Maryland football defeated Wisconsin, 27-10, on Sept. 20 in the Big Ten opener for each team.
The Terrapins snapped a four-game losing streak against the Badgers thanks mostly to a strong first half. Maryland will enjoy a bye week before hosting Washington on Oct. 4 with a chance to remain undefeated.
Maryland’s defense and special teams were firing on all cylinders against Wisconsin. The Badgers went just 1-for-9 on third down. No drive exceeded 50 yards — except for their opening possession, which ended with a blocked field goal by freshman defensive lineman Zahir Mathis.
“Special teams really set the stage for us early,” head coach Michael Locksley told reporters after the game. “Special teams the last three weeks have come up big for us. … We had the blocked field goal early in the game, which I thought energized us and created some momentum.”
Maryland followed up the blocked field goal with an interception on its next defensive series. Senior defensive back Jalen Huskey picked off sophomore Wisconsin quarterback Danny O’Neil, in for injured starter Billy Edwards, and returned it to Wisconsin’s 4-yard line. That marked Maryland’s eighth interception of the season. The Terrapins finished with nine total in 2024.
“We have an amazing pass rush,” Huskey said of the interception. “The quarterback looked at his [No. 1 receiver] and never took his eyes off him, so I trusted what I saw. I saw the ball in the air, and when I see the ball in the air, it’s my ball — so I went and got it.”
Freshman quarterback Malik Washington capitalized on the short field, scoring his second rushing touchdown of the season to give Maryland a 7-0 lead.
Maryland’s special teams weren’t done yet. Freshman Messiah Delhomme blocked a punt, setting up another Terrapins touchdown. This time, Washington used his arm to find senior wide receiver Shaleak Knotts for a 9-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, extending the lead to 14-0.
While Maryland took advantage of short fields created by their defense, the Terrapins struggled to move the ball otherwise in the first half. On the four drives not set up by a turnover, Maryland managed only a field goal, which increased the lead to 17-0.
The Terrapins added another field goal to close out the half after forcing a turnover on downs at their own 35-yard line. With 25 seconds remaining, Washington connected with senior Octavian Smith Jr. for a 48-yard gain to the Wisconsin 17-yard line. The drive stalled, and Maryland settled for a field goal to enter halftime up 20-0.
Smith had five catches for 112 yards in the first half, marking back-to-back games with 100-plus receiving yards for the senior wideout. He finished with six catches and 113 yards.
Wisconsin opened the second half with a field goal and scored its lone touchdown with 28 seconds remaining, but overall, Maryland’s defense dominated after halftime.
The Terrapins pressured O’Neil all game, finishing with six sacks. The Badgers also went 2-for-8 on third downs in the second half.
However, Maryland’s offense continued to struggle after the break, going just 1-for-5 on third down. The Terrapins finished the game 4-for-14 and had six costly drops from their receivers.
“Today wasn’t our best day as a receiving unit because we had untimely drops on third downs, which are like turnovers for us. We’re fortunate to get out of here and be able to learn from them,” Locksley said. “… We have to go back to the drawing board and have those guys make the consistent plays they need to make to help our young quarterback in this conference early.”
The Terrapins did tack on another touchdown, though, after Washington found Knotts for a 62-yard score. Washington finished 18-for-34 for 264 yards and three total touchdowns. Knotts ended the game with three catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns. He now has five touchdowns in four games.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics