Testudo Times: All Posts by Alex KirshnerSB Nation's award-winning Maryland Terrapins sitehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50025/testudo-fav.png2016-11-16T09:22:12-05:00https://www.testudotimes.com/authors/alex-kirshner/rss2016-11-16T09:22:12-05:002016-11-16T09:22:12-05:00Maryland basketball is still extremely Maryland
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Maryland at Georgetown" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/d2MMWz4bShW4ha4LPDv4qf--u-k=/0x0:4121x2747/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51861345/usa_today_9680157.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This Maryland team looks like a lot like the last few, even if we have no clue how good it’ll be.</p> <p id="GHbGWl">We still know so little about the Maryland’s men’s basketball team. It doesn’t take Basketball Einstein to figure out that Melo Trimble is a star, but Maryland’s roster after him is a heaping pile of long- and short-term variables with no obvious resolution. It’ll be a while yet before we know if Maryland’s great, good, or not even. </p>
<p id="ti10OK">But if there’s anything to take away from Maryland’s <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-basketball/2016/11/15/13643806/georgetown-final-score-recap-results-stats-game-box">late-game heist</a> against Georgetown on Tuesday, I think it’s this: Maryland is still very<em> </em>Maryland. </p>
<p id="CKIbqZ">To me, that’s a good thing. Mark Turgeon’s built Maryland into a team that’s going to be more likely than not to make the NCAA Tournament just about every year. The talent level here is considerable, and it should stay strong. It’s easy to gripe about how last year went, but you’d rather have Maryland positioned this way than not, from a roster management standpoint. The Terps should be pretty good for a while. </p>
<p id="9etlAE">Every caution about the 2016-17 Terrapins, and about projecting them, still holds. But while we don’t know how good they’ll be, we can take a stab at some things that look familiar. And so far, there are a few, and not just based on two games. </p>
<h4 id="Jq49nV">Maryland looks a lot like its old self, for better and worse.</h4>
<p id="Go7HQ7">The Terrapins still appear better than most teams at getting to the foul line, where Trimble’s been 15 times in two games. That’ll keep accounting for a larger than average share of points for this program, as it’s done since Trimble got to town in 2014. That’s a prediction based more on Maryland’s pick-and-roll, drive-heavy offense of the past than anything we’ve seen in the last week. But still, it’ll be a thing.</p>
<p id="UXtX8g">On another hand, Maryland won’t keep turning the ball over on one in four possessions, as it’s done through two games. But it sure <em>looks </em>like ball security – usually not a strong point of Turgeon’s Maryland teams – is not going to suddenly be sterling. Having a second ace ball-handler in Anthony Cowan could help, but Trimble’s so aggressive that turnovers will always be a part of the package there. Limiting them will be important.</p>
<h4 id="r4phXa">Maryland’s going to keep finding itself in tons of close games. </h4>
<p id="m4SPLf">The Terps were inextinguishable in close games two years ago, and late-game luck stayed good for some of last year before it faded a bit. When teams have tons of talent but that talent’s also young talent, and when they turn the ball over, they’re staring at a recipe for playing in some tight games. Maryland’s also played the last two seasons at a relatively slow tempo, and that holds down possessions and keeps games tight. That’s held up in the early-going of this season, for whatever it’s worth. </p>
<p id="d0yPRk">Squeakers against American and Georgetown are anecdotes, but the bigger picture here lies in Maryland’s schedule. Ken Pomeroy’s projection model thinks Maryland will play 11 more games this year with between a 35 percent and 65 percent chance of winning. (There’s a game at Michigan were Maryland’s modeled chances are 31 percent, and I bet that’ll be close, too.) If Maryland wants to finally win a road, ranked game under Turgeon, that’ll require playing a close one. So will holding off more middling Big Ten teams that threaten Maryland at home and on the road. </p>
<p id="DG4DY4">Sometimes, close games will end with Kevin Huerter swatting Jagan Mosley before the buzzer. Sometimes, they’ll end with Trimble banging three-pointers or calmly knocking down foul shots in the last 10 seconds. And sometimes, it’ll be Trimble who gets blocked, like he did in the Big Ten Tournament last year against Michigan State, or it’ll be some Indiana or Purdue guard who ices the game at the line. </p>
<h4 id="GYT7Pm">What we don’t know is how much Maryland will actually win.</h4>
<p id="LAe0D7">Maryland’s footprint doesn’t seem like it’ll change much, though I’m interested to see if the Terps shoot more threes than they have in the first two games. Maryland’s penchant for giving you heartburn almost definitely isn’t going to change. After all, it didn’t last year, and Maryland doesn’t have the talented veteran roster it did then. </p>
<p id="mOUmNE">But the difference between Maryland winning most of those nail-biters and losing them? That comes down to player development and a bit of luck, and we can’t predict how either will turn. Jared Nickens and Dion Wiley have started miserably on offense, and they’ll probably be better. Cowan, Huerter, and Justin Jackson are the toast of the town after Tuesday, but they’ll have growing pains, because everybody does. </p>
<p id="JwLX8C">This year’s filled with as much possibility as any of Turgeon’s six at Maryland – even last year, where some things were apparently less possible than we thought. Maryland’s heavy reliance on freshmen makes this team especially hard to peg, and that means the ceiling as much as the floor. Things might be great.</p>
<p id="7aYht9">Either way, they’ll be stressful. Maryland will make you sweat, but the prospect of this team taking off will be right in front of you all year. Maybe that’ll happen, and maybe it won’t. Maybe Maryland will be too frustrating to appreciate in the moment. A degree of uncertainty has become part of the Terps’ foundation, and by now, we should all have coping mechanisms in place. </p>
<p id="0L7ZoH">Two years ago, Maryland seemed like a fringe tournament team and became one of the stories of the Big Ten. Last year, Maryland felt like a surefire top-10 team, and it wasn’t. This year, none of us can be remotely sure what Maryland is, other than that it’s still incredibly Maryland-ish. For now, that’s a really fun place to be.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-basketball/2016/11/16/13647710/basketball-georgetown-game-recap-statsAlex Kirshner2016-09-18T13:35:51-04:002016-09-18T13:35:51-04:00This Maryland product is so much better
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<img alt="Maryland v Florida International" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wfmlZjkDZN8h9W8buuiK4CGtsQw=/0x0:2765x1843/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50903423/601352946.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps are watchable again, and they’re clearly moving in the proper direction.</p> <p id="PfOqhf">I don’t think Maryland’s that good. At least not yet.</p>
<p id="D7TlW0">The Terps came out of non-conference play 3-0, but they were only especially good in one game. They <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/17/12954946/maryland-football-ucf-final-score-results-recap-stats-game-2016">won in double overtime</a> against Central Florida on Saturday, which is fine. But they needed two extra possessions against what’s likely one of the worst teams in the FBS, and even then, they needed a freshman quarterback to accidentally throw a backwards pass that set up a game-turning recovery. </p>
<p id="fBffi0">This isn’t a criticism. Maryland went 3-9 last year, and it’s already matched that total. If you were expecting Maryland to be much better than decent in 2016, you were expecting something that has never been likely to pan out. And in a few ways, Maryland’s lukewarm brand of 3-0 start has been highly encouraging. </p>
<h4 id="ywJRwu">1. Maryland doesn’t pass out turnovers like candy anymore. </h4>
<p id="HjMWdr">For a team that tossed a historically putrid 29 interceptions last year, it’s remarkable that Maryland’s gone three games without a giveaway. I don’t care who they’ve played. Maryland had <em>eight </em>turnovers in three games outside the Power 5 last year. That number became zero.</p>
<p id="mxzxEb">This suggests that Maryland’s made meaningful changes. Perry Hills has been smarter and more accurate, for sure, and the Terps have limited their quarterbacks’ chances to mess up. They’ve thrown 75 times and run 139, a huge split. Give coordinator Walt Bell and Hills tons of credit – Bell for protecting Hills from extra chances to fail, and Hills for his notable improvement. The result is that this offense is drastically better, plus safer.</p>
<h4 id="UHVbjx">2. There’s real, honest fun here. </h4>
<p id="5LEOhy">Maryland’s offense was boring as all hell last year. Outside the occasional long Hills or Ty Johnson run or Will Likely gadget play, there was nothing exciting going on. That’s different now. Here’s Tyrrell Pigrome: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brb, still watching Pigrome juke that last guy into oblivion:<a href="https://t.co/r5Fxxmtndr">https://t.co/r5Fxxmtndr</a><a href="https://t.co/NjLNDReapy">https://t.co/NjLNDReapy</a></p>— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/testudotimes/status/777514492397621249">September 18, 2016</a>
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<p id="zWx9av">And here’s Lorenzo Harrison: </p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TBT?src=hash">#TBT</a><a href="https://t.co/7MgHCVwXnE">https://t.co/7MgHCVwXnE</a></p>— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/testudotimes/status/777297551049515009">September 18, 2016</a>
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<p id="jVZJd1">Between freshmen Pigrome, Harrison and Jake Funk, Maryland’s gotten 340 yards on 53 carries. That’s a 6.4-yard average from three kids Maryland has for up to three more years after this one. This is the kind of thing that can Make Maryland Fun Again. </p>
<h4 id="uYfYPw">Maryland’s got lots of warts, but this is watchable football now.</h4>
<p id="1nZCLS">We should be worried about a few things Maryland’s done so far. The defense has given up 3.6 yards per carry, which isn’t the worst, but it suggests some of the Big Ten’s better teams are going to run wild. You could say the same about the pass defense, which has let up 6.7 yards per attempt – another decent number, but an underwhelming one given the caliber of the competition. </p>
<p id="wDzgvb">New kicker Adam Greene missed two field goals on Saturday, and Maryland hasn’t found explosiveness yet in the kick and punt returning game. Not all’s perfect.</p>
<p id="k4HFj8">And yet, you can’t watch Maryland in 2016 without acknowledging that the horrors of 2015 appear well behind it. Maryland still isn’t that talented, but it doesn’t make mistakes in the same volume it used to make them. It plays to its strengths, and it has fun, young players. The Terps are still recruiting well, and they’re approaching the point where this year’s on-field results won’t get in the way of that.</p>
<p id="sdPdCt">Maybe Maryland’s final record won’t be great. But the Terps are striding in the right direction, and they’ll be plenty of fun to watch.</p>
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https://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/18/12959622/maryland-football-stats-dj-durkin-2016Alex Kirshner2016-09-09T00:20:14-04:002016-09-09T00:20:14-04:00MM: World University Games, staff announcements
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<img alt="Maryland v Connecticut" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UoOm4JrZk21MQzbN-fkU0dUyJhE=/0x0:1632x1088/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50753291/468699874.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Happy Friday! It’s the Maryland Minute, a short story and roundup of Terps-related (and, today, Testudo Times-related) news. </p> <p id="KQcTPF">The Maryland women’s basketball team will travel to Taiwan next summer to represent the United States in the World University Games.</p>
<p id="uyPfko">The World University Games are a biannual deal. It’s a multiple-sport event, specifically for athletes between 17 and 24. They come, as the event’s name suggests, from all over the world. Everyone has to either be a college student or have been one within a year, and it sounds kind of like an Olympics for college kids. </p>
<p id="PhfHut">It’s exceedingly rare for entire college <em>teams </em>to get these sorts of trips. The only women’s basketball team to ever do it before was UNC Charlotte in 2007. Before that, the Big 12 sent a conference team in 2003.</p>
<p id="KIDi0N">Here’s a video Maryland did on this: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Honored to represent the USA at the World University Games in Taipei next summer! <a href="https://t.co/VdLp7GqXTi">https://t.co/VdLp7GqXTi</a> <a href="https://t.co/QmlMebsDkH">https://t.co/QmlMebsDkH</a></p>— Maryland WBB (@umdwbb) <a href="https://twitter.com/umdwbb/status/773884073966088192">September 8, 2016</a>
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<p id="X1ENWr">Maryland<a href="http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=716399&SPID=120729&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=29700&ATCLID=211094892"> went to Italy </a>this past summer. International trips are terrific team-building opportunities and also lots of fun, so good for Maryland for getting one here – and getting a chance to play in a tournament teams don’t often get to join.</p>
<h4 id="JhHYCP">Elsewhere</h4>
<p id="Ay3PkH">Uh, Maryland’s got a football game <em>tonight</em>. <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/8/12841578/maryland-football-florida-international-preview--game-tv-channel-2016">Here’s a preview.</a></p>
<p id="JYkqks">Jesse Aniebonam and Melvin Keihn: <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/8/12844548/maryland-football-jesse-aniebonam-melvin-keihn-defensive-line-sacks-buck">pretty good.</a></p>
<p id="9B0fak">Denzel Conyers is<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/tracking-the-terps/bal-terps-denzel-conyers-20160907-story.html"> back and at ‘em</a> after a scary injury.</p>
<p id="vC8i3M">Florida is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/maryland-football-is-trying-to-win-games-and-recruits-in-florida/2016/09/08/0cca4cd2-75f2-11e6-b786-19d0cb1ed06c_story.html">super, super important</a> to what Maryland’s doing these days.</p>
<h4 id="L0nWhP">We’ve also got some important staffing news. </h4>
<p id="Tl33eO">It’s been my honor to run Testudo Times for the last year (or the last 11 months and change, if I’m being honest). In that regard, my run’s come to an end. I’ll no longer be a co-managing editor here or running our day-to-day operations.</p>
<p id="vjxrPG">Ryan Connors, who’s done brilliantly as my co-manager for the last few months since Dave Tucker moved on, will be the sole managing editor. Thomas Kendziora and Matt Ellentuck are the assistant managing editors, and otherwise, we’re just a big team. We’ve always been pretty collaborative about our workflow here. We expect to add a few new writers soon, and I’ll stick around doing a few things: writing columns when Ryan lets me and developing those as-yet-to-meet-you new folks. I’ll be, um, a contributing editor? I just want to stay involved, honestly.</p>
<p id="87pgnc">This is sad news for me, but it comes from something good. This isn’t any big secret, but I’ve just started up in a full-time capacity covering college football for our parent, SB Nation. Getting to work there is a dream, just like getting to work here’s been a dream. One’s full-time employment, however, and one isn’t. Time constraints are time constraints, and I can’t do both jobs at once without short-changing the rest of our staff and the people who consume our work.</p>
<p id="YvrkmA">Ryan’s going to keep pushing this place forward, and his eventual successor will do the same thing. And on it will go, because that’s how we do things. We’ll always have turnover, and we’ll always have young people writing, but the mission never changes: to be informative, to be fun and to be a community. Thanks for being a part of all of it, and thanks for keeping me honest. Let’s keep it going.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/9/12858454/maryland-womens-basketball-world-university-gamesAlex Kirshner2016-09-06T10:26:35-04:002016-09-06T10:26:35-04:00Maryland depth chart vs. FIU lists 3 co-starters at RB
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Howard at Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ipKscn6WjhyriHg3Jnhx8YZly24=/0x0:2807x1871/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50691377/usa-today-9516015.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Terps play the Golden Panthers on Friday night.</p> <p id="ffINQr">The Maryland football team released an updated depth chart ahead of Friday’s game against FIU, and it includes three co-starters at running back: Ty Johnson, Trey Edmunds and Kenneth Goins. That’s a change from Johnson’s status as the sole starter for the season opener against Howard. </p>
<p id="DqtezU">Maryland cornerback J.C. Jackson, who missed the opener due to an academic issue, still isn’t listed on the depth chart. The starting outside cornerback opposite Alvin Hill is RaVon Davis, with Will Likely still listed as a nickel.</p>
<p id="TN1e0A">The full depth chart is here:</p>
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<img alt="Maryland depth chart" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JJ86lInsoPyOW43E9FKIActoaaU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7050119/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-06%20at%2010.27.28%20AM.png">
<figcaption>Maryland’s announced depth chart vs. Florida International.</figcaption>
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<p id="BdGggT">Starters on the offensive and defensive lines remain identical to what we saw in Week 1, as do the wide receivers and linebackers. Likely is still listed on offense in addition to his role as nickel corner. </p>
<p id="JLFeJI">Quarterback Caleb Rowe was missing from the two-deep for the season opener, but he’s back for FIU, listed in a three-way tie backing up Perry Hills. He was sidelined for fall camp with an unspecified injury.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/6/12814192/maryland-depth-chart-fiu-football-gameAlex Kirshner2016-09-05T06:00:03-04:002016-09-05T06:00:03-04:00Labor Day MM: 5 key things about Maryland's start
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Howard at Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BSDW0DvEVuOZu5r0-IMkQRHImeA=/0x0:3928x2619/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50673315/usa-today-9515929.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Good morning. This is the Maryland Minute, a short story and roundup of Terps-related news</p> <p id="XSwFgp">I had to do other things this weekend, so I didn’t get to watch a minute of Maryland’s season opener against FCS Howard. I could only rely on a brief culling of game film and a bunch of stats (plus Testudo Times, of course). Based almost exclusively on the numbers, here are some conclusions and some things that jumped out:</p>
<p id="wPkflM"><strong>1. There were no interceptions. </strong>This is the most important thing, because Maryland threw 29 of those last year. To throw even one against a bad FCS team would’ve been pretty worrying, even if that worry wouldn’t have been wholly rational. (It would’ve been pretty good to force more than zero turnovers against Howard. Why didn’t that happen?)</p>
<p id="vyaidB"><strong>2. There was pace. </strong>Maryland ran 73 plays in 27 minutes of possession time. That’s pretty quick. Last year’s opener against FCS Richmond brought 67 plays in 31 minutes. But it’s not lightning, or anything. Maryland is running what you could fairly call an up-tempo scheme, but the goal isn’t to have a track meet. (Or, at least, it wasn’t against Howard. Lots of things will be different when the competition is better.)</p>
<p id="64poo4"><strong>3. At least 14 true freshmen are definitively not redshirting. </strong>Maryland only played eight true freshmen all of last season. Maryland played four-star guard Terrance Davis, which means Maryland has a freshman offensive lineman it’s not redshirting. These aren’t Randy Edsall’s Maryland Terrapins anymore, folks.</p>
<p id="yilNz1"><strong>4. Yeah, it would’ve been good to get some sacks. </strong>Maryland only brought down Howard’s quarterbacks twice, despite the Bison throwing 29 times. I’m not sure anyone should be worried about this, per se, but it’s something to watch.</p>
<p id="l9AbK4"><strong>5. The run-pass ratio was, um, different. </strong>Last season, Maryland ran on 441 plays and threw on 387, a ratio of 1.14 runs per pass. On Saturday, it was 44 runs against 29 passes, a ratio of 1.52 runs per pass. Maybe it doesn’t seem like it because these are decimals, but that’s a huge jump. Maryland has indicated it’ll be a running team this season, and the first game suggests no one was lying.</p>
<h4 id="SgEpa2">Here’s what we wrote about Maryland-Howard.</h4>
<p id="9Zuwzc">This is a collection of Testudo Times coverage. I was out on SB Nation business, but our people did some incredible work. Consume it; it’s free!</p>
<p id="MusNO4"><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/3/12786796/maryland-football-dj-durkin-howard-results-recap">DJ Durkin got to enjoy this</a>, by Ryan.</p>
<p id="f8l8Ud"><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/3/12785692/maryland-football-howard-ty-johnson-trey-edmunds-lorenzo-harrison-tyrrell-pigrome-jake-funk">The backfield depth is real</a>, by Thomas.</p>
<p id="9nxWHJ"><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/3/12786720/maryland-football-melvin-keihn-howard-dancing">Melvin Keihn got to play, finally</a>, and also have some fun, by Matt.</p>
<p id="moLdiV"><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/4/12793152/maryland-football-howard-photos-recap-final-score-results-2016">A photo gallery</a>, by Sammi.</p>
<p id="a3mC9b">JC Jackson <a href="http://JC%20Jackson%20didn%E2%80%99t%20play,%20which%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20good.">didn’t play</a>, which didn’t matter but wasn’t good.</p>
<h4 id="sKDHut">Here are other things.</h4>
<p id="LdllhR">It’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/terrapins-insider/wp/2016/09/04/trey-edmunds-shares-a-memorable-day-with-his-dad-in-big-terps-win/">a family affair</a> for Trey Edmunds and company.</p>
<p id="H6XSuD">Durkin’s usually boisterous, but<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/tracking-the-terps/bal-with-reputation-for-being-animated-dj-durkin-mostly-subdued-in-maryland-debut-20160903-story.html"> here he was not.</a></p>
<p id="V5Xbfw">This was easy,<a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bs-sp-schmuck-column-terps-0904-20160903-column.html"> but memorable.</a></p>
<p id="H4COB6">Special teams! <a href="http://www.dbknews.com/2016/09/05/maryland-football-special-teams-trey-edmunds/">They matter.</a></p>
<p id="kJCqSp">Thought this was pretty funny: Five-star Maryland point guard target Trevon Duval must have been really pissed off at UCLA.</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr">Top 9 <a href="https://t.co/GvcHZD8n5p">pic.twitter.com/GvcHZD8n5p</a></p>
— Trevon Duval (@DatGuy_Trey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DatGuy_Trey/status/772541383479472128">September 4, 2016</a>
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<p id="1a3yTv">Maryland plays FIU on Friday night. Stay with us all week, and thanks for reading.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/9/5/12797864/howard-score-stats-dj-durkinAlex Kirshner2016-09-03T10:09:53-04:002016-09-03T10:09:53-04:00The GameThread: Maryland-Howard
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GjCCWPU-M3D9TfbbIPLRiBiuoww=/0x2:3739x2495/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50598091/25928816254_583e59a55a_o.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Alexander Jonesi</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Maryland starts anew on Saturday. Let's all talk about it together.</p> <p>The Maryland football program has a clean slate.</p>
<p>The Terrapins are 0-0 this season. DJ Durkin has never lost a game as a college head coach. Maryland's tied with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State atop the Big Ten East. Everything's new, and everything's at least technically possible. There are a lot of ways this could go, and that's no small part of the fun. Here's a depth chart:</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/imHajjkUOoAeXKIze1aR_Q_mZd0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7013633/Screen%20Shot%202016-08-29%20at%207.01.08%20PM.png">
</figure>
<p>Maryland starts Durkin's first season at noon on Saturday, with a visit from the FCS Howard Bison. This <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/9/2/12702408/maryland-howard-game-time-tv-channel-preview-stream">shouldn't be especially hard </a>for Maryland if all goes to plan, Maryland will romp to an easy Week 1 victory and get on its way in preparation for Florida International on Friday.</p>
<p>We'll have live coverage from the press box at Maryland Stadium during the game, and then we'll have reporters at Gossett Team House to bring you more from afterward. Thanks, as always, for reading.</p>
<h4>To read, watch and listen, if you want:</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/8/31/12711764/maryland-football-perry-hills-dj-durkin-walt-bell-starter/in/12486593">This is Perry Hills' last ride.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/8/30/12713202/maryland-football-cavon-walker-howard-2016/in/12486593">Cavon Walker changed positions twice and gained one pound 60 times to become a starting tackle.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/8/30/12712538/dj-durkin-press-conference-maryland-howard/in/12486593">Watcg Durkin's season-opening presser.</a></p>
<p><iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/280530598&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" height="300" width="100%"></iframe></p>
<p>Enjoy today. Football's fun, and football's back.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/3/12737732/gamethread-maryland-football-hosts-howard-in-dj-durkins-first-gameAlex Kirshner2016-09-02T08:00:03-04:002016-09-02T08:00:03-04:00Maryland vs. Howard preview
<figure>
<img alt="dj durkin" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3a_KNSwzOLxP53kalz8POUrbI7E=/0x0:6016x4011/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50572631/26507164256_e947b5599d_o.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Alexander Jonesi</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Terps start their season against an FCS team, and not a particularly competitive one at that. This won’t be close, but it’s still important. </p> <p id="ntVCVp">Maryland will beat Howard on Saturday. That’ll be fine and good, but it won’t tell us a great deal about the 2016 Maryland football team or any Maryland football team after it. This will be a starting point, and not a particularly hard one. It won’t be an endpoint.</p>
<p id="JIcd5D">None of this is a shot at Howard, which is<a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-football/2016/3/1/11140182/terps-fiu-ucf-howard-game-contract-guarantees-payment-2016-schedule"> collecting a $325,000 guarantee</a> to play this game (12 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network). It’s also not a shot at Maryland’s current football staff, which had no hand in scheduling a game this non-competitive. To find appropriate competition, the Terps will push themselves for playing time. That’s fine.</p>
<p id="ph55qv">This should be fun, at least to a degree. This game isn’t particularly about the score, but it’s a first look at how DJ Durkin’s Maryland program will look. Durkin’s been looking forward to this for a while. From <a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terrapins-football/2016/2/11/10958126/dj-durkin-interview-terps-head-coach">our interview in February:</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Obviously I'll be excited for that. I think football's one of those sports where if you count up all the practices, all the workouts, <em>all that you do</em>, the days you put into it for the amount of game opportunities you get, it's a very lopsided number. You look at basketball, baseball and how many games they play compared to how many practices. Football's one of those sports where you have to enjoy the grind, enjoy the hard work, enjoy what goes into it and really have an appreciation for it.</p>
<p>And then, on the flip side, man, you have to make the most of those opportunities. You're only guaranteed 12 of them, and if you do well with those 12, you might get a 13th or a 14th or whatever else it is. I'm hoping by that point, our guys, based on how hard we've worked and what's gone into it, coaches, players all alike, that we've sold out and invested everything we have, every ounce of everything we have to get to that point – to where, now, it'll be, "Let's go let loose and have some fun." That's how I want that to be.</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="MbYvGo">This means something, so enjoy it. It’s important for Maryland, and – hey – it’s important to Howard, too. The Bison have been run out of the stadium by FBS teams in the recent past, and they’re not looking for a sequel. (That’s likely what will happen.)</p>
<h2 id="R9NwFg">Howard Bison</h2>
<p><b>Game time</b>: 12 p.m. ET Saturday</p>
<p><b>TV channe</b>l: Big Ten Network (Chris Denari and Scott McBrien)</p>
<p><b>Stream</b>: <a href="http://btn2go.com">BTN2Go</a></p>
<p id="Svzluu"><strong>2015 record: </strong>1-10</p>
<p id="9glDx4"><strong>Head coach: </strong>Gary Harrell</p>
<p id="8yHDCR"><strong>All-time record vs. Maryland: </strong>This is Maryland’s first game ever against Howard. It’s also the first time Maryland’s played a team from the District since a 19-0 win against George Washington in 1955.</p>
<h3 id="V6dBWz">Players to know</h3>
<p id="nvfhCQ"><strong>Kalen Johnson, QB, junior, 6’2/205, No. 15</strong>. Johnson was the Bison’s starting quarterback a year ago, and he’ll be the starter again. He threw for a 110 rating last season – eight touchdowns against nine interceptions, 5.9 yards per attempt. He got sacked a ton and wasn’t in an easy position to thrive.</p>
<p id="g1JUTp"><strong>Ricquazz Brannon, RB, sophomore, 5’11/200, No. 22</strong>. Brannon returns as Howard’s starting running back. He had nowhere much to go last season, and he mustered 341 yards on 101 carries. He scored one touchdown each as a runner and receiver.</p>
<p id="yzvymf"><strong>Jalen Day, LB, senior, 6’0, 220 pounds, No. 17</strong>. Day was the team’s leading tackler, with 85 in total and 6.5 for a loss. He also recovered three fumbles and blocked a kick, so he’s capable of some disruption.</p>
<p id="Ag86fE"><strong>Craig Johnson, S, senior, 5’11/200, No. 39</strong>. Johnson led the team with three sacks, despite coming from the backfield. His 59 total tackles were third on the team, and he had three pass breakups.</p>
<h3 id="N7fpmm">Strengths</h3>
<p id="nPgoIA">There’s just not a lot here. The FCS has a lot of solid football teams, and this isn’t a knock on Howard, which is a good school. Its players are presumably good people.</p>
<p id="BaSlds">It gives this website no joy to point out that Howard went 1-10 last year, or played an average game with a margin of 15 points against 37, or lost 49-0 to Appalachian State and 76-0 to Boston College, which had one of the worst FBS offenses ever.</p>
<p id="e0L79O">Howard isn’t so good. I spent a fair bit of time perusing the Bison team stat sheet from last year, hunting for pretty much anything to list as a strength. There’s nothing, as best I can tell. You can <a href="http://www.hubison.com/documents/2016/7/22/2015_Football_Stats.pdf">take a look and see if you find anything.</a></p>
<h3 id="vXHhei">Weaknesses</h3>
<p id="pNRmjM"><strong>Offense. </strong>Howard scored 15 points per game. The rushing average was 2.4 yards per carry. The passing average was 5.3 per attempt. There were 18 fumbles, eight of which were lost. There were 15 interceptions, which is more than a Half Maryland. (The Terps threw 29, granted not against FCS competition.) Bison quarterbacks were sacked 44 times, and the team converted 25 percent of its third downs. You get it.</p>
<p id="m84M4G"><strong>Defense. </strong>Howard allowed 37 points per game. The rushing average was 4.8 yards per carry. The passing average was 7.5 per attempt. There were just six interceptions, though at least Howard recovered 12 fumbles. The Bison sacked opposing quarterbacks just 11 times. It’s quite possible the Bison don’t sack Perry Hills even once.</p>
<p id="lc7LN1"><strong>Special teams. </strong>Maryland’s punting last year was almost the worst in the FBS. The average Maryland punt netted 37.2 yards. Howard’s average was 33.9 netted.</p>
<p id="E0jHTn">It isn’t good.</p>
<h3 id="1yKwT3">Predictions</h3>
<p id="hOT2rz"><strong>S&P+ prediction: </strong>Maryland wins by 49.7 points, with a 100 percent chance of victory.</p>
<p id="TmJcEM"><strong>My prediction: </strong>Maryland 55, Howard 14.</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps-football/2016/9/2/12702408/maryland-howard-game-time-tv-channel-preview-streamAlex Kirshner2016-09-01T12:00:03-04:002016-09-01T12:00:03-04:00Here's your Week 1 TV schedule
<figure>
<img alt="Maryland v Rutgers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2wo-zBNQ20A-UkqynQKs5oLxxZ0=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50597947/500850052.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Here’s how to watch Maryland-Howard and a bunch of other football.</p> <p id="8HloAV">College football’s back in full this week, with Maryland-Howard and a couple dozen other games set to fill up your weekend. It’s one of the great times of the year.</p>
<p id="s1LdAx">Maryland and Howard play at noon on Saturday, so that’ll block off the early shift of your viewing day. But there’s much more to get into.</p>
<p id="iy9I9m">Personally, I’m partial to South Carolina-Vanderbilt (a bad SEC game, but an SEC game) on Thursday night, Kansas State-Stanford (which includes Christian McCaffrey) on Friday night, LSU-Wisconsin (at Lambeau Field!) at 3:30 ET Saturday and USC-Alabama (all the talent in the world) on Saturday night.</p>
<p id="dRoeAY">Sunday is for Texas-Notre Dame, and Monday is for Ole Miss-Florida State. It’s a five-day viewing weekend, and it’s going to rule. So make sure to enjoy it, even when Maryland’s not one of the two teams on the field.</p>
<p id="5rOzvu">ESPN’s got a lot of these games, which are also spread on Fox, CBS, the conference networks and a bevy of smaller channels. Here’s how you can watch all of them, with streaming information included:</p>
<div id="uVo5Ov">
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="3">Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Matchup</td>
<td>Time (ET)</td>
<td>TV / Streaming</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Charlotte at (19) Louisville</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>FSN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UT Martin at Cincinnati</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tulane at Wake Forest</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Maine at UConn</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ASN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Presbyterian at Central Michigan</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Appalachian State at (9) Tennessee</td>
<td>7:30 p.m.</td>
<td>SECN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Indiana at FIU</td>
<td>7:30 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPNU / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>William & Mary at NC State</td>
<td>7:30 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>South Carolina at Vanderbilt</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Southern Utah at Utah</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Pac-12N / <a href="http://pac-12.com/live">Pac-12.com</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jackson State at UNLV</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>MWN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rice at WKU</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>CBSSN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Oregon State at Minnesota</td>
<td>9:00 p.m.</td>
<td>BTN / <a href="http://www.btn2go.com/">BTN2Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>South Dakota at New Mexico</td>
<td>9:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ROOT Sports</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Montana State at Idaho</td>
<td>9:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ALT / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Weber State at Utah State</td>
<td>10:00 p.m.</td>
<td>MWN</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="3">Friday, Sept. 2, 2016</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Matchup</td>
<td>Time (ET)</td>
<td>TV / Streaming</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MVSU at Eastern Michigan</td>
<td>6:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Furman at (12) Michigan State</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>BTN / <a href="http://www.btn2go.com/">BTN2Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ball State at Georgia State</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ASN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Colgate at Syracuse</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Army at Temple</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>CBSSN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Albany at Buffalo</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Northwestern State at (23) Baylor</td>
<td>7:30 p.m.</td>
<td>FSN / <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">FS Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Colorado vs. Colorado State (at Denver, CO)</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kansas State at (8) Stanford</td>
<td>9:00 p.m.</td>
<td>FS1 / <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">FS Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Toledo at Arkansas State</td>
<td>9:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPNU / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cal Poly at Nevada</td>
<td>9:30 p.m.</td>
<td>MWN</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="3">Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Matchup</td>
<td>Time (ET)</td>
<td>TV / Streaming</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Georgia Tech vs. Boston College (in Ireland)</td>
<td>7:30 a.m.</td>
<td>ESPN2 / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>(3) Oklahoma vs. (15) Houston (at NRG Stadium)</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>ABC / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bowling Green at (6) Ohio State</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>BTN / <a href="http://www.btn2go.com/">BTN2Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hawaii at (7) Michigan</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>ESPN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Boise State at UL Lafayette</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>ASN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EKU at Purdue</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>ESPNNEWS / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fordham at Navy</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>CBSSN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Howard at Maryland</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>BTN / <a href="http://www.btn2go.com/">BTN2Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Missouri at West Virginia</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>FS1 / <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">FS Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>South Alabama at Mississippi State</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>SECN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Western Michigan at Northwestern</td>
<td>Noon</td>
<td>ESPNU / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Liberty at Virginia Tech</td>
<td>12:30 p.m.</td>
<td>ACCN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Villanova at Pittsburgh</td>
<td>1:30 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Abilene Christian at Air Force</td>
<td>2:00 p.m.</td>
<td>MWN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rutgers at (14) Washington</td>
<td>2:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Pac-12N / <a href="http://pac-12.com/live">Pac-12.com</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>(5) LSU vs. Wisconsin (at Green Bay, WI)</td>
<td>3:30 p.m.</td>
<td>ABC / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>(16) UCLA at Texas A&M</td>
<td>3:30 p.m.</td>
<td>CBS / <a href="http://www.cbssports.com">cbssports.com</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Miami, OH at (17) Iowa</td>
<td>3:30 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPNU / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SE Louisiana at (21) Oklahoma State</td>
<td>3:30 p.m.</td>
<td>FSN / <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">FS Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Kent State at Penn State</td>
<td>3:30 p.m.</td>
<td>BTN / <a href="http://www.btn2go.com/">BTN2Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Murray State at Illinois</td>
<td>3:30 p.m.</td>
<td>BTN / <a href="http://www.btn2go.com/">BTN2Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Richmond at Virginia</td>
<td>3:30 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas State at Ohio</td>
<td>3:30 p.m.</td>
<td>CBSSN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Louisiana Tech at Arkansas</td>
<td>4:00 p.m.</td>
<td>SECN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UC Davis at (24) Oregon</td>
<td>5:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Pac-12N / <a href="http://pac-12.com/live">Pac-12.com</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>(18) Georgia vs. (22) North Carolina (at Atlanta, GA)</td>
<td>5:30 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Austin Peay at Troy</td>
<td>6:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Florida A&M at Miami (FL)</td>
<td>6:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hampton at Old Dominion</td>
<td>6:00 p.m.</td>
<td>CUSA.TV</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NC Central at Duke</td>
<td>6:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Savannah State at Georgia Southern</td>
<td>6:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Southern Illinois at Florida Atlantic</td>
<td>6:00 p.m.</td>
<td>CUSA.TV ($)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Western Carolina at East Carolina</td>
<td>6:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>VMI at Akron</td>
<td>6:30 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alabama A&M at Middle Tennessee</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>CUSA.TV ($)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alabama State at UTSA</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>KMYS-CW 35</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rhode Island at Kansas</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>San Jose State at Tulsa</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>CBSSN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SE Missouri State at Memphis</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMU at North Texas</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ASN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>South Carolina State at UCF</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Southern at ULM</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Towson at USF</td>
<td>7:00 p.m.</td>
<td><a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">ESPN3</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>UMass at (25) Florida</td>
<td>7:30 p.m.</td>
<td>SECN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Southern Miss at Kentucky</td>
<td>7:30 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPNU / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>(20) USC vs. (1) Alabama (at Arlington, TX)</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ABC / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>South Dakota State at (13) TCU</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>FSN / <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">FS Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EWU at Washington State</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Pac-12N / <a href="http://pac-12.com/live">Pac-12.com</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fresno State at Nebraska</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>BTN / <a href="http://www.btn2go.com/">BTN2Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>New Mexico State at UTEP</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>beIN SPORTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Northern Iowa at Iowa State</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>Cyclones.tv ($)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Stephen F. Austin at Texas Tech</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>FSN / <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">FS Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>New Hampshire at San Diego State</td>
<td>8:30 p.m.</td>
<td>TBA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>(2) Clemson at Auburn</td>
<td>9:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Arizona vs. BYU (at Glendale, AZ)</td>
<td>10:30 p.m.</td>
<td>FS1 / <a href="https://www.foxsportsgo.com/">FS Go</a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Northern Illinois at Wyoming</td>
<td>10:30 p.m.</td>
<td>CBSSN</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Northern Arizona at Arizona State</td>
<td>10:45 p.m.</td>
<td>Pac-12N / <a href="http://pac-12.com/live">Pac-12.com</a>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="3">Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Matchup</td>
<td>Time (ET)</td>
<td>TV / Streaming</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>(10) Notre Dame at Texas</td>
<td>7:30 p.m.</td>
<td>ABC / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="3">Monday, Sept. 5, 2016</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Matchup</td>
<td>Time (ET)</td>
<td>TV / Streaming</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>(11) Ole Miss vs. Florida State (at Orlando, FL)</td>
<td>8:00 p.m.</td>
<td>ESPN / <a href="http://www.espn.com/watchespn/index">WatchESPN</a>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/1/12720398/college-football-tv-schedule-game-times-watch-online-week-1Alex Kirshner2016-09-01T07:00:03-04:002016-09-01T07:00:03-04:00MM 9.1: What’s a success?
<figure>
<img alt="maryland spring practice" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/foKVIdiAFQrWG7s96YP65cdz1yo=/0x0:5009x3339/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50596963/abj_1202jpg_25452851294_o.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Alexander Jonesi</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Good morning. It’s Thursday’s Maryland Minute, a short story, a question for you and a roundup of Terps-related news.</p> <p id="HDBWXa">At DJ Durkin’s first <a href="http://dj%20durkin%20press%20conference">game-week press conference</a> as Maryland’s head football coach on Tuesday, someone asked him what would constitute a successful season.</p>
<p id="49sdr7">Let’s just print Durkin’s response in full:</p>
<p id="dGur01">"That’s a tough question. We have to go through this first year before I can look back on it. It’s coach speak, but it truly is how you have to be. We’re trying to have the best Tuesday we can possibly have. If we have a better day today than we did yesterday and then on Wednesday, we have a better day than we did on Tuesday, that, to me, is how you go through the work. We’re a young team. We’re certainly learning new schemes and all that other stuff, but no one really cares. It’s just, ‘Let’s go play.’ That’s what you’ve gotta do. Put everything aside, and no one cares how you got to where you are or what’s going on. It is what it is.</p>
<p id="wjNkWz">"And I really feel that we have a talented enough team to go play and play well this year. What equals that, I don’t know. I think fans and media equate more of those things to wins and losses. For us, obviously, we know the game is winning, and we’re trying to win every game we play. We’re going to measure the successes of each player individually and each unit on how we do things, specific to what we emphasize in our program."</p>
<div id="lvVyPn">
<p><iframe width="100%" height="300" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/280530598&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true"></iframe></p>
</div>
<p id="qJaEYs">There’s a lot there, and Durkin’s self-aware enough to acknowledge that it <em>is </em>coach speak. Coaches don’t put numbers on the wins they need, and that makes sense.</p>
<p id="4wXEeu">But we’re fans and media and, as Durkin acknowledged, prone to measuring things exactly that way. So, let’s just go ahead and pose the question.</p>
<h3 id="CFPzZw">How many wins does Maryland need for this season to be a success?*</h3>
<p id="fo5ggT">You can vote in a poll at the bottom of this post, and definitely drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s only consider the regular season win total.</p>
<p id="Pygd4B">*It’s a legitimate view that you can’t view success in a vacuum. A 5-7 season that includes a great recruiting class is more valuable than a 6-6 season that doesn’t, for instance. But just give a number that’ll have you watching Maryland football and thinking, "Hey, I’m pretty happy with this." For you, what's that number?</p>
<h3 id="fhkAqH">In other news</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/8/31/12711764/maryland-football-perry-hills-dj-durkin-walt-bell-starter">It's Perry Hills' last rodeo.</a></p>
<p id="FK82XE">Durkin has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/dj-durkin-spends-maryland-football-camp-in-the-dorms-with-his-team/2016/08/31/ac592416-6f36-11e6-8365-b19e428a975e_story.html">spent fall camp living in a Maryland dorm</a>, alongside his players. As someone who’s lived in Maryland dorms, I admire his willingness to get down and dirty.</p>
<p id="fbOP40">Will Likely <a href="http://balt%20sun%20terps%20basketball">will do a little bit of everything.</a></p>
<p>Maryland<a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/2016/8/31/12738802/maryland-football-anthony-mcfarland-top-5-alabama-miami-florida"> made the top five</a>, unsurprisingly, for DeMatha's Anthony McFarland. He's currently injured.</p>
<p id="alSY6h">NBA rookies seem to<a href="http://maryland.247sports.com/Bolt/Layman-Stone-Get-Props-in-NBA-Rookie-Poll-47077221"> like Jake Layman and Diamond Stone.</a></p>
<p id="zP4Dwa">Some<a href="http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=29700&ATCLID=211157452"> Big Ten preseason honors</a> for Maryland golfers. Remember, Maryland has a golf team! Here’s Thomas Kendziora<a href="http://www.testudotimes.com/maryland-terps/2016/6/6/11864388/maryland-terps-golf"> on how that’s going.</a></p>
<p id="BUpwel">Former Maryland soccer player Mael Corboz is on the move.</p>
<div id="FTQi3o">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">USL's <a href="https://twitter.com/WilmHammerheads">@WilmHammerheads</a> transfer former <a href="https://twitter.com/MarylandMSoccer">@MarylandMSoccer</a> MF Mael Corboz, 21, to Duisburg in German 3rd division. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/terps?src=hash">#terps</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rbny?src=hash">#rbny</a></p>
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/771040052298342400">August 31, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
</div>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2016/9/1/12735914/maryland-football-season-dj-durkinAlex Kirshner2016-08-30T12:24:00-04:002016-08-30T12:24:00-04:00Watch DJ Durkin's pre-Howard press conference
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1BZDOnUtuTqB8CmJ6-3zA681e0w=/0x269:3264x2445/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50579131/Slack_for_iOS_Upload-1.0.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>The Maryland coach holds a media availability before the Terps' opener.</p> <p>It's a game week in College Park, and Maryland head football coach DJ Durkin held his first game-week press conference on Tuesday. He talked about Maryland's depth chart and the Terps' season opener against Howard on Saturday.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Periscope?src=hash">#Periscope</a>: Coach Durkin press conference <a href="https://t.co/jy75ebJlMq">https://t.co/jy75ebJlMq</a></p>
— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/TerpsFootball/status/770653144552501249">August 30, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p>Durkin has been an interim head coach before, and he led Florida through a bowl preparation two seasons ago. But this is his first experience as a full-time head coach. To some degree, it's all new.</p>
<p>He commented on Perry Hills and Ty Johnson securing starting spots, Will Likely, Jake Funk and Tino Ellis being listed on offense and defense on the two-deep, and much more. Near the end, he commented on his reasons for leaving the depth chart fluid.</p>
<p>"Do to it any other way is incorrect. Kids always have to know that practice is important. This is a Tuesday. A guy could go out there and lose his job today," Durkin said. "Any time a guy knows his name is there in permanent marker his work ethic will suffer a bit. That's just human nature."</p>
https://www.testudotimes.com/2016/8/30/12712538/dj-durkin-press-conference-maryland-howardAlex Kirshner