Maryland football drops fifth straight in 35-20 loss to Rutgers

Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Maryland football was in a unique position. 

The Terps had started multiple fourth quarters with leads against conference opponents and seen them disappear over the final fifteen minutes, but they hadn’t been on the other side. 

With an opportunity to overcome an eight-point deficit with under 10 minutes remaining, the Terps went three and out on offense and surrendered a touchdown on the ensuing Rutgers possession.

The five-minute touchdown drive effectively ended Maryland’s comeback bid, falling to Rutgers, 35-20 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. The loss extends Maryland’s losing streak to five games.

“It’s always about being better than you were a year ago,” head coach Mike Locksley said.  “There’s a difference between progress and expectations. This inexperienced team created an expectation with how they played early. We’re a little banged up right now, and they keep showing up for me. So as I said, it’s my job to remain positive.”

Last week, Indiana ran all over Maryland’s (4-5, 1-5 B1G) defense, picking up 367 total yards and four touchdowns on the ground. 

The Scarlet Knights (5-5, 2-5 B1G) followed a similar game plan. Running back Antwan Raymond consistently navigated around and through  Terps defenders. The sophomore totaled 240 rushing yards – a career high – on 41 carries. 

On Rutgers’ final touchdown drive, Raymond single-handedly drove down the field and iced the game away with a five-yard score with four minutes left. 

Maryland’s fourth-quarter struggles have been a consistent problem all season in conference play, as the Terps have been outscored 72-17  in the final quarter over the past five games. 

Unlike prior games this season, the Terps’ running backs found some success. No Maryland running back had a rush of over 30 yards before Nolan Ray’s breakout in the second quarter. The sophomore got to the outside and broke away for a 53-yard carry before getting run down at the Scarlet Knight’s 20-yard line. 

The long run led directly to a Maryland score as quarterback Malik Washington lofted a 21-yard back-shoulder throw to junior Kaleb Webb in the end zone. The score gave Maryland a 17-14 lead.

No Terp found more rushing success on Saturday than Washington. The true freshman ran for 164 yards, including 73 on the second play of scrimmage. On a run-pass option, Washington took it himself and went untouched into the endzone. The touchdown run was Maryland’s longest rush of the season.

“I was just making sure nobody was behind me,” Washington said when asked about his run. “Just making sure I didn’t get caught and could get into the end zone.”

Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who led the Big Ten in both attempts and passing yards coming into the game, had a lighter workload than usual. The senior attempted 20 passes, far below his season average of 34. 

When Kaliakmanis did throw, Maryland couldn’t stop wide receiver Ian Strong. The junior came up with multiple big plays for the Scarlet Knights, picking up three touchdowns and 88 yards on only five receptions. 

Strong wasn’t the only Rutgers receiver making big plays. Scarlet Knights passcatchers averaged 17.6 yards per reception, with three different players snatching passes of at least 31 yards. 

With the loss, Maryland’s path to a potential bowl appearance gets more difficult. The Terps will have to win twice in their final three games. Two of those three games come on the road, and Maryland’s lone home game comes against No. 21 Michigan.

“It may not feel real good right now, but I can tell you that I know this group will keep pushing and we’ll … finish this thing up the right way,” Locksley said.