With Purdue down to a fourth-and-10 from their own 5-yard line and 44 seconds remaining, it appeared Maryland football’s first Big Ten victory in 14 games was secured.
But the Boilermakers weren’t done.
“They don’t make it easy on me, man,” interim head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim joked of his defense after the game.
Purdue found a completion to extend its two-minute drill, and it kept moving downfield, arriving at Maryland’s 11-yard line with five seconds left.
But an illegal substitution pushed the offense
back, giving Maryland’s pass rush more time to deliver. And as quarterback Ryan Browne scrambled, Zion Elee spun him around, with Sidney Stewart delivering the leveling hit as time expired. The Terps held on to beat the Boilermakers, 34-29, for their first Big Ten win in 413 days.
The matchup between teams that each have just two Big Ten wins over the last three seasons looked the part early, with the Terps and the Boilermakers combining for 69 first-quarter yards.
Purdue got on the board first, kicking a field goal on a short drive after Bryce McFerson’s punt went just 27 yards.
To start the second quarter, Maryland’s linebackers lost wide receiver Asaad Waseem on a crossing route, and he peeled away for a 37-yard reception that set up another field goal.
Meanwhile, thanks to a Michael Hershey hands-in-the-face penalty that stalled out a promising drive, the Terps’ first 16 offensive plays netted them 40 yards.
Maryland finally got past midfield with seven minutes to go in the first half, but that was because of an excellent kick return by Ricardo Cooper Jr.
After that special teams spark, the Terps’ offense needed just three plays to reach the end zone. Malik Washington found Chris Durr Jr. in stride for a 31-yard gain before running in a 15-yard score off an option read.
Fortunately for the Terps, that touchdown cut the lead to two points. Maryland’s defense bent to the tune of 156 second-quarter yards, but it refused to break, holding the Boilermakers to field goals on each of their first three red zone drives.
After another Purdue field goal, Maryland’s two-minute drive was cut short by an incomprehensible interception — Washington’s pass hit Dorian Fleming’s ready hands and flew into the air for an easy pick.
Purdue couldn’t capitalize, though. Elee sacked the quarterback on a crucial third down, pushing the Boilermakers back into a Hail Mary — where the freshman got home again to erase the turnover.
Following the half, Maryland had four straight touchdowns, finding the scoring groove that had evaded it all season.
The Terps’ offense earned its first second-half score, grinding over midfield before Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding burst free from a crowded set for a 44-yard score. The second came from a piece of defensive fortune.
Lavain Scruggs got into the backfield and stripped quarterback Ryan Browne, with the Terps recovering on the two-yard line. But on three tries, the run game struck out.
Washington, rushed back onto the field with an injured knee, took matters into his own hands. Receiving the fourth-down snap under center, Washington rose up, cresting over his offensive line to reach the ball into the end zone.
Purdue got a touchdown back, courtesy of some big plays that moved the chains. But DeJuan Williams responded with an even bigger play, running 75 yards untouched into the end zone on the offense’s first snap back on the field.
Maryland’s defense again held strong in the red zone, forcing the Boilermakers to kick a field goal after having first-and-goal three yards out.
Purdue almost immediately paid for coming short. Cooper scampered away on another kickoff, this time reaching the end zone. However, a block in the back by Jayden Kitchens nullified the score, bringing Maryland back to the 12-yard line.
Durr, who had cooled off through October after a fiery start to the season, had a piece of individual brilliance to give the Terps just enough cushion. Catching a screen deep in the left flat, the Wyoming transfer sliced through the entire defense, climbing the ladder to the right sideline and sprinting to the end zone for an 87-yard score.
Purdue cut the score with a 13-play, 75-yard drive, and it fended off the Terps’ offense around midfield to earn one more possession. Ultimately, though, Maryland’s red zone defense came out on top.
Three things to know
1. Backfield pressure wins the game. The Terps finished Saturday’s game with seven sacks, their most since 2020, and a season-high 13 total tackles for loss. Alongside Elee and his 2.5 sacks, Nahsir Taylor, Trey Reddick and CJ Smith each had multiple tackles for loss.
2. Punting battle lost. McFerson has struggled in 2026 — the preseason Ray Guy watch list punter’s 42.21 yard per punt average entering Saturday was second-worst in the Big Ten. With Maryland needing to scrap for field position against the Boilermakers, McFerson’s first two punts went for a combined 62 yards. But the senior finally had a short punt go his way, pinning Purdue at the 5-yard line for its final drive.
3. Terps lost their tempers. Five plays into the game, embattled cornerback Dontay Joyner was ejected. Referees determined he threw a punch; three plays earlier, he had also thrown a slap at an opponent. Joyner’s was one of nine Maryland penalties on the afternoon.
Emotions remained at a simmer throughout. Messiah Delhomme, DD Holmes and Elee scuffled along the Boilermakers’ sideline in the third quarter; only Elee escaped without a personal foul, but none were ejected. The trio continued to make plays to seal the game.
