Saturday, September 3, 2016

Maryland football opens DJ Durkin era by running over Howard, 52-13

COLLEGE PARK, Maryland -- Years from now, Maryland football fans hope to look back to Saturday’s season opener against Howard as the start of the program’s turnaround under DJ Durkin. Who knows, maybe they’ll say Durkin is the second coming of "The Bear."

With a 35-0 lead by halftime, Durkin found himself right behind the legendary Paul Bryant for the most points scored for a coach in his Maryland debut. An eventual 52-13 victory was more the result of Durkin emptying his bench, including playing three quarterbacks.



It turned out to be only eight points shy of the number the Terps put up in a 60-6 win against Guilford in 1945, Bryant’s first and only season at Maryland before he found his way to houndstooth hats, history and sainthood at Alabama.

In front of an announced crowd of 35,474, Maryland scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, sandwiching them around the first blocked punt that was turned into a touchdown in two years. The offense amassed 519 yards, including 315 yards rushing.

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