Malik Washington looked like a quarterback who had found his footing, and Maryland’s offense followed right along.
A week after spending much of the first half trying to settle in against Hampton, the sophomore was in command much earlier Saturday as the Terps rolled past UConn 38-14 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Conn. Maryland finished with a 475-223 edge in total yardage and moved to 2-0.
Washington was sharp from the start, completing 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. That kind of efficiency helped fuel one of the cleanest offensive performances Maryland has put together this season, especially once his timing with the new wideouts started to click.
Chris Durr Jr. and Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding were the headliners there. The two transfer receivers combined for 18 catches, 233 yards and two touchdowns, and both went over 100 receiving yards in the same game for the first time for Maryland since Tai Felton and Jeshaun Jones did it against Indiana in Sept.
- Gladding finished with eight catches, matching his career high, and 130 yards, also a career best.
The biggest early spark came from Gladding. On a crossing route in the first quarter, he found space, turned upfield and ripped off a 60-yard touchdown - the longest catch of his career and a clear reminder of what he can do after the ball is in his hands.
Washington’s best throw of the afternoon came later, and it was a beauty. He floated a pass over two defenders and dropped it where only Durr could make a play. Durr did the rest with a one-handed grab for a 24-yard gain, one of the day’s standout highlights.
Maryland also got steady work on the ground. USC transfer Harry Dalton III ran for 24 yards on four carries, and Iverson Howard finished off a drive with a four-yard touchdown that put the Terps ahead 14-7 in the second quarter. Sean O'Haire added a 19 yard field goal in the closing seconds of the half after Maryland stalled at the goal line, sending the Terps into halftime with a 17-7 lead.
The offense wasn’t fully explosive from the jump, and the absence of DeJuan Williams played a part in that. Williams did not play against UConn and will reportedly miss four to six weeks after minor knee surgery, Steve Suter said on Maryland Sports Radio Network. Williams had played only the first half against Hampton before leaving that game, later saying he felt clicking in his knee.
Still, once Maryland found its rhythm, UConn had trouble slowing anything down. The Terps scored 24 unanswered points at one point and took control by the third quarter.
The defense added its own punch, too. Freshman edge rusher Zion Elee beat UConn’s left tackle and sacked Kalieb Osborne, forcing a fumble that redshirt sophomore DD Holmes recovered. It was Elee’s first sack, though he had already helped create a sack against Hampton and drawn praise from Michael Locksley for his work against the run.
Maryland’s front seven finished with five sacks and held UConn to 67 rushing yards. The Huskies did cut the margin to ten in the third quarter on a 39 yard touchdown after Maryland cornerback Jamare Glasker was beaten, but the Terps answered quickly. Harry Dalton punched in a two yard touchdown on the next drive after Howard had already scored from a yard out before leaving the game and not returning for the final 23:42.
Durr put the finishing touch on it with his first career touchdown at Maryland, sealing the 38-14 win.
Maryland returns to College Park next Saturday, Sept. 19, to host Virginia Tech at 7:30 PM.
In Other News...
Marylands Fast Start Just Changed The Big Ten Conversation
After two weeks of college football, ESPNs FPI has already started reshaping the Big Ten picture in ways that matter to Marylands long-term outlook. The models latest update came with a few eye-catching swings across the sport, from Oklahoma States big rise after upsetting Oregon to notable drops for Arkansas and Minnesota, while Ohio State and Washington moved in directions that didnt line up neatly with the scoreboard. For Maryland, that kind of early shuffle is part of the backdrop as the conference begins to sort out which teams look like real postseason threats and which ones might be fighting simply to stay in the mix.
Marylands own early surge is now feeding into a bigger conversation about how the Big Ten hierarchy might look once league play settles in. FPI is built to weigh more than just one Saturday, so the Terps fast start matters not only for the standings but for how the numbers view their playoff path and bowl odds over the rest of the season. The next few weeks will tell whether this is just an early boost or the start of something more durable, and thats where the intrigue really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland's First Real Test Will Say A Lot About The Terps
Maryland has handled the first two weeks the way a program is supposed to, putting away Hampton and UConn and buying itself a little breathing room before the calendar gets serious. Now comes the kind of game that starts to reveal what a team really is, with Virginia Tech coming to College Park for a Week 3 matchup that should tell a lot more than those opening wins ever could.
The Terps will have to navigate it without running back DeJuan Williams for the next few weeks, while Iverson Howard is set to be available after dealing with a recent injury. Virginia Tech brings its own early-season curiosity into the matchup, too, making its first road trip under coach James Franklin in a game that oddsmakers see as close enough to make Maryland a slight underdog and keep the stakes feeling real. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands First Road Test Revealed A Different Level For The Terps
Marylands first road test of the season offered a cleaner look at what the Terps can be when the offense and defense are both in sync. In a 38-14 win over UConn, quarterback Malik Washington was sharp from the start, finishing with 347 passing yards and two touchdowns while the defense settled in after giving up an early score and kept the Huskies from building any momentum.
The bigger takeaway for Michael Locksley was how comfortably Washington managed the game, with the ball spreading to several playmakers as Maryland steadily pulled away. Harry Dalton III helped spark one scoring march, Naeem Abdul-Rahim Gladding added another key play, and the Terps showed the kind of balance that makes a September road game look a lot less stressful than it could have been. [Read more 🡒]