The Maryland Terrapins endured their first defeat of the season, falling to the Virginia Tech Hokies 35-26. Playing in front of a sold-out crowd and facing their first true test of the year, Maryland couldn’t recover from early first-half struggles.
The Hokies’ offense proved to be too much for the Terps’ defense. Virginia Tech junior quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer caught fire early, accounting for four touchdowns in the first half and lifting the Hokies to a 27-14 halftime lead.
Despite the team’s defensive struggles, Maryland quarterback Malik Washington still delivered a strong performance. He finished the contest with 359 passing yards and three touchdowns while completing 69.8 percent of his passes.
Washington showed progress throwing downfield. He completed four deep passes, two of which were 40-plus-yard bombs.
Junior receiver Chris Durr Jr. also made a significant impact on offense. The Wyoming transfer caught 12 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
This performance gave Durr back-to-back 100-plus-yard games.
In unrelated news, the Terps debuted their “Los Terps” helmet decal. Honoring Hispanic heritage and culture across the DMV area, Maryland football paid homage to the Hispanic community through the new design.
Maryland Defense Gets Ran through in First Half
Grunkemeyer ripped through the Terps’ defense, scoring back-to-back touchdowns on his first two drives. On the second drive, he executed an impressive scramble on third-and-goal, weaving through several Maryland defenders for an 18-yard touchdown.
Maryland fortunately blocked the ensuing extra point, keeping the score at 13-0 in favor of Virginia Tech.
Needing to respond to the quick Hokie lead, Washington and the Maryland offense took the field with clear urgency to score.
After three plays, Washington connected a 44-yard dime to receiver Kaleb Webb, setting the Terps’ offense with a first-and-goal. Running back Iverson Howard then broke the plane to put Maryland on the board.
However, the Hokies’ offense responded quickly on the following drive. In just seven plays, Grunkemeyer completed a quick pass to running back Jeffery Overton Jr., who blazed through the entire Terps secondary for a 49-yard touchdown, extending the Virginia Tech lead to 20-7.
Malik Washington hits his stride in rally attempt
Following back-to-back punts, Washington once again led the Terps’ offense deep into Hokie territory. After a 29-yard completion on the first play of the drive, Washington completed two of his next three passes, culminating in a 12-yard touchdown strike to a wide-open Durr.
Yet, with just 1:55 left in the half, Maryland’s defense again failed to contain Virginia Tech’s offense. On the ensuing drive, Grunkemeyer completed six of his eight pass attempts before floating a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ja’Ricous Hairston.
With four touchdowns in the first half, Grunkemeyer gave Virginia Tech a 27-14 lead heading into the locker room.
In the third quarter, the Terps’ defense finally contained the Hokies’ offense, holding them to just eight points. However, while the defense improved, the Maryland offense stalled and failed to score throughout the quarter.
Washington and the offense made up for it in the final quarter as the young quarterback elevated his play. Over his final few drives, Washington completed 14 of his 18 pass attempts and cashed in on two touchdown throws.
Despite his stellar play down the stretch, Maryland still fell to Virginia Tech 35-26.
Washington and the Terps will look to rebound next Saturday against an undefeated UCLA, which beat Purdue 52-38 on Saturday.
