Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, December 17, 2015

Year Two in the Big Ten did not go smoothly for Maryland. A season after going 7-6 (4-4 Big Ten) and to a bowl, the Terrapins flopped to the basement of the Big Ten East. The problems were numerous and ultimately cost Randy Edsall his job in October.

An eight-game losing streak bankrupted a season that began 2-1. The defense was gashed for 421.2 ypg (11th Big Ten) and 34.4 ppg (11th). The offense was noteworthy for its horrendous quarterback play. Perry Hills, Caleb Rowe, Daxx Garman ? it didn?t matter who was taking snaps. The production from this key position was too inconsistent-and often ruinous. Maryland signal-callers tossed a national-high 29 interceptions and completed just 47.2 percent of their passes. The turnover margin of minus-18 was the third-worst in the nation.

Add it all up, and it spelled a lost season in College Park. The reset button has been pressed. The Terps have turned to Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin to take over and get the program back on track in the uber-competitive Big Ten East.

Record: 3-9 overall; 1-7 Big Ten/T7th East

Bowl: none

High point: There weren?t many in a dreary 3-9 season. The Terps started 2-1 with wins vs. FCS Richmond and South Florida ? and then lost eight in a row. The finale was most memorable, however, as Maryland rallied from a 21-point deficit late in the second half to pull out a wild 46-41 win at Rutgers. Maryland finished with 401 yards rushing and had 656 yards in total offense, the first time it has passed the 600-yard mark since 2004 in coming back from a 31-10 hole to stun the Scarlet Knights. The program needed to close on a high note after being beaten down week after week with losses.

Low point: An eight-game losing streak torpedoed the season and cost Randy Edsall his job in his fifth season in College Park, as he was canned in the wake of a 49-28 loss at No. 1 Ohio State on Oct. 10 that dropped Maryland to 2-4. Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley took over as interim boss and made the Terps competitive in most games. But, he couldn?t stem the avalanche of losses. The lowest point in a numbing season was back-to-back losses early in the season at West Virginia and vs. Michigan in which the Terrapins were outscored 73-6.

Offensive MVP: RB Brandon Ross. The senior was one of the few reliable weapons on an inconsistent offense. Ross ranked sixth in the Big Ten in rushing (79.8 ypg), running 150 times for 958 yards and 10 TDs. He is a tough, physical runner who played hard.

Defensive MVP: E Yannick Ngakoue. A fierce pass rusher off the edge, Ngakoue was second in the Big Ten in sacks with 13.5 and ranked fifth in TFLs with 15. At times, the junior was unblockable en route to earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. He will play on Sundays.

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