Advertisement
football Edit

Maryland Football Report Card: Towson

After a big, emotional win on the road against Texas to open the season, Maryland avoided a letdown and took care of business Sept. 9 against local FCS opponent Towson. The Terps’ 63-17 victory highlighted some of the brightest stars in College Park and marked the first career start for true freshman quarterback Kasim Hill.

TERPS INSIDER message board | SHOP NOW: DEALS on TERPS apparel | LIKE us on FACEBOOK

Delving deeper into Maryland’s 46-point trouncing of the Tigers, we’ve given out Week 2 grades to the Terps.

Quarterback: A+

Advertisement

How much better of a first career start could the Terps have asked for out of Hill? The true freshman was nearly flawless, going 13-for-16 passing with 163 yards and two touchdowns. Hill also added five carries for 41 yards on the ground. The most impressive thing about Hill’s hot start to his college career is that he has yet to turn the ball over for the Terps.

MORE: Terps defense taking notice of Kasim Hill | The Terrapin Ten: Post Towson

Even when Terps backup quarterback Max Bortenschlager was called upon late in the third quarter with Maryland up big, he showed some promise, or at least some athleticism in the form of nine carries for 29 yards and a rushing touchdown. With the game in hand, Bortenschlager was only asked to throw the ball twice and completed one of his attempts for 4 yards, but it was nice to see some wheels from a guy that is considered a pocket passer.

Running Back: A+

The Terps running backs aren’t just getting an A+ because of another monster performance from junior starter Ty Johnson. Maryland as a whole averaged 10.2 yards per carry and ran all over Towson to the tune of 367 rushing yards. Johnson carried the ball five times for 124 yards (24.8 ypc) and two touchdowns, continuing his impressive start to the season.

Another Terps true freshman besides Hill also made a splash against the Tigers, and he did it out of the backfield. Javon Leake finished with four carries for 78 yards and a touchdown, with most of his damage coming on a 61-yard score in the fourth quarter. There is some concern about sophomore Lorenzo Harrison’s slow start to the season, but he is still averaging 4 yards per carry through two games, his opportunities have just been less this year because of more talent at his position and game flow.

Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore (No. 1) broke numerous tackles against Towson.
Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore (No. 1) broke numerous tackles against Towson. (USA TODAY Sports)

Wide Receiver/Tight End: A

The Terps receiving corps didn’t do anything wrong against Towson, especially not D.J. Moore. But it would be nice to see more than two wideouts contribute to the passing game in College Park. Moore led Maryland in receiving for the second week, hauling in seven receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Moore also showed that he’s a physical wide receiver by racking up the YAC as he busted through Towson tacklers.

Senior wide receiver Taivon Jacobs added five receptions for 60 yards against the Tigers, but he was the only other Terps wideout to get heavily involved in the offense. Against his former team, senior Jacquille Veii only recorded one reception for 6 yards and promising sophomore DJ Turner only had one reception for 4 yards.

Offensive Line: A

Maryland’s offensive line continues to be perhaps the biggest strength of its offense this season. After a masterful performance against Texas, the Terps offensive front followed it with a strong outing in the home opener. Offensive tackle Derwin Gray continues to look like a completely different player this season, while highly touted center Brendan Moore has been as solid as can be in the middle.

Most importantly, Maryland’s offensive line kept Hill clean in his first career start. With one quarterback already out for the season, the Terps cannot afford to lose Hill, especially not while he’s playing so well. Hill was not sacked at all behind the first unit, while Bortenschlager was sacked twice with the backup blockers in for him up front.

Defensive Line: A

What a difference a year makes. Last season Maryland’s defensive line was one of its biggest liabilities. Now it seems to be one of the Terps’ biggest strengths on the defensive side of the ball. Dominating a smaller offensive line from an FCS school should be expected from this group, but it was also their first game adjusting to playing without senior leader and sack master, Jesse Aniebonam, and the Terps didn’t skip a beat.

Of Maryland’s four sacks on the day, 3.5 of them came from the defensive line--Andrew Isaacs (1.5), Keiron Howard (one), Mbi Tanyi (one). The pass rush barely gave Towson quarterback Ryan Stover any time to operate and the run defense was solid once again, holding Towson to 99 yards and no touchdowns on the ground. The Terps have yet to let a team rush for 100 yards against them this season.

Linebacker: A

Another dominating performance by the Terps linebackers. Once again, seniors Jermaine Carter Jr. and Shane Cockerille led Maryland in tackles, combining for 15. Carter continued his knack for big plays by recording half a sack, a forced fumble and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Backups Nick Underwood and Isaiah Davis also looked good once they entered the game in the second half, recording three solo tackles each. Nothing too flashy, but the Terps linebackers more than got the job done against Towson.

Defensive Back: B+

Despite having two interceptions, one from junior safety Darnell Savage Jr. that was returned 75 yards for a touchdown and another from sophomore NICKEL Antoine Brooks, Maryland’s defensive backs fall just short of an A because they allowed Towson’s only two touchdowns.

By no means did the Terps secondary get diced up by Stover or the Tigers wide receivers, but nine different pass catchers recorded receptions for Towson and running back/athlete Shane Simpson had himself a nice day with seven receptions for 53 yards. Also, Maryland’s backup defensive backs let up a big play early in the fourth quarter when Rodney Dorsey got behind them for a 59-yard touchdown reception.

Special Teams: B

A full letter grade up from last week since they didn’t allow two touchdowns, but special teams still appears to be Maryland’s weakest unit. Senior kicker Adam Greene was replaced by grad-transfer walk-on Henry Darmstadter, who connected on all nine of his extra points but did not have to attempt a field goal. Danny Sutton still handled kickoffs, but left a lot to be desired by only booting one touchback in 10 attempts.

The Terps punt return unit also missed out on a chance to win a student fan $10,000 by not taking one to the house in the second half. DJ Moore did return a punt for a touchdown early in the second half but it was called back by a penalty.

Freshman quarterback Kasim Hill (No. 11) was nearly flawless in his first collegiate start.
Freshman quarterback Kasim Hill (No. 11) was nearly flawless in his first collegiate start. (USA TODAY Sports)

Overall Offense: A+

Can’t really ask for more than 63 points and total domination of a defense. Eight offensive touchdowns is beyond impressive and the Terps offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders heading into a Week 4 showdown with UCF. Hill, Johnson and Moore has already turned into one of the most lethal offensive trios in college football.

Overall Defense: A-

Many predicted a lower point total for the Tigers, but Maryland’s defense still pretty much had its way with the Towson offense. A defensive touchdown and four sacks against an FCS team isn’t the most impressive feat ever, but it will pad the Terps stats and help build confidence moving forward for a group that struggled at creating turnovers last season.

Overall Team: A

Not too much to nitpick at here. Maryland did what it had to do against an inferior opponent and kept its momentum rolling. Both sides of the ball look much-improved from last year, and Hill seems to bring a balance to the offense that the Terps haven’t had for quite some time. Plus, when was the last time there were this many true playmakers in College Park? Hill, Moore, Johnson, Carter, Savage and Brooks all seem to have the goods.

Advertisement