By: Austin Kleber
It was all Michigan in DJ Durkin’s return to Ann Arbor, as the Terps lost 59-3.
Michigan maintained their undefeated 9-0 record, while Maryland still remains one win away from bowl eligibility.
The Wolverines held Maryland scoreless until the fourth quarter, when Adam Greene converted a 37-yard field goal with a little over 10 minutes remaining. Michigan gained 660 total yards and held Maryland to just 367. Despite averaging 232 rushing yards per game, the Terps ran for just 78 yards.
Freshman running back Lorenzo Harrison paced the Terps with 58 yards on nine carries. Sophomore standout running back Ty Johnson, who leads the team in rushing yards, ran for just 11 yards on nine carries. In what seemed to be a theme for the day, Johnson left the game early with an apparent injury in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Perry Hills also left the game in the second quarter with an injury. Caleb Rowe came in for Hills and threw for 203 yards on 12 of 23 passing. Rowe also threw two interceptions to Michigan safety Delano Hill.
In contrast, Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight looked like he could do no wrong against the Maryland defense, completing 19 of his 24 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns.
Speight was assisted by a great performance from senior running back De’Veon Smith, who carried the ball for 114 yards and three touchdowns.
Michigan cornerback Jabrill Peppers also helped out on offense, lining up as a quarterback in the wildcat formation, a wide receiver and a running back. Peppers played in 10 different positions for the Wolverines.
Jim Harbaugh would not let up on the Terps, as he kept the offense on the field on fourth-and-one late in third quarter with a 38-0 lead. Maryland was able to stop fullback Khalid Hill for no gain. It was Michigan’s only fourth down attempt of the day. The Terps were 0-for-3 on fourth down.
The lone bright spot of the day for Maryland is that Rutgers, Maryland’s last opponent of the season and its best chance at earning a bowl bid, lost to Michigan 78-0, while the Terps only lost by 56 points.
