Welcome back for the latest episode of Young Terps where we recap what went wrong on Saturday afternoon in a 27-24 homecoming loss vs. Illinois, handing the Terps their second consecutive loss of the season.
“As I sit here or stand here before you, the more I play this thing back in my head even now, what happened today had very few things to do with Illinois. It goes back to what I always say, it’s gonna be us versus us and we didn’t play very well in any of the three phases. Offensively, to not score there before the half, to be inefficient on third down, not come away with touchdowns when we get into that red area. Defensively gave up too many explosive plays there at the end. And then special teams, kept providing momentum for the other team with the returns that we had. So our standard doesn’t change when we win or when we lose. It stays and remains the same.”
Miscues loomed large in Maryland’s home loss with three lost fumbles on the day, helping Illinois generate a scoring drive, but what about the coaching? A questionable timeout call by Maryland ahead of an Illini fourth-down attempt was the first play to raise an eyebrow, but the decision to run the ball on 3rd-and-6, let alone with Antwain Littleton, was the call that left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans as the Illini generated a one-yard loss.
What was wrong with the defense? Were the injuries too much to overcome? What’s gone so wrong for Maryland over the last two weeks?
To catch up on previous Young Terps episodes, you can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podomatic and YouTube.
Takeaways: Maryland 24, Illinois 27
Everything Mike Locksley said following Maryland’s loss vs. Illinois
Corey Dyches, Dante Trader, Corey Bullock among those ruled out vs. Illinois
The list: pair of coveted ’25 linemen headline visitors for Maryland vs. Illinois (+)