Moore scores 3 TDs to help Maryland roll past Towson 63-17

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- For an encore to its upset win at Texas, Maryland lit up the scoreboard with a scoring display unlike any in the past 63 years.

D.J. Moore scored three touchdowns, true freshman Kasim Hill excelled in his starting debut and Maryland got two long TD runs from Ty Johnson in a 63-17 rout of in-state foe Towson on Saturday.

The Terrapins (2-0) scored nine touchdowns and amassed 534 yards in offense to sustain the momentum created by their season-opening 51-41 victory against the then-No. 23 Longhorns.

The 63 points were the most scored by the Terps since they crushed Missouri 74-13 in 1954. It was the first time since 1951 that Maryland reached the 50-point mark in successive games, and the first time in school history it opened the season with two straight 50-point games.

Two touchdown passes from Hill to Moore and a 74-yard run by Johnson put Maryland in front 21-0 after nine minutes, and the offense never let up.

"We came out and really started right the way we wanted to ," second-year coach DJ Durkin said. "Kasim did a great job taking the job down the field."

Hill took over for injured starter Tyrrell Pigrome in the third quarter against Texas and completed his only three passes. He started 8 for 8 in this one and was 13 for 16 for 163 yards before watching the fourth quarter from the sideline.

"He was very efficient," said Durkin, adding that some of the big plays in the running game made it unnecessary for Hill to flex his throwing arm.

Johnson's 46-yard touchdown run in the third quarter made it 35-7 and enabled him to become the fourth player in Maryland history to reach the 100-yard mark in four straight games. He finished with 124 yards on only five carries, a whopping 24.8-yard average.

The Terrapins outscored Towson 21-0 in the third quarter, the last TD coming on an end-around by Moore in which he broke four tackles on his way to the end zone.

Towson (1-1) got both its touchdowns on passes by Ryan Stover, a redshirt freshman also making his first college start.

Stover went 21 for 36 for 210 yards and two interceptions, the first of which was taken back 75 yards for a score by Darnell Savage Jr.

"We had a good feel for what they were going to do," said Stover, who was sacked four times.

The Tigers won their opener against Morgan State 10-0, but this was a huge step up in competition -- as indicated by the final score.

"They're explosive, they're talented, they're smart and physical," coach Rob Ambrose said of the Terrapins. "They're going to be a very, very good football team."

Unlike Maryland, the Tigers were not able to build on a strong showing in the opener.

"Whatever we did last week on defense, we covered the other end of the spectrum today," Ambrose said.

Cornerback Monte Fenner said: "We just missed too many tackles. They were bigger dudes, but when you get the opportunity to make a play, you've got to make the play."

RUNNING WILD

Johnson is the first Maryland player to open with two straight 100-yard games since Keon Lattimore in 2007. He's averaging 15.1 yards per carry, an increase over his impressive 9.1 average of 2016.

THE TAKEAWAY

Towson: Despite the lopsided score, the Tigers took away some positives against a Big Ten foe. They had a nice goal-line stand in the second quarter and moved the ball sufficiently enough behind a freshman quarterback who exuded poise and confidence. At halftime, Towson had more first downs than Maryland (11-9) and trailed in total yardage by only 219-193.

Maryland: The Terrapins are ringing up big numbers offensively, regardless of who is at quarterback. In this one, Hill got some invaluable experience moving forward. Maryland seems to have its offense working at peak efficiency, but the defense must improve if the Terrapins expect to make some noise in the conference this season.

UP NEXT

Towson: The Tigers play the second of three straight road games next Saturday night, facing St. Francis of the Northeast Conference.

Maryland: After a bye week, the Terrapins host Central Florida on Sept. 23, a team they beat in OT last year.

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