Maryland (0-0, 0-0 B1G)
at
TEXAS (0-0, 0-0 Big 12)
September 2, 2017 || Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium || Noon EDT
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Maryland is set to open its 125th season of football Saturday against Texas, compiling a 640-581-43 all-time record since the inaugural 1892 season. The Terps have advanced to 27 bowl games along the way, and captured the 1953 National Championship.
- Maryland is returning to Austin, Texas for the first time since facing Texas at Memorial Stadium in 1959 - a span of 58 years. The Terps and Longhorns have met three times, with this being the first meeting since squaring off in the Sun Bowl 39 years ago (1978).
- The Terps have won seven consecutive season-openers dating back to 2010, including 11 of their last 12. In the seven game streak, Maryland has outscored its opponents by an average margin of 22 points (36-14). It has also totaled at least 40 points in four straight games. The Terps are 0-7 all-time when opening the season against ranked opponents.
- Head coach DJ Durkin is back for his second season at Maryland after improving the Terrapins' record by three victories and leading the team to an appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl in his inaugural year at the helm. Durkin's Terps are set to play one of the nation's toughest schedules, with seven of the team's nine Big Ten opponents appearing in the postseason in 2016.
- The Maryland staff has been busy on the recruiting trail, with head coach DJ Durkin making sensational strides both in the local DMV region and nationally. Durkin's 2017 class ranked in the top-20 across all major recruiting services. The class included 17 players from the DMV region, in addition to 11 four-star signees and five members of the ESPN300.
- Maryland enters the 2017 season with 32 players who have started at least one career collegiate game, including 17 on the defensive side of the ball. Of the 32 players, 18 begin the season with at least two more years of eligibility. Durkin started seven true freshman overall last season, which was tied for most in all of FBS with South Carolina. The list did not include specialist, Wade Lees, who served as the punter in all 13 games.
BY THE NUMBERS: OFFENSE
2 - Sophomore quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome is slated to make his second career start under center for the Terps. He made his first career start against Minnesota as a true freshman in 2016, passing for 161 yards and a touchdown and gaining 71 yards on the ground. Pigrome had a knack for making big plays, ranking third in rush yards (254) and rush TDs (4) in limited action.
3 - Maryland returns three offensive lineman who have started at least nine career games, including junior Damian Prince (19), junior Brendan Moore (13) and sophomore Terrance Davis. The trio helped open major holes last season for a rushing attack that eclipsed 2,500 total yards for the first time since 2003.
6 - Junior wide receiver D.J. Moore looks to build on an excellent sophomore campaign, when he became the first Terp to total six touchdown grabs in a season since Stefon Diggs (2012). Moore's nine career touchdown catches are tied for the most through two seasons at Maryland with Stefon Diggs (2012, 13), Jermaine Lewis (1992, 93) and Dan Bungori (1971, 72).
7.2 - Sophomore Lorenzo Harrison had one of the most impressive rookie seasons in Maryland history, totaling 633 rushing yards on just 88 carries in nine appearances. His 7.2 yards per carry was the most ever for a Maryland freshman (min. 75 att.). He was just 57 yards shy of breaking LaMont Jordan's freshman rushing record.
11 - Running back Ty Johnson made a habit of breaking loose for big plays as a sophomore, totaling 10 plays of at least 40 yards (all in the final 10 games). His most memorable outing came against Purdue, when he rushed for 204 yards on just seven carries - the best yards/carry (29.1) mark for a 200-yard rusher in FBS over the last 20 years.
21 - Wide receiver D.J. Moore currently leads all Maryland receivers and ranks second in the Big Ten Conference with a reception in 21 straight games (Amarah Darboh - UM - 33). It is the longest streak for a Maryland player since Torrey Smith finished his career with a 30-game reception streak from 2008-10.
80 - Maryland returns nearly 80 percent of its total rushing yards from 2016, including 1,637 combined rushing yards from Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison. The Terps also added highly touted four-star Anthony McFarland out of DeMatha Catholic, who was rated the third-best running back nationally.
1004 - Junior Ty Johnson finished the 2016 season with 1,004 rushing yards, becoming just the ninth player in Maryland history to reach the miletone. He also set the Maryland record for yards per carry (100 att.), averaging an incredible 9.13 yards.
BY THE NUMBERS: DEFENSE/ST
2 - Defensive coordinator Andy Buh is back for his second season with the Terps, returning a unit that includes 17 players who have started at least one game. The group included three true freshmen who started in the defensive backfield a year ago: Elijah Daniels, Tino Ellis and Quantrezz Knight.
2 - Maryland returns 80 percent of its sack production from a unit that ranked second in the Big Ten Conference a season ago. Senior Jesse Aniebonam leads the way after a 9.0 sack season, while Jermaine Carter, Jr. was second on the team with 6.0. Aniebonam also had a team-best 14.0 tackles for loss, which was followed closely by Kingsley Opara's 11.0 TFLs.
5 - Senior linebacker Jermaine Carter, Jr., is looking to become just the fifth Maryland player since 1969 to lead the program in tackles three seasons in a row. Carter, who has 213 tackles over the last two seasons, would join Alex Wujciak (2008-10), D'Qwell Jackson (2003-05), E.J. Henderson (2000-02) and Ratcliff Thomas (1993-95) in the exclusive club.
14 - Senior Jesse Aniebonam had an excellent junior season, totaling 14.0 tackles for loss for 89 yards. The TFL yardage ranked eighth in Maryland single-season history, ahead of players like Shawne Merriman and E.J. Henderson. Aniebonam is the cousin of former NY Giants All-Pro Osi Umenyiora.
18 - Sophomore punter Wade Lees has returned for the Terps after a successful rookie season, pinning 18 punts inside the 20 and only recording one touchback. The Terps ranked fourth in the Big Ten in punt return defense. At 29 years old, Lees is the oldest player in the Big Ten and third-oldest in all of FBS.
213 - Senior linebackers Jermaine Carter, Jr., and Shane Cockerille totaled 213 tackles last season, ranking third and fourth in the Big Ten in the category, respectively. Both players earrned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten nods for their efforts. It was a sensational season for Cockerille, who converted from quarterback to linebacker prior to the 2016 season.
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