COLLEGE PARK, MD – The Washington Huskies erased a 20-point deficit with an explosive fourth-quarter performance, scoring 21 unanswered points to hand Maryland its first loss of the season, 24-20, before a sold-out crowd of 46,185 at SECU Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The stunning comeback snapped Maryland’s perfect 4-0 start and marked one of the most dramatic collapses in recent Terrapins history, as a dominant first-half performance unraveled in the final 15 minutes.

GAME SUMMARY

Final Score: Washington 24, Maryland 20
Records: Washington (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten), Maryland (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten)
Location: SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland
Date: October 4, 2025
Attendance: 46,185 (sellout – first since 2023)
Weather: Sunny, 77°F, SW wind 3 mph

FOURTH-QUARTER EXPLOSION STUNS TERRAPINS

Trailing 20-3 entering the final quarter, Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. orchestrated one of the most improbable comebacks of the 2025 college football season, leading three consecutive touchdown drives that left Maryland’s defense reeling and the home crowd stunned into silence.

Washington’s Fourth-Quarter Scoring Drives:

1. 14:23 remaining: 9 plays, 74 yards, 3:01 – Denzel Boston 3-yard TD reception (20-10)
2. 11:32 remaining: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:19 – Dezmen Roebuck 34-yard TD reception (20-17)
3. 3:21 remaining: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:17 – Jonah Coleman 1-yard TD run (24-20)

The rapid-fire scoring sequence—21 points in less than 11 minutes—transformed a seemingly comfortable Maryland victory into a devastating defeat that will haunt the Terrapins as they prepare for Nebraska next week.

“What we learned today as a team is you’ve got to learn how to put people away, especially good teams like Washington when you have them here at home,” Maryland head coach Michael Locksley said postgame. “We’re a young, talented, inexperienced team. These are great lessons for us.”

MARYLAND’S DOMINANT FIRST HALF

For 45 minutes, Maryland looked every bit the undefeated team that had allowed just 10 first-half points all season—the lowest mark in the FBS and the Terps’ best defensive start since at least 1996.

First-Half Dominance

Maryland built a 13-0 halftime lead behind methodical offensive execution and a suffocating defense that held Washington to just 100 total yards in the opening two quarters.

Key First-Half Statistics:

• Maryland Time of Possession: 18:02 (60%)
• Washington Total Yards (1st Half): 100
• Maryland 3rd-Down Conversions: 5-of-9
• Turnovers: Maryland INT (Jalen Huskey), Washington INT (Makell Esteen)

The Terrapins’ defense set the tone immediately, with safety Jalen Huskey intercepting Williams Jr. on Washington’s opening drive and returning it 32 yards to the Huskies’ 14-yard line. Sean O’Haire converted the turnover into a 26-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Maryland’s offense then delivered a masterclass in clock management and execution, engineering a 16-play, 71-yard touchdown drive that consumed 8:09 and featured five third-down conversions. Freshman quarterback Malik Washington capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 20 seconds left in the first quarter, giving the Terps a 10-0 lead.

“I saw our guys stick to what the game plan was in the first half,” Maryland linebacker Daniel Wingate said. “We were able to stop the run. We were able to limit the explosives with their offense and just play up the standard that we have set, but we have to continue to play to that standard the entire game.”

SECOND-QUARTER GRIND

Maryland extended its lead in the second quarter with another punishing drive—16 plays, 57 yards, 8:03—that resulted in O’Haire’s 29-yard field goal and a 13-0 advantage with 4:01 remaining in the half.

The Terrapins’ defense continued to dominate, forcing Washington into two turnovers on downs and holding the Huskies to just 5-of-12 third-down conversions in the first half.

Maryland’s defense also defended a pair of desperation Hail Mary attempts in the final seconds of the half to preserve the 13-0 shutout—the seventh time the Terps have posted a scoreless first half against a Big Ten opponent since joining the conference in 2014.

THIRD-QUARTER EXTENSION

Maryland appeared to put the game out of reach early in the third quarter, marching 75 yards in nine plays (3:35) to extend the lead to 20-0.

Freshman quarterback Malik Washington connected with tight end AJ Szymanski for a 2-yard touchdown pass at 11:25 of the third quarter—Washington’s ninth passing touchdown of the season and Szymanski’s first score of 2025.

The touchdown capped a drive that featured a crucial 29-yard completion to Octavian Smith Jr. on 3rd-and-6, showcasing the poise and playmaking ability that have made Washington one of the nation’s most impressive true freshmen.

Washington finally got on the board with a 36-yard field goal by Grady Gross at 3:44 of the third quarter, capping a 16-play, 55-yard drive that consumed 7:37. The Huskies entered the fourth quarter trailing 20-3.

THE COLLAPSE: FOURTH-QUARTER BREAKDOWN

What happened next will be dissected for weeks in College Park.

Drive #1: Washington Strikes Quickly (20-10)

Washington’s offense, which had managed just three points through three quarters, suddenly found its rhythm.

9 plays, 74 yards, 3:01

Williams Jr. completed key passes to Jonah Coleman (13 yards) and Denzel Boston (3-yard TD) to cut the deficit to 20-10 with 14:23 remaining.

The drive was aided by a Maryland unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on cornerback Dontay Joyner that moved the ball from the 6-yard line to the 3, setting up Boston’s touchdown catch.

Drive #2: Lightning Strikes (20-17)

Washington’s offense shifted into overdrive, needing just 1:19 to cover 75 yards in four plays.

4 plays, 75 yards, 1:19

• Play 1: Williams Jr. to Dezmen Roebuck, 10 yards
• Play 2: Williams Jr. to Denzel Boston, 11 yards
• Play 3: Williams Jr. rush, 20 yards
• Play 4: Williams Jr. to Dezmen Roebuck, 34-yard TD

The explosive 34-yard touchdown strike to Roebuck—a perfectly thrown deep ball down the middle—cut Maryland’s lead to 20-17 with 11:32 remaining and sent shockwaves through SECU Stadium.

Maryland’s defense, which had been dominant for 45 minutes, suddenly looked vulnerable and confused.

Drive #3: The Game-Winner (24-20)

After Maryland’s offense went three-and-out, Washington took over at its own 20-yard line with 8:38 remaining.

11 plays, 80 yards, 5:17

Williams Jr. methodically picked apart Maryland’s defense, completing passes to Boston (17 yards), Roebuck (7 yards), and Coleman (11 yards) while also contributing with his legs (8-yard rush).

Jonah Coleman punched in the game-winning touchdown from 1 yard out with 3:21 remaining, capping the remarkable comeback and giving Washington its first lead of the game, 24-20.

Key Play: Williams Jr.’s 26-yard completion to Boston on 3rd-and-long kept the drive alive and moved Washington into Maryland territory.

MARYLAND’S FAILED FINAL DRIVE

Trailing 24-20 with 3:21 remaining, Maryland had one final chance to extend its undefeated season.

Freshman quarterback Malik Washington completed three consecutive passes to Dorian Fleming (3, 13, and 14 yards) to move the Terps from their own 25 to the Washington 45-yard line.

But on 4th-and-9 from the Washington 43 with 1:49 remaining, Washington’s desperation deep pass to Smith Jr. fell incomplete, broken up by Washington defensive back Ephesians Prysock.

Turnover on downs.

Washington ran out the clock, sealing one of the most improbable comebacks of the 2025 season.

Terps News:

• Malik Washington Leads Maryland’s Historic Big Ten Debut: Terps Dominate Wisconsin 27-10
• Maryland Eyes Historic Breakthrough Against Wisconsin in Big Ten Opener
• Maryland Dominates Towson 44-17, Extends Perfect Start to 3-0

STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

Team Statistics

Passing Statistics

Washington:

• Demond Williams Jr.: 28-41, 275 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks

Maryland:

• Malik Washington: 30-49, 219 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 0 sacks

Rushing Statistics

Washington:

• Jonah Coleman: 18 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD (3.2 avg)
• Demond Williams Jr.: 14 carries, 54 yards (3.9 avg, long 20)
• Team Total: 36 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD (3.2 avg)

Maryland:

• DeJuan Williams: 12 carries, 26 yards (2.2 avg)
• Nolan Ray: 4 carries, 17 yards (4.3 avg)
• Malik Washington: 2 carries, 6 yards, 1 TD (3.0 avg)
• Team Total: 20 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD (2.8 avg)

Receiving Statistics

Washington Leaders:

• Denzel Boston: 6 catches, 71 yards, 1 TD (long 26)
• Decker DeGraaf: 6 catches, 62 yards (long 21)
• Dezmen Roebuck: 4 catches, 61 yards, 1 TD (long 34)
• Jonah Coleman: 8 catches, 47 yards (long 14)

Maryland Leaders:

• Dorian Fleming: 9 catches, 57 yards (long 14)
• Octavian Smith Jr.: 3 catches, 57 yards (long 29)
• Jalil Farooq: 8 catches, 51 yards (long 16)
• Shaleak Knotts: 4 catches, 29 yards (long 14)

Defensive Statistics

Washington Leaders:

• Alex McLaughlin: 9 tackles (6 solo)
• Deven Bryant: 7 tackles (5 solo)
• Ephesians Prysock: 6 tackles (5 solo), 1 PD
• Jacob Manu: 6 tackles
• Makell Esteen: 5 tackles, 1 INT

Maryland Leaders:

• Carlton Smith: 11 tackles (8 solo)
• Daniel Wingate: 10 tackles (8 solo)
• Trey Reddick: 9 tackles (6 solo), 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 PD
• Jamare Glasker: 7 tackles (6 solo)
• Jalen Huskey: 5 tackles (4 solo), 1 INT (32-yard return)
• Zahir Mathis: 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QBH

MALIK WASHINGTON’S HISTORIC FRESHMAN SEASON

Despite the loss, Maryland freshman quarterback Malik Washington continued his record-setting campaign, throwing for 219 yards and one touchdown on 30 completions.

Washington’s Freshman Records (Through 5 Games):

• 1,257 career passing yards: Most by a Power Conference true freshman through five games since 2019, tied for third-most since 2015
• 9 touchdown passes: Tied for second-most by a Power Conference true freshman through five starts since 2019
• 110 career completions: Tied for second-most by a Power Conference true freshman through five starts since 2019

“We just take it, watch the tape back and get the mistakes corrected and move on to next week,” Washington said postgame. “That’s the only way to deal with it. We’re looking inward. But it’s not to point blame on anybody. We’re just going to get closer as a team and come out better.”

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 0: Maryland held back-to-back Big Ten opponents to scoreless first halves for the first time since 2003
• 10: Maryland has allowed just 10 total first-half points in 2025—the third-lowest by a Big Ten team since 2012, fourth-lowest in FBS, and the Terps’ lowest since at least 1996
• 11: Maryland’s defense posted 11 scoreless quarters in 2025 before Washington’s fourth-quarter explosion
• 16: Maryland had multiple 16-play drives in the same game for the first time since 2024 vs. Northwestern
• 46,185: SECU Stadium’s first sellout since 2023
• 1,000: Octavian Smith Jr. eclipsed 1,000 career receiving yards with his 57-yard performance

COACHING PERSPECTIVES

Michael Locksley (Maryland Head Coach):

On the collapse: “What we learned today as a team is you’ve got to learn how to put people away, especially good teams like Washington, when you have them here at home. We’re a young, talented, inexperienced team. These are great lessons for us. I’m looking forward to getting this stuff fixed with our team. We’ll learn from this, and I expect this team to respond the right way.”

On the fans: “I’ve got to give our fans tremendous amounts of credit for creating an element for our players and making it a great environment for us.”

On adversity: “This is the first bit of adversity we’ll face together as a team, dealing with the loss, and I’m looking forward to seeing just how those guys respond. We’ve got another great opportunity next Saturday here at the Shell against Nebraska, and I promise you our guys will show up and be prepared and will be working to get back on the right track.”

Daniel Wingate (Maryland Linebacker):

“I saw our guys stick to what the game plan was in the first half. We were able to stop the run, we were able to limit the explosives with their offense, and just play up the standard that we have set, but we have to continue to play to that standard the entire game. We have great talent on this team and we have the guys to be able to win these games, so we just have to come back, watch the film, and perform better than we did this week.”

Malik Washington (Maryland Quarterback):

“We just take it, watch the tape back and get the mistakes corrected, and move on to next week. That’s the only way to deal with it. We’re looking inward. But it’s not to point blame on anybody. We’re just going to get closer as a team and come out better. I think we just had some plays that we left on the field that we have to execute.”

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