Maryland football remains perfect, downs Towson, 44-17, ahead of Big Ten opener

Ahmed Ghafir
Sep 13
3 min read

Maryland football breezed through the nonconference finale vs. Towson on Saturday, walking away from SECU Stadium with a 44-17 win in a game the Terps controlled from start to finish.

That includes the opening play where the Tigers’ blunder on the opening kickoff marked them down at their own 2, and didn’t get better after picking up just one yard on three plays. It’d mark a sign of what was to come for the Tigers with three-and-outs on their first three drives, amassing just 11 yards of offense.

Maryland’s offense, however, opened on fire and would capitalize on a short field to pick up a first down on their first play from scrimmage, setting kicker Sean O’Haire up for an eventual 37-yard field goal roughly three minutes into the game.

Maryland had no issue moving the ball on the second drive. One play after WR Jalil Farooq record his 100^th career catch, QB Malik Washington found WR Octavian Smith, who recorded his first career 100-yard receiving game, for a 53-yard gain to set up RB DeJuan Williams for the two-yard rushing touchdown, the second of Williams’ career and first of the season, to push Maryland ahead, 10-0.

Rotating in Ryan Howerton at right guard on the drive, Maryland’s third drive was highlighted by a 32-yard dime to WR Shaleak Knotts along the left sideline, setting up QB Malik Washington’s first career rushing TD and pushing the lead to 17-0 in the final minutes of the third quarter.

Maryland would add to it after Washington and Knotts, who recorded a career-high with 79 receiving yards, reconnected for another 32-yard gain, but this time for a touchdown to extend the lead to 24-0.

Maryland’s defense then generated the game’s first turnover after NT Eyan Thomas forced a fumble, allowing the offense to take over outside the redzone before RB Nolan Ray capped the drive off with a five-yard run, pushing Maryland’s lead to 31-0 just minutes into the second quarter.

Towson wouldn't pick up a first down until the final two minutes of the first quarter, but would find more success midway through the second quarter after driving into the redzone. But after nearly coming away with an interception on third down, Maryland’s run defense stood tall to stop the Tigers on fourth down, preserving the developing blowout.

Kicker Sean O’Haire would connect on his second field goal of the day, this time from 39 yards out, to send Maryland into the locker room with a 34-0, the most first half points scored by the Terps since putting up 35 vs. Charlotte back in 2022.

The first blemish of the game came on the offense’s opening drive of the second half after QB Malik Washington misfired on a pass to RB Nolan Ray, falling right into the hands of the Towson DL before setting the Tigers up inside Maryland’s ten-yard line. But the defense would once again stand tall to preserve the shutout after CB La’Khi Roland recorded his second interception and the defense’s second pick-six of the season after recording a 100-plus-yard score, pushing the Terps’ lead to 41-0. Roland’s 100-yard pick-six marked the program’s first since two-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brown did so in 1962.

But the shutout would last until midway through the third quarter when Towson drove 75 yards on three consecutive passes before finding the endzone for the first time on the day. Towson would find the endzone minutes into the fourth quarter after connecting on an 84-yard passing touchdown on the lone play of the drive, cutting Maryland’s late lead to 44-14.

With the game cemented and Malik Washington eclipsing 260 passing yards for the first time in his college career, Khristian Martin entered the game midway through the third quarter with freshman Iverson Howard spearheading the rushing attack the rest of the way.

While Maryland's offense registered 104 yards in the second half, the defense stood tall to keep the game out of reach as the Tigers added a 29-yard field goal with just over six minutes left, trimming Maryland's lead to 44-17.

Maryland will now shift to Big Ten play next week when they face Wisconsin for a noon ET kickoff.

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