Down 34-27, SMU found itself down to its last hopes with a fourth-and-one at its 48-yard line, less than a minute left in the fourth quarter.
Tanner Mordecai’s pass intended for Rashee Rice bounced in front of Rice for an incompletion, ending the Mustangs’ hopes for the win.
In what was a back-and-forth contest that featured both offenses combining for nearly 1000 yards (957), Maryland prevailed victorious, as the Terps defeated the Mustangs, 34-27.
“We did not play our best football today, make no mistake about it,” coach Mike Locksley said. “Lot of errors, lot of penalties, lot of turnovers, but it was against a really really good team. To win a game like we won today against a really good team … to find a way to win, we needed a game like that.”
Maryland football returned to College Park for a primetime matchup against SMU Saturday night. Both teams entered averaging over 40 points per game, setting up a potentially high-scoring affair.
SMU received the football to start and marched down the field inside Maryland’s ten-yard line. Maryland’s defense stood strong on fourth down, ending the Mustangs’ first drive with no points. Needing a yard, SMU elected to throw the ball with its 15th-ranked passing offense.
Mordecai completed a pass near the sidelines to Jake Bailey, but freshman Gavin Gibson pushed Bailey out of bounds before he could get a foot down. Gibson’s pass break up resulted in a turnover-on-downs for the Mustangs.
Redshirt freshman Roman Hemby got Maryland’s offense started in a big way with a 49-yard rush to SMU’s side of midfield. The Terps reached as far as the Mustangs’ 18-yard line, but their drive stalled out and finished with a 36-yard field goal from Eastern Michigan transfer Chad Ryland.
Like on its first drive, SMU had a fourth-and-short decision to make with the ball inside Maryland’s redzone on drive two. Only this time, the Mustangs elected for the field goal. Collin Rogers made the kick to tie the score at three apiece.
On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore Tai Felton fumbled before coming to the ground, and SMU pounced on the ball at Maryland’s 30-yard line. The Mustangs moved the ball only four yards, and the drive ended in a 43-yard field goal from Rogers.
Entering the second quarter, SMU led 6-3. The Mustangs (29) ran over 20 more plays than the Terps (eight) in the first quarter.
On the first play of quarter two, Mordecai and RJ Maryland connected on a 51-yard touchdown. Maryland ran up the seam and was untouched on his way into the endzone, putting the Mustangs up by two scores.
The Terps finally scored their first touchdown of the game with 5:43 left in the first half. Redshirt freshman Antwain Littleton II capped off an 11-play, 65-yard drive with a one-yard score as he leaped into the endzone.
After going the first two weeks of the season without a takeaway, Maryland’s defense notched its first interception of the season with just under five minutes left in the first half. Junior Beau Brade picked off Mordecai as his pass sailed over the head of Gage Haskin, falling into the arms of Brade.
On the ensuing play, redshirt junior Taulia Tagovailoa found a wide open Rakim Jarrett around the SMU 20-yard line. The junior coasted into the endzone, giving Maryland its first lead of the game since Ryland’s field goal in the first quarter.
SMU responded with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of its own to regain the lead, 20-17. Austin Upshaw’s 13-yard touchdown catch was the final score of the first half.
Rice, who entered the game third among all FBS receivers in yards, registered 138 in half one, just 11 under his game average of 149.
Maryland was just one-for-five on third-down in the first half.
The Terps’ opening drive of the second half started beautifully, as Maryland got as close as SMU’s nine-yard line. However, the drive stalled out as numerous Terp penalties backed them up to the 31. Ryland connected on a 41-yard field goal to the game, 20-20.
SMU responded with a drive well into Maryland’s side of the field, but Mordecai coughed up the ball near the endzone on a scramble. The play was reviewed but the call on the field stood.
Brade forced the fumble, adding to his statsheet filled with double-digit tackles and an interception.
On the Mustangs’ next drive, Mordecai found Moochie Dixon in the back right corner of the endzone for a seven-yard touchdown.
Less than 30 seconds later, sophomore Colby McDonald took a pass from Tagovailoa and did good work with it after the catch. That is until he was greeted with a big hit from SMU’s defense to force a fumble, the Terps’ second of the game.
SMU couldn’t convert on the turnover as Rogers’ 49-yard field goal attempt missed wide left.
Maryland converted on the missed kick as its nine-play, 68-yard drive was capped off with a Hemby one-yard touchdown rush to tie the game, 27-27.
“I felt like I was able to make some plays,” Hemby said. Hemby finished with 151 yards on the ground, a new career-high. The redshirt freshman also chipped in 62 yards through the air.
Maryland’s defense came up with their third turnover of the game only a few plays later as sophomore Dante Trader Jr. intercepted Mordecai. Trader Jr. returned the ball into SMU’s side of the field, setting up Maryland’s offense with good field position.
The Terps capitalized on the interception, although it wasn’t easy. On a fourth-and-nine, redshirt sophomore Corey Dyches caught the pass from Tagovailoa and on second effort, willed his way past the first down mark.
“We had a great route concept drawn up, [Taulia] was able to find me and it was either we get the first down or we don’t, it was fourth down … I was just able to go ahead and make a play,” Dyches said.
Later on third-and-one inside SMU’s 10-yard line, Tagovailoa found Dyches again. Dyches snagged the dump-off with one hand, turned the corner and dove into the endzone for the score. Dyches’ touchdown gave Maryland the lead, 34-27 with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter.
With less than three minutes remaining in the fourth, SMU elected to go for it on fourth-and-seven from Maryland’s nine-yard line. Mordecai’s pass sailed over the heads of everyone out of the endzone incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs. Maryland gained possession of the ball up by seven with 2:31 left in the quarter.
The Terps went three-and-out, sending possession back to the Mustangs with 1:25 to work with.
SMU couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-one, and Maryland held on for the 34-27 win.
“It shows the grit of our defensive unit, how we keep working all four quarters, don’t give up no matter what happens,” Brade said in regards to the defensive performance.
Maryland held out to drop the Mustangs despite mustering 15 penalties for 141 yards in the game, as the Terps struggled to get out of their own way for much of the night.
The win improved the Terps to 3-0 for the second year in a row, with a daunting trip to No. 4 Michigan up next to begin conference play.
