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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 26, ISSUE 6 91 Trained Up M aryland might not win much in Year 1 of the D.J. Durkin Era, but the new coach cer- tainly has brought energy to the Terrapins. Particularly so in recruiting, where Maryland had 10 com- mitments as of mid-June, in- cluding five-star defensive end Josh Kaindoh and four-star QB Kasim Hill. The class — and consider that this is Maryland, not exactly a traditional Pow- er-5 heavyweight — is ranked No. 24 by Rivals.com. Durkin's pedigree, says BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart, is helping him get off to a good start. "Durkin is a rising star in the coaching ranks who has cut his teeth working for the likes of Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh," Dienhart said. "He already is making a big impact as a recruiter in a fertile recruiting area. And Durkin has assembled a top staff that includes former head coaches in Mike London and Pete Lembo. Look for aggressive schemes on both sides of the ball, es- pecially an offense that wants to work at a quick pace." All is true, but this season might be a struggle. Durkin takes over a pro- gram that won only three games last season, and frequently looked terrible in the losses. Why? Turnovers. Mary- land threw 29 interceptions last sea- son, ranking last among 127 teams in FBS, plus had 18 fumbles, losing sev- en. The 36 total giveaways ranked — again — last in the country. Maryland's inability to hold on to the ball was a reason, perhaps the main reason, Randy Edsall was fired in mid-October, ending a week of specu- lation that the coach would soon be on his way out. Edsall had a 22-34 record at Maryland, including 0-12 vs. ranked opponents. So, Durkin takes over. The first thing to fix is the offense, and that will be the responsibility of 31-year-old coordinator Walt Bell, who is expected to bring a fast-paced of- fense to the Terrapins. The offense, heavy on screen passes and a perim- eter running game, could help out the turnover problems. "Maryland is going to be fun be- cause of the style of its offense," Di- enhart said. But QB play needs to improve. Ei- ther senior Perry Hills, who threw double-digit interceptions last season, or classmate Caleb Rowe, who did the 2015 Results (3-9) 9/5 RICHMOND . . . . . . . . W, 50-21 9/12 BOWLING GREEN . . . L, 27-48 9/19 SOUTH FLORIDA . . . . W, 35-17 9/26 at West Virginia . . . . . . L, 6-45 10/3 MICHIGAN . . . . . . . . . . L, 0-28 10/10 at Ohio State . . . . . . . L, 28-49 10/24 PENN STATE. . . . . . . . L, 30-31 10/31 at Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . L, 15-31 11/7 WISCONSIN . . . . . . . . L, 24-31 11/14 at Michigan State . . . . . L, 7-24 11/21 INDIANA . . . . . . . . . . . L, 28-47 11/28 at Rutgers . . . . . . . . . W, 46-41 Maryland Sophomore D.J. Moore is the Terps' leading returning receiver, with only 25 receptions. But UM is getting late transfer help. Maryland Terrapins OCT. 1 MARYLAND STADIUM TIME: 3:30 P.M. TV: TBA COACH: D.J. DURKIN RECORD AT MARYLAND: FIRST YEAR RECORD VS. PURDUE: FIRST MEETING 2016 Schedule 9/3 HOWARD 9/9 at Florida Int'l 9/17 at Central Florida 10/1 PURDUE 10/8 at Penn State 10/15 MINNESOTA 10/22 MICHIGAN STATE 10/29 at Indiana 11/5 at Michigan 11/12 OHIO STATE 11/19 at Nebraska 11/26 RUTGERS G O L D A N D B L AC K 'S E A R LY L I N E : P U R D U E - 1 Despite being just 37, Durkin comes to Maryland after working as an assistant coach at some of the top programs in the county: In his first full recruiting season, first-year coach D.J. Durkin is off to a good start with a class that is ranked in the top 15 by Rivals as of mid-June. The list of 10 commits includes five-star DE Josh Kaindoh out of Bradenton, Fla., and four- star quarterback Kasim Hill from Washington D.C. 2016 Opponent Preview Michigan (2015) Florida (2010-14) Stanford (2007-09) Notre Dame (2003-04)