Story By: Erin Zollars
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Detroit, MI–
For those fans in attendance at the Quicklane Bowl, you may have witnessed one of the most bizarre games in College Bow History. Things that should have not happened to the Maryland Terps just should not have happened, period. The only thing we may have missed is a oil change at halftime.
Perry Hills who had hoped to go out a winner in his final game as a Terp, just seemed to make mistake afer mistake late in the game which included 7 sacks and at least 5 batted passes at the line of scrimmage.
“It is heartbreaking,” said Hills, who finished 15 for 35 for 229 yards and two touchdowns. He also was responsible for four turnovers in a circus game that bordered on Ringling Brothers fame. If there was a book to describe the 2016 season for the Terrapins — up and down, like the elevator to the press box would have been part of it. Well, the game today would have been at least a chapters worth. For the seventh time and last time this year, it ended with D.J Durkin sternly taking the podium with his no-excuse rhetoric, except now he must wait eight months for another game.
“We shot ourselves in the foot way too many times in that game with penalties and then turnovers,” Durkin said. “You can’t win a game when you do that too many times.”
With 4:02 left, the Terrapins got to the Boston College 1 with a chance to cut into their nine-point deficit and Hills lost a fumble after bobbling a snap. They got the ball back less than a minute later when Boston College’s Jon Hilliman fumbled at his 6, and were forced to settle for a field goal.
The Terrapins had the ball at their 35 with 1:48 left, but didn’t gain a yard before Harold Landry helped to finish them off with a possession-ending sack.
Maryland finishes the season at 6-7 and hopes with the incoming recruit class that they will fare a little better than the 3-6 in the Big 10 conference play next season.
