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Maryland Terrapins: 2016 College Football Season Preview

By Jonathan Gross

Nov 14, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of a Maryland Terrapins helmet on the field prior to a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of a Maryland Terrapins helmet on the field prior to a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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Can Maryland finally crack the code when it comes to beating Big 10 teams?

When Maryland joined the Big Ten for the 2014 season, they knew they would be in for a difficult time on the gridiron. Head coach Randy Edsall, who had a very successful stint at UConn, looked to elevate the program in College Park.

After putting together a solid 7-5 record in 2014, hopes were a little higher for the 2015 season. However, things went downhill quickly

Sep 5, 2015; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back William Likely (4) high fives fans after a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium. Maryland won the game 50-21. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2015; College Park, MD, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back William Likely (4) high fives fans after a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Byrd Stadium. Maryland won the game 50-21. Mandatory Credit: Derik Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

The Terps opened up the season with a win over FCS foe Richmond, before losing in a beat down to Bowling Green. The loss was just a preview of what was to come. Halfway through the campaign, Maryland was sitting at 2-4 (0-2 in conference).

The higher-ups decided that they were done with Edsall at the helm, and promoted offensive coordinator Mike Locksley to the job.

The losing didn’t stop there. It took until the final game of the season versus lowly Rutgers to win another game, over two months after their most recent victory. Needless to say, their eight-game losing streak was a dark spot in their program’s history.

In 2015, the Terrapins averaged 24.7 points per game (95th in the country) and gave up 34.4 points per game (103rd in the country). Both are dismal numbers, but there is plenty of room to improve. A new coach and a solid recruiting class have fans excited for a bounce-back season.

Will the program take a step forward under first-year head coach DJ Durkin?

Next: Key Losses

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