Terps end three-game slide
Early deficit disappears as defense gets job done
COLLEGE PARK – Nearly two months ago, Maryland opened the 2017 season by winning a wild shootout to beat then-No. 23 Texas at Austin. In the process, the Terps also lost two key players for the season, sophomore quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome and senior linebacker Jesse Aniebonam.
Nearly two months ago, Maryland opened the 2017 season by winning a wild shootout to beat then-No. 23 Texas at Austin. In the process, the Terps also lost two key players for the season, sophomore quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome and senior linebacker Jessie Aniebonam.
With the once-promising season imploding after three straight losses, the Terps won another shootout Saturday, this time overcoming an early two-touchdown deficit to beat Indiana on homecoming day, 42-39, behind receiver DJ Moore’s playmaking, running back Jake Funk’s nose for the goal line and a stingy, late-arriving third-down defense.
The victory might not have completely reignited the hopes for Maryland (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) to go to a second straight bowl game under coach DJ Durkin, but a victory next Saturday at Rutgers would put the Terps on the brink of bowl eligibility. The loss kept Indiana (3-5, 0-5) at the bottom of the Big Ten East. Changing the storyline: A year ago, the Terps saw a 4-0 start unravel a little when they lost at Penn State and to Minnesota on homecoming day, then revived themselves with a home win over Michigan State. While the record isn’t the same, the end result is. It will take a little pressure off Maryland going into its game in Piscataway. N.J.
Asked how vital a victory was in light of the losing streak his team took into Maryland Stadium, Durkin said, “It’s huge. You’ve got to find a way to get the first one. I talked to our guys about it. You’ve got to go find a way to get it. It’s hard, when you get in that slump. The difference between winning and losing is very small. Sometimes when you’re on the losing end of it, it seems almost insurmountable. You’ve got to make your own breaks. You’ve got to find a way [to win] and that’s what we did today. When you do that, hopefully you get it swinging your way. You build on that and now you’re on the [good side] of it.”
Said senior defensive end Chandler Burkett, “It’s major. You can have a storyline where you lose this game, lose a couple of others, but you rally this game, get the team back focused, get the mind in the right place to get a win next week.” TV: Radio: Defense shows up: Despite giving up 410 passing yards to freshman Peyton Ramsey (31-for-41 for 279 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception) and fifth-year senior Richard Lagow (12-for-21 for 131 yards and two touchdowns), Maryland broke out of its passrushing slump. The defense had just one sack in the previous five games, but got to Ramsey five times behind the line of scrimmage and also knocked him out of the game twice, including for good early in the fourth quarter.
On the field for 97 plays, the defense also stopped the Hoosiers on third down three times in the fourth quarter and missed out on another after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on linebacker and senior captain Jermaine Carter Jr. It was one of 12 penalties for 133 yards against the Terps, including one on Durkin for unsportsmanlike conduct in the third quarter.
“There’s things we definitely need to clean up as a team. There were some plays that it’s on us, there’s also some plays out there that’s a head scratcher,” Durkin said. “Controlling emotions, I guess. But it’s an emotional game. I needed to control my emotions better. There’s a point in there, some of those calls were amazing. It is what it is. I got the D together and huddled up and said, ‘No one’s worth 15 yards, including me. You’ve got to have my back.’ And they did. We stopped them on that drive. The guys stepped up. I shouldn’t have done that. It’s not worth it.” Moore is more (and less): Moore showed why he is the Big Ten’s leading receiver. While he only had four catches for 77 yards, an over-the-back-shoulder one-handed catch on a 33-yard grab late in the first half helped set up his own 2-yard touchdown catch — he now has eight this season — and a leaping 44-yard grab in the fourth quarter helped set up the second of Funk’s two 1-yard touchdowns to push Maryland’s lead to 42-33. First quarter IU: Cobbs 34 pass from Ramsey (Oakes kick), 11:18 IU: Gest 23 pass from Ramsey (Oakes kick), 9:03 MAR: Harrison 14 run (Darmstadter kick), 3:59 IU: safety, :06 Second quarter MAR: (Darmstadter kick) IU: Timian 23 pass from Ramsey (Oakes kick), 3:59 MAR: Jacobs 14 pass from Bortenschlager (Darmstadter kick), 2:46 MAR: D.Moore 2 pass from Bortenschlager (Darmstadter kick), :37 Third quarter IU: Philyor 11 pass from Lagow (Oakes kick), 8:03 IU: FG Oakes 41, 1:56 Fourth quarter MAR: Funk 1 run (Darmstadter kick), 14:56 MAR: Funk 1 run (Darmstadter kick), 14:56 IU: Cobbs 5 pass from Lagow (kick failed), 8:09 A: 35,144. Rushing: Indiana, Gest 12-38, Williams 3-12, Brookins 4-11, Ramsey 14-8, Rodriguez 1-2, Philyor 1-2. Maryland, T.Johnson 13-91, Harrison 12-66, Funk 7-14, D.Moore 1-11, Bortenschlager 4-(minus 2), (Team) 3-(minus 6). Passing: Indiana, Lagow 12-21-0-131, Ramsey 31-41-1-279. Maryland, Bortenschlager 10-16-1-171. Receiving: Indiana, Philyor 13-127, Timian 13-91, Cobbs 10-138, Gest 2-28, Brookins 2-12, Williams 1-5, I.Thomas 1-5, Watercutter 1-4. Maryland, D.Moore 4-77, Jacobs 2-47, T.Johnson 2-30, Davenport 1-12, Turner 1-5. Missed field goals: Maryland, Darmstadter 37