Maryland beat Texas! Here are the 12 weirdest things about this game

Maryland shocked No. 23 Texas in a season-opening game in Austin on Saturday, 51-41. It’s the first Maryland win against a ranked team since 2010, and the first time the Terps have beaten a ranked team in an opener ever. For Texas, it’s a devastating home loss in Tom Herman’s first game as the Horns’ head coach.

It was a wild game. Maryland went down 7-0 almost immediately (more on that in a second), then ripped off 27 straight points in the first half, on the road to take a three-touchdown lead. Texas then charged back, setting up a wild second half. Texas was an 18.5-point favorite at home, but the game was miles better than most expected.

Some of the weirdest things about it:

1. Maryland’s first pass of the season got pick-sixed.

2. Texas’ first pass was also intercepted, though that one didn’t get returned for a touchdown. At one point, both passes thrown in the game were picks.

3. Both teams had blocked field goals returned for touchdowns on them.

Maryland’s:

And Texas’:

4. The same player scored Texas’ first two touchdowns. He is a cornerback, Holton Hill, who got both the pick-six and the block-six. He does not play offense.

5. The game included, overall: four missed field goals, two missed two-point conversions, and four return touchdowns of various kinds (blocked field goal, interception, and punt, to be specific).

6. There was almost another return touchdown, but a Maryland INT run-back late in the fourth quarter came back because of a penalty.

7. Speaking of penalties, Texas had a lot of them. 11 for 117 yards.

8. Maryland scored a point against Texas.

9. Maryland needed to bring in a true freshman QB in the fourth quarter, after starter Tyrrell Pigrome went down with an injury. That freshman, Kasim Hill, completed a 40-yard pass on a third-and-19 to set up a critical touchdown in his first game ever.

10. Maryland outplayed Texas badly in every phase. That’s despite Texas being at home and having a drastically more talented roster than Maryland.

11. Texas was favored by 18.5 and lost by two scores. Maryland was up 17 points in garbage time, before a Collin Johnson touchdown with 69 seconds left.

12. After watching that game, I feel genuine pride about rooting for Maryland football. It’s the first time I’ve felt this sensation since I enrolled there in 2012.