Maryland walked into Rentschler Field and quickly showed UConn the gap between a strong opener and a far tougher test.
The Huskies led early, but the game tilted hard once the Terps settled in. Maryland rolled to a 38-14 win Saturday before 34,494 fans in East Hartford, leaning on a passing game that kept UConn on its heels from the second quarter on.
Malik Washington was the engine of it all. The Maryland quarterback completed 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns, at one point stringing together 18 straight completions.
He finished that run by finding Chris Durr for a 13-yard touchdown with 10:57 left, pushing the Terps ahead 38-14. Washington’s first incompletion of the second half didn’t come until 5:19 remained in the game.
Durr caught 10 passes for 103 yards, while Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding led Maryland in receiving yards with eight grabs for 130 and the other touchdown catch.
UConn’s defense had looked suffocating a week earlier, allowing only 209 total yards against Lafayette and not giving up a drive until late in the fourth quarter against reserves. This time, Maryland finished with 431 total yards and repeatedly ripped off long possessions, including four straight scoring drives of at least 70 yards between the second and third quarters.
The first half turned on two huge Maryland drives late in the second quarter. With the score tied 7-7, the Terps took over after a UConn punt and a holding penalty backed them up to their own 8-yard line.
Washington kept the march alive with a 24-yard throw to Durr, and Maryland also picked up a pair of pass interference calls, one against Saxton Suchanic and another against Zion Paret. Harry Dalton III finished that drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
After UConn stalled again, Maryland went 15 plays in 3:52 and got all the way to the UConn 1-yard line before settling for Bryce McFerson’s 18-yard field goal with four seconds left in the half. That stretch gave Maryland a 17-7 halftime lead and a 282-137 edge in total yards.
UConn had drawn first blood. Kalieb Osborne hit JD Willoughby for a 36-yard touchdown with 4:39 left in the first quarter, capping a three-play drive after the defense had helped the Huskies win the field-position battle. But that was about as good as it got for UConn’s offense, which managed only 221 total yards after setting a school record with 671 in the opener.
Maryland answered the Huskies’ early punch with a 60-yard touchdown pass from Washington to Gladding to tie it 7-7 with 3:24 left in the first quarter. On the play, Paret was beaten badly downfield, and Braedyn Moore caught Gladding near the goal line before the receiver spun away and fell into the end zone.
The Terps kept control after halftime. They opened the third quarter with a 71-yard, 10-play touchdown drive finished by a 1-yard run from Iverson Howard to make it 24-7. Washington completed his first six passes of the half on that series, including a 30-yarder to Kaleb Webb.
UConn briefly answered. Osborne found Shamar Porter for a 39-yard touchdown on a 7-play, 77-yard drive to cut the margin to 24-14. Porter also had a 20-yard catch on the possession.
But Maryland responded immediately with another long march, covering 75 yards in eight plays. Dalton capped it with a 2-yard run to make it 31-14, and Washington was perfect on the drive, completing all five of his passes and moving past 300 yards for the game. His longest completion on that possession went 24 yards to Gladding.
From there, the Terps pulled away and left UConn with a blunt reminder of how much sharper things look against a Big Ten opponent.
In Other News...
Tar Heels Face A Huge Recruiting Test In Crowded 2027 Battle
UConns recruiting footprint in the 2027 class got another look this week when DeMarcus Henry Jr., the Arizona Compass Prep standout, made a visit to Storrs as he works through a rapidly moving process. The rising wing has drawn multiple offers and picked up momentum off a strong stretch of performances across the spring and summer, the kind of rise that has put him firmly on the radar of blueblood programs and made every stop on his tour feel meaningful.
Henrys path is still unfolding, which is what makes the Huskies involvement worth watching. He has already narrowed his options and plans to see the rest of his finalists this fall, so the next few months will tell a lot about where UConn stands in a crowded chase for one of the countrys top young prospects. In the meantime, the staff also stayed busy on the road with Class of 2028 guard Michai White, who picked up a Syracuse offer after the teams visit to Prolific Prep in Florida. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Just Lost A Major Guard Target Now What For The Backcourt
Illinois had been working to keep its footing with five-star guard target NaVorro Bowman Jr., but the 2027 pursuit ended when he committed to UConn. For a program trying to map out its future backcourt, losing that kind of high-end target before the class even takes shape is a sharp reminder of how quickly recruiting boards can change.
The Illini still have options to chase, with King Gibson remaining on their radar after putting Illinois in his top 10 schools. Even so, there is no Champaign visit on his schedule, which leaves the staff to weigh how much more runway it has with top-tier prep guards versus leaning harder into the transfer portal or developing the players already on hand. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Gets An Early Reality Check After Its Week 1 Surge
UConn heads into Saturdays game at Maryland with a little momentum and a much bigger test. The Huskies opened the season by handling an FCS opponent, while the Terrapins did the same, and both teams arrive at 1-0 with a chance to build on a clean start. It is the kind of early nonconference matchup that can tell UConn a lot about where the program stands after a promising Week 1 surge.
For the Huskies, the trip also brings a familiar next step: proving the opener was more than a fast start against lesser competition. Maryland has been steady in these nonconference games and will bring the kind of speed and depth that usually exposes any loose ends quickly. UConns focus will be on carrying over the confidence from Week 1 while finding out whether its new pieces can hold up when the margin for error gets much smaller. [Read more 🡒]