The Maryland Terrapins have lost their second straight game tonight to the Northwestern Wildcats by a score of 37-10, and now sit 0-3 in Big Ten play.
The Terps came into their anticipated Friday Night Lights game hoping to bounce back from their latest loss to Indiana two weeks ago. Instead, Maryland as the 10.5 point favorites failed to come close to a win against the dark horse Northwestern.
Northwestern got on the board first with a pair of touchdowns and a field goal in the first half. It wasn’t until the last three minutes of the second quarter when Billy Edwards Jr. rushed for Maryland’s first score of the night, ending the half with a 17-7 deficit.
Maryland was especially down by their turnover rate, with Northwestern forcing four through the night to showcase their sneaky defensive power. The Terps found their only other scoring opportunity in a field goal in the fourth quarter, as the Wildcat’s offense continued to power through the second half. With a final score of 37-10, this is the first time that Maryland has scored ten or less in a game since their 30-0 loss to Penn State in 2022.
Billy Edwards Jr. and the rest of the Terrapins looked lost as they tried to compete against an ambitious Northwestern. Two fumbles and an interception were defining factors to explain Maryland’s performance, as they dropped what was likely their most winnable conference game of the season. Maryland has performed historically badly against Northwestern over the past years, with the Wildcats winning ⅘ times against the Terps since 2017.
The Terps were beaten by the Wildcats’ frequent and successful deep ball usage. Northwestern recorded 203 passing yards, with three completed passes for at least 40 yards. Northwestern’s passing offense is notoriously poor; they rank last in the Big Ten with a completion percentage of 54.9%. However, they capitalized on the Terrapins’ lackluster defense and pulled off a deserved win.
Some major questions fall onto Maryland for the remainder of the season. Will they win a conference game this year? Is Coach Locksley truly on the hot seat, or will his general success since 2018 and three straight bowl-game wins be enough to override this disappointment of a season? The Terps remain home for another Big Ten matchup with new member USC next Saturday.
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