The Terps’ four-game losing streak is their longest since 2019.
Maryland football has been searching for answers for the past month. It looked the part Saturday against No. 9 Penn State.
Unable to slow the Nittany Lions’ methodical offense or break through their stout defense with any consistency, Maryland’s losing streak was extended to four games in a 51-15 loss.
Touchdown drives in the second and fourth quarters were bright spots on an otherwise dreary evening for the Terps’ offense. Meanwhile, their defense was picked apart by Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. On both sides of the ball, the Nittany Lions had their way in the trenches.
Big plays were few and far between for Penn State, but its ability to consistently string together lengthy drives made sure it didn’t matter. Allar methodically carved through Maryland to the tune of 240 yards — the most he’s had since Penn State’s season opener against West Virginia — and four touchdowns.
Allar’s favorite target was junior KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who, despite not finding the end zone, brought in a team-high eight catches for 95 yards.
Missed opportunities defined the Terps’ first half and allowed Penn State to gain an early lead that it never relinquished. On its first drive, Maryland was stopped on fourth down, setting up Penn State in plus territory. The Nittany Lions found the end zone shortly after when Dante Cephas hauled in a 6-yard pass.
Next came a promising, yet fruitless march to the 20-yard line, nullified when Tai Felton was spun around and lost a fumble. Two punts later, Penn State marched 79 yards down the field to extend its lead to 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Its next drive was just as impressive, spanning 75 yards and 12 plays and ending with Allar’s third touchdown pass of the first half.
Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa completed passes to nine different receivers and finished with 286 yards and two touchdowns. But, as has been commonplace in his five-year career, the mistakes began to pile up late. Once the game’s outcome was virtually sealed, Tagovailoa committed two fourth-quarter turnovers that resulted in Penn State scores.
Tagovailoa was made uncomfortable with frequency due to Penn State’s manhandling of Maryland at the line of scrimmage. The Nittany Lions had 10 tackles for loss for a total of 57 yards, including six sacks. Maryland managed just two tackles for loss.
Holding little trust in their offensive line, the Terps opted to hand the ball off just seven times Saturday. Maryland’s running backs totaled -6 rushing yards, with their longest rush resulting in a gain of just a single yard.
Penn State, on the other hand, did not shy away from diversifying its offense. The running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton is among the best in the nation, and the sophomores proved it with a combined 111 yards on 22 carries.
With 9:20 left in the game, Allen was bottled up two yards past the line of scrimmage, but kept his legs churning. The Penn State offensive line joined the effort, kickstarting a physical battle that it unsurprisingly won by boosting him over the goal line. Allen lifted himself off the turf and flexed his arms in the face of Maryland safety Beau Brade, who could do little but push him away in frustration.
It was just that kind of day for the Terps.
With games still coming against dominant Michigan and improved Rutgers, next week’s contest at Nebraska may be Maryland’s best chance to secure bowl eligibility before the season comes to a close. This losing streak extending to the end of the season is not out of the question.
The Terps are in a tailspin, desperately trying to regain control. Time is running out.
Three things to know
1. Allar was dynamic. Tagovailoa was outshined by Penn State’s first-year starter. The Nittany Lions had their way with Maryland’s defense, led by Allar, who kept the ball out of harm’s way and posted his best statistical performance since the first week of the season.
2. Maryland refused to run the ball. The Terps handed the ball off just seven times Saturday and threw the ball 40 times.
3. Four-game losing streak. Maryland has lost four straight games, the first time it’s done so since 2019, when it lost seven in a row. It has three games remaining to clinch bowl eligibility, two of which come on the road. The other is against Michigan, ranked No. 2 in the most recent AP poll.