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Rapid Reaction: Maryland’s hot start comes to a stop with dud in loss to Temple
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Final Score: Maryland 17, Temple 20
Brief Recap: Well, this game was definitely a lot less enjoyable for the Terrapins than the first two weeks. After averaging more than 70 points through two games, Maryland managed just two points on a Temple safety in the first half Saturday. The offense did wake up after the break, but Maryland still fell short. The Terrapins had a chance to take the lead twice late in the fourth quarter but failed to come away with points either opportunity.
Key Moment: It undoubtedly happened late in the fourth quarter of this game. After forcing Temple into a punt with about six minutes to go, Maryland’s D.J. Turner returned the punt 55 yards to the Temple four-yard line. Trailing by five, the Terrapins needed a touchdown to take the lead. Unfortunately, Anthony McFarland Jr. was stuffed on four straight runs to snuff out the threat and take over. The Terrapins received a gift on the ensuing possession after a horrific seven-yard punt by the Owls. Unfortunately, Maryland once again failed to score on a goal-to-go situation, effectively ending their hopes of a comeback.
Key Stat: 3. Three times Maryland had the ball in a goal-to-go situation and failed to come away with any points. Maryland was obviously less effective offensively than the first two weeks of the season, but they did move the ball enough to put points on the board. In addition to those three failures, Maryland also missed a field goal badly and had a terrible fake field goal attempt get snuffed out. The Terrapins did move the ball enough, but too many empty trips left them on the wrong side of the score.
Key Player: With everything that went wrong, Maryland would have been in a much worse spot if it were not for running back Anthony McFarland Jr. He carried the ball 26 times for 132 yards and a touchdown. In a game that saw quarterback Josh Jackson complete 15 of 38 passes for 183 yards, McFarland kept the offense afloat for much of the afternoon. Unfortunately, Temple was selling out on McFarland on the goal line which left the Terrapins with few options due to Jackson’s struggles.
What it Means: Maryland is clearly going to live and die by its offense this year. Unfortunately, the struggles of Jackson left the offense one-dimensional during crucial moments against Temple. Now, the Terrapins must try and regroup before facing Penn State after falling to 2-1 on the season. This team is still talented enough to make some noise in the B1G East, but there’s no denying this is a brutal and terrible wake-up call.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.