Maryland football suffered its fifth consecutive defeat, falling, 37-30, to Rutgers on homecoming Oct. 17.
The Terrapins (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) entered halftime ahead, 23-16, after capitalizing on early opportunities, scoring on 3 of 5 first-half possessions in a highlight-filled opening 30 minutes.
But the momentum quickly disappeared after halftime as Rutgers rattled off 24 consecutive points to take control and silence the homecoming crowd.
Now on a five-game losing streak, the Terrapins will use their upcoming bye week to regroup before returning to action Oct. 31 against Illinois as speculation continues to swirl about the future of head coach Michael Locksley.
“We have a bye week coming up, and we’re going to use that time to evaluate every aspect of it,” Locksley said. “Everything’s on the table — personnel, preparation, execution, decisions, all those things. My focus will be on finding answers and solutions, getting better and continuing to fight for the players.”
Sophomore quarterback Malik Washington helped Maryland mount a late comeback attempt, leading a scoring drive that lasted less than two minutes and cut the deficit to 37-30 just before the two-minute warning. The quick touchdown preserved all three of Maryland’s timeouts and gave the Terrapins one final opportunity to force overtime.
Washington finished 19-for-38 passing for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
Rutgers then faced a decision on the ensuing drive. The Scarlet Knights initially lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 34-yard line, but a false-start penalty pushed them back 5 yards and ultimately forced a punt.
The Terrapins capitalized on the opportunity, driving to the Rutgers 11-yard line with a chance to tie the game. Facing fourth-and-3, Washington found redshirt junior tight end Dorian Fleming near the sideline in the end zone.
But what appeared to be the game-tying touchdown was ruled incomplete when officials determined Fleming stepped out of bounds while securing the catch. Replay review was inconclusive, and the call on the field stood.
“We just can’t leave it up to the officials,” Washington said. “It’s a tough call to make in the moment for the official. It’s not easy for anybody. But at the end of the day, you don’t want to leave it to the officials. You want to go out and execute and leave it in no one’s hands but your own.”
Rutgers controlled much of the second half by dominating possession. The Scarlet Knights held the ball for more than 35 minutes for the game and converted 9 of 14 third-down opportunities, a 64 percent success rate. Maryland converted just 4 of 13 third downs.
Despite the disappointing finish, Locksley pointed to the opening half as one of his team’s most complete performances of the season.
“That was probably the most complementary half for all three phases,” Locksley said.
Maryland’s strong start featured several standout plays.
The Terrapins opened the scoring after tight end Preston Howard hauled in a one-handed, 25-yard reception that moved the offense deep into Rutgers territory. A few plays later, Maryland found the end zone to take an early lead.
Later in the half, defensive back Jamare Glasker recorded Maryland’s fifth interception of the season, giving the offense possession near midfield. Washington and the Terrapins quickly turned the takeaway into points, as the sophomore quarterback connected with Fleming for a touchdown in the back of the end zone to extend Maryland’s lead to 14-7.
The first-half fireworks, however, were not enough to overcome Maryland’s second-half collapse.
“We didn’t execute drives. We didn’t get the turnovers, we didn’t get the stops. We lost the field-position battle with special teams,” Locksley said. “To me, that’s the tale of two halves.”
Update: Maryland fired Ted Monachino as defensive coordinator on Oct. 18.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox