Maryland Football: 3 takeaways from blowout of No. 21 Syracuse

3. Anthony McFarland Jr. and Javon Leake broke out against Syracuse

Last season as a freshman, Anthony McFarland Jr. popped off for more than 1000 yards. It was a stellar performance from the youngster. One place where he struggled, though, was actually getting the ball into the endzone; over the course of 2018, McFarland scored only four rushing touchdowns.

In the showdown against Syracuse, McFarland already racked up half of last season’s scoring total by halftime. On 11 first-half carries, McFarland churned out 62 yards and two touchdowns. The back added two catches for 45 yards, the first a key 39-yard gain and the latter a six-yard scoring strike from Josh Jackson.

Javon Leake was right there with McFarland, taking six carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. Right out of the gate in the third quarter, Leake burst through the line for a 64-yard touchdown run that further padded an already-gaudy lead.

By the end of the day, McFarland had racked up 75 yards and Leake piled on 104 yards. Their backups got in on the game as well, as the team took advantage of a Maryland line that opened up plenty of gaps to run through to finish with 353 total yards on the ground. It was a dominant all-around performance that should give Big Ten opponents pause before assuming the Terrapins will be a rollover opponent this season.