Randy Edsall, though its numbers don’t measure up to what the Wolverines put together in 2015.
Michigan’s success came with a balanced offense and the nation’s fourth-best total defense, which Durkin spearheaded. In College Park, where Buh controls the defense, Maryland ranks No. 61 in that category. The putrid rushing defense has brought the entire unit down.
But Durkin is a defensive-minded coach, and he’s made it a priority to improve on that side of the ball. Just look at the players committed to the Terps for next season.
There’s five-star defensive end Josh Kaindoh, the nation’s 27th-best recruit, according to 247sports. Joining him are four-star recruits in cornerback Deon Jones and defensive tackle Cam Spence. These players are a large reason Maryland has the No. 14 recruiting class in the nation for 2017. Had the recruiting calendar ended Thursday, the Terps would have the highest-rated class in program history.
Accumulating talent is the first step toward building a successful program, and Durkin has followed in Harbaugh’s footsteps in attracting the nation’s best players.
Only two Big Ten teams rank ahead of Maryland for 2017, one of which is Michigan (No. 10). Last season, Harbaugh’s first-full recruiting class was the sixth-best in the country.
The result? Two years after going 5-7, Michigan (8-0, 5-0) has put itself in contention to make the four-team College Football Playoff and compete for a national championship.
“The team and coaching staff are very excited for the opportunity that we’re going to have this weekend playing the No. 2 ranked team in the Big House,” defensive end Roman Braglio said.
Braglio, a senior, likely won’t be a part of the second Terps team to win at Michigan. Maryland did so in 2014, but Harbaugh has transformed the Wolverines. They’re back to being one of college football’s powerhouses.
That opportunity belongs to the freshmen class, which have already made great contributions to this program. Saturday afternoon, they’ll be able to witness what needs to be done to reach an elite level.
And based on what Durkin has done since arriving in College Park, he appears ready to take them there.
