QB Malik Washington on his Maryland football debut, adjusting to college speed, staying composed

Ahmed Ghafir
Sep 2
7 min read

Updated: Sep 3

Fresh off his Maryland debut, Maryland true freshman quarterback Malik Washington also found himself one day removed from his first collegiate accolade as he took the podium in front of local media for the first time in his career. Washington will now look to lead Maryland into the quickest turnaround of the season as they prepare to host Northern Illinois for the lone Friday night kickoff this season, but after getting a chance to watch the tape, the former four-star reviewed what went right and wrong in his debut.

“For me, really, I think it was just the start. Was a little shaky, not just my play, but as a team, we had a lot of new guys and a lot of new faces playing in The Shell for the first time,” Washington said Tuesday. “So I think it wasn't so much nerves as it was excitement, like everyone was trying to go out there and hurry up and make the play, just because we're excited to be at home in front of the fans. But as far as plays I could get wish I could get back, I don't really think there is any. I mean, we played a pretty good game offensively and defensively. The team played very well rounded, played complimentary football. So I'm proud of the result.”

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More from Malik on his transition to college, his debut complete, what he’s learned & more:

On Malik’s favorite throw

“Probably the first one, I would say, first touchdown. Yeah, that's something I’ll remember probably forever, just first touchdown in the stadium.”

On staying composed after slow start, rebound in second quarter

“Yeah, it's really my teammates. They kind of just kept confidence in me after, like, the early struggles, and they told me they believed in me that, you know, working really hard since we since we got here in January and all the hard work is going to show off. Just stay with it and stay consistent. A lot of the older guys told me their first experiences in a game were kind of similar just because of the excitement that comes with playing college football for the first time. So really, just my teammates being able to believe in me. And then as far as how proud I am of myself, I would say decently. Like I said, wasn't a performance, the start that I wanted, but we finished up pretty strong and but there's always room for improvement.”

On celebrating the win ahead of a quick turnaround vs. Northern Illinois

“Probably just for the rest of the day, and then Sunday, it was right back to it because we have a short week this week.”

On shifting focus to week two, Sunday prep

“Woke up. Did our check in in the morning. Had breakfast and then got straight to the NIU stuff. There's really no time. Of course, we watched the game back, just corrections and things like that, and then we right on to the next opponent.”

On playing on Friday night

“Super excited. I came, I think it was maybe two years ago when you play UVA at night and we had a kick return to the house. And that game was so fun and so electric. So I'm really excited to get out there on Friday.”

On Northern Illinois defense

“For us, really, it's not so much about what concerns us, as long as we stay to our rules and do what we do best. They’re a sound defense with a pretty good defensive coordinator. They like to mix it up a decent amount without getting too much into the game plan. But they're a really sound team.”

On his biggest lesson from his debut

“Consistency is key, just staying with it, ups and downs. The game's gonna have ebbs and flows, just being able to stay consistent and stay balanced throughout the game.”

On the impact that Malik & Sidney Stewart have made on the program

“We both got here in early January, me and the rest of the early enrollees, so we all just kind of stayed on one another, being the new guys on campus, along with the transfers, and being able to just go together and put in a lot of work just because we knew we had some catching up to do because it's our first time playing college football so there's a learning curve but trying to get through that as fast as possible. And then, as far as me and Sid’s relationship, we just, I mean, we're pretty good friends off the field. We talk a decent amount, just pushing each other, constantly trying to be the best.”

On Sidney Stewart’s energy during games

“It’s contagious, the energy that he brings day in and day out. Whether he's having a good day off the field or a bad day, he's constantly going to bring that energy and it fuels everybody else.”

On the biggest difference between high school and college

“Probably the atmosphere, some people out there that are willing to support the team, not just, people that even go here, people that went to other schools, or, you know, past alumni and things like that, just coming out to watch the Terps.”

On whether Malik expected 43 pass attempts in his debut

“I didn't even realize it, to be honest, [until] the end of the game and they put up the stat sheet, and I was, oh, I did throw the ball 40 times…Coach Pep is a great football mind, and I trust everything that he does so we have all the game plans for a reason. So whether it's throw the ball 40 times, throw it four times, as long as we win the game, it doesn't matter to me.”

On the feeling after the defense records a takeaway

“Turnovers are such a big part of the game, and then being able to capitalize off points without us even having to go on the field just changes the flow of game dramatically. So them being able to do that and turn the ball over six times. It was great for us as offense, just because they put us in good field position, allows us to score.”

On six takeaways in the opener

“It makes the game offense a lot easier. You're having great field position. You're not going to start backed up, and your chances of scoring when scoring when you're plus 50 and over go up dramatically.”

On leaning on friends and family

“I mean, a lot of my close friends and family, of course. My parents, my grandparents, my pastor at my church reached out. Everybody just congratulating me and telling me that they’ve known this was coming for a long time and now they're glad that the world gets to see just the person, him, and not just the football player, but me as a person.”

On his relationship with his pastor

“She's an amazing lady. She's an amazing woman. She actually sent me a prayer this morning for my for myself, just to listen to. So I appreciate her a lot.”

“Super. I'm big on my faith. So having her around to constantly support me and she understands the game and how it can kind of take a toll on you mentally and physically. So her having that support for me, it means a lot.”

On the OL

“The big guys up front, they've been working. I think they're probably the hardest working position group we have in the building, just from what I've seen. They’re in there day in and day out, whether it's meetings or extra time in the weight room, just to build that wall up front because when coach Pep had emphasizes really early on when we first got there that we're going to play through the [offensive] line. Like our success is based on the [offensive] line, so that's why we put so much time into them, and they're going out there and reaping the benefits of their time now.”

On game vs. practice speed

“Practice, sometimes they’ll be scripted. And then in the game when coach is flowing and he's seen the defense and reacting like the play calling can change a little bit, just because in practice, there's certain things you want to work on to see how your team reacts to them. And in the game, it's about what we're doing best.”

On no turnovers in his debut, what he saw in the defense

“Just taking what the defense gives me, not trying to get greedy or anything like that. If the underneath is there, we got guys that can make plays with the ball in their hands, so getting into them on the shallow crossers, or any check downs, anything like that, underneath and letting the ball players be ball players.”

On high school vs. college defenses

“The college defense disguises stuff a lot more, they're holding their shell longer and things like that. Everybody understands that they kind of have to work like a well-oiled machine, so they're moving in unison and things like that.”

On anticipating defenses adjusting to Malik with game film on him

“Just trust the process and trust the rules that we have as offense. And trust the preparation that we've that we've been attacking each week with no matter what we're presented with. We'll find a way to adjust to it and keep moving forward.”

On getting out to a good start in his first game

“My teammates had confidence in me. I’m pretty sure they would have confidence in me no matter what, whether it was a good start or a bad start. So they really instill that confidence in me and they keep me high and of course I have confidence in myself just because of the work that I put in in the offseason and throughout my life.”

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