By Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_301)
After a disappointing loss on the road to Penn State a week ago, hopeful Terps’ fans expected Maryland to bounce back at home against Minnesota before facing a tough four-week stretch.
They did just the opposite.
The Golden Gophers dominated the Terps in all three phases, and came out on top 31-10.
The Terps’ offense was without starting quarterback Perry Hills, and the lack of offensive chemistry showed. In his first career start, freshman Tyrrell Pigrome was unable to create much of a threat.
But the real issue was on the other side of the ball. The Terps could not stop the run, which kept the pressure off of Gophers quarterback Conor Rhoda—a backup making his first start of the season.
The Gophers two-headed monster destroyed the Terps on the ground. Sophomore running back Rodney Smith had a career day, rushing for 144 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries. Shannon Brooks, another sophomore, carried the ball 22 times for 86 yards.
“Both of their running backs ran really hard,” said linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. “But we have to be sound in our run fits and our run gaps and just be where were supposed to be.”
The Terps self-destructed, and committed nine penalties for 75 yards. Any time the Terps mustered some type of momentum, a penalty killed it.
The Terps offense struggled throughout the game, putting together just 100 yards through the first three quarters. The Terps offense had gone close to four quarters without scoring a touchdown before Pigrome connected with wide receiver D.J. Moore on an 11-yard strike with 5:42 left in the fourth quarter.
Pigrome finished the day completing 18 of 37 passes for 161 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Levern Jacobs led the team with 82 yards on 10 catches.
Pigrome, the former Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, carried the ball 25 times for 71 yards, but most of his carries came from scrambling after the pocket collapsed or when nobody was open.
Pigrome showed he could be an effective runner in his previous appearances this season at the end of games. With the Terps struggling to find a passing attack all game, the Gophers defense was able to key in on the freshman quarterback and the rest of the Terps’ rushing attack.
Three Takeaways
- The Terps offense is nothing without a solid running game.Whether it is Hills or Pigrome running the offense, Maryland has shown they are only as good as its running game.
Today, Terps’ running backs combined for only nine total carries. For a freshman making his first start at quarterback, establishing the run game should be the first priority.
The Terps were never able to get the running game going, and were unable to score points until the fourth quarter.
- Stopping the run needs to be a major point of emphasis moving forward.Last week, the Terps allowed Penn State’s Saquon Barkley to rush for 202 yards and a touchdown. This week, they allowed 229 rushing yards and a touchdown.
That’s not going to cut it. In the Terps’ victory over Purdue, they held the Boilermakers to just 10 rushing yards.
Maryland has given up 599 rushing yards in their past two games, compared to the 297 they have rushed for.
See the trend?
- The status of Will Likely moving forwardIn the second quarter, Terps’ senior cornerback Will Likely left the game with a lower body injury and did not return.
Terps head coach D.J. Durkin did not have an update on Likely’s status after the game.
Likely, who is the Terps best cornerback, handles returns and plays some offense as well. The Terps will need their do-it-all senior healthy as soon as possible as they host a talented Michigan State team next week.
#Terps head coach D.J. Durkin's opening statement following Maryland's 31-10 loss to Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/26nMLAoCHj
— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_301) October 15, 2016
Durkin’s Best Three Lines
D.J. Durkin had some very interesting things to say following his team’s loss to Minnesota. Here are his best three lines:
- In his opening statement, Durkin was quick to defend Pigrome’s performance.“The guys around him played bad too,” said Durkin. “We didn’t help him out. There is plenty of blame to go around, including coaching, and we just didn’t get it done.”
While I’m sure Durkin would have liked a better aerial performance from Piggy, it’s safe to say he has faith that his freshman quarterback will improve.
- Durkin reflected on the Terps’ state now that they are halfway through the season.“We’re at the midway point of the season and we’re 4-2 ball club. Obviously we would like that to be different and better, but you can also be much worse than that. It’s just a matter of what we are going to do from here.”
Compared to last season’s disaster, this Terps’ team is significantly better. But after a 4-0 start, the hype around the program might have gotten to high. The program is on the rise, but the climb may take a lot longer than some expected.
- After two losses, Durkin addressed how the team could recreate the excitement and energy from the first four weeks of the season.“We come in every Sunday and evaluate where we are at. Who’s doing what, who’s playing, what we got to do to win the game. We’ll do the same thing tomorrow and figure out a plan to go beat Michigan State. We’ve got an unbelievable opportunity coming up.”
The Terps have a chance to bounce back in a big way, as they host Michigan State next week in their only home night game of the season. Durkin has a chance to collect his first big-time win as a head coach.
What’s Next?
The Terps host the Michigan State Spartans next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Listen live on WMUC Sports.
