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This wasn't the performance Maryland coach Randy Edsall hoped to see from his quarterback. Sure, Maryland beat Richmond 50-21 on Saturday. But Perry Hills, who earned the starting nod over Daxx Garman and Caleb Rowe, didn't look great against a Spiders defense that returned just four starters from 2014. "Very inconsistent," Edsall told ESPN at halftime. "He's not throwing the ball; he's winging it." Hills posted OK numbers Saturday, finishing 12-of-21 for two touchdowns and one interception. But the stats didn't tell the full story. Most of his yards came after the catch, and even Hills' 23-yard TD throw in the first quarter was initially believed to be a run. It was ruled a shovel pass. The redshirt junior's struggles were especially evident on a second-quarter drive that stalled in the red zone. He underthrew a wide-open Levern Jacobs for what could've been a touchdown, followed that up by badly missing his intended target on a swing pass and then, on 3rd-and-goal from the 22, completed a 10-yard pass. Rowe only took over midway through the fourth quarter in mop-up duty when the game was out of hand. The Terrapins are now 1-0 and will face Bowling Green at noon next Saturday.  What the win means for Maryland: Not much, to be honest. The Spiders are a good FCS team but that's just it -- they're an FCS team. Their quarterback, Kyle Lauletta, was facing his first career start. And Richmond's defense returned less than half their starters from last season. Maryland was expected to dominate, and it struggled in the first half. What the loss means for Richmond: The defensive line was a concern for the Spiders heading into this game, and the loss didn't really ease those concerns. That being said, Richmond has to be more concerned about the last five games of its schedule -- when it faces four strong FCS teams in James Madison, New Hampshire, Villanova and William & Mary. The Spiders won't face another team like Maryland. Player of the game: RB Brandon Ross. The redshirt senior was Mr. Consistency when Hills struggled connecting with his receivers. He hit the holes hard, tended to reach the second level without getting touched, and definitely impressed. Maryland needs to see more performances like that this season. He finished with a career-high 150 yards and one TD on 18 carries. The game was over when ...: Wes Brown rushed for a 1-yard touchdown early in the final quarter. Brown rushed six times in a row on that drive, and that TD extended the lead to 36-14. Before that, Richmond remained in striking distance. Unsung hero: William Likely. Forget defense; Likely helped invigorate this offense with his playmaking ability on special teams. He finished with a Big Ten-record 233 punt return yards (29.1 yards per return), including a 65-yard return TD. He almost would've had a second punt return TD had it not been called back due to a penalty and set the Terps up well several times. With Nebraska's De'Mornay Pierson-El currently injured, no B1G returner is more talented than Likely right now. He's one of the best in the nation.
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