In a wild, back-and-forth affair, it was Rutgers that came out victorious in the battle at the bottom of the Big Ten standings over the Maryland Terrapins. But it did not come easy. The Scarlet Knights allowed a blocked extra point return for two additional Maryland points and trailed by ten at halftime, before rallying back, but needed until the final minute to seal the back-and-forth contest.
However, in the second half, Rutgers buckled down on both sides of the ball and dominated the second half with
possession and on the scoreboard. KJ Duff had another signature performance and another highlight-reel catch, and Dylan Lonergan threw for nearly 300 yards, with three touchdowns to one interception in an otherwise strong performance.
On defense, Rutgers struggled at times as Maryland moved the ball on its first two possessions for touchdowns, but locked down the Terrapins in the second half to take a two-touchdown lead. However, they allowed several chunk plays for a late UMD score in the final few minutes, and the game hung in the balance as Malik Washington nearly led the Terrapins to another late score to tie the game.
Fortunately for the Scarlet Knights, Dorian Fleming was ruled out of bounds as he caught a would-be touchdown in the end zone on fourth down for Maryland. It was a game of inches at SECU Stadium, but one that really should not have been, as RU had asserted control of the football game and looked poised for a double-digit victory until the surprising comeback attempt from the Terrapins.
Yet, in what appears to be a lost season for both programs, Rutgers and its fans will take a Big Ten win, the second of the season for the Scarlet Knights and their third straight over their designated rivals after Mike Locksley and company defeated Rutgers three straight years from 2021-23.
Offense Comes Back To Life Against Struggling Terrapins
Two weeks after being down 37-0 and falling 47-15 to a top-five Hoosiers team, the Scarlet Knights offense rose back to their high standards against the Terrapins with 37. After a Zion Elee forced fumble on Dylan Lonergan forced an initial three-and-out, Rutgers went to work and matched Maryland’s first two touchdown drives.
The first touchdown drive saw Lonergan throw to four receivers, including a 23-yard pass to Dyzier Carter over the middle, an eight-yard pass to Vernon Allen III, and an 11-yard pass to Elias Coke. But it was none other than KJ Duff who pulled an Odell Beckham Jr. with an incredible one-handed grab in the end zone for a Rutgers toe-tap touchdown. How does 8 do it time and time again?
Rutgers continued its prowess on the second offensive touchdown series, but this time, it was Clay Thevenin, Antwan Raymond, and even Lonergan picking up most of the yardage on the ground after a 17-yard grab by Allen to effectively start the drive. Duff hauled in his second touchdown grab, but instead of Rutgers tying the game, Maryland was able to block the kick and return it to the other end zone for two points (although the Terrapins used leverage from the Rutgers blockers to get over the line, and it possibly should not have counted).
Rutgers attempted a quick score before halftime, but in a bizarre special teams day, Greg Schiano called a timeout with the clock already stopped, did not run an offensive play, and Dane Pizzaro missed a field goal from 47 yards out to keep the Knights down by ten into the break.
In the second half, the Scarlet Knights quickly chipped away at the Maryland lead, with Dane Pizarro kicking a field goal before an 80-yard drive ended when Lonergan found Clay Thevenin through the air for a 19-yard touchdown. Maryland continued to have no answers on offense and gave the ball right back to the Knights.
With momentum seized, Rutgers worked quickly to carve up the Terrapins’ defense for the go-ahead touchdown by Thevenin on the ground to start the fourth quarter. After another Maryland punt, Schiano and company ran a signature ball-control drive, eating up nearly eight minutes and giving Rutgers a 14-point lead with about four minutes remaining (more on those final four minutes in the next section).
Duff finished with nine receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, while Dyzier Carter performed well with six catches for 88 yards (Jourdin Houston appeared to be active but did not record a catch after being on the injury report this week, while Ben Black III also did not record a catch).
Antwan Raymond was a far cry from last year’s 240-yard performance against the Terrapins, as Maryland’s rush defense swallowed him up for a paltry 29 yards (1.6 YPC on 16 carries). However, Clay Thevenin had his signature performance as a Scarlet Knight, with 17 carries for 109 yards, a rushing and receiving touchdown, and a long of 22 yards, helping keep the Terps’ offense off the field for most of the second half.
Defense Goes Jekyll and Hyde as Maryland Nearly Comes Back
Maryland was initially aided by a short field for its first score by Damon Hall Jr., and an early Dylan Lonergan interception set up the Terrapins for another. The Scarlet Knights struggled with the usual suspects on defense: explosive plays in the passing game and quarterback runs, as Malk Washington doubled his yearly rushing total with 56 yards on nine carries.
However, in the second half, Mike Locksley’s offense was stymied after missing a field goal on its first third-quarter possession. Maryland seemed to go backwards more than forwards, losing eight yards on a three-and-out between run stuffs and penalties. After Rutgers went up 30-23, the Terrapins went three-and-out with two incompletions, picking up just one yard before handing the ball back to the Scarlet Knights.
It had appeared that the game was comfortably in the hands of the visiting team, as Maryland had once again run out of steam in the second half (an all-too-common occurrence for the Terps as of late). However, the last four minutes told a different story. Facing fourth down deep in their own territory, Malik Washington found Chris Durr Jr. on a screen pass, and the talented receiver made multiple Rutgers defenders miss for a remarkable 48-yard pickup that led UMD into Knights’ territory.
Facing a blitz, Washington found Jayden Kitchens for a 31-yard grab two plays later, and then found DeJuan Williams for a 10-yard touchdown to get the Terrapins within one score on the right side of the two-minute warning. Locksley was able to wisely use his timeouts and get Rutgers off the field, giving his offense the ball back with 1:52 left, plenty of time for a game-tying drive.
Despite a Sekou Kromah sack, Washington exposed the vulnerabilities against the QB run that have plagued Rutgers against every mobile (and semi-mobile quarterback) they have played in recent memory to keep UMD’s final drive alive. The game came down to a fourth-and-three from the Rutgers 11-yard line, and it looked as if Dorian Fleming had made a spectacular game-tying catch, only for it to be ruled just out of bounds with his toe on the sideline (eerily similar to the finish of the Indiana-Ohio State game in which Nick Marsh was out).
Questions remain as to why a defense that allowed 23 points in the first half was able to limit Maryland to just about nothing in the second half, yet allowed the Terrapins into the game when it was all but over. It could have been poor scheme or execution, and fans will point to the use of prevent defense allowing chunk plays to happen, but Rutgers has to execute for a full sixty minutes going forward as competition gets stiffer once again.
Rutgers Heads To Northwestern Next Week With a Big Ten Win
It may not have been pretty, but Rutgers got the job done when it needed to most. The Scarlet Knights picked up their first Big Ten victory and second win of the season, giving the team some much-needed momentum heading into a road trip to Evanston to face Northwestern in the Wildcats’ new stadium.
Northwestern will present another tough test. The Wildcats improved to 5-1 after escaping East Lansing with a 24-21 win over Michigan State, sealed by a late game-winning field goal. Still, with the Big Ten continuing to produce unpredictable results and poor play from teams including Penn State and Michigan, Rutgers will have opportunities to make noise if it can build on this win and put together a more consistent performance.
For now, the Scarlet Knights can enjoy a brief sigh of relief. Questions about the direction of the program and Greg Schiano’s future remain, but getting a conference win was an important step. Rutgers survived a game it desperately needed to win. The challenge now is turning that narrow escape into something it can build on.
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