Maryland didn’t exactly ease into its first road test. The Terps absorbed an early punch, trailed for the first time this season and even spent part of the opening quarter chasing UConn’s tempo. By the end, though, the game had turned into a showcase for Malik Washington, a defense that settled in fast and a second-half surge that buried the Huskies in a 38-14 win.
Washington was the engine. The sophomore quarterback completed 18 straight passes, the longest streak by a Maryland quarterback since at least 1953, and finished with 347 passing yards and two touchdowns. Once he got rolling, the Terps’ offense never really let up.
“We learned a lot about ourselves with the first road test, and I thought we did a good job of taking care of business,” head coach Michael Locksley said. “Malik was really efficient today.”
Maryland needed that efficiency because its ground game was missing a major piece. DeJuan Williams sat out, forcing sophomore Iverson Howard into the starting role. Howard, who had carried the load against Hampton, had just two rushing attempts for six yards in the first quarter as Maryland leaned on quick throws instead of trying to force the run.
That approach looked shaky early. Washington opened the day by completing five passes for 24 yards on the Terps’ first drive, with Kaleb Webb’s eight-yard catch serving as the biggest gain. The drive stalled in UConn territory, and Maryland’s first two possessions ended in punts.
Then the game flipped.
UConn struck first when Kalieb Osborne found JD Willoughby wide open for a 36-yard touchdown late in the first quarter. But Maryland answered immediately, and in a big way. Washington dropped a pass into stride for Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, who turned it into a 60-yard touchdown that tied the game at seven with three minutes left in the quarter.
From there, the Terps started stretching the field. Harry Dalton III handled five carries on the next drive, nearly matching his total from the previous week, and burst through for a 27-yard touchdown to put Maryland ahead.
The defense, after surrendering that early score, tightened the screws. UConn managed only 30 total yards in the second quarter, and Osborne - after accounting for 355 yards last week - never found much rhythm. He finished with just 18 rushing yards on eight scrambles and went 6-of-11 for 58 passing yards outside of the long touchdown.
“Everyone who was in there was a force,” Sidney Stewart said. “Whether [it was] the pass or the run game, it’s kind of hard for them. They had to earn every inch of the run game.”
Maryland had one chance to widen the gap before halftime and nearly did. The Terps put together a 15-play, 91-yard march late in the second quarter, but they couldn’t punch it in from the one. Howard was stopped on third down, and Maryland settled for a field goal and a 17-7 halftime lead.
The third quarter brought more pressure from Maryland’s defense. Freshman edge rusher Zion Elee, who didn’t record his first collegiate stat until late last week, made a splash by getting to Osborne deep in Huskies territory and helping force a punt. Elee finished with three tackles and a sack.
On offense, the Terps kept finding answers through the air. Webb put together his best stretch of the season, highlighted by a one-handed grab and a 30-yard catch over a defender. Those two plays alone topped his production from the opener, when he had one catch for nine yards.
“We saw the talent level that we’ve increased at the receiver position with Chris Durr and [Na’eem],” Locksley said. “Both making plays and going over 100 yards together. Kaleb Webb had a couple of really big plays for us.”
Howard finished that drive with a one-yard touchdown run, but he went down after the score and had to be helped off. He did not return, ending the day with 64 total yards.
Locksley said, “[Howard] was available to play. We made the decision that we would put a knee brace on him.
I think he’ll be fine,”
It barely slowed Maryland down. Washington stayed in control, the offense stacked 21 second-half points and the Terps put the game away with 17 minutes left.
Three things to know
- Tight ends remain unimpactful.
Preston Howard and Dorian Fleming were expected to take on a bigger role this season with Maryland breaking in a mostly new wide receiver room. Instead, they combined for a 7.9% target share against Hampton, then 16% against UConn.
- Zion Elee shows flashes.
Elee’s first collegiate stat came late last week, but he made noise early against UConn. He forced a fumble with pressure off the edge, then added three tackles and a sack.
- Chunk plays carved open Maryland’s defense.
For most of the day, the Terps kept UConn quiet. But two breakdowns in the secondary hurt badly, with Boston College transfer Amari Jackson and All-Big Ten honorable mention Jamare Glasker getting beat on touchdown plays of 36 and 39 yards.
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 🡒]
Malik Washington Just Gave Maryland A Reason To Believe Again
Saturday night offered Maryland a cleaner, sharper version of itself in a 38-14 win over UConn, and Malik Washington was at the center of it. The quarterback was efficient from the start, spreading the ball around and keeping the Terps on schedule as the passing game found a rhythm that had been missing at times earlier in the season.
Naeem Abdul-Rahim Gladding and Chris Durr Jr. did plenty of the heavy lifting in the receiving game, giving Maryland a pair of dependable targets when the offense needed a spark. On the other side of the ball, Zion Elee added his first career sack, a small but notable marker for a defense that helped turn a promising showing into a comfortable result, even as the Terps have another concern lurking beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]