Twenty-eight-point second quarter sinks Maryland football in 44-7 loss

Photo courtesy of University of Maryland Athletics

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA — Entering the start of the second quarter, Maryland held a 7-3 lead against a No. 4 Penn State team that was 26.5 point favorites heading into the contest.

But any chance of a Maryland upset was thoroughly squandered throughout the second quarter as the Nittany Lions’ offense dominated, racking up 208 total yards and 28 points on five drives.

“Just disappointed,” head coach Mike Locksley said on the outcome. “ Disappointed in the way things finished [and] disappointed in our inability to get things going.”

Back by a massive second quarter, No. 4 Penn State (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) demolished Maryland (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) 44-7 on Saturday at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, and secured Maryland’s worst finish to a season since 2019.

After struggling in their first four possessions, the Nittany Lions ran a more up-tempo offense that got tight end Tyler Warren more involved. 

The senior entered Saturday’s contest as a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award — an award given by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in college football — and showed off his versatility on a methodical drive that bled into the second quarter. Warren caught two passes for 28 yards and completed a pass to running back Nicholas Singleton for nine yards on a methodical drive, who later capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown run.

Warren’s first catch of the game was his 76th of the season, breaking the Big Ten’s single-season receptions record for a tight end. But that record was just one of two historical markers for Warren on Saturday. 

Warren’s other record-setting play came on his lone touchdown grab when he secured his 17th career touchdown reception toward the back of the endzone. The touchdown surpassed Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth’s former school record of 16. 

Warren finished the game with stats and in every offense category, racking up 68 receiving yards and one touchdown on six catches, three rushes for 32 yards and one pass for nine yards.

Penn State’s defense gave its offense a short field on the ensuing Maryland possession, stopping the Terps on a fourth-and-one at Maryland’s 30-yard line. After a methodical drive on Penn State’s first touchdown, it needed just three plays to score again, concluding the drive with a one-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak from Drew Allar to put the Nittany Lions up 17-7.

The Nittany Lions faced another short field just minutes later as quarterback MJ Morris was intercepted by Audavion Collins, setting up Penn State at Maryland’s 46-yard line.

Penn State’s offense once again scored quickly, rattling off six plays that resulted in Warren’s sixth touchdown of the season and a 31-7 lead. 

“I feel like defensively, we played very well when we started the game,” linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II said. “Just lack of execution, [there was] a couple of deep balls that they caught on us. So, it all comes down to execution.”

Coming off a rough week, in which Iowa gashed Maryland’s run defense for 268 rushing yards, the Terps’ defense made an immediate impact to start Saturday’s contest.

On Penn State’s first snap from scrimmage, the Nittany Lions ran a run play to left side. But Singleton fumbled, giving Maryland the ball at Penn State’s 25-yard line.

The Terps’ defense continued to shine in the opening quarter, preventing Penn State from picking up a first down in each of its next three possessions. But a stagnant Maryland offense could not capitalize on the extra possessions, allowing Penn State’s offense to make adjustments.

Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. entered the game listed as questionable and was ruled out just before kickoff, forcing Morris to make his first start as a Terp on the road against the No. 4 team in the country. 

But Morris’ first snap could not have gone better for the Terps, as the redshirt sophomore aired out a 25-yard touchdown pass to Kaden Prather in the back right corner of the endzone. The touchdown gave Maryland a 7-0 lead just 14 seconds into the contest.

After a stunning opening possession, the Maryland offense stalled as the Terps’ offensive line struggled in pass protection, surrendering six sacks throughout the rest of the game. The result was just 169 yards for the Maryland offense after its opening possession.

“Nobody’s going to give it to you,” wide receiver Tai Felton said. “We still have to attack everything and be physical with them and just kind of take over … and play to smash mouth football. So I thought that was one thing we were just missing.”