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Maryland football seeks spark from running game: ‘Prove people wrong’
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- Maryland football seeks spark from running game: ‘Prove people wrong’
COLLEGE PARK — In his first year as Maryland 's primary running back, DeJuan Williams set a school record for receiving yards in a season by a running back with 426, and his 45 catches were the second-most in a campaign.
But the Baltimore resident and St. Frances graduate was far from satisfied.
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"It's a blessing to have a record in my name, but the main focus is I want 1,000 yards," he said after Wednesday's practice. "That's the main goal this year. That's cool that I can catch out of the backfield. I love to do that. I love to be a two-way guy, run the ball and catch the ball. But my goal is getting a 1,000 this year."
Williams' objective is part of a larger goal to further develop a Terps run offense that was ineffective at times last fall. The unit ranked last in the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,252) and second-to-last in yards per game (104.3) and total touchdowns (nine).
In an ideal world, the run game would complement a passing attack headed by quarterback Malik Washington , who led all NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision freshmen a year ago in passing yards with 2,963, which also marked a school record for freshmen. Washington also paced the Big Ten in pass attempts (473), and that juxtaposition poses a dilemma for new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Clint Trickett.
"I like Air Raid offenses and throwing the ball around. I haven't had a Malik Washington either. So I'm going to take full advantage of that," he said during the team's preseason media day. "But at the same time, there is a point of emphasis on the run game. We've been able to do that in my past, and we've been focused on that this spring, this summer, and now going into fall camp of establishing a run game. So there's a mix."
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If there's a reason for optimism, it is embodied by Trickett, who, despite his background as a West Virginia quarterback who once threw for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns as a fifth-year senior, has molded potent run offenses as a coach. Under Trickett as the offensive coordinator in 2022, Marshall averaged 205.9 rushing yards, which ranked 17th nationally. Last year, Jacksonville State ran for 246.7 yards per game, which was fifth in the country.
While Trickett was fortunate to coach Khalan Laborn at Marshall (12th nationally in rushing yards per game at 116.4) and Cam Cook at Jacksonville State (first at 127.6), there is not yet a clear-cut starter at Maryland.
Williams led the backfield a year ago with 501 rushing yards and scored three times, and sophomore Iverson Howard ran for 125 yards. In the offseason, the team brought in USC redshirt freshman Harry Dalton III, a four-star recruit in high school, and Temple graduate student Terrez Worthy, a three-star prospect, to fortify the position.
"There's competition across the board at every position," Trickett said. "But that [running backs] room is definitely one where you think you maybe have a [No.] 1, but then who is the [No.] 2? Who is the [No.] 3? Who is the next one in there?"
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Coach Michael Locksley said Wednesday he doesn't feel rushed to name a starter.
"In our system, we've always had multiple guys," he said. "Obviously, if one is running hot, you let him run hot and use the others to complement, but I think in college football nowadays, having two guys that can definitely carry the load, we're fortunate because I think we have three that all can be the starter. There's no doubt that they've really improved over the course of the last six months, and I'm excited to see what they do."
Both Trickett and Locksley have noted that Washington, the Glen Burnie native and Spalding graduate who rushed for 302 yards last season, can add to the rushing offense. But Williams said the running backs know the onus is on them to alleviate the burden on their quarterback and receivers.
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"We weren't patient enough," he said. "I feel like we left a lot of meat on the bone last year, and we definitely could have made more plays than what we did last year. So this year, we're definitely improving on being more patient, making a guy miss on the second level, especially for me."
Running the ball is an oft-repeated philosophy in the Big Ten. So squeezing more production out of the running backs is a mission shared by those who compose that room.
"I feel like it's always pressure on everybody at the collegiate level, but I feel like we've got it," Howard said. "This is one of those years where we're definitely going to run that ball, and we're going to prove people wrong."
Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com , 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun .
