The Maryland Terrapins delivered a commanding performance in their season opener, defeating the Hampton Pirates in a decisive 62-0 shutout. This victory marks the Terps’ 16th consecutive season-opening win against a non-conference opponent.
Maryland delivered a complete performance on both sides of the ball. The defense forced 11 straight three-and-outs, stifling the Hampton offense to just 85 total yards while racking up five sacks and three interceptions.
Offensively, a relentless rushing attack and sophomore standout Malik Washington overwhelmed the Pirates. Excluding the final drive to run out the clock, Maryland scored on 83% of their possessions.
The Terps finished with 365 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. DeJuan Williams led an incredibly efficient backfield, pacing the team with 116 yards on just three carries. He set the tone early for the Maryland offense with a historic 94-yard touchdown run.
Through the air, Washington threw for 186 yards and a touchdown with a 61% completion rate. The young quarterback consistently marched the offense into the red zone, setting up the run game to cap off drives with touchdowns.
Head coach Mike Locksley praised all three phases for finishing the game despite the heavy rotation of players.
“To have a shutout here in the first game and create the turnovers and put the pressure on the quarterbacks, they did a great job, and I thought all three phases — kind of held the standard — which is a little different than maybe we’ve been.”
The huge blowout gives Coach Locksley his seventh opening win in his eighth year coaching the team, providing massive momentum going forward into the season.
DeJuan Williams’ Record 94-Yard Run Sparks a 17-0 First Quarter
Pinned at their own 6-yard line after the teams traded early punts, Maryland needed just one play to find the end zone. Returning sophomore DeJuan Williams burst through the B-gap and outpaced the entire defense for a 94-yard touchdown. The explosive run now stands as the second-longest rushing score in Maryland football history:
- 98 yards – Steve Atkins (1978)
- 94 yards – DeJuan Williams (2026)
- 73 yards – Malik Washington (2025)
The Pirates’ offense was no match for the Terps’ defense from then on. On the next drive, sophomore linebacker DD Holmes racked up two sacks on the same series to force a Hampton three-and-out.
Washington and the Maryland offense wasted no time. The sophomore QB completed all three of his passes for 20 yards, and Williams capitalized on the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the quarter, giving Maryland a quick 14-0 lead.
On the next defensive possession, Washington’s Archbishop Spalding High School teammate, Jayden Shipps, intercepted a Hampton pass, giving the ball right back to the offense.
Maryland’s Dominance Continues Through the Half
The run game continued to be an absolute force, as Iverson Howard ran through the Pirates’ defense for an 11-yard score. This marked his first career touchdown and Maryland’s third rushing touchdown of the half, putting them up 27-0.
Following a Maryland turnover on downs, safety Messiah Delhomme snagged the Terps’ second interception of the day.
Washington cashed in on the turnover. In the final two minutes of the half, the star quarterback commanded the offense and converted a 4th-down play on an impressive running throw to keep the drive alive. With just 11 seconds remaining, Washington threw the first touchdown of his sophomore season, finding receiver Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding in the back of the end zone!
The Terps ended the half leading 34-0.
Pirates Can’t Respond to the Terps’ Overwhelming Run Game
The second half couldn’t have started any better for the Terps when Delhomme intercepted another Hampton pass. After yet another Maryland rushing touchdown, the game officially became a massacre.
The Terps ran in three unanswered touchdowns in the second half, on top of a passing touchdown from backup QB Cardell Williams.
Maryland’s defense remained superior, driving Hampton’s offense backward for -7 total yards in the entire third quarter. Despite Washington resting for the remainder of the game, the Terps’ offense continued to score after every defensive stop. With Williams under center, Maryland led 55-0 to end the period.
In the final quarter, a heartwarming moment hyped up the fans. Jianni Davis, the son of Terps legend and former NFL star Vernon Davis, scored his first career touchdown on a 5-yard run for the final score of the game.
Davis was a three-star edge rusher out of Bishop McNamara in Forestville, MD. He made the switch to running back for the Terps, and it ended up being a fantastic decision for the true freshman.
With a final score of 62-0, this historic matchup marks the third-largest win in program history. Maryland looks to continue their impressive showing next Saturday at UConn for their second matchup in three years. Even with a new coaching staff, the Huskies will be a more daunting task for the Terrapins.
