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The Maryland Terrapins, behind a strong ground attack and a record-setting return game, squashed the Richmond Spiders 50-21 on a sunny opening day at Byrd Stadium.
Returner Will Likely kept the home crowd entertained by running wild for a Big Ten and school record 233 punt return yards including a 67-yard touchdown return that gave the Terps (1-0) a commanding 43-14 lead.
He averaged nearly 30 yards on eight punt returns as the Spiders surprisingly kept kicking to him. Add the 63 yards on two kickoff returns and Likely had almost and incredible 300 total return yards for the day. His 233 punt return yards broke a record that dated back to 1939.
Meanwhile, the Terrapin ground game amassed 341 yards on 45 carries against an overmatched Spider squad. The last time the Terps rushed for 300 yards in a game was during the 1999 season.
Maryland was led by senior running back Brandon Ross who had a career-best 150 yards on 18 carries. Freshman Ty Johnson added 83 yards on 10 rushes. Wes Brown ran for 74 yards on 13 attempts, each scoring a rushing touchdown.
Terps quarterback Perry Hills overcame a shaky start and an early interception, going 12-21 for 138 yards and two touchdown passes. He also ran for 25 yards on three attempts.
Likely set up the Terrapin offense with his nifty returns in the first half, but the Terps failed to take advantage of their good field position and settled for field goals in taking an early 13-7 lead.
Instead, it was the Spiders who found the end zone, taking a 14-13 lead with 10:35 to play in the first half. The Terps scored the final nine points of the half to take a 22-14 lead into the break.
In the second half, the Terps began to find the end zone and dominate the game as they ran off 28 straight points. The barrage began with a Ross 21-yard touchdown run to make the score 29-14 with 12:19 to play in the third quarter.
Brown later scored on a one-yard run with 12:58 to play in the game to extend the Terps lead to 36-14. Likely then found the end zone, after having one touchdown return called back to give Maryland a commanding 43-14 advantage.
Johnson finished off the scoring avalanche for the Terps with his own two-yard touchdown dash with 6:31 to go. The Spiders added a meaningless 16-yard touchdown run with 3:28 to go to end the scoring and cutting the Terps lead to 50-21.
Maryland kicker Brad Craddock added field goals of 34, 31 and 30 yards, but after going 18-19 and winning the Lou Groza award last year as the nation’s best kicker, provided some drama by missing one field goal from 28 yards and clanking one extra point attempt off of the side of the goal post.
The Terps were led in receiving by Malcolm Culmer who had one catch for 37 yards and a touchdown. Levern Jacobs had two receptions for 32 yards including a 23-yard catch and run for a touchdown.
Spider’s quarterback Kyle Lauletta, making his first career start, went 18-30 for 220 yards. Receiver Brian Brown led the team with four catches for 68 yards.
Jacobi Green paced the rushing attack, held to 56 yards by the Terps defense, with 23 yards on seven attempts and one first quarter touchdown in a losing effort for the ( 0-1) Spiders.
