Coach, DJ Durkin, will enter into his second season with the red, black, and gold squad in hopes of surpassing their record in the 2016 season. Last year the Terps went 6-7 overall, with Durkin tacking on 3 more wins than the previous season. The Terps 2017 schedule is arguably the toughest schedule in the nation, which includes8 opponents whom competed in the 2016 postseason. Texas will be the first test for Maryland.
The Terps will enter into DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in hopes of dethroning the Longhorns, but it will not be an easy feat. By the numbers, the Longhorns have the advantage by a landslide. In the series, Texas leads Maryland 3-0, outscoring theTerps 102-0. Don’t forget the Longhorn’s boisterous fan section who helped in achieving a 4-2 winning record at home in the 2016 season. Texas will return with20 offensive letter winners and 22 on the defensive end. With RB D’Onta Foreman,the 2016 Doak Walker Award winner, declaring for the NFL Draft, The Longhorns will look to fill their offensive gap with QB Shane Buechele leading at the helm. Buchele earned 12 starts and recorded 2,985 yards and 21 touchdowns last season.
Despite the numbers, Maryland has an arsenal of their own that they hope will match Texas’s fire. Durkin’s 2017 recruiting class ranked in the top-20 across all major recruiting services. The 34 signees include 11 four-star athletes and five members of the ESPN300.
Tyrrell Pigrome is expected to start at QB for the Terps on Saturday. Pigrome recorded 322 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 2016 season.
In a side-by-side comparison of the two potential starting QBs, it’s not hard to decipher which sophomore QB will be the more likely standout on Saturday. Pigrome, known to make big plays with his quickness will hope to combat the hype centered around the Longhorn QB.
Wide receiver D.J. Moore will be a consistent target for Pigrome down the field. Moore currently leads all Maryland receivers and ranks second in the Big TenConference with a reception in 21 straight games. In the backfield, running backs Johnston and Lorenzo Harrison will pose a double threat to the rushing game. Last year the duo combined for 1,637 rushing yards.
The Terps defensive leaders: Jermaine, Carter, Shane Cockerille, and JesseAniebonam will look to bring the heat early on Buchele and the Texas offense. Carter and Cockerille totaled 213 tackles last season, and numbers like that are not something you can ignore on the scouting report.
