#in the fb they should have been around 2 years apart max?

[mikorens]

gong yuanzhi and joo seokkyung being possibly the same age is so dear to me, if it isn't poisonous public enemy #1 and threat to human civilization brat

[gojos-eyedrops]

85 Q n A’s!!

Rules: Answer these 85 statements and tag 20 people. (I was going to do this yesterday but arrived home really late and I hate writing in my phone because my typos increase like by 30 times ok)

I was tagged by: @tomllholland thank you!!! You’re awesome c: If you’ve been already tagged, feel free to ignore. Also if you don’t want to answer it, that’s valid too. Have fun answering this!! I love doing this kind of thing ^-^ Tagging: @tagtra, @laurensboookshelf​ @spiderprkers​ @fantasymasterpiece​ @boundless-nebulaaas​ @logan-the-fox​ @waywardtimemachinejellyfish​ @bagholes​ @leetu-bends-dunn​ @sweet-sugar-lies​ @soarhighbefree​ @spiidysenses​

They’re not 20, but I ran out if favourite blogs ok

the last

1. drink:  water 2. phone call: some unknown number who hung up right after I answered their call 3. text message: my bf 4. song you listened to: Botw main theme (yes, I love videogame soundtracks) 5. time you cried: I can’t remember, but it must have been around....may or april? (damn son, I hadn’t realised I haven’t cried in so much time, new personal record baby!!) 6. dated someone twice: nope 7. kissed someone and regretted it: yeeeeeh.... 8. been cheated on: nope 9. lost someone special: lost as in death broke us apart, not really...lost as in, we no longer talk: yes, plenty. 10. been depressed: this is my natural state 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: over a year ago, or a bit more than a year. I can’t remember. 3 favourite colours 12. Red

13. Green

14: Blue

in the last year have you 15. made new friends: exactly one year ago I met my best friend from uni 16. fallen out of love: Nope 17. laughed until you cried: When am I not laughing myself to tears? 18. found out someone was talking about you: my mum complaining 24/7 19. met someone who changed you: Well, going from private high school to a public university changes you a lot, I def prefer being in a public university, private school teenagers are just...no. Most of them at least. 20. found out who your friends are: every time I see them I learn a little bit more about them c: 21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: yes General: 22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: I haven’t opened FB in like over a year, idk who’s and who’s not in my friend list. 23. do you have any pets: one cat and too many dogs 24. do you want to change your name: Just get rid of my middle name 25. what did you do for your last birthday: i can’t remember...I probably went out, had wings, maybe a couple of beers and went home at like 11 PM

26. what time did you wake up: a little bit before 8 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: playing Zelda 28. name something you can’t wait for: Spider-Man: Homecoming 2, Avengers: Infinity War (I’m gonna keep the answer from @tomllholland​ because I too can’t wait for these things) also going back to school. 29. when was the last time you saw your mom: yesterday morning 31. what are you listening to right now: my cat meowing for attention

32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: Talked no, but I’ve texted a friend called Tom (he lives in another country) 33. something that is getting on your nerves: my mum and her negative thoughts towards everything and everyone 34. most visited website: Tumblr 35. hair colour: black

36. long or short hair: short 37. do you have a crush on someone: Nope (and by this point my bf doesn’t count as one)

38. what do you like about yourself: idk why I love being and introvert, I also love how passionate I’m about my career, that I’m constantly drawing everything I can lay my eyes on. 39. piercings: nope 40. blood type: A - 41. nickname: Fry, Frito, Friday, 42. relationship status: in a relationship 43. zodiac: Pisces

44. pronouns: she/her

45. favourite tv show: Bates Motel, currently House MD and Sherlock 46. tattoos: 7 47. right or left handed: leftie 48. surgery: never 50. sport: volleyball 51. vacation: anywhere, preferably in Europe, take me back to Italy pls *cries in a corner* 52. pair of trainers: 2

MORE GENERAL 53. eating: nothing so far (it’s 9 am) 54. drinking: a green tasty and nutritious shake 55. I’m about to: play some zelda while Office Max opens, then go and buy some notebooks, 56. waiting for: death friday night because I’m going ice skating with my best friends. 57. want: to meet Tom Holland (leaving this answer from tomllholland again because it’s true) and get a new and smaller laptop because mine is humongous and taking it to school is a bloody nightmare aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh and a week more of summer, I’m not mentally ready to go back. 58. get married: I’m not really looking forward to it, but if that’s where life takes me, then okay. 59. career: vet medicine

WHICH IS BETTER: 60. hugs or kisses: hugs 61. lips or eyes: eyes 62. shorter or taller: whatever man idc 63. older or younger: whatever (while it’s in the legal line of course) 64. nice arms or nice stomach: UGGHHH ARMS, I have such a weaknes for slim tones arms. 65. hookup or relationship: relationship 66. troublemaker or hesitant: the middle gorund between those two

HAVE YOU EVER: 67. kissed a stranger: yeaaah 68. drank hard liquor: yup 69. lost glasses/contact lenses: I should, but I don’t lol 70. turned someone down: ye 71. sex on the first date: no 73. had your heart broken: yes 74. been arrested: no 75. cried when someone died: I’ve never had someone who I really care for died, just like those far relatives you didn’t even knew you had until the funeral. Ooooh wait, my dog when I was in 6th grade, yes. 76. fallen for a friend: yep, and it sucks.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 77. yourself: I’d like to 78. miracles: nope 79. love at first sight: not really 80. santa claus: in my culture we didn’t have santa, I had Reyes Magos only. 81. kiss on the first date: sure why not 82. angels: I believe in many other things, but angels aren’t one of them

OTHER: 84. eye colour: dark brown

85. favourite movie: V for Vendetta

[through-war-and-at-peace]

— 1. Who was the last person you held hands with? My Partner 2. Are you outgoing or shy? Little bit of both  3. Who are you looking forward to seeing? my cat my partner and my best friend also LP 4. Are you easy to get along with? Yes? 5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you? Yes  6. What kind of people are you attracted to? pretty much anyone that is a human being 7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? Yes 8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind? Pretty much always Michio Kaku 9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable? nahhhh  10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? My roomie 11. What does the most recent text that you sent say? “Yeahhh that’s great!” 12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now? “Oh shit” Nat Lefkoff “The high” Kelela “bitches broken hearts” Billie eilish “unfucktheworld” Angel Olsen “mama said” cat clyde 13. Do you like it when people play with your hair? yes but only if they’re good at it  14. Do you believe in luck and miracles? ehhh not really more like law of attraction serendipity if thats the same thing then sure? 15. What good thing happened this summer? I started therapy  16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Always  17. Do you think there is life on other planets? mhmmm ohhh yeaah 18. Do you still talk to your first crush? Sadly, no... 19. Do you like bubble baths? LOVE bubble baths  20. Do you like your neighbors? don’t know them but sure  21. What are you bad habits? anything that falls under the category of my addiction 22. Where would you like to travel? Dream destination is Thai land or Switzerland  23. Do you have trust issues? mmm yeah I guess I do kinda  24. Favorite part of your daily routine? Eating.. or picking my cat up and hugging him  25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with? Pretty much the lot of it  26. What do you do when you wake up? snooze my alarm and try like hell to sleep more but it never works  27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker? nahhh 28. Who are you most comfortable around? Does my cat count? 29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up? Yes  30. Do you ever want to get married? Yes  31. If your hair long enough for a pony tail? yes it is finally.. tho I wanna chop it all off again 32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with? Blake Lively Ryan Reynolds  33. Spell your name with your chin. assahjnlerdyhuj   :)  34. Do you play sports? What sports? lol no... does yoga count? 35. Would you rather live without TV or music? hands down TV please take it away now  36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them? nope I’m pretty much extremely forward 37. What do you say during awkward silences? Welp this is awkward  38. Describe your dream girl/guy? I pretty much like everyone so....  39. What are your favorite stores to shop in? tattoo shops :) 40. What do you want to do after high school? I long since been out of HS and I guess travel? 41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? honestly yes but certainly beware of being taken advantage of which is something I fall into all too often  42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean? that I’m either concentrating.. or I’m fucking PISSED off and need to just be left the fuck alone and sit in my head  43. Do you smile at strangers? very awkwardly yes  44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean? I know the ocean should be explored more but fucking SPAAAAACE  45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning? the basic need to survive and pay for my existence otherwise I rarely can scrape my meat sack of a body out of my bed yay depression  46. What are you paranoid about? failing.. isn’t everyone? 47. Have you ever been high? on pretty much anything you could think of.. yeah 48. Have you ever been drunk? ohhhh yes I have been many moods of intoxicated  49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about? Nope 50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore? Black  51. Ever wished you were someone else? ohh fuck yeah all the time don’t we all have Instagram 52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself? talking myself out of things because I’m afraid to fail  53. Favourite makeup brand? Thrive causemetics  54. Favourite store? Target  55. Favourite blog? My besties blog :) 56. Favourite colour? Green or yellow  57. Favourite food? Vegan sushi or burritos or pizzzzza bc I am trash  58. Last thing you ate? a hersheys kiss  59. First thing you ate this morning? a hersheys kiss... lol  60. Ever won a competition? For what? lol a dance competition when I was 19 at a house party  61. Been suspended/expelled? For what? suspended many many many times.. mainly insubordination... or never showing up to class or being mega late to class  62. Been arrested? For what? yes. shoplifting/dui/possession/possession of paraphernalia/underage drinking/truancy   63. Ever been in love? yes :) 64. Tell us the story of your first kiss? I was living in Georgia I was 4 or 5 years old and my neighborhood friend was chasing me and chasing me and chasing me and I ran around the corner of our apartment complex and was hiding against the wall and he showed up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder and said “wait wait I have a secret to tell you�� and then proceeded to kiss me on my lips and I of course responded “ewwwwwwwww” 65. Are you hungry right now? FUCKING STARVING  66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends? my real friends or on tumblr so.. yes? 67. Facebook or Twitter? I like reading tweets more than fb statuses buuut I browse FB more 68. Twitter or Tumblr? TUMBLR  69. Are you watching tv right now? nahh 70. Names of your bestfriends? Max :) Julie annnd Stanley  71. Craving something? What? success in my new job... and sushi also a fucking back massage 72. What colour are your towels? yellow and grey  72. How many pillows do you sleep with? 3  73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? if my fat cat counts then yes  74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have? none other than my cats  75. Favourite animal? Obviously my cat... but I’d have to say a Manta Ray  76. What colour is your underwear? tye dye  77. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate 4 eva  78. Favourite ice cream flavour? I’m boring I like chocolate and peanut butter only for sweets ever  79. What colour shirt are you wearing? black  80. What colour pants? currently wearing my work scrubs so navy blue  81. Favourite tv show? Adventure time  82. Favourite movie? What dreams may come is my go to fav.. but I think that might change soon.. also fav christmas movie is a year without a santa claus and I hate christmas  83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2? Is this even a real question? Is there a mean girls 2?  84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street? Mean girls  85. Favourite character from Mean Girls? Kevin G  86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo? fuckin Marlin of course  87. First person you talked to today? virtually?.. my girlfriend... in person?.. my boss  88. Last person you talked to today? Days not over but also my girlfriend  89. Name a person you hate? Donald Trump  90. Name a person you love? my niece  91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now? Pretty much always donald trump 92. In a fight with someone? nope? 93. How many sweatpants do you have? 3  94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have? like at least 5? 95. Last movie you watched? Suspiria  96. Favourite actress? ooof I’m awful at names of people and honestly don’t care for pop culture sorry  97. Favourite actor? see above  98. Do you tan a lot? what is sunlight?  99. Have any pets? 3 cats 2 snakes 1 leopard gecko  100. How are you feeling? hungry  101. Do you type fast? on a computer yes.. texting.. nah  102. Do you regret anything from your past? I struggle with this because I am happy where I’m at in my life and if it wasn’t for all of those shitty mistakes I’ve made I wouldn’t be here right now appreciating my existence.. but also yes I do regret a lot of actions and decisions i’ve made and how I’ve treated a lot of people but you live and you learn I guess and I’ve learned to appreciate all of those things  103. Can you spell well? Incredibly well  104. Do you miss anyone from your past? My parents  105. Ever been to a bonfire party? So many and they are some of my favorite kind of parties more parties should be held outside  106. Ever broken someone’s heart? unfortunately yes.. but this is a part of growth for everyone in life  107. Have you ever been on a horse? yes :)  108. What should you be doing? probably my job but I’m sucked into tumblr per usual  109. Is something irritating you right now? my annoying need to be perfect at mostly everything and also i’m irritated with how hungry I am  110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt? uhhhh I don’t think so? I’ve never really understood someone saying that.. I mean there are things about loving someone or not being able to love someone in a certain way that can be painful sooo if that’s what it means then yes  111. Do you have trust issues? I feel like  I was already asked this question sooo yes? 112. Who was the last person you cried in front of? My partner  113. What was your childhood nickname? peanut or jellybean ash AJ  114. Have you ever been out of your province/state? yes  115. Do you play the Wii? nahh  116. Are you listening to music right now? Yaaa  117. Do you like chicken noodle soup? nahh I’m a vegetarian  118. Do you like Chinese food? ehhhh I like fried rice? but I like thai food  119. Favourite book? I guess that would have to be my yoga book “finding balance” only because its the book I most frequent otherwise I like far too many to have a favorite life changing book would be “You are a badass” 120. Are you afraid of the dark? I am if I sense some bad energy in that darkness but nah not usually  121. Are you mean? I always inform everyone upon meeting me that I am indeed an asshole but everyone always insists that that information is false.... but yeah I’m super mean  122. Is cheating ever okay? I have cheated in my relationships and no its never okay  123. Can you keep white shoes clean? nooope I like earth too much  124. Do you believe in love at first sight? nahh 125. Do you believe in true love? ehhh?  126. Are you currently bored? EXTREMELY  127. What makes you happy? Books.. photographing things... music.. my cat.. being with my friends.. eating foooood.. meditating... exercising  128. Would you change your name? totally.. just have no idea to what  129. What your zodiac sign? Aries.. can ya tell?  130. Do you like subway? Honestly... no  131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? hug em  132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? my roomiee stop asking me 133. Favourite lyrics right now? hmm idk?  Lost on you by LP I guess?  134. Can you count to one million? probably?  135. Dumbest lie you ever told? I mean pretty much all of them have been dumb so I have no idea?  136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed? open  137. How tall are you? 5 5 ? 5 6? no idea  138. Curly or Straight hair? wavvvvvvvyyyy 139. Brunette or Blonde? Jet black  140. Summer or Winter? Spring  141. Night or Day? Night  142. Favourite month? September  143. Are you a vegetarian? Yes  144. Dark, milk or white chocolate? ooooof.. white chocolate  145. Tea or Coffee? Espresso  146. Was today a good day? mediocre but can still find appreciation for it  147. Mars or Snickers? Snickers  148. What’s your favourite quote? If by favorite you mean favorite(s) then...

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style"  

"Once upon a time there was a crooked tree and a straight tree. And they grew next to each other. And every day the straight tree would look at the crooked tree and he would say, 'You're crooked. You've always been crooked and you'll continue to be crooked. But look at me! Look at me!' said the straight tree. He said, 'I'm tall and I'm straight.' And then one day the lumberjacks came into the forest and looked around, and the manager in charge said, 'Cut all the straight trees.' And that crooked tree is still there to this day, growing strong and growing strange." Kneller

149. Do you believe in ghosts? Nope  150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? 

“ With each breath may we take refuge in the living truth alone, released from coarse arrogance and subtle pride.”

(via itsgracesdrunkmametown)

[alexkoh-blog-blog]

Amazon is undoubtedly the most visited online shopping website for the last decade. An average family size of four households in Europe and North America spends more than US$2000 a year on the website alone. It is no longer a place for Cyber Monday sales, but a shopping ground for regular household items. Amazon is not only a shopping website but also a very useful shopping tool to help families save money. Let me share my top ten tips on how I and my family sue Amazon as a useful tool for money savings. You dont need to be a prime member to use this ten useful money saving tips.

1.Amazon Basket

Never wait last minute to buy items on Amazon. Always utilize the Amazon basket for stuff you are interested in or potentially would like to buy in a near future but not in a  hurry. Our family basket is full of an item to buy. The reason for this is because if there was a price drop or increase Amazon basket would announce with an important message as seen below.

There are millions of items on the Amazon website and sometimes you may be lucky to get item glitch price for items in your basket or a genuine price drop due to limited stock. A month ago I had a $200 dollars price drop on the IROBOT hoover and also half price savings on the kids Hatchmals toys for Xmas 2017. A couple of hours later the price reverts back to normal.

2. Keep item in the basket after purchase for at least 30 days.

Depending on which country you are residing. In the UK there are 30 days returns policy on the day of receipt. You should keep the same item in the basket after you purchase. The reason for this is because, if you detected that there is a price drop within the 30 days, you can call them up for a price match.

If they price match they will either refund the balance into the same mode of payment. Providing the item is from Amazon itself.

If they don’t price match. Ask for a voucher to discount on next purchase and threaten to return the item and rebuy.

If above two does not happen then return and rebuy to save money (If it was a significant saving of course).

It sounds like hard work, but think again on the number of items a family buy each week or month from Amazon. This method has saved me hundreds of dollar a year. Besides the call centre for Amazon has no waiting queue or you can ask for a callback. Max 5 minutes and you are sorted.

3. Amazon shopping APP

The Amazon shopping app database is amazing. When you are out in Asda or Walmart, remember scanning the items before you purchase because they might be cheaper on Amazon. With next day delivery, it may save you some cash waiting another day.

Another great point about the app is the reviews. We live in 2017 where we never buy anything before we read another user’s review. This way we know we are not wasting our money and time on the item

4. Amazon Warehouse

Sometimes Amazon items do not directly display the cheapest price on its website. In my experience, I have saved a lot of money going into Amazon Warehouse for the exact same item. These are mainly items returned by another customer.

Not every item we should be buying from Amazon Warehouse (returns warehouse); socks, personal hygiene or clothes. Items like video games, computer equipment and hardware can be bought from the bargain section. Besides, they still have the 30 days returns and also a 1-year warranty on all the warehouse items. These are not factory refurbished items.

Please be aware the stocks are limited and they will disappear very quickly as the price can be between 10-50% off the main marked price.

5. Amazon Foreign land

Do you know you can also shop in Amazon in a foreign country? Before you buy an expensive gadget or equipment from Amazon always try to check the Amazon from a neighbouring country to see if the price was significantly lower. If you are in the EU you do not need to pay import duties from another EU country. You may require paying for delivery charges. Sometimes this makes work out cheaper.

If you live in the UK buying kids clothes or item under $100 is import duties free.

In my experience, this works like 1/10 times where I find it cheaper outside my home Amazon compared to neighbouring Amazon.

6. Amazon alternatives before checking out.

Before I check out my item on Amazon I usually check these three websites before I submit my payment.

eBay – sometimes the same third-party vendor selling on Amazon are also selling on eBay and most likely cheaper because the eBay fees are lower. Like for like brand new with the same warranty and returns service.

Craigslist/Gumtree/FB marketplace – before I buy from Amazon I check these sites to see if anyone around my area is selling the same items. There are many people selling almost new items because it’s been bought wrongly. You may save 20-50%.

UKHOTDEALS – a great website which may find you great deals from an alternative vendor without exhausting your time searching.

7. Variant items

Some items you buy have variant models or colours. Always remember to click different colours to see it may be cheaper. Also, check the new or used button to check if there was an even cheaper amazon warehouse option.

Last week I bought a Disney piano vol 1 from Amazon website. The Amazon price was £12.17. I found a £1.88 almost new used including delivery. I save £10 from this transaction for the exact same.

  8. Always keep the Amazon delivery box.

It’s very easy to buy from Amazon especially with the one-click checkout. Many times I would buy an item of impulsive buying to discover that I no longer need the item.

When I buy something from Amazon I leave it for a few days. If I desperately need it I would use it immediately. If after three days I am not bothered I would return the item unopened and get my money back. This way I would lose its value once I open it. Amazon returns service is brilliant. This I not a recommended habit but would be useful for the more expensive gadgets and equipment.

9. Always check your delivery dates and screenshot before the final purchase.

Amazon’s speciality is their prime and speedy delivery service. If they miss their delivery agreement they will compensate you an additional month of prime or vouchers for next purchase.

Over the year I notice that the delivery date changes on its own without notifying the customer. So I suggest a screenshot before check out and one after checking out to ensure no change.

10. Invest in the great Amazon!

Apart from saving money for the household, I am a keen investor as well. Over the years I have held back a few purchases so I can invest in Amazon instead. Since you are making them rich, why not get rich with Amazon.

Top 10 tips for saving money with Amazon.com

[junker-town]

Maryland football is building, but the 2017 schedule’s going to hide that

The Terps’ degree of difficulty rises, but recruiting has the future looking solid.

In this week’s Illinois preview, I talked about the dangers of inefficiency, even in the face of massive big-play ability.

However you define explosive plays, if you have more of them than your opponent and fewer turnovers, you’re going to win 90-plus percent of the time. Big plays matter even more than you think.

But what creates big-play opportunities? Efficiency. Successful plays give you more plays. Staying in favorable down-and-distance leads to more successful plays and therefore more big plays.

Illinois had the third-worst three-and-out margin (three-plays-and-punt drives that you force minus the ones you commit) in the country. Granted, it was only the second-worst in the Big Ten (thanks, Rutgers), but it doomed the Illini even though they had big-play ability in the skill corps and on the defensive line.

Maryland faced similar issues. DJ Durkin’s Terrapins ranked 87th in FBS and ninth in the Big Ten by committing 3&Os on 22.9 percent of their offensive possessions; meanwhile, they forced them on only 21.4 percent of their possessions (68th and 12th, respectively), a minus-1.5 percent margin that ranked 81st overall. Include what I have been calling three-and-out-plus drives, which are 3&Os plus other no-point drives that end in three or fewer plays (turnovers, failed end-of-half situations), and the Terps’ margin falls to 109th.

When you are inefficient offensively, you are inconsistent — you might be capable of big plays, but you don’t know when they are going to come.

When you are inefficient defensively, you are struggling to create big plays (or prevent them) because your opponent is in favorable down-and-distance combinations.

Maryland failed in both, ranking 90th in success rate on offense and 112th on defense. They also dealt with the same quarterback injury issues that Illinois faced — starter Perry Hills was in and out, and four quarterbacks threw at least 33 passes each.

Maryland also won twice as many games as Illinois. The Terps weren’t world beaters, but they went 6-7, reaching a bowl for the third time in four years despite inefficiency and negative turnovers luck. How?

Maryland may have been inconsistent, but there was a pattern to its failures. Against good teams, the Terps had nothing to offer. Against lesser ones, they took advantage of the advantages they found.

Maryland vs. S&P+ top 50 teams (0-5): Avg. percentile performance: 16% (~top 110) | Avg. score: Opp 44, Terps 7 | Avg. yards per play: Opp 6.7, Terps 4.1 (minus-2.6)

Maryland vs. everyone else (6-2): Avg. percentile performance: 58% (~top 55) | Avg. score: Terps 37, Opp 21 | Avg. yards per play: Terps 6.4, Opp 5.1 (plus-1.3)

Hills’ injuries correlated to when the schedule got rougher. He threw only 14 combined passes against the five top-50 teams on the schedule. When you are never at full strength against good teams, you’re going to suffer.

That doesn’t explain everything, though. The defense was good against iffy teams and horrible against good ones. The run game that was the basis of the Maryland attack was dominant against iffy teams and inconsequential against good ones.

(No, seriously, breakout star Ty Johnson averaged 2.6 yards per carry against top-50 teams and 12.1 per carry against everyone else. Holy cow.)

Some systems are built around tactical advantages and some around talent advantages. In a perfect world, you do both, but few pull that off. Maryland seemed to be more latter but couldn’t build a talent advantage against enough teams.

The solution? Bring in a ton of talent, of course! Per the 247Sports Composite, Maryland’s 2017 signing class ranked 18th in the country and fourth in the blue-blood-heavy Big Ten. It graded out better than Nebraska’s and every other team’s in the Big Ten West and was inferior only to Ohio State’s, Michigan’s, and Penn State’s. The 10 teams below them signed an average of 1.7 four-star prospects; Maryland signed eight.

Granted, this can only get you so far when you’re still recruiting behind three division mates — I’m thinking Durkin and Terps fans could be swayed to join the pods bandwagon — but that’s something to worry about later. For now, the combination of bowling and recruiting made for a successful first go-round for Durkin, the former Florida and Michigan defensive coordinator, even if it included losses to Ohio State and Michigan by a combined 121-6.

That Johnson and fellow breakout running back Lorenzo Harrison return is exciting. The defense returns a majority of its play-makers as well, and there’s at least one incoming four-star each at quarterback, running back, offensive line, defensive tackle, cornerback, and safety.

If Hills were returning, I’d say the Terps would be poised for a high-caliber season. But he’s not, nor are quite a few of last year’s receivers. S&P+ suggests a shaky season before things get rolling in 2018 and beyond. But upside could make the Terps interesting.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

D.J. Durkin

2016 in review

2016 Maryland statistical profile.

There was one other plot development: Maryland’s secondary imploded. Nine defensive backs made at least 12 tackles, and 12 made at least four, but only one played in all 13 games: cornerback Alvin Hill. 2015 star William Likely III missed half the year, and safety was a revolving door.

As a result, no matter the opponent — top-50 or otherwise — Maryland’s defensive competency plummeted.

First 7 games (5-2): Avg. defensive percentile performance: 52% (~top 60) | Avg. yards per play: 5.0 | Completion rate allowed: 50% | Passer rating allowed: 110.6

Last 6 games (1-5): Avg. defensive percentile performance: 20% (~top 105) | Avg. yards per play: 6.4 | Completion rate allowed: 62% | Passer rating allowed: 147.5

Granted, “last six games” includes Michigan and Ohio State, but it also includes Rutgers and BC. And the numbers were still drastically different over the second half of the year.

In theory, then, you could pin Maryland’s struggles on injuries. That would make the Terps’ No. 87 final S&P+ ranking artificially low and suggest that their No. 72 projection for 2017 is also a bit on low. But as with Hills, certain key DBs are gone, so you can’t say a return from injury will cure ailments. Plus, there’s the matter of having the second-worst run defense in the country per Rushing S&P+.

Offense

Full advanced stats glossary.

What happens when you’ve got a run game that is unstoppable against lesser teams and ineffective against good ones? You get a fun combination of full-season stats. Maryland ranked 12th in Rushing S&P+, 15th in Adj. Line Yards, seventh in Rushing IsoPPP (which measures the magnitude of successful plays), and 31st in opportunity rate; the Terps also ranked 55th in rushing success rate, 113th in stuff rate (run stops at or behind the line), and 125th in power success rate. They couldn’t necessarily bowl you over, but if the blocks held up, Johnson and Harrison were prepared to explode downfield.

No matter who the big plays came against, this duo was dynamite. They combined to rush 198 times for 1,637 yards (8.3 per carry) and 11 touchdowns. Despite poor short-yardage execution, they gained at least five yards on 45 percent of their carries, and elite explosiveness led to Johnson ranking in the 99th percentile and Harrison ranking in the 92nd percentile in their respective categories.

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Lorenzo Harrison

You can build around two elite backs, yeah? Especially with a line that features four returnees with starting experience and six former four-star recruits? Give coordinator Walt Bell a stable quarterback, and you’re really cooking.

There’s potential behind center, at least. Sophomores Tyrell Pigrome and Max Bortenschlager got their feet wet in 2016 — that’s the polite way of saying they were way over their heads (Bortenschlager averaged 4.3 yards per pass attempt including sacks, and Pigrome averaged 3.8) but have time to figure things out.

Plus, UNC transfer Caleb Henderson joins the mix. A former four-star, Henderson looks the part, and Bell was one of his recruiters at North Carolina. But he threw exactly one pass for the Tar Heels, which makes him about as much of an unknown as the sophomores. Hell, it puts him only so far ahead of four-star freshman Kasim Hill.

If Henderson or anyone else is able to play well and stay healthy, he should have bouncy targets running around. D.J. Moore (5’11, 215) led the Terps with 637 receiving yards in 2016, though in Maryland fashion, he was all-or-nothing — 15.5 yards per catch, 33 percent success rate. Senior Taivon Jacobs (5’9, 165) returns from injury as well, and players like sophomore DJ Turner (5’9, 200), senior Jacquille Veii (5’9, 185), and incoming freshman Tahj Capehart (5’10, 175) appear to have solid potential.

That’s great, but is there a target with size anywhere? That remains to be seen. Tight ends Derrick Hayward and Avery Edwards combined for five receptions, and wideouts over 6’0 combined to catch ... zero passes last year. If someone like 6’2 senior Chris Jones, 6’2 freshman Jayden Comma, or 6’4 freshman Carlos Carter looks good in fall camp, plenty of opportunity is available. Size isn’t a requisite for being a good receiver, but it helps to widen the window a new QB has to throw to.

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D.J. Moore

Defense

Maryland’s defense got off to a rough start when freshly named coordinator Scott Shafer stepped down in early April, an awkward time to find a replacement. Durkin leaned on former Stanford co-worker Andy Buh, and the results were mixed. The Terrapins were disruptive — 14th in Adj. Sack Rate, 29th in power success rate, 31st in defensive line havoc rate, 76th in stuff rate — but got mauled by decent run games. And when the pass defense fell apart, well, that didn’t leave any way for Maryland to stop opponents.

Big-play prevention remained a strength, but that only matters if you have any hope of preventing five or six yards at a time.

There’s probably a reason why Durkin loaded up on defensive linemen in his 2017 class. He does return an excellent pass rusher in senior Jesse Aniebonam (14 tackles for loss, nine sacks), and senior nose tackle Kingsley Opara (11.5 TFLs, three sacks) is a keeper, but despite solid injury continuity and a seemingly solid set of play-makers, Maryland’s run defense was abysmal. The sooner four-star freshman tackles Cam Spence and Breyon Gaddy can look the part, the better.

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Jesse Aniebonam

The timing here is awkward. When your run defense is this bad, you can only expect so much improvement in a single season. But while there are exciting freshmen throughout the line and some appealing sophomores (plus freshman Ayinde Eley) at linebacker, the top four returning linemen and top three returning linebackers are seniors. The keys will be handed over to 2018 recruits quickly, maybe more quickly than would be advisable.

There’s something to build on in the secondary, at least. In Likely, Hill, and safety Jarrett Ross, the Terps have to replace three of their steadier options, but the replacements are mostly sophomores and juniors. So whoever steps forward is likely to return next fall.

The ceiling appears high in the back, too. Junior corner JC Jackson is a former four-star Florida signee who led the team with seven passes defensed. Junior safety Darnell Savage Jr. combined 3.5 TFLs with five passes defensed. Four-star sophomore Tino Ellis saw decent action and broke up three passes, and incoming cornerback Deon Jones and safety Makquese Bell are two of the best-touted freshmen in the class.

One can see a path forward for the secondary, and the classes are far more balanced. The front seven might not have all of its ducks in a row until about 2019, but the secondary could be strong in 2018, maybe 2017.

Maryland showed it can beat iffy competition even with an awful run defense; it wasn’t until the secondary got banged up that everything fell apart. But with a schedule that features five projected top-20 teams and four more in the top 50, the run defense will need to improve a solid amount. It’s not a given that this will happen.

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Jermaine Carter

Special Teams

I’ll say this for Wade Lees: if you’re going to have short punts, make sure they’re unreturnable. Lees averaged only 39.8 yards per kick as a freshman in 2016, 91st in the country, but only 20 of his 72 punts returned, and at only five yards per return. That resulted in a No. 65 punt efficiency ranking.

Combined with steady kick returner D.J. Moore, Maryland has decent pieces returning in special teams, but the Terps ranked 102nd in Special Teams S&P+ last year because of the points they lost in the place-kicking and kickoff departments.

Adam Greene made just 75 percent of his under-40 field goals (you’d like that to be 85 percent or higher) and both of his over-40 kicks, while Greene and Danny Sutton combined to boot touchbacks on just 15 percent of their kickoffs. Those numbers have to improve to prevent Maryland from leaking points.

2017 outlook

2017 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 2-Sep at Texas 16 -18.7 14% 9-Sep Towson NR 30.8 96% 23-Sep Central Florida 78 3.7 58% 30-Sep at Minnesota 47 -8.3 32% 7-Oct at Ohio State 2 -30.0 4% 13-Oct Northwestern 37 -5.5 37% 21-Oct at Wisconsin 11 -22.5 10% 28-Oct Indiana 39 -5.5 38% 4-Nov vs. Rutgers 92 5.9 63% 11-Nov Michigan 10 -18.8 14% 18-Nov at Michigan State 44 -9.1 30% 25-Nov Penn State 8 -20.3 12%

Projected S&P+ Rk 72 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 98 / 45 Projected wins 4.1 Five-Year S&P+ Rk -2.4 (81) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 32 / 37 2016 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -7 / -2.2 2016 TO Luck/Game -1.8 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 57% (38%, 77%) 2016 Second-order wins (difference) 5.9 (0.1)

Few teams had as many definitive strengths and weaknesses, and that makes the Terps a hard team to project. Focus on Johnson and Harrison, Henderson’s four-star rating, health in the secondary, and incoming recruits, and you talk yourself into a big autumn.

Note the awful run defense, and the turnover at receiver and defensive back, and the fact that those recruits are true freshmen, and point out that the offense was only good when the departed Hills was behind center, and you settle on the Terps needing another year or two.

I see the former but lean latter, especially after taking a gander at the schedule. Maryland will be a major underdog at Texas, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, and at home against Michigan and Penn State. Without a major upset, that means the Terps will have to go 6-1 against everybody else to bowl again. That means losing no more than one at Minnesota, at Michigan State, and at home against UCF, Northwestern, and Indiana.

That seems a bit too much to ask. And while it’s interesting to see what might happen to recruiting if Maryland’s record regresses in Durkin’s second season, I’m going to assume that the Terps win four or five games while getting key players experienced and primed for a nice step forward.

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