Maryland’s offensive line has been under the microscope all offseason after replacing four starters, giving position coach Brian Braswell and the unit a chance to take a step forward in the season-opener against Towson on Saturday. Maryland’s offensive line entered the day dealing with injuries, headlined by projected starting right tackle Gottlieb Ayedze out with an undisclosed injury, though the Frostburg lineman was seen favoring his right leg on the sideline in Saturday’s win. Underclassmen Andre Roye and Deandre Duffus were also among those ruled out, but when the Terps’ offense took the field, the remaining four starters were as expected. From left to right, DJ Glaze, Corey Bullock, Mike Purcell, Amelio Moran and Conor Fagan were first up to protect quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. Fagan’s ascension into the starting rotation became apparent following Ayedze’s injury, but the former Gonzaga tight end has been able to build off a strong spring to remain a key piece in the rotation. That proved to give Fagan an expanded role on Saturday, becoming one of four Terps to finish with a team-high 62 snaps in the win. Amelio Moran, DJ Glaze and Corey Bullock also played 62 snaps despite a heavy rotation upfront. While the interior offensive line rotated through the day, Fagan and DJ Glaze were able to settle into their groove as the starting tackles into the third quarter. Still, fans saw 13 different linemen take the field against Towson as head coach Mike Locksley was quick to note the extensive list of players who got game experience, but the mid-series rotations along the trenches were what proved to be the unusual sight. “Yeah, it was a little weird for me,” Locksley said postgame on the unit’s mid-series rotations. “But it goes back to we’ve got what we think are nine guys that can play winning football for us. We’re trying to figure out the best five and so we’re mixing and matching.” Maryland would alternate between Mike Purcell and Aric Harris early in the game, with Purcell starting at center for the first two series before Harris took over for the next two, but Purcell was able to close out the second quarter before Harris, once again, replaced Purcell midway through the final drive of the first half. Maryland also continued to experiment with their interior line, and with a 21-3 lead, saw Kyle Long replace Amelio Moran at right guard as the third-year lineman graded as the third-highest run blocker among Maryland’s OL, per PFF (75.8). Long also stuck in at left guard when Corey Bullock would temporarily take over at center in the second half, a move that remained even after Billy Edwards Jr. checked into the game in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Help Maryland football's NIL efforts and donate to TBIA Foundation here! The fourth quarter gave the rest of the offensive line room a chance to find the field, with Marcus Dumervil filling in at right guard and Kevin Kalonji at right tackle in their first appearances as a Terp, joining (L-R) Amelio Moran, Kyle Long and Aric Harris. Second-year Ja’Kavion Nonar would eventually replace Moran at left tackle while Khris Love replaced Long at left guard in the Terps’ final redzone appearance of the afternoon. In the final series of the game, with Cam Edge making his first career appearance, Nonar and Kalonji trotted back out to take over at left and right tackle with Tamarus Walker getting his first action as a Terp at left guard, along with Khris Love at center and walk-on Billy Molloy at right guard. After allowing eight QB pressures on the day with Taulia Tagovailoa taking repeated shots from the Tigers’ front seven, it was the final unit rotation who allowed the first and only sack of the game with just over one minute left. What the unit struggled with was giving itself a chance to find its groove, but with double-digit players finding their way on the field, Saturday’s game against Towson gave the unit a chance the necessary game experience to not only iron out its starters but bolster the future of the room. “It shows the versatility that we have where guys can play guard, can play tackle, move guys in the center, so we’re going to continue to try to play as many guys as we can,” Locksley added. “I’d like to get settled on an O-line and we’ll get a chance to evaluate the tape and see which group and which group played the best together and take the next step next week.” One positive step for the unit? Just two penalties on the day, though both led to missed opportunities for points: Mike Purcell was called for an illegal hand to the face as the Terps were just outside the redzone early in the second quarter, leading to Jack Howes missing his lone field goal attempt of the day; the second was Dumervil called for illegal man downfield, rescinding what could’ve been Rico Walker’s first collegiate touchdown. Maryland’s run blocking struggled to find consistency in the win, evident by the running backs amassing just two rushes over ten yards, though were able to do enough in short-yardage situations to pick up the first downs. The unit’s zone blocking with its first unit, especially on third downs, showed flashes as the offense leaned on that to pick up four first downs, all within four yards. And while the unit benefitted from the positional flexibility that veterans like Corey Bullock offered, Saturday also gave Kyle Long an expanded role to flash himself as an effective pulling guard. Maryland's pass protection was sound, and benefitted early from Taulia Tagovailoa's mobility and awareness to climb the pocket. While Charlotte’s depth is questionable heading into the matchup, the Terps’ front five will be tested by a pair of former Power Five players in Eyabi Okie-Anoma and Austin Fontaine, while former Maryland safety Isaiah Hazel (80.1) graded out as Charlotte's second-best run defender in their 24-3 win vs. South Carolina St. Meanwhile, Maryland is still led by veteran lineman DJ Glaze who graded as Maryland's top pass (90.3) and run (79.1) blocker in Saturday's win, narrowly topping Amelio Moran in pass blocking (90). Maryland likely won’t go 13-deep again when they take the field against the 49ers on Saturday night, and the first step for the unit is seeing whether Gottlieb Ayedze can return to bolster the rotation. Photo by Autum Hengen/The Diamondback
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