Maryland held tough against top-ranked Oregon before turnovers damped second-half comeback efforts, falling 38-19 in Eugene.
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Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. accounted for all three turnovers that Oregon turned into 17 points, including a pair of fourth quarter interceptions. Saturday marked his second consecutive multi-interception game of the season.
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Yet it was Maryland who was the one to light the scoreboard up first after opening the game with the ball, capitalizing on a roughing the kicker penalty to extend their opening drive as Jack Howes drilled a 37-yard field goal. It marked the fourth score on nine opening drives for Maryland this season.
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Maryland’s defense would stand tall to hold Oregon to a three-and-out on their opening possession, but that would only hold for so long after QB Dillon Gabriel led the Ducks on a 14-play drive that ended with the game’s first touchdown, giving Oregon an early 7-3 lead in the closing minutes of the first quarter.
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Facing a 3rd-and-9 on the Ducks' side of the field on the next possession, Maryland's early comeback efforts fell deeper into a hole after QB Billy Edwards was stripped in the pocket with the 62-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown to extend the deficit, 14-3.
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After the two teams traded punts, Maryland leaned on its passing attack as QB Billy Edwards connected with four different players on the drive as the offense on three defensive penalties to punch in a one-yard rushing touchdown, giving RB Roman Hemby his fifth total score in 2024. Hemby’s touchdown also marked the 26th total touchdown of his career, tying him for fifth in program history.
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Oregon responded right back with its second offensive touchdown on a nine-play drive to close the first half, handing Maryland a 21-10 deficit at the break.
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The Ducks’ usual trickery would surface in the opening minutes of the third quarter after turning a fake punt into a big play thanks to a 36-yard run by DE Jordan Burch, setting Oregon up in Maryland territory. Five plays later, Gabriel threw his second touchdown of the day to set the FBS all-time touchdown record. The Ducks wouldn’t stop the on-field mind games after converting on the two-point attempt, pushing Maryland’s deficit to 29-10.
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Maryland would have a chance to make it a two-score game after an Oregon offside pushed the initial field goal attempt from 48 to 43 yards out in the closing minutes of the third quarter, but head coach Mike Locksley sent the offense back out before Edwards misfired on a pass attempt to Felton. Felton finished the game with seven catches for 72 yards, both team-highs, while tying DJ Moore’s single-season program record with 80 catches.
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But Maryland would salvage the turn of events after the defense stopped Oregon on fourth down on the ensuing possession, giving the offense a short field that Felton made shorter after a 34-yard catch-and-run set the offense up inside the redzone on the final play of the fourth quarter.
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Maryland would convert on fourth down, and thanks to a defensive holding, converted inside the five after Edwards found WR Octavian Smith for his fifth catch and second touchdown of the season, trimming the deficit again to 29-18 after Edwards converted on the two-point conversion. Smith finished second on the team with 46 receiving yards on five receptions.
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The Ducks would keep the Terps at bay the rest of the way after turning two Billy Edwards’ interceptions into ten points to make it 38-19.
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Maryland will return to SECU Stadium next Saturday to host Rutgers. Kickoff is set for 6 PM on FS1.
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