Maryland moved to 3-2 (0-2) after falling 42-28 in Bloomington, giving the Terps a sour taste to chew on for two weeks as they prepare for Northwestern on Oct. 11. Takeaways from Saturday’s deflating road loss:
Turnover battle proves meaningless
Maryland won the turnover battle for the fourth time in five games but fell to 2-2 this season when doing so after the offense failed to turn the takeaways into points.
After LB Kellan Wyatt came down with the game’s first sack on the opening possession, CB Jalen Huskey came down with his third interception of the season – and first Indiana turnover – just three plays later to give the defense early juice. On the next defensive possession, it’d be Glen Miller’s turn after jumping the route to come down with his third interception of the season.
Yet the offense was swallowed by Indiana’s defense after generating two three-and-outs and totaling -2 yards of offense on the two drives.
As Indiana hit midfield midway through the second quarter, it’d be LB Michael Harris who forced his first career fumble that SAF Lavain Scruggs recovered, but again, a quick three-and-out gave the Hoosiers the ball right back.
Approaching the final hour in Maryland’s comeback efforts with under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Maryland would generate its fourth takeaway of the game when DL Quashon Fuller and LB Caleb Wheatland teamed up for the forced fumble and recovery. Although the ensuing possession wasn’t a three-and-out, it would set up the end of Maryland’s comeback bid after QB Billy Edwards Jr.’s pass on 4th-and-17 was broken up. Two plays later, Indiana doubled up Maryland, 42-21.
If there was a bright spot, it might be the flashes in the run game, which gave the Terps hope in the third quarter. The running backs registered just three plays over ten yards, but none were bigger than Roman Hemby’s 75-yard rush – which may have been aided by inadvertent contact between the ref and a Hoosier defender. While Hemby also eclipsed 2,000-career yards, the touchdown marked the only time the Terps were able to score on consecutive possessions as Indiana’s offense was consistently able to answer right back gradually capitalizing on Maryland’s defense’s soft spots.
QB Billy Edwards Jr finished just shy of his first 300-yard passing game this season against a Power Four team, throwing for 289 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-41 passing. While Edwards and the Terps went another week without a turnover, a big part of the offense’s struggled stemmed from Edwards holding onto the ball too long as the Hoosiers finished with five sacks, including four in the first-half.
Still, Maryland struggled getting the ball to their playmakers early as WR Tai Felton finished with a season-low five targets, including two in the first half, and reeling them all in for 38 yards. While WR Kaden Prather finished with a team-high nine targets, the protection and quarterback issues were magnified and in a game the Hoosiers dominated, Maryland’s offense turning four turnovers into zero first downs, three punts and no points loomed large in the latest loss.
Penalties run rampant yet again
Penalties have been a consistent issue for Maryland football under head coach Mike Locksley as the team entered Saturday tied for 96th nationally with 7.5 penalties per game. The Terps managed to grow their season average on Saturday after setting season-highs with ten penalties for 93 yards, marking the third straight week Maryland has committed eight or more penalties.
“Until we get it fixed, you guys have every right to ask about them,” Locksley said postgame.
Maryland nearly let its first run of penalties cost the offense points after Aliou Bah (unsportsmanlike), Josh Kaltenberger (illegal snap) and Kyle Long (face mask) were each to total 35 penalty yards, but it was Felton who caught the break after a defensive pass interference gave the offense a fresh set of downs. Three plays later, Edwards connected with WR Kaden Prather for Maryland’s first score of the game. With the game tied at 21, Maryland’s defense stood tall and held the Hoosiers to a three-and-out, but a holding on Aliou Bah negated a 17-yard run by Edwards to set the offense back.
Six of the team’s ten penalties were attributed to the offensive line, while special teams were also called for an illegal snap before allowing a blocked punt late.
“I will figure this penalty thing out. We'll get it fixed,” Locksley added. “But as a parent, as I’ve said before, man, I preach about – y'all write about it so much that, again, it's to the point where I'm tired of talking about it. We just got to do the work.”
Indiana wins explosive play battle
Maryland’s defense was able to keep Indiana in check until the third drive when Trader was sidelined. Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke connected with WR Myles Price on the first two big plays, first an 18-yard then 22-yard gain, before a 19-yard catch by WR Omar Cooper set the Hoosiers up in scoring position. Three plays later, it was TE Zach Horton who made an athletic, turnaround catch to set Indiana up at the MD 1 as Rourke began finding the soft spots in the Terps’ secondary.
A one-yard run into the endzone marked the first play of the second quarter as Indiana took early control, moments after head coach Curt Cignetti expressed confidence in his veteran QB on the broadcast.
That confidence showed on the field from that moment on as Rourke then went on to lead Indiana to a three-play, 63-yard scoring drive in the final minute of the first half thanks to consecutive 27-yard passes. For Maryland’s defense, it was a carbon copy of the first half ending in the week three road win vs. Virginia, but unlike then, Maryland’s defense didn’t get back on track.
After Maryland’s offense tied the game at 14 to open the second half, the defense gave up another big play to Myles Price, this time a 41-yard gain that set up RB Justice Ellison for a 19-yard rushing touchdown just three plays later. In the end, Maryland allowed 14 plays over ten yards, including ten passes for 18 more yards each with poor tackling and inexperience in the secondary looming large.
For a Maryland offense that leans on the big plays from its playmakers, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis struggled to dial up those explosives in Bloomington. Maryland registered eight total plays of ten or more yards, though arguably none were bigger than Hemby’s 75-yard run while WR Braeden Wisloski notched a career-high 37 yard catch in the closing minutes of the game, finishing with 59 yards on three catches. Meanwhile, Felton’s first touch of the second half took the offense past midfield for a 21-yard gain as the veteran unsurprisingly gave the offense juice.
Injury bug hits Maryland on the road
Maryland has been without DL/LB Neeo Avery since suffering an injury vs. Michigan State, while WR Jahmari Powell-Wonson, K Gavin Marshall and CB Mykel Morman were all ruled out as Powell-Wonson looks to make his college debut. But on Saturday, fans saw a few more veterans get banged up.
Senior safety Dante Trader Jr. was the first to suffer an injury after going down in the second drive of the game, while Felton was sidelined with an apparent injury midway through the fourth quarter. WR Kaden Prather also went into the medical tent in the closing quarter before returning on the next drive, while head coach Mike Locksley noted that TE Preston Howard went “back and forth” after battling injuries on the road.
Locksley noted that teams would look to take away WR Tai Felton after his hot start through the first four weeks, pointing to other playmakers like Howard, RB Colby McDonald and WR Octavian Smith ahead of the Big Ten return. While the opportunities may have been there in the first half, fans saw a new wave of players look to step up in the second half.
After making a one-handed catch in practice earlier in the week, WR Shaleak Knotts followed it up with a highlight-worthy catch along the sideline for a 27-yard gain on the first drive of the third quarter. Four plays later, TE Dylan Wade adjusted in the endzone on a tipped pass intended for Prather to tie the game at 14. After entering the week with just three yards on a pair of catches, Knotts finished with three receptions for 41 yards on six targets. One week after lining up at left tackle, freshman Terez Davis replaced Alan Herron in the second half at right tackle where he’s been consistently spotted taking reps during the open portion of practices this season. OT Andre Roye, meanwhile, limped out of the game in the fourth quarter before returning later to finish the game.
Maryland now heads into their first bye week, and as the staff looks to regroup and veterans maintain the locker room amid early season adversity, the Terps will look for its key players to get closer to 100% as head coach Mike Locksley looks to guide his team to their first Big Ten win of the 2024 season. And after two deflating losses to open Big Ten play, Maryland will need to find a way to get back on track regardless in hopes of winning back the fan support.
Stats:
RB Roman Hemby: 10 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD; five catches, 48 yards 1 TD
WR Kaden Prather: 9 targets, 5 catches, 66 yards, 1 TD
LB Michael Harris: 10 tackles, 4 solo, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble
- Maryland falls to 14-3 in September games over last four seasons
- Hemby’s 75-yard rushing touchdown moved him to tenth on Maryland’s all-time rushing touchdowns list. It also marks his fifth multi-TD game of his career
- Maryland now has eight interceptions this season with Glen Miller & Jalen Huskey credited with three each
- LB Trey Reddick recorded his first career sack
- WR Ezekiel Avit recorded his first career pass
- LB Michael Harris recorded a career-high ten tackles
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