Heartbreak Strikes Again: Maryland Football Falls Short in Another Nail-Biter
For the second straight week, the Maryland Terrapins endured the agony of a last-minute collapse in Big Ten play—a brutal reminder that in football, even heroic effort isn’t always enough.
Just seven days after surrendering a 20-point lead in a crushing 24-20 loss to Washington, the Terps (4-2, 1-2 B1G) suffered déjà vu against Nebraska (5-1, 2-1 B1G). This time, it was a 34-31 defeat at home, sealed by the Cornhuskers’ 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Yet, despite the outcome, head coach Mike Locksley refused to fault his team’s grit.
"Here’s the hard truth: In this league, nobody hands you victories. You claw for every inch," Locksley stressed postgame. "Last week, we didn’t make the plays. Tonight, we battled to zeros on the clock—scraping, fighting. That effort *will pay off. But today? Nebraska made the play they needed. We didn’t."*
The Costly Mistakes That Haunt Maryland
Penalties proved catastrophic for the Terps, with eight flags for 100 yards—including personal fouls like a late hit on Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola. "If it was one repeat offender, I’d call them out," Locksley admitted. "But when leaders like #10 commit these errors? That’s teachable. Like parenting, I set boundaries. Now we coach smarter."
The Turning Point: A Quarter That Got Away
Maryland led 31-24 entering the fourth, but failure to convert a critical third down handed Nebraska momentum. The Huskers capitalized with a methodical 82-yard drive for a field goal, then a game-winning 81-yard TD march capped by Dane Key’s clutch catch. "Three words," Locksley summarized: ‘Make. A. Play.’ We didn’t. They did."
Controversial Take: Is Maryland’s Defense Fundamentally Flawed?
Nebraska racked up 453 offensive yards, with RB Emmett Johnson gashing Maryland for 176 rushing yards. Locksley pinpointed missed tackles as the culprit: "Good teams *finish. We overpursued, stumbled in open field. Fundamentals win games. We’ll fix it."* But here’s the debate: Is this a correctable issue—or a deeper weakness?
Silver Linings and the Road Ahead
Locksley remains defiant: "Write what you want, but this isn’t ‘same old Maryland.’ We’re close." Meanwhile, Nebraska’s Matt Rhule, now 5-1, stays grounded: "Next game. Next play. That’s the mindset."
Your Turn: Agree or Disagree?
Was Maryland’s loss about Nebraska’s brilliance—or self-inflicted wounds? Could tighter discipline have changed the outcome? Sound off below!
What’s Next?
- Maryland travels to face UCLA.
- Nebraska heads to Minnesota for a Friday night showdown.
For deeper coverage, follow:
- Nebraska Cornhuskers on SI
- HuskerMax on YouTube
- HuskerMax.com
