One of the primary ills for the Maryland football team during the 2016 season was that it couldn't stop the run. The Terps allowed 214.8 yards per game on the ground last year, good for 11th in the Big Ten. They also allowed 4.8 yards per carry, the third-worst mark in the conference.
Maryland struggled in particular against the physical offensive lines typical of the Big Ten. Penn State posted 372 rushing yards Oct. 8; Indiana, 414 yards Oct. 29; Michigan, 273 yards Nov. 5; Ohio State, 253 yards Nov. 12. All four games were losses, and three were blowouts. The conference's top teams blew Maryland off the line of scrimmage, making those games an uphill battle from the opening whistle.
Mike London coached the defensive line last year but became the head coach at Howard after the season ended. The man tasked with overseeing the line now is Jimmy Brumbaugh, who was hired in February to be the defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator.
