Welcome to The Diamondback Sports Digest: your weekly all-access pass to everything Maryland athletics.

Even from across the country, it was the same ending for Maryland football. 

The Terps entered the fourth quarter Saturday against UCLA leading for the third straight week, this time losing on a last second field goal after freshman quarterback Malik Washington led a game-tying drive.

Sports editor Michael Howes, deputy photo editor Akash Raghu and I traveled to California to report on the loss and share immediate takeaways. We also tried In-N-Out Burger and visited the Hollywood Sign and the Santa Monica Pier. Seeing the mountains from Rose Bowl Stadium’s press box wasn’t too shabby, either. 

Edge rusher Zahir Mathis, who came in tied for the team lead in sacks, didn’t play due to injury — his first collegiate game missed. I dove into his journey to Maryland, including a tumultuous recruitment process and injuries that left him questioning if he wanted to keep playing football.

Zahir Mathis in Terps gear during his visit to Maryland in January. (Courtesy of Zahir Mathis)

Our Pick of the Week

Zahir Mathis couldn’t feel his neck supporting his body.

The defensive lineman knocked helmets with a linebacker in his sophomore year. He briefly fell unconscious, and awoke panicked to coaches and players by his side.

The collision left him partially paralyzed. Mathis considered quitting football, but after a high school journey filled with injuries and recruiting uncertainty, he found a home at Maryland.

“It was pretty amazing for me just to see it and go through all the ups and downs and all the hardships, and be able to understand that you never want to quit in the game that you love the most,” Mathis said.

Mathis, then at Imhotep Institute Charter High School, was treated for swollen ligaments on his spinal cord and a sprained neck. In his lengthy hospital stay, Mathis needed to relearn how to walk.

“Dad, I don’t know if I’m going to get to do this,” Mathis recalled telling his father.

“You got to dig deep to figure out, how can you get past that point?” His father replied.

Mathis persevered through the injury and ultimately became a Terp after originally committing to Ohio State. Reflecting on the journey, Mathis said he would “never take it back.”

Saylor Poffenbarger shoots a free throw during Maryland women’s basketball’s second-round victory over Alabama in the 2025 NCAA tournament. (Gurnoor Sodhi/The Diamondback)

The Highlight Reel

  • Ever wondered what it’s like for a college athlete to redshirt? General assignment writer Jillian Hartman spoke with a trio of Maryland redshirt players — who shared distinct insights into the process. 
  • Faith Luckey didn’t play in her first two seasons for Maryland women’s soccer, but is now enjoying a breakout campaign.  
  • Basketball returns! Maryland women’s basketball scrimmaged against its scout team on Saturday, providing some noteworthy takeaways on a largely new roster. 
  • Maryland field hockey dropped consecutive home contests for the first time this season, primarily due to offensive struggles.  
  • Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson — the youngest American male track and field athlete in Olympic history — visited Maryland on Oct. 11 and chatted with recruiting writer Trevor Gomes.Coach Michael Locksley speaks at the post game press conference after Maryland's 20-17 loss against UCLA on Oct. 18, 2025. (Akash Raghu/The Diamondback)Coach Michael Locksley speaks at the post game news conference after Maryland’s 20-17 loss against UCLA on Oct. 18, 2025. (Akash Raghu/The Diamondback)

Quote of the week

“I’m not gonna ask why. Why is a victim question — I’m not a victim,” coach Michael Locksley said after Maryland football’s loss to UCLA. “I’m going to ask what we need to do, what I need to do to get us to be able to finish these games.”

He repeated “victim” five times in his postgame press conference, emphasizing both his and his players’ need to determine what they can do better — rather than letting the losses define the season.

Up next

  • 🏈 Football is on a bye before hosting No. 2 Indiana on Nov. 1, in danger of falling to .500 for the first time this season.
  • ⚽️ No. 4 men’s soccer looks to stay undefeated in a crucial Big Ten matchup with No. 14 Indiana on Friday.
  • 🏑No. 21 field hockey hits the road hoping to snap its two-game skid against No. 17 Rutgers on Friday.