After suffering its first loss of the season, Maryland football looks to bounce back during its annual homecoming game against Illinois at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 14.
The Terps (5-1) put up a resilient effort against then-No. 4 Ohio State but ultimately fell apart in the fourth quarter.
“I came off the field feeling as though we gave our best,” head coach Michael Locksley said. “Now, our best wasn’t good enough.”
Throughout the season Locksley and players have talked about the 24-hour rule — enjoying a win for 24 hours before turning the page to the next opponent. But this is the first time the 2023 Terps are flipping the page following a loss.
“I really just tried to keep the 24-hour rule in my head,” defensive lineman Jordan Phillips said. “This just happened, now it’s time to refresh and move on to the next.”
“It’s just about learning from those losses and turning them into wins,” linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II said.
Locksley said losing the turnover battle and failing to generate explosive plays were important factors in the loss. Ohio State, meanwhile, created those big plays, squashing Maryland’s upset hopes.
In addition to executing end-of-half plays better, Locksley noted that he wished he kicked a field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-1 from Ohio State’s 29-yard line on the Terps’ second offensive drive of the game. Instead, backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. was stuffed on a quarterback sneak, giving the Buckeyes the ball back and wasting a big drive.
Now, the Terps are focusing on Illinois (2-4). The Fighting Illini rank seventh in the conference in total offense (377.3 yards per game) but 13th in scoring (19.2 points per game). Illinois is last in the Big Ten in total defense (401.5) and scoring defense (28.8).
Isaiah Williams is one of the best receivers in the conference, having caught 38 passes for 503 yards. His 83.8 yards-per-game average ranks second in the Big Ten. Three different Terps wide receivers have posted more than 300 yards, showing quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s ability to distribute the ball.
This marks the Terps’ third-ever meeting against the Fighting Illini. Maryland outscored Illinois, 83-50, in the first two games. The most recent meeting came in 2021, with the Terps staging a fourth-quarter comeback before sealing the game with kicker Joseph Petrino hitting a walk-off field goal to defeat Illinois 20-17.
“We won’t let one game define the first half of our season,” Locksley said. “We’ve got to continue to love to win more than we hate to lose.”
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