Maryland football lost 45-16 at No. 5 Ohio State on Saturday, its fourth straight defeat, dropping the Terrapins to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten. For fans in Baltimore and College Park, the bigger question now is simple math: with six regular-season games left, Maryland must win four of them to reach the six victories normally needed for bowl eligibility.
The next chance comes quickly. Maryland returns to SECU Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 17, to host Rutgers at 12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network, according to University of Maryland Athletics.
What happened in Columbus?
Ohio State led 31-10 at halftime and controlled the game from there. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin threw four touchdown passes, and receiver Jeremiah Smith caught four passes for 93 yards and two scores, according to the official box score summary from Maryland Athletics.
Maryland’s offense never found a rhythm. The Terps finished with 146 total yards to Ohio State’s 449, including just 64 passing yards. Quarterback Malik Washington completed 12 of 25 passes, according to SB Nation’s takeaways published by Yahoo Sports, which put Maryland’s average at 2.8 yards per play.
Maryland’s points came from three sources:
- A 39-yard field goal by Sean O’Haire in the first quarter.
- A 5-yard touchdown run by Washington in the second quarter.
- A 52-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Daniel Wingate in the third quarter.
Head coach Mike Locksley summed up the afternoon briefly after the game.
“We didn’t make enough winning plays.”
Mike Locksley, Maryland head coach, as quoted by SB Nation/Yahoo Sports
Were there any bright spots for Maryland?
Yes, mostly on defense. Wingate led the team with 10 tackles in addition to his pick-six. Sidney Stewart and Zion Elee each forced a fumble, Stewart sacked Sayin, and Messiah Delhomme recovered a fumble, according to Maryland Athletics.
The school also noted that Maryland has now held the opposing quarterback under 250 passing yards in nine straight road games. Sayin finished with 242. Receiver Chris Durr Jr. leads the team with 46 catches through six games, and Maryland has scored on 24 of 26 trips inside the red zone this season, according to the program’s game notes.
How did Maryland’s season get here?
The Terps opened with two convincing wins, then lost four in a row. The defense has given up 182 points during the skid, an average of 45.5 per game.
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | Hampton | W, 62-0 |
| Sept. 12 | at UConn | W, 38-14 |
| Sept. 19 | Virginia Tech | L, 35-26 |
| Sept. 26 | UCLA | L, 54-3 |
| Oct. 3 | at Nebraska | L, 48-23 |
| Oct. 10 | at Ohio State | L, 45-16 |
Can the Terps still make a bowl game?
It is still mathematically possible, but the margin is thin. Maryland would have to go 4-2 the rest of the way to reach 6-6. Four of the six remaining games are in College Park, which helps.
| Date | Opponent | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 17 | Rutgers | SECU Stadium, College Park |
| Oct. 31 | Illinois | SECU Stadium, College Park |
| Nov. 7 | at Purdue | West Lafayette, Indiana |
| Nov. 14 | Wisconsin | SECU Stadium, College Park |
| Nov. 21 | at USC | Los Angeles |
| Nov. 28 | Penn State | SECU Stadium, College Park |
No game is listed for Oct. 24, which gives Maryland an open week after Rutgers. That makes the Rutgers game especially important: a win would end the losing streak heading into the break, while a loss would leave the Terps needing four wins in their final five games.
What does this mean for Mike Locksley?
Locksley, a Washington, D.C., native, is in his eighth season leading the program. The losing streak has fueled questions about his future in national and local coverage, as noted in our preview of the Ohio State game. The university has not announced any change, and no official statement about the coaching staff was issued after Saturday’s game.
The stretch ahead is likely to shape that conversation. The home games against Rutgers and Illinois are the most realistic chances for Maryland to steady its season before a closing run that includes Wisconsin, USC and Penn State.
How can fans watch or attend the Rutgers game?
The Oct. 17 game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. and will air on Big Ten Network, with radio coverage on the Maryland Sports Radio Network, according to Maryland Athletics. Tickets are sold through the university’s official athletics site, umterps.com. For fans driving from Baltimore, College Park is roughly 30 miles southwest of the city; plan for extra time on game day, especially on Route 1 near campus.
Featured image: Maryland Stadium (SECU Stadium) in College Park before a Terrapins home game. Photo: StateLionPro / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.