COLLEGE PARK, M.D.- When Maryland freshman quarterback Kasim Hill stepped on the field for his first college start against Towson on Saturday, he didn’t look like a player that was just playing on the high school level a year ago.
Hill displayed the same confidence in the pocket that his coaches and teammates had when they discovered he would be the Terps’ starting quarterback.
“Kasim been cool and calm since he got here,” Sophomore offensive lineman Terrance Davis said. “When Pig [Pigrome] went down, we knew he would do well.”
Hill played like he been starting on the college level for two to three years. He used that veteran mentality to guide Maryland to a dominating 63-17 win over the Tigers.
“He was very efficient,” Maryland head coach D.J. Durkin said. “A lot of his passes were run passes where he had to make a read and he made the right ones.”
Maryland’s game plan was get the passing game going early and the Terps did just that. Hill completed five straight passes before throwing a nine yard touchdown pass to wide receiver D.J. Moore, which gave Maryland a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Hill showed off his ability to scramble out the pocket as he ran 16 yards to put Maryland at the 50-yard line. A play later, Hill found Moore once again for a 34-yard touchdown. Moore finished with 97 yards and three touchdowns on seven receptions.
Hill didn’t throw his first incomplete pass of his college career until the early part of the second quarter when he missed his target Moore. At that time, Maryland was holding on to a commanding 21-7 lead.
The Terps came out firing in the second half thanks to a 46-yard touchdown run by junior running back Ty Johnson that came them a 35-7 lead. Johnson had a 76-yard touchdown prior and ended the game with 125 rushing yards.
Hill threw a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Taivon Jacobs and a 13-yard pass to Moore, which moved Maryland down the field for a 25-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Jake Funk.
Hill taken out the game towards the end of the third quarter when the Terps were up 49-7. Hill went 13-16 with 163 yards and two touchdowns. Hill contributed to the run game as he ran for 41 yards on five carries.
“He [Hill] was very impressive,” Maryland senior linebacker Shane Cockerille said. “I have known Kasim for a while and he always been a hard worker and pushes through a lot of things.”
Hill’s mature personality and willingness to be prepared for every moment was the reason why his teammates were high on him getting the job done.
“Kasim is a guy you really don’t have to say anything to,” Maryland cornerback Darnell Savage Jr. said. “He is very mature and you can tell he is all about business. He does a good job making sure he is prepared.”
The Terps recorded the most points in a single game since 1954 when they scored 74 points against Missouri. The victory marked the first time in Maryland history where the team scored 50 or more points in the first two games of a season. Maryland racked up 51 points against Texas. Durkin credited the offensive line for helping Hill and the rest of the offense be successful against Towson’s defense.
“The best thing that helps Kasim is the offensive line in front of him,” Durkin said. “Those guys are a fun group to coach and they take pride in their work. They did a great job rallying around Kasim and helping him through it.”
Maryland will be off this week then get ready for Central Florida, who comes into College Park on Sept. 23.
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