It just keeps happening with Maryland football.
The Terps entered the fourth quarter on Saturday against UCLA leading — the third straight week they were up entering the final frame — but lost again, this time on a last-second field goal.
Maryland’s defense largely dominated, but conceded 13 points in the fourth in a familiar late-game collapse. The offense managed a season-low 17 points and didn’t reach the end zone until the final minute.
Here are three takeaways from the Terps’ 20-17 loss.
Locksley’s repetitive news conference
Coach Michael Locksley reiterated five times after the game that he and his team are “not victims.”
The seventh-year coach made it clear he doesn’t want Maryland to view its late-game woes as the team’s defining trait — rather lessons to build upon.
“I’m not gonna ask why. Why is a victim question,” Locksley said. “I’m not a victim. 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.”
The Terps have now recorded at least one three-game losing streak in each of Locksley’s seasons.
Last year showed how quickly such slides can snowball. Maryland was 4–3 in 2024 before a five-game skid left it 4-8 to end the season, going more than a month without a win.
That was the first time since 2020 that the Terps didn’t make a bowl game. Maryland needs two wins in its final five games to reach one this season. But with matchups looming against Indiana (7-0), Illinois (5-2) and Michigan (5-2) — that road gets steeper.
[Maryland football collapses in third consecutive game and falls to UCLA, 20-17]
For Locksley, the no-victim mantra reflects more than frustration — it’s an attempt to reset the psyche after three gut-punching losses. He believes Maryland’s issues are rooted in execution, not talent.
Whether that shift in mindset translates to wins will define the Terps’ final stretch.
“Obviously disappointed, I can tell you, not discouraged,” Locksley said. “Obviously we have to do better.”
Malik Washington, offense struggles — but still fulfills what fans waited for
The freshman quarterback acknowledged his performance against the Bruins fell short of his expectations. Washington posted his fewest passing yards of the season and completed fewer than half his attempts for the first time.
Washington said UCLA was able to take away Maryland’s explosive plays by keeping their coverage deep and forcing the Terps to settle for underneath throws. That approach made the offense adjust and live with limited gains rather than the big plays they’ve relied on in recent weeks, he said.
Still, the freshman said there’s no concern amid the challenging three-game stretch.
“Sometimes you just get a little unlucky with it,” Washington said. “There’s drives that we have to put together as an offense … we just gotta figure out a way to put it all together.”
[Zahir Mathis nearly quit football. Now he’s flourishing at Maryland.]
The Terps’ rushing struggles persisted as the running backs averaged less than three yards per carry, with Washington finishing as their leading rusher. Maryland’s receivers haven’t offered much help to the freshman, dropping three passes against the Bruins to bring their season total to 24 — already surpassing last year’s mark.
Still, Washington did what he couldn’t the past two weeks — lead a late scoring drive. He directed a nine-play, 75-yard march that tied the game with less than a minute remaining, only for his defense to unravel in four plays.
“It’s tough,” Washington said. “The cards just weren’t in our favor again today.”
Sloppy play, late defensive collapses continue
It’s hard to call a three-takeaway game “sloppy.” The Terps proved it can be done.
Edge rusher Trey Reddick was ejected in the second quarter for targeting, and safety Jalen Huskey repeated the mistake in the fourth.
With freshman edge rusher Zahir Mathis out, Reddick’s absence only further thinned Maryland’s defensive line. Huskey’s ejection compounded the defensive issues, with linebacker Daniel Wingate also exiting injured late.
“It’s hard because these are our playmakers. These are our guys that make a play,” defensive lineman Dillan Fontus said.
Maryland allowed a game-high 196 yards in the fourth quarter, after conceding an average of 72.6 yards in the previous three — allowing 13 points in the frame. Saturday’s game marked the third straight week Maryland was outscored in the final frame.
The Terps have now been outscored 61-24 in the fourth quarter this season.
Locksley noted frustration that the targeting calls came from the Big Ten office in Chicago rather than from the officials on the field. Still, it’s a trend for the Terps this season after edge rusher Sidney Stewart was ejected from the Washington game for targeting.
“For the second week Chicago called them and we lose a player,” Locksley said. “I’ll probably get in trouble for saying that, but it’s one of those things that I’ll keep asking — what I have to do, how I need to coach, what the position is I put us in.”
