After breaking off a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown against then-No. 15 Michigan on Saturday, Maryland football running back Ty Johnson was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.
Johnson’s return touchdown in the first quarter Saturday gave the Terps a fleeting 7-3 lead over the Wolverines. That edge didn’t hold long, as Michigan powered its way to a 42-21 win at the Big House.
“The kickoff return in the first half was great,” interim coach Matt Canada said. “[It] was a tremendous 11-man effort to score a touchdown.”
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But Johnson struggled to produce on the ground. He managed just three yards on five carries against the Wolverine’s stout run defense.
And midway through the third quarter, the senior muffed a kickoff and scrambled into the end zone to retrieve the loose ball. He avoided a potential safety but was crushed at the two-yard line, leading to one of Maryland’s four three-and-outs on the day.
After that miscue, Johnson received one handoff the rest of the way, a run for no gain in the fourth quarter. Running back Tayon Fleet-Davis, who featured mainly in the late stages of the contest, rushed for 63 yards and returned one kick for 19 yards.
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While Johnson didn’t feature late in the loss, Canada wasn’t concerned with his status ahead of the Terps’ homecoming game against Rutgers.
“We have a kickoff and we put ourselves on the two-yard line. That puts us in a bad spot,” Canada said. “I think he’s okay. We’ll see. Guys get bumped and bruised around.”
