Maryland Football: Score Prediction vs. Howard Bison
By Joe Serpico
Maryland football is back! Here is our score prediction for the Week 1 matchup between the Howard Bison and Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium.
A lot has changed since the last time the Terps took the field. They have welcomed a new head coach in D.J. Durkin. He has brought former Arkansas State Head Coach Walt Bell with him to run his high-octane offense. Durkin has already got some big-time recruits on the way. For the first time in a long time, there is some excitement in College Park surrounding the program.
The Durkin era should get off to a good start as the Terps open the year with Howard, a team that went 1-10 in the FCS last season.
For the second straight year, the Maryland Terrapins will begin the season against an FCS opponent. They had their way in a 50-21 win over Richmond last season, but that was one of the few highlights of the year.
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The Terps will be led by Perry Hills once again in the regular season opener, who went 12-for-21 for 138 yards, two touchdowns and an interceptions against Richmond last season. This will be the third time Hills starts the regular season, and he was victorious in 2012 and 2015.
Will Likely was the star of the day in last year’s home opener, breaking a conference record for the most punt yards in a game. He returned eight punts for 233 yards and a touchdown in the blowout. Maryland also got a strong effort from the running game.
Expect the game against the Bison to be the same. Maryland should have their way with Howard, who were one of the worst teams in the FCS. This is a good game for the Terps to get used to the new system that the coaching staff is implementing before the competition gets better in the upcoming weeks.
So my score prediction is…
Maryland put a 30-point beating on Richmond last season and expect them to do the same here. The Terps are the better team and will be too much for Howard to contain. Maryland should run the ball down their throats and Hills should have no problem moving the offense.
The Terps will be without Wes Brown because of a suspension so keep a lookout on who Bell has in at running back in his absence. Ty Johnson will likely get the first crack in an offense that will be a running back friendly.
The defense is going through an overhaul as six starters have moved on, but with Likely and transfer JC Jackson, Maryland has a terrific duo at corner. The pass rush will struggle to replace Yannick Ngakoue and Quinton Jefferson, but they should have no problem containing a Howard offense that managed averaged 222.5 yards of total offense a year ago.
Next: Perry Hills Named Starter, New QB Transfers
How well the Terps do against the Bison will give us a better indication of what is to come the rest of the way. If they should struggle against Howard, it could be a long year. If they roll – like they should – there might be a realistic chance that they become bowl eligible this season.