Maryland came out firing in Lincoln, but Nebraska owned the middle and the finish.
The Terps took an early lead, piled up points in the first quarter, and got a monster night from Chris Durr Jr., yet Nebraska answered with a 48-23 win on Saturday afternoon to hand Maryland its third straight loss and drop it to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. The Cornhuskers improved to 5-0 and 2-0 in the league.
Durr Jr. was everywhere for Maryland. He caught seven passes for a career-high 149 yards and a touchdown, while Malik Washington finished with 254 passing yards and a score. DeJuan Williams also made an impact in his return to the lineup, rushing for 78 yards and a touchdown as Maryland finished with a season-high 395 total yards, which was the most Nebraska had allowed all year.
The opening quarter belonged to Maryland. Sean O'Haire opened the scoring with a 26-yard field goal, and the Terps quickly flashed big-play potential when Washington hit Durr Jr. on a 65-yard touchdown, the longest completion of Washington’s career and the longest receiving score of Durr Jr.’s career.
O'Haire added field goals from 42 and 32 yards, and Maryland also got a turnover when Jamare Glasker intercepted Anthony Colandrea. By the end of the first 15 minutes, the Terps had outgained Nebraska 207-38 and held a 16-7 edge.
Nebraska swung the game in the second quarter. The Cornhuskers put together a 79-yard touchdown drive, picked off Washington, and later turned an interception into an 81-yard touchdown return. Maryland briefly pushed back when Williams broke a 56-yard run and then finished a three-yard touchdown to put the Terps ahead 23-14, but Nebraska closed the half with a late touchdown and carried a 28-23 lead into the break.
From there, Maryland’s offense went quiet. Nebraska missed a 53-yard field goal to open the third quarter, but the Terps could not find a response and the game stayed 28-23 heading into the fourth. The Cornhuskers then took control immediately, scoring on the first play of the final quarter, adding another touchdown on a five-play, 85-yard drive, and later finishing off the Terps with a 30-yard touchdown pass.
Washington’s day also moved him up several Maryland lists. With 23 completions, he climbed to seventh in program history with 397, passing Neil O'Donnell.
His 254 passing yards pushed him to 4,251 for his career, good for 10th all-time at Maryland after moving past Briand Cummings and Danny O'Brien. The touchdown pass gave him 24 for his career, tying Dan Henning for 11th place, and he surpassed 4,000 career passing yards during the game.
It was also his eighth career game with at least 250 passing yards.
Durr Jr. kept stacking up numbers, too. He now has 42 catches this season, averaging 8.4 per game, and has recorded at least six receptions in each of Maryland’s five games. His 135 receiving yards in the first quarter were the second-most by a Terp in any quarter since 2012.
Carlton Smith led the defense with eight tackles, and Maryland’s defense held Nebraska scoreless in the third quarter, marking the Terps’ ninth scoreless frame of the season. Maryland also continued to stay efficient in the red zone, scoring on 22 of 24 trips this year.
Next up, Maryland heads to No. 5 Ohio State on the road next weekend.
In Other News...
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 This Game Slip Away In A Brutal Second Half
Maryland had the kind of start that can make a road trip feel manageable, grabbing an early lead in Lincoln before the game turned sharply against it. For a while, the Terrapins looked poised to leave Nebraska with a useful win, but the rhythm vanished as the night went on and the Cornhuskers kept building momentum.
Nebraskas pivotal interception return for a touchdown changed the entire feel of the game, and Maryland never found its footing after that. The Terrapins were undone by third-down struggles and penalties, and the second-half slide was severe enough to turn a competitive game into a 48-23 loss. [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 🡒]