Gophers football preview vs. Maryland: Get to know the hurtin' Terps
September 27, 2017 at 5:47AM
11 a.m. Saturday, TCF Bank Stadium (Fox Sports One, 100.3-FM)
A look at the Terrapins
Maryland (2-1) served notice in its season opener that it might be a vastly improved team by beating Texas 51-41 in Austin, but the victory exacted a price: starting quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome was lost for the season to a torn anterior cruciate ligament. That put true freshman Kasim Hill into the No. 1 job, but he tore an ACL in Saturday's 38-10 loss to Central Florida. Third-stringer Max Bortenschlager took over, going 15-for-26 for 132 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions, one that was returned for a TD.
Who to watch: Ty Johnson, RB
This could be a bit confusing, because the Gophers have a playmaking wide receiver in Tyler Johnson, while Maryland counters with Ty Johnson, a big-play threat at running back. With the injuries at QB, the Terrapins likely will rely heavily on Johnson. The junior averaged 9.1 yards per carry on his way to a 1,004-yard rushing season in 2016, and he has 281 yards on 28 carries this year — including runs of 74, 50 and 40 yards.
From the coach: DJ Durkin
Durkin, the former defensive coordinator at Michigan, is 8-8 over two seasons with Maryland, but now must try to piece things together with his top two QBs out for the year. "I don't believe in coincidence or superstition. It happened,'' Durkin said of the injuries. "It's just the hand we've been dealt. … With Max at quarterback, we'll continue to tailor things to guys we have on the field.''
Randy Johnson
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Minnesota heads next into the final conference competition of the season, at home Friday against Ohio State.
