COLUMBUS, Ohio. Maryland’s defense found a few big moments at the Horseshoe. However, it didn’t get nearly enough help.
No. 5 Ohio State beat the Terrapins 45-16 on Saturday. As a result, Maryland dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
Maryland Ohio State numbers tell the story
The Maryland Ohio State matchup was lopsided on the stat sheet. In fact, the Buckeyes outgained the Terps 449 to 146. Quarterback Julian Sayin threw four touchdown passes. Jeremiah Smith caught two of them. He also finished with 93 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Ohio State improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play.
Wingate’s pick-six leads the defense
Still, Maryland had a few bright spots on defense. The best one came from linebacker Daniel Wingate. He returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown. It was the second pick-six of his career. In addition, Wingate led the team with 10 tackles.
The defense also forced two more turnovers. First, Sidney Stewart forced a fumble. Then Zion Elee forced another on a strip-sack. Messiah Delhomme recovered that one.
On offense, however, points were hard to find. Quarterback Malik Washington completed 12 passes for 64 yards. He also scored on a 5-yard run. That run capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive. Later, Sean O’Haire added a 39-yard field goal.
Locksley under pressure
Head coach Mike Locksley said his team “continued the fight in the second half, but ultimately it wasn’t good enough.” He also credited Ohio State for making the plays it needed. Even so, he was pleased the defense hit its goal of two turnovers.
Still, the pressure on Locksley keeps building. It started with a 54-3 loss at UCLA on Sept. 26. After that game, he said, “I still have a lot of confidence in myself and the staff to get this thing fixed.”
Now the Terps have lost three straight conference games to open league play. As a result, the margin for error in the race for a bowl bid is shrinking.
Next, Maryland returns home for homecoming against Rutgers. Kickoff is Saturday, Oct. 17, at 12:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
