With slightly below two minutes remaining and USC set to kick a game-sealing discipline objective up six factors, the unthinkable occurred.
Maryland soccer linebacker Donnell Brown obtained his arms on the try, and the block was returned into USC territory by defensive again Glen Miller.
The Terps scored 5 performs, 47 yards and 48 seconds later to take an unbelievable lead with underneath a minute left. The benefit held for the rest of the competition — regardless of Maryland’s numerous miscues, errors and gaffes, it eked out a season-saving 29-28 victory at SECU Stadium on Saturday night time.
“Actually happy with the blokes, actually happy with the teaching workers [that] did a fantastic job getting ready these guys,” head coach Michael Locksley stated. “They stored dialing and determining the right way to reply the issues that had been going down.”
The early motion was not characterised by stellar offensive performances, as each secondaries stepped up early. The Terps contained USC (3-4) nicely on its first drive, however the Trojans equally stymied Maryland’s offense on its first two drives.
In his second recreation calling offensive performs, Locksley rejected the run, solely opting to go the ball on the staff’s first two drives. Solely on the second play of the Terps’ third drive did they hand the ball off to Nolan Ray, for a 3-yard acquire.
As an alternative, the Terps’ offense was strewn with fast bubble screens and brief play-action throws. These didn’t produce explosive outcomes, as Maryland (4-3) scored simply seven factors within the opening half.
In the meantime, USC settled in properly after its second drive. It drove into Maryland territory earlier than being pressured right into a 52-yard discipline objective that it missed. However an unlawful Terps substitution gave the Trojans a extra manageable fourth down, which it transformed.
The following sequence noticed Moss discover vast receiver Kyron Hudson for a 22-yard landing, the sport’s first rating.
Comparable errors constructed up slowly over the course of the half — and the sport — because the Terps amassed seven infractions for 60 yards on the night time.
After its first landing — a nook fade to Octavian Smith Jr. — Maryland had issue constructing on its momentum. A missed 52-yard discipline objective from Jack Howes and a fourth-and-2 stuff on operating again Roman Hemby left factors on the board.
The begin to the second half almost sealed the Terps’ demise, as they turned the ball over on downs after chewing over three minutes of clock. However Moss underthrew a go to Zachariah Department on the very subsequent drive, leading to a Lavain Scruggs interception and return that set Maryland up on the USC 18-yard line.
“We’ve created some depth the place these younger guys are pressured in there, and I gotta stay with a few of the errors,” Locksley stated. “However proper now, they’re doing every little thing we’ve requested of them.”
The very subsequent play resulted in a Tai Felton receiving landing, bringing the Terps inside a rating.
“That’s the great thing about our system, is that we’ve solutions,” Locksley stated. “If [USC is] going to play man and we’ve obtained a gaggle — Octavian Smith and Tai Felton and these tight ends should make these performs … they did immediately once we wanted them to.”
But, Maryland didn’t take the lead till till very late. USC was pressured to punt on the subsequent drive, and the Terps had no hassle driving the size of the sphere. However crimson zone issues obtained one of the best of Maryland as soon as once more, as Edwards threw an interception ultimately zone on fourth down.
The Terps clawed their approach again nonetheless, forcing USC right into a punt with 6:37 left to give itself one other likelihood. After one other botched fourth down play on the following drive, issues seemed hopeless for Maryland.
“It’s like a bit slugfest, Coach Locks would possibly say, [a] little slugfest the place we’re simply taking punches [and] we’re giving them out,” linebacker Donnell Brown stated. “On the finish of the day, we stood up they usually stood down.”
However that’s when the magic occurred — and Maryland’s first Huge Ten win resulted in an emphatic Saturday night time storming of SECU Stadium.
Three issues to know
1. Late chaos occurred. After the Terps’ late rating with simply 53 seconds left, USC had a chief alternative to drive down for a game-winning discipline objective try. It obtained all the best way right down to Maryland’s 40-yard line earlier than a 4th-and-2 incomplete go with 11 seconds left sealed the victory for the house staff.
“I slammed my helmet on the sphere,” Brown stated. “I used to be simply so blissful, as a result of that was the breakthrough that we’ve been ready for for a really very long time.”
2. A highlight-reel seize. USC vast receiver Ja’Kobi Lane had one of the best catch of the day, bar none, as his 15-yard one-handed reception for the staff’s second rating is perhaps in rivalry for catch of the 12 months. He wildly contorted his physique round Maryland defensive again Perry Fisher earlier than reeling it in.
3. Smith sees elevated utilization. Other than his first landing reception of the 2024 season, it was encouraging for Maryland followers to see the shifty junior produce nicely. He completed the day with career-highs in each catches (8) and yards (84).
“I feel KP informed me he had over 100 [yards], Tai had a bunch of touches,” Edwards stated. “Octavian Smith had a hell of a catch there within the first landing within the first half. So simply proceed to feed them the ball.”
