Maryland football outplayed Nebraska in the first half. The Terps had 300 total yards with a balanced offense — it had 177 passing yards and 123 on the ground. Yet they still trailed, 28-23, at halftime.
Penalties and turnovers were a big reason why. Maryland had eight penalties for 70 yards, including three on Nebraska’s final drive of the first half. Malik Washington, who threw a career-high four interceptions against UCLA, had a pair of picks on Saturday.
Despite leading by as many as nine points
with 8:54 remaining in the second quarter, the Terps collapsed in their third straight defeat. Nebraska scored 34 consecutive points to hand Maryland a 48-23 road loss.
The Terps looked to get Washington in rhythm early on. But they didn’t find much success — until Nebraska handed the Terps a first down with a running into the punter penalty.
Washington immediately aired it out to Chris Durr Jr. for a 36-yard pass and pitched it to Durr for a 20-yard gain, matching the junior wide receiver’s total yardage from UCLA. Maryland logged its first rush attempt on the seventh play of the drive, with DeJuan Williams notching a one-yard carry in his first game since the season opener.
While the Terps stalled out in the red zone, Sean O’Haire’s 26-yard field goal gave them their first lead since Sept. 12. It didn’t last long, though.
Jeremiah Charles blocked Bryce McFerson’s second punt, starting Nebraska’s drive from the 19-yard line. Mekhi Nelson punched it in one play later to give the Cornhuskers a 7-3 lead with 9:11 remaining in the first quarter.
Durr, who leads the country in receptions per game, responded by turning a play-action pass into a 65-yard touchdown to restore Maryland’s lead. Durr’s third catch put him at 121 receiving yards just six minutes into the game; he recorded just 28 more the rest of the afternoon.
The Terps continued knocking on the door, fueled at one point by an early interception, but settled for two field goals to stretch the lead to nine points.
The Cornhuskers’ offense found their groove on the following drive. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea connected with wide receivers Jacoriy Barney Jr. and Kwazi Gilmer for a pair of seven-yard gains. But the drive was aided by Nahsir Taylor’s personal foul penalty. Gilmer hauled in a 29-yard catch before Nelson capped it off with a five-yard rushing touchdown for his second score.
After the Terps rushed for 39 yards last week, Williams’ return rejuvenated the run game. He scampered for 56 yards on Maryland’s opening play of the drive and exploited a gaping hole for a three-yard rushing touchdown to give it a 23-14 lead.
While Washington’s first interception of the game didn’t prove costly, he threw his third pick-six in two games. Dwayne McDougle III jumped the route and took the interception 81 yards to the house with 2:41 remaining in the second quarter.
Maryland’s second three-and-out gave Nebraska the final drive of the first half with momentum in its favor. The Cornhuskers marched down the field, largely thanks to three Maryland penalties, to take a 28-23 halftime lead.
Colandrea completed six passes for 50 yards — tight end Luke Lindenmeyer caught a one-yard touchdown — and scrambled for eight yards on the drive.
After the two teams combined for 51 points in the first half, there was very little offense to show for in the third quarter. Maryland logged just one third down with eight plays in the quarter. It had the ball for just under four minutes.
The Terps’ defense was on the field for the majority of the third quarter, and Nebraska capitalized late in the period. It strung together an 11-play, 58-yard drive that spanned over four minutes. Running back Vincent Genatone punched it on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Nebraska iced the game with a pair of fourth-quarter passing touchdowns to Gilmer, extending Maryland’s losing streak to three games.
Three things to know
- Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding remains a nonfactor. After a career-high 130 receiving yards against UConn, the junior wide receiver has been silent over the last three games. Gladding was held without a reception last week, and reeled in one catch for zero yards on Saturday.
- Maryland’s offense fizzles out. The Terps came out hot, amassing 207 yards and 16 points in the first quarter. But Maryland had no success from that point on. It totaled 93 second-quarter yards — Williams had 63 rushing yards — and 19 in the third quarter.
Washington failed to complete any of his six pass attempts in the second quarter. He finished 22-for-40 with 234 passing yards.
- Dual-threat quarterbacks haunt the Terps. While Nico Iamaleava only ran for two yards last week, Colandrea torched Maryland’s defense on Saturday. He scrambled for 108 yards, including a 51-yard run. His hurdle of Lavain Scruggs set the tone after halftime as Nebraska cleared every obstacle.
