The Terps fell to the Wildcats despite being hefty favorites.
Maryland football dropped its third consecutive game Saturday, falling to Northwestern, 33-27.
The Terps started well with a five-play, 66-yard touchdown drive, but a unforced fumble by Taulia Tagovailoa on the following drive opened the door for the Wildcats, who took advantage.
Maryland missed out on clinching bowl eligibility yet again, and will welcome No. 10 Penn State to College Park next week.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Maryland stumbled over a weaker opponent yet again
For the second consecutive week, Maryland was a 14-point favorite. And for the second consecutive week, it underperformed.
“We got to be better,” linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II said. “We got to get back to playing to our standard. We got to get back to just learning to win. I mean, it’s just as simple as that.”
Head coach Mike Locksley said the Terps were ready to compete for Big Ten championships in the beginning of the year, and through the first six games, his claims were backed up.
The Terps started 5-0 and led Ohio State in the third quarter in what would end up being their first loss of the year. But since that point, Maryland has looked like an entirely different team.
Mistakes plagued Maryland against Illinois, which was 0-3 in Big Ten play prior to beating the Terps two weeks ago. And now, despite coming off their bye, the Terps are on a three-game losing streak.
“This one was really disappointing,” Locksley said. “I don’t like the way we came out. I don’t like the way we executed. And so when that happens, especially after coming off the bye week, you got to evaluate everything, and I’ll get that done.”
Maryland played its worst defensive game of the season
After dominating its opponents for most of the season, Maryland’s defense looked lost Saturday.
Northwestern came into the day boasting one of the worst offenses in the Big Ten. It scored at least 24 points in just two games this season, but only needed 30 minutes to do so against the Terps, even with starting quarterback Ben Bryant sidelined.
Junior Brendan Sullivan was under center for the Wildcats and carved up Maryland, completing 16 of 23 passing attempts for 265 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 56 yards on the ground.
Northwestern ranked bottom-five in the Big Ten in multiple offensive categories, including points per game (20.1), yards per game (299.3) and rushing yards per game (99.9), for which it ranked last. The Wildcats scored 33 points Saturday, posting 365 total yards and 99 rushing yards.
“Again, they outplayed us, outhustled us, outhit us,” Locksley said. “And on defense today, we waited too long. We played a little better in the second half getting the ball back to the offense. But obviously what happens is the turnover battle they won, the big-play battle they won — and those are the two winning formulas for us — and we got outplayed.”
Although the defense registered a season-high five sacks, Northwestern’s offense still produced.
The Terps’ offensive line took a step back
After replacing four starters from last year’s team, Maryland’s offensive line seemed to be making steady improvement, despite being a primary concern heading into the season.
“From the first game to now, you can see steady improvement,” left tackle Delmar Glaze said Tuesday. “I feel like we’re in a good spot.”
The unit displayed dramatic regression Saturday, though. Northwestern entered the game ranked last in the conference with 10 sacks, and recorded just one in four Big Ten games.
However, the Wildcats wreaked havoc on Maryland’s offensive line, sacking Tagovailoa six times. Entering the game, the Terps had only given up eight sacks all year.
Dropped passes and crucial turnovers are what ultimately ended Maryland’s hopes of a comeback, but six sacks is difficult for any offense to withstand.