Maryland football opened conference play Saturday at home against Michigan State, and quickly got a taste of Big Ten football.
It was a game of mistakes and redemption. With the score knotted at 17 entering the fourth quarter, both teams had multiple opportunities to pull away.
But two interceptions, two touchdowns and a game-winning field goal later, it was Michigan State who stole the win, 27-24. Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. is no longer undefeated as a starter.
The Terps faced adversity early, trailing for the first time this season as Michigan State led, 17-14, at halftime.
But they responded well, tying the game in the third quarter before taking the lead shortly into the fourth quarter when Edwards found Dylan Wade wide open for a 28-yard touchdown.
However, this certainly did not win the game for Maryland. A roller-coaster fourth quarter had only just begun.
Michigan State started strong in its first drive of the last frame, completing a 57-yard pass to Nick Marsh, who finished the game with 194 yards. But two plays later, the ball slipped out of Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles’ hand as he attempted to throw and dropped right into Glen Miller’s lap in the backfield.
As Maryland neared midfield, an errant Edwards pass found a Michigan State defender to flip possession again.
Michigan State punted on its next drive, and Maryland found itself with an opportunity to extend its lead to 10. But Jack Howes could not convert the 41-yard field goal attempt, and Michigan State immediately took advantage with a 77-yard touchdown pass to Marsh. He finished with 194 yards on eight catches.
Maryland then failed to pick up a first down on its next possession, and left Michigan State with the chance to run out the clock and kick a game-winning 37-yard field goal.
Maryland looked promising to begin the game though, scoring on its first drive.
It attempted to run the ball early, but was forced to make a change when Roman Hemby was held to eight yards on his first five carries.
Instead, the Terps fed wide receiver Tai Felton, who posted a career-high 178 yards and two touchdowns against UConn. Felton took two third-down screen passes for first downs, before catching a lob to the far right pylon to end the drive. The 15-yard reception marked the first time a Terp has caught three touchdowns in the first two games of a season since DJ Moore in 2017.
Felton caught four of five targets for 39 yards on the first drive and ended the day with 11 catches for 152 yards.
Michigan State responded with an opening-drive touchdown of its own. Miller did not help the cause, gifting the Spartans 15 yards with an unnecessary roughness penalty, but the Terps’ defense showed little resistance regardless. The three-minute drive ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Chiles to Montorie Foster Jr.
Miller made up for the penalty minutes later, though, as he picked off Chiles, who overthrew Marsh. Saturday marked Miller’s fourth consecutive game with an interception.
It only took the Terps two plays to score their second touchdown. Ray rushed for 10 yards before Edwards dove between two defenders for a seven-yard rushing touchdown.
But Michigan State refused to let Maryland hold a lead for longer than a few minutes, as it responded on the ensuing drive again.
The Spartans slowly worked down the field, picking up yardage in chunks. Then, when it seemed like Maryland caught a break as Michigan State was called for a chop block, Jalen Huskey was burnt on a 34-yard touchdown catch on second-and-23.
Huskey made another mistake later in the second quarter. With time running out in the first half, Huskey jumped offsides on a missed 55-yard field goal attempt. The penalty moved the Spartans up five yards and gave Jonathan Kim another shot, which he nailed.
But like Miller, Huskey followed his mistake with an interception in the end zone on Michigan State’s first drive of the second half.
Huskey’s interception led to a 45-yard field goal, which retied the game.
Edwards, who finished the game with 253 passing yards and three total touchdowns, and the Terps could not convert when it mattered most, as mistakes loomed large in their first loss of the season.
Three things to know
1. Quashon Fuller is back. Fuller missed the season opener against UConn with an injury, and in his absence, the Terps recorded just one tackles for loss and zero sacks. With Fuller back in the lineup, Maryland tallied two sacks and six tackles for loss, while Fuller personally posted three tackles.
2. No Howard, no problem. Starting tight end Preston Howard was sidelined with an injury Saturday, making room for sophomore Dylan Wade to receive most of the work. Wade finished the day with four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown.
3. An early conference battle. Just two weeks into the season, Saturday marked the first Big Ten matchup of the season for the entire conference and Maryland’s earliest conference matchup since Sept. 5, 2011.
