Maryland handles Michigan State 28-17

 Maryland first-year coach DJ Durkin looked into the eyes of his players and saw a confidence that had been missing over the past couple of weeks.

The Terrapins then took the field against Michigan State and had one of their most dominant performances.

Perry Hills threw a pair of touchdown passes in his return to the lineup and Maryland kept the Spartans winless in the Big Ten with a 28-17 victory Saturday night. It was the Terrapins first win over Michigan State since Oct. 7, 1950.

Maryland (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) also extended the Spartans' losing streak to five games, the longest skid under 10-year coach Mark Dantonio.

"That was a fun night for our guys," Maryland first-year coach DJ Durkin said. "The message for our guys all week long, in particular later in the week, yesterday and today, was to have fun, enjoy this. This is a great opportunity. A night game. National TV. A program with great tradition who has had great success in our conference coming to town. We knew it was going to be a great atmosphere and it was."

Ty Johnson led Maryland's dominant running attack with 115 yards on nine carries, while Lorenzo Harrisonfinished with 105 yards on 17 carries. The Terrapins amassed 447 total yards and bounced back from a pair of losses.

"Disappointing outcome," Dantonio said. "I thought we came into this football game prepared. The reality of this situation is too many missed opportunities on offense. Too many penalties on defense in the first half. It's tough to win a football game when two guys run for a hundred yards on you."

Michigan State redshirt freshman Brian Lewerke got his second consecutive start and went 11 for 24 with 156 yards with an interception. He also ran for 79 yards on 10 carries. LJ Scott had a big day on the ground for the Spartans finishing with 128 yards and a touchdown.

"I think it was average," Lewerke said about his performance. "I think I skipped the pocket a little too much. I just need to get better."

Michigan State (2-5, 0-4) took its first lead, 17-14 on a 34-yard field goal by Michael Geiger with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Johnson continued to find a holes and a 44-yard run put Maryland into Michigan State territory. Two plays later, the Terrapins were back on top with a 2-yard run by Kenneth Goins Jr.

Hills put the game away with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Levern Jacobs with 3:23 left in the game. Hills, who suffered a shoulder injury Oct. 8 against Penn State and missed the previous game against Minnesota, was 21 of 27 for 200 yards Saturday.

"You shouldn't look at this game as life or death, it's a game," Hills said. "Everyone just had fun today."

Michigan State linebacker Riley Bullough was ejected with 4:39 left in the first quarter for targeting. That penalty helped Maryland extend a season-long 96-yard scoring drive, capped by Harrison's 8-yard run.

The Spartans went up-tempo and pulled to within 8-7 on a 48-yard touchdown run by Scott with 9:42 left in the second quarter. Hills responded on the ensuing drive with a 36-yard pass to D.J. Moore but Adam Greenemissed the PAT.

That allowed Michigan State to tie the game, 14-14, on a 1-yard run Gerald Holmes in the final minute of the half.

LONG DISTANCE

Maryland had a 96-yard scoring drive in the first quarter and another 90-yard drive just before halftime. It was the first time the Terrapins had two, 90-plus drives in the same game since Nov. 20, 1999, against Virginia.

THE TAKEAWAY

Michigan State: The Spartans face an uphill battle for a 10th straight bowl appearance with the toughest part of the their schedule still ahead. Michigan State must still play No. 3 Michigan next week and No. 2 Ohio State (Nov. 19).

Maryland: After a 4-0 start, the Terrapins gained some much-needed momentum to avoid missing a bowl game for the second consecutive season. However, Maryland plays three ranked opponents (Michigan, Ohio State and No. 8 Nebraska) over its final five games.

UP NEXT

Michigan State hosts No. 3 Michigan (7-0, 4-0) next Saturday. The Spartans stunned Michigan 27-23 last season when safety Jalen Watts-Jackson picked up a flubbed punt and ran 38 yards for the go-ahead touchdown on the final play of the game.

Maryland travels to Indiana on Saturday. The Hoosiers (3-4, 1-3) beat the Terrapins 47-28 last season and lead the all-time series 3-1.

Smith runs for 2 TDs as Minnesota beats Maryland 31-10

 Rodney Smith ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns, Conor Rhoda threw for a score in his first career start and Minnesota defeated error-prone Maryland 31-10 Saturday.

Combining a strong defensive performance with a low-risk offensive game plan, the Golden Gophers (4-2, 1-2) built a 14-0 lead at halftime and coasted to the finish.

Smith's 70-yard touchdown run with 9:30 left made it 24-3, and Antoine Winfield Jr. sealed the victory late in the game with an 82-yard interceptions return.

Starting for senior Mitch Leidner , who was out with a concussion, Rhoda went 7 for 15 for 82 yards without an interception. The former walk-on had previously thrown only two passes in a mop-up role.

Rhoda spent most of the afternoon handing off the football to Smith and Shannon Brooks, who ran for 86 yards on 22 carries.

Maryland (4-2, 1-2) also started its second-string quarterback, using true freshman Tyrrell Pigrome for injuredPerry Hills (shoulder). The Terrapins did all their scoring in the fourth quarter and made way too many mistakes in their second straight lopsided loss.

Pigrome threw for 161 yards and ran for 70. But Maryland could muster only 100 yards in offense through three quarters, finished with three turnovers and was penalized nine times for 75 yards.

The Terrapins didn't score in the second half last week in a 38-14 defeat at Penn State and had gone five quarters without a TD before Pigrome threw an 11-yard pass to D.J. Moore with 5:42 remaining.

THE TAKEAWAY

Minnesota: The Golden Gophers appears to have found their groove defensively. They've allowed only two TDs over the last two games.

Maryland: The Terps have gone south after a 4-0 start, losing two straight behind a sputtering offense that really needs Hills back under center.

UP NEXT

Minnesota hosts Rutgers next Saturday. The Scarlet Knights are winless in Big Ten play.

Maryland hosts Michigan State under the lights next Saturday. Spartans won 24-7 last year.

Barkley, McSorley help Penn St. beat Maryland 38-14

Penn State coach James Franklin said this week that the Nittany Lions needed to show opponents the ability to win games solely by the pass if the ground game goes awry; with 372 yards rushing against Maryland on Saturday, it's a theory they didn't need to prove.

Saquan Barkley ran for 202 yards, quarterback Trace McSorley added 81 more and threw a pair of touchdown passes to lead Penn State over Maryland 38-14 in front of a homecoming crowd of 100,778.

McSorley accounted for 233 total yards, throwing for 152, as the Nittany Lions (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) had a season-high 524 total yards and snapped Maryland's five game win streak.

"It's simple," Franklin said. "It's upfront. If you're good up front across the offensive line and the defensive line, you have a chance to be successful."

Penn State has gotten off to slow starts in each of its games this season. The Nittany Lions shook that off with a seven-play, 84-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession that featured four plays of 17 yards or more and capped by a 5-yard scoring pass from McSorley to tight end Mike Gesicki.

"It was huge for us to get that first touchdown," said McSorley. "We were able to get Beaver Stadium rocking."

Barkley averaged 6.5 yards on 31 carries.

"I didn't do anything spectacular today," Barkley said. "The offensive line took over and did a good job. We kind of felt we could run the ball; we hadn't been getting our running game going. The offensive line did an outstanding job. I saw that we had 300 some yards and I told them (linemen), `it's all you.'

"We got off to a fast start today," Barkley added. "We've been able to put 30 points on the board but we haven't started on fire."

Penn State had four sacks and limited Maryland (4-1, 1-1) to 270 total yards, including 170 on the ground. The Terps came in averaging 300 yards rushing per game in victories over Howard, Florida International, Central Florida and Purdue. Lorenzo Harrison led the Terps with 76 yards rushing.

Maryland was forced to play without veteran quarterback Perry Hills during the second half; Hills injured his shoulder on a second-quarter keeper deep in Penn State territory and Maryland coach D.J. Durkin said it was not in Hills' best interest to return in the second half.

"We have to play better, we have to coach better," Durkin said. "We made dumb mistakes. We have to stay within the scheme of our offense."

Maryland closed to within 17-14 late in the first half when Tyrrell Pigrome, subbing for the injured Hills, scored on his first snap with a 7-yard run. But Barkley peeled off a 25-yard run and one play later a 45-yard scoring jaunt to put the Lions up by 10 at the half.

"It's really indescribable how we played that next series on defense," Durkin said. We didn't call it well, we didn't execute it well; I can't even begin to describe it."

Penn State penalties and a Barkley fumble enabled the Terps to stay within striking distance until McSorley hooked up with DeAndre Thompkins on a 70-yard scoring pass late in the third quarter to make it 31-14.

"Offensively, we put up some good numbers and did some good things, "Penn State's Franklin said. "I thought we matched up well against this team on the O-line and the D-line. The games that we've matched up well, we've had success."

KEY INJURIES: Tackle Andrew Nelson, arguably Penn State's top lineman, injured his right knee late in the first half and likely will be lost for the season, Franklin said. Penn State freshman punter Blake Gillikin was injured when Maryland blocked a first-half punt and did not return.

TARGETING A KICKER: Penn State kicker Joey Julius made jarring tackles against Kent State and Michigan this season and as a result has drawn blocking interest on kickoffs. He was the victim of a late hit against Minnesota and the Gophers' Jaylen Waters was ejected. Saturday, Julius was knocked down late by Maryland's Isaiah Davis after his second-half kickoff had sailed out of bounds and Davis was ejected. "If he (Davis) wasn't thrown out of the game, he would have been removed by me," Durkin said. "That is not us. We had momentum to start the half and that swung it the other way." Julius, who weighs 260 pounds, revealed on Facebook last week that he underwent treatment over the summer in a St. Louis facility for an eating disorder.

UP NEXT

MARYLAND: After playing three of its first five games on the road, Maryland returns home to face Minnesota on Oct. 15.

PENN STATE: The Nittany Lions have an open date Oct. 15 prior to playing their third straight home game on Oct. 22 against No. 2 Ohio State; the Buckeyes will be Penn State's second top-five opponent this season.

Unbeaten Maryland wallops Purdue 50-7 in Big Ten opener

Ty Johnson ran for 204 yards on seven carries, and unbeaten Maryland used a strong defensive performance to breeze past Purdue 50-7 Saturday and provide first-year coach DJ Durkin a victory in his first Big Ten game.

The Terrapins (4-0, 1-0) scored four touchdowns and amassed 293 yards in taking a 29-0 halftime lead. Maryland finished with 400 yards rushing and outgained the Boilermakers 496-205 overall.

Purdue (2-2, 0-1) had no answer for the no-huddle offense that has scored a school-record 173 points over its first four games.

Taking over at Maryland after serving as Michigan's defensive coordinator in 2015, Durkin has the Terrapins operating at a high level on both sides of the ball.

Perry Hills threw two touchdown passes to Teldrick Morganand ran for an 11-yard score. Johnson peeled off a 76-yard run and scored on carries of 8 and 48 yards, andLorenzo Harrison chipped in with a 62-yard touchdown sprint.

The defense sacked David Blough six times. The Boilermakers were ranked second in the nation in third-down conversions (59 percent), but in this game they went 6 for 20.

It was 36-0 before Purdue finally scored, on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Blough to Cole Herdman with 13:30 remaining.

Coming off two straight 300-yard games, Blough was limited to 46 yards passing before halftime and finished 18 for 41 for 132 yards.

The Boilermakers were guilty of a variety of ill-timed penalties, poor tackling and shoddy blocking by the offensive line.

Even when the Terrapins made mistakes of their own, Purdue couldn't capitalize. Maryland hadn't committed a turnover all year until Hill threw an interception on the opening series. The Terrapins subsequently jumped offside on third down, but Purdue's J.D. Dellinger was wide right on a 35-yard field goal try.

Maryland promptly moved 80 yards in six plays, then fooled the Boilermakers with an unbalanced formation on the 2-point conversion.

On Purdue's next series, an illegal formation wiped out a successful third-down play and forced a punt. Not long after that, Harrison burst up the middle on his 62-yard run.

Johnson's first touchdown made it 22-0.

Desperate for a spark, Purdue coach Darrell Hazell opted to for it on a fourth down from the Boilermakers 32. They made it, but it merely delayed Maryland's next touchdown.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

After this surprisingly lopsided victory, Maryland might receive a few votes in the AP Top 25 poll as the list of unbeaten teams in the nation continues to dwindle. Then again, the Terrapins' victories have come against Howard, Florida International, Central Florida and a Purdue team playing its first road game.

UP NEXT

Purdue: The Boilermakers travel to Illinois for a West Division matchup Saturday. The Illini lost to Nebraska 31-16 on Saturday.

Maryland: The Terrapins take a short trip north to face Penn State and former Maryland assistant coach James Franklin.

Maryland escapes UCF with 30-24 double-overtime victory

Maryland freshman quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome replaced injured starter Perry Hills and on his only play of the game raced 24 yards for the game-winning score in a 30-24 double-overtime win for the Terrapins over UCF on Saturday night at Bright House Networks Stadium.

UCF freshman quarterback McKenzie Milton, making his first career start, committed his sixth fumble of the night and fourth turnover to begin the second overtime, setting the stage for Pigrome's heroics. The Terrapins (3-0) did not commit a turnover for the third straight game

"I just think this is a program builder," said first-year Maryland coach DJ Durkin. "To go on the road in college football and win games is not easy. We believe this is how this game was going to go, not double overtime but we thought it was going to be a close game."

The Knights (1-2) tied the game early in the fourth quarter on a 42-yard field goal by Matthew Wright with 12:04 remaining. Neither offense was able to score again in regulation.

"I don't know what to say about this game," said first-year UCF coach Scott Frost. "I'm broken hearted for our kids. They battled their tails off."

Milton, who committed three fumbles and threw one interception, started in place of UCF senior Justin Holman. Holman was injured during last week's loss at Michigan.

After struggling early in the first half, Hills and the Maryland offense settled down and began to capitalize on big plays. Hills 51-yard completion to receiver Teldrick Morgan helped set up Adam Greene's 33-yard field as time expired in the second quarter to give the Terps a 10-7 edge at halftime.

The Knights held a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Milton found running back Dontravious Wilson for a four-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. But Milton became erratic in the second quarter, committing two of his three first-half turnovers that allowed Maryland to get back into the game.

THE TAKEAWAY

Maryland: The Terrapins may not be as explosive offensively as they looked in their first two games. They had scored 93 points to start the season, but facing tougher and faster defense than they had against Howard and Florida International proved to be problematic. Hills was pressured and hit often, and was sacked four times in the first half.

UCF: Freshman quarterback McKenzie Milton was the surprise starter for the Knights and while he did some positive things he put his team in the hole with costly turnovers in the first half. He committed three turnovers in the first two quarters, two as a result of bad exchanges with the center.

UP NEXT

Maryland: The Terrapins are heading into a bye week before opening their Big Ten schedule at home against Purdue.

UCF: The Knights hit the road next week to face Florida International in their last non-conference game. Then UCF will open up AAC play on Oct. 1 at East Carolina.

Maryland overwhelms Florida International 41-14

A combination of execution and fun has helped Maryland open the season with two convincing wins.

But the combination of Perry Hills to DJ Moore hasn't hurt either.

Hills threw for three touchdowns, two to Moore, to lead Maryland to a 41-14 win over Florida International on Friday night.

Hills completed 13-of-18 passes for 210 yards in three quarters. He connected with Moore for a 45-yard touchdown pass and Derrick Haywardfor a 9-yard score in the second quarter to give Maryland a 31-7 advantage at halftime. Lorenzo Harrison scored on a 40-yard run for the Terrapins' fourth touchdown of the first half.

"We're doing an unbelievable job of executing," Hills said. "We all came out here and had a good time. That's the final point - to come out here and have fun."

Moore finished with six receptions and 147 yards for Maryland (2-0).

"We watched on film (FIU cornerbacks) were going to play soft often so that was something we were going to attack," Moore said.

First-year Maryland head coach DJ Durkin rested Hills after his third touchdown pass - a 40-yard catch and run by Moore with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter.

"Just pleased the way we came out and played," Durkin said. "I thought our guys prepared really well, traveled really well. That was a big thing for us coming and how we were going to go through it as a team.

"It's not easy getting road wins in college football. The way our guys responded, I'm really excited for them."

The Terrapins never trailed after taking a 10-0 lead on Adam Greene's 23-yard field and Jermaine Carter's 15-yard interception return in the first quarter.

Carter's interception was the third interception return for FIU quarterback Alex McGough.

"I'm proud of this football team; I love this football team," FIU head coach Ron Turner said. "I'm disappointed for them more because we battled and we did a lot of good things defensively and I think they wore our defense down."

Alex Gardner rushed for 109 yards and scored on a four-yard run in the second quarter for the Panthers (0-2).

"We should be putting out more points as an offense because we're experienced so it's frustrating," Gardner said. "But the great thing about sports is that we get another chance."

The Terrapins are now 5-0 in their all-time series against the Panthers.

THE TAKEAWAY

MARYLAND: The passing connection usually is Hills to Moore but the combination switched roles on a reverse play in the first quarter, when Moore completed a 21-yard pass to Hills that led to Greene's field goal. "That was fun, I almost lost the ball for a second in the lights, first career catch," Hills said.

FIU: McGough limped off the field after attempting to tackle Carter during his interception. Red-shirt freshmanMaurice Alexander replaced McGough for the next three series. Although McGough returned with 56 seconds remaining in the first half, Alexander played the entire second half. Turner said McGough experienced stiffness in his lower back and he sat him out the rest of the game as a precaution.

UP NEXT

MARYLAND: It's back to the Sunshine State next weekend for the Terrapins, who play at Central Florida on Sept. 17 in the final tune-up before opening their Big Ten schedule at home against Purdue on Oct. 1.

FIU: The Panthers return to UMass for a second consecutive year, going to Amherst on Sept. 17.

Maryland beats Howard 52-13 to make Durkin's debut a success

When DJ Durkin looks back on his first win as a college head coach, his most vivid memory will be an impromptu celebration that occurred long after the final whistle.

Durkin enjoyed a lopsided victory in his debut at Maryland, overseeing a dominant performance that carried the Terrapins past Howard 52-13 on Saturday.

Durkin left his job as Michigan's defensive coordinator in December to guide a team that went 3-9 in 2015. Walking on the sideline in a black baseball cap, an untucked red polo shirt and long black pants, the 37-year-old coach was quite satisfied with the blowout.

"Great day for our program," Durkin said. "A great win for us, a great way to start."

The Terrapins (1-0) scored on their first four possessions and the defense began the game by forcing Howard into five consecutive three-and-outs.

It was 35-0 at halftime, and Maryland coasted from there.

Afterward, Durkin and the team gathered in the locker room and sang the school fight song together.

"The look on their faces, that's what you do it for," he said. "That's what it's all about."

The players hope this is the dawn of a new era at a school that for years has struggled to be competitive.

"I have seen a few coaches come in and out, so it was a special moment to see him get that first win under his belt," said running back Kenneth Goins Jr., who scored the game's first touchdown.

Perry Hills went 14 for 19 for 126 yards, Trey Edmunds scored twice in the first quarter and Maryland topped the 500-yard mark in total offense (519) for only the second time in 36 games.

"They're a strong team," Howard coach Gary Harrell said. "They're very disciplined and coached very well."

Howard (0-1) won only one game last year while being outscored 408-169, so this game wasn't necessarily an indication of the Terrapins' improvement under Durkin. That answer may not come until Maryland begins Big Ten play next month.

"There are obviously plenty of things to clean up, get corrected and do much better," Durkin said.

Still, there were lots of positives for the Terrapins against the neighboring Bison of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Durkin got this job because of his defensive knowledge, and the Terrapins were exceptionally stingy. Howard finished with only 69 yards rushing (compared to 315 for Maryland) and didn't get into the end zone until Durkin emptied his bench in the fourth quarter.

"They have more resources, and we know we're the underdog coming in," said Bison receiver Jalen Avery, who had four catches for 26 yards.

Hills, in contrast, had no problem moving on the Bison. More importantly, he protected the ball. After finishing with a minus-18 turnover differential last year, the Terrapins did not give the ball away.

Freshman backup quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome entered in the third quarter. He threw for 60 yards, and ran for 53 yards and a TD.

Maryland also got a touchdown from its special teams: Edmunds took a blocked punt 13 yards into the end zone for a 21-0 lead.

Durkin, meanwhile, said the biggest difference in his new job was trying to oversee the entire team rather than focus on the defense.

"There were times when the defense was on the field when I was getting antsy," he said. "I'm usually doing more when they're out on the field."

THE TAKEAWAY

HOWARD: The Bison received a decent fee for coming to Maryland, so there's that. But their lackluster performance indicates they might again have difficulty being competitive in the MEAC.

MARYLAND: The aura of mystery surrounding the program under Durkin has, to a degree, been lifted. Although a victory over Howard won't impress the Top 25 voters, it just might enhance the players' confidence and perhaps generate some enthusiasm from a fan base that hasn't quite gotten behind the Terps - as evidenced by the thousands of empty seats among a crowd of 35,474.

UP NEXT

HOWARD: The Bison face another Big Ten opponent on the road, Rutgers next Saturday at noon.

MARYLAND: The Terrapins' first road game under Durkin will be at Florida International on Friday night. Maryland is 4-0 all-time against FIU.