Maryland lost to Washington, 24-20, on Oct. 4 after a disastrous second half.
Maryland (4-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) appeared to have shaken off its post-bye-week curse with a dominant first half, but Washington had its number in the second half. The Terps established a 20-0 lead early in the third quarter but allowed 24 consecutive points to close out the game, including 21 in the fourth quarter.
“What we learned today is we’ve got to learn how to put people away — especially good teams like Washington when you have them here at home,” Maryland head coach Michael Locksley said.
In front of a sold-out SECU Stadium, Maryland seized momentum early. On the second play of the game, senior defensive back Jalen Huskey intercepted Washington sophomore quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and returned it 32 yards to set the Terps up in Washington territory. A holding penalty sent Maryland to the Huskies’ 18-yard line just two minutes into the game. It was the first interception Williams had thrown all season.
Maryland went on to score on its first three possessions, including a 16-play, 71-yard touchdown drive led by freshman quarterback Malik Washington. The drive featured five third-down conversions and ended with Washington’s third rushing touchdown of the season. A 23-yard pass to senior receiver Octavian Smith Jr. brought the Terps to the Huskies’ 4-yard line.
The Huskies struggled to find their footing in the first half, converting just 1 of 6 third downs and 1 of 3 fourth downs.
However, the second half was a different story.
Maryland appeared to maintain momentum with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a pass to junior tight end AJ Szymanski to open the third quarter, but the Terps wouldn’t score again for the rest of the game.
“In the third quarter, on offense and defense, I didn’t feel like we executed,” Locksley said. “We got a touchdown drive … and then on offense, we couldn’t generate enough explosives.”
Maryland managed just 10 rushing yards and 117 passing yards (127 total) in the second half.
“We’re an RPO system,” Locksley said of the lack of rushing attempts. “Today, what Malik faced at the end was a mix of cover two and man. So, if they’re running cover two, we need to run it. If they’re running more man, we have to create and win one-on-one matchups. Today, we didn’t win enough of them, and we didn’t make enough good throws.”
Washington finished 30 of 49 for 219 yards, one touchdown and an interception for the Terps.
“I left some stuff out there,” Washington said.
The Huskies, on the other hand, scored on all of their second-half drives, excluding the final kneel-down that sealed the win.
Williams threw two touchdown passes, and senior running back Jonah Coleman added a score on the ground to give Washington a 24-20 lead with 3:21 remaining.
Maryland had a chance to retake the lead on its final possession, but those hopes slipped through the hands of senior wideout Jalil Farooq on third-and-8, which would’ve placed the Terps right around Washington’s 15-yard line with less than two minutes to play.
“Nine times out of ten, Jalil typically makes that play,” Locksley said. “I’m going to bet on Jalil Farooq to make the play. But it doesn’t come down to that. We kicked way too many field goals in the first half when we had opportunities. Those are the types of things that get you. Kicking field goals when you have advantageous field position comes back to bite you — and it did today.”
Maryland will look to bounce back when it hosts Nebraska at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 11.
“It’s the first bit of adversity we’ll face together as a team, dealing with a loss,” Locksley said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how these guys respond. We’ve got another great opportunity next Saturday here at SECU Stadium against Nebraska, and I promise our guys will show up, be prepared and work to get us back on the right track.”
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