Maryland Football
Potential on display, and room for growth
Impressive play marred
by inconsistency as Terps defense comes out on top
At the annual Red-White Game on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in College Park, it was no different. Using a limited playbook on both sides of the ball, the Terps showed the potential of a big-play offense and shutdown defense, but also showed areas where they'll need to improve before diving into a Big Ten Conference schedule featuring some of the nation's top programs.
“You know, it's a spring game,” Durkin said. “At times it looked good, didn't look so good. But really, overall, I'm proud of our guys, what they did, not only today but throughout the spring.”
The Maryland defense (red team) beat the offense (white team) in a modified scoring system, 51-35, in a game that featured every player who practiced for Maryland this spring. And while Durkin has preached competition in nearly every aspect of the program, Saturday was a chance for the Terps to just play.
“That's what it was about to me,” Durkin said. “It was a reward for guys. We've asked a lot of our guys throughout this spring. We've really put it on them hard. Today was a day for them to come out and have fun.”
There were still some previews of what could come this fall. Quarterbacks Perry Hills, Caleb Rowe and Gage Shaffer piloted offensive coordinator Walt Bell's offense at breakneck speed with eye-popping results. All five of Maryland's touchdowns were on plays of at least 40 yards.
Rowe, who finished 7-for-16 for 161 yards and two scores, hit wide receiver Levern Jacobs for a 48-yard touchdown and wide receiver Jacquille Veii on a 64-yard catch-and-run. Shaffer hit Jacobs — who finished with five catches for 112 yards, primarily against second- and third-team defenders — later for a 51-yard score. Hills connected with wide receiver Malcolm Culmer for a 40-yard score. And running back Ty Johnson picked up 64 of his 167 yards on a scoring run.
But interspersed with those big plays was a lack of consistency. The offense punted 14 times and never ran a play in the red zone. The defense sacked the quarterbacks — who weren't live — 12 times, led by four from defensive end Roman Braglio. Cornerback Antwaine Carter intercepted Shaffer, wide receiver Jahrvis Davenport fumbled and both sides had their fair share of penalties.
But as Durkin said, it was the spring game.
“It's just fun to be able to do what we grew up loving and doing, and I'm just happy to be out there,” said linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr., who finished with three solo tackles and three assists. “It was a lot of competing out there. Glad to see guys having fun and the defense come out with the win.”
Maryland has a freshman class filled with players who can contribute at positions of need, set to enroll this summer, and the version of the Terps that takes the field in November could look significantly different from the one that takes the field in September. And much could change through summer workouts, with new players getting caught up and having the chance to emerge.
In the Red-White Game, though, Maryland had the opportunity to just play — with fans in the stands. The Terps showed there's going to be some reasons for excitement under the new staff. But they also showed there could be plenty of growing pains for a team coming off a 3-9 season. In the end, Maryland tried to show what Durkin has spent the past four months trying to instill in his program.
“The whole team is competing, and that's really changed the way guys approach practice, and the culture's changing and the expectation level is through the roof,” Rowe said. “… I feel like with the culture that Coach Durkin's brought in, it's really making everyone compete.”
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