Maryland lost to Nebraska, 34-31, on Oct. 11 after going scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Maryland (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) once again found itself in a familiar situation — needing to close out a game in the final quarter. The Terrapins had a chance to potentially seal the win by expanding a 31-27 lead, but the Huskers got off the field on third-and-6 with less than five minutes to go in regulation. That missed opportunity proved costly.
Nebraska responded with a seven-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, capped by a difficult one-handed, 3-yard grab by wide receiver Dane Key. The catch highlighted sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola’s four-touchdown game.
Raiola finished the game 20 of 29 for 260 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
Maryland only needed a field goal to send the game to overtime when it got the ball back with a little more than a minute to go. A 20-yard catch by wide receiver Shaleak Knotts following an intentional grounding penalty set the Terrapins up with a manageable fourth-and-4 with the game on the line.
However, freshman quarterback Malik Washington’s pass was behind sophomore tight end Dorian Flemming, ending Maryland’s hopes of tying or winning.
“I’ve just got to get my feet set, get my front shoulder closed, and then make the throw,” Washington said.
On the intentional grounding call, he added, “I felt like I was away. I didn’t want to take a sack in that instance or try to run around and make a play — just wanted to get the ball out of bounds.”
Washington finished 27 of 37 for 249 yards and one touchdown.
“They do a really good job of getting depth in their defense,” Washington said. “That’s why some of the underneath stuff was there. We allowed guys to catch and run, and I think that’s what they’ve done — try to limit explosive plays because those can change the game.”
Nebraska outscored Maryland, 10-0, in the fourth quarter, fueled by big gains after the catch and a dominant run game. Running back Isaiah Mozee led the way with 176 rushing yards on the day.
“Make a play,” head coach Michael Locksley said of winning the fourth quarter. “We can sit there and analyze every call, but at the end of the day, this is one of those opportunities where we’ve been in the fourth quarter. I’ve watched the other team make some plays, and I’ve watched us not make the play, and so for me as a coach, that’s the area that I’ll focus on.”
“The missed tackles showed up again in critical parts of the game,” Locksley added. “Good teams get the ball on the ground, and we didn’t do it when it mattered.”
Maryland came out strong in the second half, scoring both an offensive and defensive touchdown on their first two drives.
Freshman running back Dejuan Williams punched in a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game at 24. The score came after Washington scrambled to Nebraska’s 1-yard line and initially appeared to fumble the ball away before being ruled down via replay review.
On the next possession, Raiola threw his third interception of the game — this one to defensive back Dontay Joyner, who returned it 67 yards for a touchdown, giving Maryland a 31-24 lead. The Terrapins now have 12 interceptions on the season.
“He’s one of those guys who, a week ago, was penalized and not feeling good. I love the way the kid responded,” Locksley said.
However, Maryland committed three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, matching their interception total.
“There’s got to be more discipline at the end of the day,” senior defensive back Jalen Huskey said. “That’s not something that’s coached. It’s not something we emphasize — to go after the whistle. It’s a player thing. We inflicted that on ourselves, and we have to fix it. So the players — we’ll get it corrected.”
Maryland will look to snap its losing streak when it travels to California to face UCLA on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. EST.
“We’ll take it back on the road,” Locksley said. “We’ve got a short week heading out to California. We’ll leave Thursday, so we’re going to get a lot of work done and put this one behind us quickly while making the necessary corrections for the trip to L.A.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics