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Texas Football: 5 biggest storylines in season opener vs. Maryland

By Andrew Miller

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns walks into the stadium before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 02: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns walks into the stadium before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TX – SEPTEMBER 02: Kasim Hill #11 of the Maryland Terrapins throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX – SEPTEMBER 02: Kasim Hill #11 of the Maryland Terrapins throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 2, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

3. Maryland’s two-QB system

In last year’s season opener between Texas and Maryland, keeping the quarterbacks healthy was a huge struggle. Then sophomore starting quarterback for Texas football, Shane Buechele, didn’t wind up starting in Week 2 against the San Jose State Spartans due to injury issues.

Add that to both Tyrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill getting injured for the Terps last year, and you have to figure that the health of quarterbacks for both teams will be closely followed. Maryland will be splitting time between Pigrome and Hill for the Week 1 matchup against Texas. That is a different plan than the Terps came in with last season.

Second-year Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck needs to improve the play calling this fall, and Herman added co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Herb Hand to help him out. Keeping the ball away from the Maryland offense will keep the Texas defense in control. That makes the role of Beck and Hand that much more important in Week 1.

While Maryland will be looking to keep Texas’ defense on its toes with Canada as the interim head coach, the Terps need to make sure the script isn’t flipped. Traditionally, the two-quarterback system doesn’t tend to be the most beneficial to any team. But, we’ll see if Canada keeps rotating Hill and Pigrome or finds the better of the two to get most of the reps beyond the first quarter.

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