The Terps lost their third consecutive game.
EVANSTON, Ill. — Losses come in all shapes and sizes. But not often are they so demoralizing to make you think twice about the state of a program.
The bye week should have allowed Maryland football to heal up, gather itself after two straight tough losses and come out strong against an inferior opponent in Northwestern. But it didn’t.
“They played harder than we did,” Terps wideout Jeshaun Jones said.
Despite an overall uninspiring performance by the Terps, they still had a chance to win. Facing a six-point deficit in the final minutes, Maryland had the ball at Northwestern’s 31-yard line. But quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa threw an interception on third down to seal a 33-27 defeat.
“A really disappointing loss,” Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said. “Give Northwestern credit, they outplayed us, and when that happens, you got to look at everything, including myself, right? Everybody that made this trip played a part in what happened today and it’s really disappointing.”
Up a touchdown early, Tagovailoa did what he has too often done in his career — give the opposition needless momentum. There was no visible pressure in his face, but Maryland’s veteran signal-caller saw the football slip right out of his hands into those of the Wildcats (3-4, 2-3 Big Ten).
The mistake gave Northwestern a short field that led to a tying score, but more importantly offered confidence to usual backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan.
Maryland’s secondary was porous in the first half, allowing Sullivan to carve right through it. Sullivan, who finished with less than 200 passing yards in each of his first two starts this season, finished the half 12-for-14 with 159 yards and two touchdowns. He ended the game with 265 yards through the air.
Northwestern came into Saturday’s contest averaging 20.1 points per game. It scored its 21st point with over 12 minutes to go in the opening half.
Between three after-the-whistle penalties, each gifting Northwestern a first down, and Tai Felton being flagged for kick catch interference, the Terps (5-3, 2-3) also showed a lack of discipline.
“I got to get that fixed,” Locksley said.
On the offensive side of the ball, Maryland did itself no favors. The Terps entered the half down only seven points, but there will be restless nights for the coaching staff over one particular set of plays.
With a chance to even the game at 21, Maryland had second-and-goal at the 1-yard line. First, a sneak by Tagovailoa came up short. On the ensuing play, Tagovailoa had room on a scramble, but threw an incompletion across his body.
Any halftime adjustments the Terps made didn’t show on the offensive side of the ball. The defense did its job, holding the Wildcats to just nine second-half points, giving Tagovailoa a chance to lead Maryland to victory.
But the Terps managed less than 200 yards of total offense in the second half, scoring just 10 points on six drives and punctuating the game with a turnover. Even though Maryland disappointed throughout, what will sting the most is it still had a chance to avoid the monumental defeat.
“Especially at the end there, there were plays that could have been made — should’ve been made — and can be made and will be made,” Jones said.
Here the Terps are, sitting at 5-3 after hot start to the season fueled unbridled optimism. Bowl eligibility is no longer a guarantee. So the question begs: what is Maryland football about?
“We got guys back healthy and had intense practices. Did the things that we need to do to play well,” Locksley said. “So again, I have to evaluate what I’m doing to make sure we’re prepared to play well. But I also know that accountability is horizontal in our program and our players.”
Three things to know
1. An abysmal first half. Northwestern outworked and outplayed Maryland in the opening 30 minutes. After cruising to a touchdown on the opening drive, the Terps looked flat.
2. Maryland continues to struggle after byes. Maryland is winless after the bye week in its five seasons under Locksley.
3. Where does Maryland go from here? There was a genuine preseason conversation about this being Maryland’s best team in years. Now, the Terps’ focus has shifted to just becoming bowl eligible.