3B
TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com

Behind Enemy Lines: A conversation 
with a Maryland football beat writer

By MIKE PERSAK

Managing Sports Editor

The Michigan football team 
did what it was supposed to 
over its last four games.
Against Western Michigan, 
SMU, 
Nebraska 
and 
Northwestern, the 15th-ranked 
Wolverines (4-1 overall, 2-0 
Big Ten) took care of business, 
though last week’s win over the 
Wildcats was closer than most 
expected.
Either way, 
a 4-1 record is 
a 4-1 record.
Now 
Michigan 
turns 
its 
attention 
to 
Maryland (3-1, 
1-0), 
which 
has been hot 
and cold this 
season. 
The 
Terrapins 
started 
their 
season 
with 
a 
promising 
win over No. 19 Texas, but then 
dropped a game to Temple.
Even 
with 
that 
tumultuousness, 
it 
pales 
in 
comparison to what happened 
in the program this offseason.
Head coach D.J. Durkin, who 
was the Wolverines’ defensive 
coordinator in 2015, is currently 
on administrative leave after 
Jordan McNair, an offensive 
lineman, suffered a heat stroke 
during 
a 
summer 
workout 
and died. Since, there has 
been a series of investigations 
into Maryland’s treatment of 
McNair during and after the 
incident that may have led to 
his death.
That has been the central 
storyline 
surrounding 
the 
Terrapins, and rightfully so. 
But there is still football to 
be played, and Maryland may 
be the most talented team 
Michigan has seen since the 
Fighting Irish.
Quarterback 
Kasim 
Hill 
isn’t a world beater, but he 
has shown promise, especially 
with his legs. Hill is joined by 
running backs Ty Johnson and 
Anthony McFarland, who may 
turn out to be one of the better 

backfield duos in the conference 
this 
season. 
Additionally, 
the 
Terrapins’ 
defense 
has 
improved this season, albeit 
against weaker offenses like 
Bowling Green and Minnesota.
Ultimately, the Wolverines 
are heavily favored once again, 
but 
they 
were 
against 
the 
Wildcats too, and we know how 
that ended up.
The Daily spoke with Andy 
Kostka, a football beat reporter 
for 
The 
Diamondback 
— 
Marlyand’s student newspaper 
— to ask about the state of 
Maryland’s program and its 
progress 
on 
the 
field 
this 
season.
The 
Michigan 
Daily: 
Obviously 
a 
tumultuous 
offseason for the program. I’m 
curious, with all that happened, 
what is the current feeling 
towards the program and also 
Durkin in particular? Do people 
think Durkin will survive this?
Andy 
Kostka: 
There 
are 
mixed feelings toward coach 
D.J. Durkin at this point, and 
it depends on who you ask. 
Certainly some students and 
others who watch the team 
aren’t as supportive of Durkin, 
and possibly the team, after 
allegations of a “toxic” team 
culture. But others, such as 
high-level Maryland boosters, 
are firmly in Durkin’s court and 
believe there is no toxic culture 
despite mounting evidence to 
the contrary. Those donors feel 
Durkin should return, but it’s 
fair to say there is quite a split 
in that department.
TMD: 
How 
would 
you 
categorize Maryland’s on-field 
performance so far, with a win 
over Texas but also the loss to 
Temple?
AK: 
Maryland’s 
loss 
to 
Temple was somewhat baffling 
at the time. The week prior, the 
Terps accumulated 444 yards 
on the ground to beat Bowling 
Green, and then managed just 
195 total yards in the home-
opening loss to Temple. One 
reason that may have happened 
was 
because 
Maryland’s 
starting tackles, Derwin Gray 
and Damian Prince, both missed 
the game through injury. That 
performance was very much 

an anomaly, and Gray and 
Prince should both be healthy 
this weekend. Throughout the 
year, Maryland has relied on 
its running game and picked 
its spots for throws. When 
the running game isn’t able to 
function to full effect, there 
may be issues, like there were 
against Temple.
TMD: 
Maryland’s 
defense 
seems to have been a bit hit-
or-miss this season. How do 
you expect them to hold up on 
Saturday?
AK: The Terps’ defense has 
played better overall than last 
year, even with lapses against 
Temple. 
But 
it 
remains 
to 
be seen how Maryland will 
respond on the road against, 
statistically, the highest-ranked 
offense it has seen this year. 
The Terps held Minnesota and 
Bowling Green — ranked No. 
109 and 112 in total offense 
this year, respectively — to 
27 combined points. But then 
Maryland allowed 35 to Temple, 
who ranks at 105. So, while 

Michigan isn’t an offensive 
juggernaut, it should be a bigger 
test against the No. 66 total 
offense Saturday. 
TMD: 
Ty 
Johnson 
and 
Anthony McFarland have been 
very solid this season. What, in 
your eyes, makes them a threat?
AK: Both backs have big-play 
ability. Ty Johnson broke off 
an 81-yard touchdown run last 
week and Anthony McFarland 
scored on a 64-yard carry. 
Both tailbacks seem to have 
another gear in space and they 
have each used that well so far. 
Their success will dictate how 
Maryland will play.
TMD: 
How 
has 
Kasim 
Hill performed compared to 
expectations? And is he talented 
enough to carry the offense if 
the run game isn’t clicking?
AK: Kasim Hill isn’t likely 
to lead Maryland to victory 
solely through the air. He needs 
a running game to open up 
passing lanes, and has shown a 
tendency at times, especially on 
deep throws, to miss the mark. 

He’s completing 55 percent of 
his passes. Hill’s best attribute, 
perhaps, is that he doesn’t seem 
to have a knack of turning the 
ball over and he can be relied 
upon to hit targets from short 
or medium range. I think he 
has matched expectations so 
far. He probably won’t pick 
apart 
Michigan’s 
secondary, 
but it will be imperative that 
he does enough through the air 
to prevent the Wolverines from 
stacking the box to stop the 
run.
TMD: Maryland wins if...
AK: It has a positive turnover 
ratio and both McFarland and 
Johnson find ample running 
room — and the end zone a few 
times.
TMD: Michigan wins if...
AK: 
The 
above 
doesn’t 
happen. 
The 
Wolverines’ 
defense will likely make moving 
the football somewhat of a 
challenge.
TMD: Score prediction?
AK: Michigan 32, Maryland 
17.

Maryland at 
Michigan

Matchup: 
Maryland 3-1; 
Michigan 4-1

When: Saturday 
12 P.M.

Where: 
Michigan 
Stadium

TV/Radio: ABC

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is undefeated at Michigan Stadium with wins over WMU, SMU and Nebraska this season.

