Maryland came out swinging in Lincoln, but Nebraska finished the job in brutal fashion.
What started as a promising road opener for the Terrapins unraveled into a 48-23 loss Saturday at Memorial Stadium, where Maryland built an early two-score cushion before Nebraska ripped control away with a 34-0 surge. The final margin looked one-sided. The path there was messier - and far more painful for Maryland.
The Terrapins opened fast and looked in rhythm right away. Malik Washington hit Chris Durr Jr. for a 65-yard touchdown on the first-quarter spark, and Sean O'Haire kept the pressure on with field goals from 26, 42, and 32 yards. By the end of the first quarter, Maryland had a 16-7 lead and had Nebraska on its heels.
That edge held briefly into the second quarter. Mekhi Nelson answered for the Cornhuskers with a 19-yard touchdown run in the first period and added a 5-yard score early in the second, but Maryland pushed back to 23-14 on DeJuan Williams’ 3-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter.
Then came the swing that changed everything.
With 2:41 left in the first half, Maryland was driving to build on its lead when Dwayne McDougle III stepped in front of a pass and took it 81 yards the other way for a Nebraska touchdown. That play flipped the game on its head. Nebraska grabbed a 28-23 halftime lead five seconds before the break on Anthony Colandrea’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Luke Lindenmeyer, and the Cornhuskers never let go.
From there, Maryland’s offense went cold. Nebraska kept stacking stops and scoring in bunches, then broke the game open for good in the fourth quarter with Vincent Genatone’s 1-yard touchdown plunge at 14:58. Colandrea followed with touchdown passes to Kwazi Gilmer from 5 yards out at 10:32 and from 30 yards out at 6:35.
Washington finished 23 of 44 for 254 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Durr was Maryland’s brightest weapon, catching seven passes for 149 yards and the long touchdown. Williams added 78 rushing yards and a score on just 10 carries, while O'Haire accounted for three field goals.
But the numbers that mattered most told the real story. Maryland went just 1-for-14 on third down, and that collapse kept the offense behind schedule all afternoon.
The Terrapins repeatedly found themselves in long-yardage situations, which invited Nebraska’s pressure and helped create the turnover that swung the game. Maryland also never scored in the second half.
The penalties piled up too. Both teams were flagged 28 times for 247 yards, and Maryland took 12 of those penalties for 115 yards.
Those mistakes wiped out positive plays, turned drives into 1st-and-20 situations, and gave Nebraska more chances to extend possessions. The Cornhuskers held the ball for 34:24 and wore down Maryland as the game went on.
Nebraska’s offense was balanced and ruthless. Colandrea completed 26 of 39 passes for 238 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while also leading all rushers with 108 yards on 10 carries.
Gilmer was the biggest problem in the passing game, finishing with 11 catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Nelson added the two rushing scores that helped Nebraska stay within reach early and then take over.
Maryland’s defense had a few individual bright spots. Carlton Smith led the way with eight total tackles, including five solo stops, and Joel Starlings recorded a sack. But the unit couldn’t hold up against Nebraska’s playmakers once the game turned.
The loss drops Maryland to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. Nebraska moves to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
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Marylands Biggest Problem After Nebraska Loss Isnt What Fans Wanted
Mike Locksley didnt hide from the film after Marylands 48-23 loss to Nebraska, and he also didnt sound ready to blow up everything around it. The head coach pointed to effort as a positive, but said the Terrapins beat themselves too often with self-inflicted mistakes and execution breakdowns, the kind of issues that can turn a competitive afternoon into a lopsided final score before long.
Third down was part of the problem, as was the offenses overall rhythm, and Locksley also had to address the interceptions thrown by Malik Washington. Still, the message from the coach was not one of panic so much as persistence, with Locksley stressing that the group has to keep working and stay together if its going to correct the details that have been costing it. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Let Another Winnable Big Ten Game Slip Away Fast
Maryland had enough offense early to make Saturday in Lincoln feel like the kind of Big Ten road game it could hang around in. For a while, the Terps moved the ball well and looked capable of turning a winnable conference game into something useful, but the first half also carried the familiar warning signs that can undo a team on the road: turnovers, penalties and the little mistakes that keep giving an opponent extra chances.
Nebraska took advantage after halftime and steadily pulled away, turning a competitive start into a 48-23 loss for Maryland. The frustrating part for the Terps was not just the final margin, but how quickly a game that felt manageable slipped out of reach once the cleaner, more consistent team began to separate itself in the second half. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland's Promising Start Turned Into Another Frustrating Big Ten Loss
For a stretch, Maryland had enough offense to make its trip to Nebraska feel manageable, with Malik Washington throwing for 254 yards and a touchdown and Chris Durr Jr. turning in a career day. Durr finished with 149 receiving yards and a score, giving the Terps a bright spot on a night when they needed one, even as the game slowly started to tilt away from them.
Nebraska answered with a decisive second quarter, putting up 21 points before pulling away again in the fourth to hand Maryland a 48-23 Big Ten road loss. The result fit an all-too-familiar pattern for the Terps, who have shown enough promise in stretches to keep hope alive but still have not found a way to turn those moments into a conference win. [Read more 🡒]