Maryland football, defeated by Northwestern 37-10, remains winless in conference play

Maryland football's hopes of its first conference win of the year against Northwestern were dashed early in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by seven, Billy Edwards Jr. dropped back into the pocket and faced right, turning his back to the incoming pass rush. Northwestern quickly got to the unsuspecting quarterback, who fumbled the blindside sack. Defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard grabbed the loose ball, doubling Northwestern's lead.

Maryland was unable to score for the rest of the game and ultimately lost to Northwestern 37-10 on Friday night at SECU Stadium. The last time the Terps scored 10 points or fewer was their 30-0 loss to Penn State in 2022.

For the first time since 2015 and the hiring of head coach Michael Locksley, Maryland is 0-3 in Big Ten play.

“This is really hard for me,” Locksley said. “We are here to build this team to compete and win championships. Nobody ever said it would be linear. Today we have taken a step back and will find a way to turn this frustration into something positive and productive.”

While the bye week allowed Maryland (3-3) to get healthy and get some much-needed rest, it also left a significant amount of rust. The Terps started the game slowly and quickly fell behind by 17-0.

“It starts with me and making sure I’m doing the things that drive us,” Locksley said.

Maryland's first drive of the game ended with a three-pointer, capped by an 11-yard sack. But things got worse for the Terps.

On the ensuing drive by Northwestern (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten), quarterback Jack Lausch found a wide-open AJ Henning, who gained more than 5 yards to Kevis Thomas. Lausch then used his legs to cap the Wildcats' drive by crawling out of the pocket for a 9-yard touchdown.

After another failed drive by the Terps, Lausch hit two deep passes to Bryce Kirtz for a total of 68 yards, setting up a 3-yard touchdown run by Cam Porter.

Maryland's offense didn't have a chance to respond this time, however, as Ricardo Cooper Jr. fumbled the ensuing kickoff. This led to a 43-yard field goal for the Wildcats.

Even Tai Felton — the Big Ten's leading receiver — struggled in the first half, dropping his first pass of the season. He previously tied for the most scores in the nation without a drop, finishing the game with nine catches for 77 yards.

Maryland found some rhythm on its first drive of the second quarter. After a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone, the Terps received a new set of downs at Northwestern's 2-yard line.

The Terps needed all four downs, but finally got it done on a quarterback sneak by Billy Edwards Jr. The score marked Edwards' 11th career rushing touchdown and eighth from the 1-yard line.

While the drive provided hope early in the second half, the Terps quickly dashed it.

Kaden Prather dropped a crucial fourth-and-third pass in the first period of the half. The Terps drove to Northwestern's 1-yard line, but three straight negative plays forced them into a field goal. The scoop-and-score, another fumble and an interception were all crucial points.

In perhaps its winniest conference game of the season, Maryland seemed out of place in a 27-point loss.

“It's difficult. It's frustrating,” Edwards said. “But we're in the middle of the season and we really have no choice but to look inward, fix some things, come together as a team and move on to move forward.”

Three things you should know

1. Northwestern killed Maryland with the deep ball. The Wildcats entered Friday's game with one of the worst passing offenses in the Big Ten, ranking last in completion percentage (54.9%) and bottom four in passing yards per game (175.4) and passing touchdowns ( 4). Against Maryland, Northwestern totaled 203 passing yards and completed three passes for at least 40 yards and another for 28 yards.

2. Maryland has lost a lot of revenue margin. Before Friday's game, the Terps led all power conference teams with a turnover margin of +11. Against Northwestern they lost the turnover battle 4-0. Although Northwestern didn't dominate Maryland with its offense, gaining 283 total yards, it didn't need to.

“Whether it's in the fourth quarter or early in the game, you don't win games by losing the big-play battle or the turnover battle,” Locksley said, “and we lost both.”

3. Locksley took over the game management. For the first time this season, Locksley took control of the game and the Terps turned in one of their worst offensive performances in years. Aside from the paltry point total and worrisome turnover rate, Maryland threw for just 59 yards on 1.8 yards per carry, while Edwards threw for 296 yards and no touchdowns.

“One of my strengths is being able to help the offense,” Locksley said. “Today I decided to take over the game management. (Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis) helped me up there with the eyes, and that’s the learning curve.”