Maryland football's losing streak extends to four, fall on road vs. Ohio State

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Updated: 7 minutes ago

Against the Big Ten’s most prolific offense, Maryland football had to be nearly perfect to match pace. Quarterback Malik Washington needed to revert to the level of play he flashed through the season’s first three games, and a viable run game had to support him.

None of that came to fruition.

The Terps (2-4, 0-3 Big Ten) dropped their fourth straight game in a 45-16 loss to No. 5 Ohio State (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. Maryland’s offense mustered 10 points and 146 yards, unable to stay competitive with one of the nation’s elite.

“We didn’t sustain enough drives on offense,” coach Michael Locksley said. “That’s the best way you can stop the difference in the points total.”

The Terps’ defense didn’t fare much better.

Maryland’s game plan entering Saturday was obvious: try to contain Heisman frontrunner Jeremiah Smith as much as possible. The Terps held Smith to three catches and 81 yards, his lowest totals in any first half this season. Smith remained the most impactful player on the field.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin’s first completion to Smith was a swing pass that the junior receiver took 33 yards for a touchdown. Smith hit his stride up the right sideline and darted past Maryland’s secondary, breaking a tackle just before he reached the end zone.

As Maryland’s offense floundered — starting the game with a pair of three-and-outs — the defense responded emphatically.

The Terps’ pass rush forced Julian Sayin to step up in the pocket and tuck the ball, though Sayin didn’t secure it well enough. Freshman edge rusher Zion Elee wrapped Sayin up from behind and jarred the ball loose, which safety Messiah Delhomme recovered. That marked Elee’s second forced fumble this season and showed how destructive the young five-star can be.

The fumble recovery set up Maryland at Ohio State’s 32-yard line, but the Terps only picked up 11 yards before settling for a field goal. The Buckeyes quickly showed three points wasn’t enough.

On the second play of Ohio State’s next drive, busted coverage in Maryland’s secondary left tight end Nate Roberts uncovered with a clear path to the end zone. Roberts dashed through the middle of the field for a 68-yard touchdown, giving Ohio State a 14-3 lead with about three minutes left in the first quarter.

“We had a lot of guys just out of position,” senior linebacker Daniel Wingate said. “If you’re out of position, a team like [Ohio] State is going to capitalize on that.”

The Terps responded with one of their best drives in recent weeks, fueled by a run game that has struggled mightily. Maryland strung together an 11-play, 75-yard drive, highlighted by a 13-yard DeJuan Williams run up the middle and a five-yard rushing touchdown on a quarterback keeper by Malik Washington.

“We did an amazing job as a unit, marching the ball down the field, getting to the red area,” Washington said. “The guys up front did an amazing job. I got to walk into the end zone untouched.”

Though that drive ended in the early minutes of the second quarter, it was the last sign of life Maryland’s offense showed.

The Terps’ remaining first-half drives consisted of 11 plays, 16 yards, two punts and a turnover on downs. Ohio State, meanwhile, was ruthlessly efficient. Maryland held an advantage in time of possession — 16:06 to 13:54 — but the Buckeyes outgained the Terps 282-87 in total yardage.

Smith struck again on his second catch of the day, taking a similar swing pass for a 40-yard touchdown. That score marked Smith’s 11th receiving touchdown in six games this season. Ohio State tacked on another touchdown shortly before halftime to take a 31-10 lead.

The Terps’ front seven provided a jolt of hope in the second half, though it was short-lived. Maryland’s pass rush forced Sayin to make an errant throw, which Wingate intercepted and returned 52 yards for a touchdown.

That put Maryland within two scores with time to go in the third quarter. The Terps’ offense, led by Washington, couldn’t pull its weight.

Maryland punted three more times to close out the game, never gaining more than 30 yards on any of those drives. Washington avoided turnovers after throwing six interceptions against UCLA and Nebraska, but looked unsettled nonetheless.

The sophomore finished 12-of-25 for 64 yards and one rushing touchdown — though the Terps’ offense fell short in every facet. Maryland’s running backs combined for 82 yards on 28 carries (2.93 yards per attempt) and Chris Durr Jr., one of the Big Ten’s most productive receivers entering Saturday, was held to four catches for 15 yards.

To snap the snowballing losing streak, Maryland’s offense needs to improve.

Maryland will return to College Park next Saturday, Oct. 17 to host Rutgers for the homecoming game.

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