Maryland football was overwhelmed by No. 10 Ohio State on Saturday, falling 62-14 to the Buckeyes in Columbus.
One week after knocking off Minnesota on the road, the Terps couldn’t find any of that magic. The offense couldn’t move the ball. The defense couldn’t keep Ohio State off the board. Maryland was out-gained 584-66, and had two offensive plays longer than 10 yards.
Max Bortenschlager couldn’t stay out of trouble like he did a week ago. The sophomore completed 3 of 12 passes for 16 yards, got sacked four times and lost two fumbles. Then, in the third quarter, he took a hit to the head and left the game. Redshirt junior Caleb Henderson replaced him, becoming Maryland’s fourth quarterback in the season’s first five games. Henderson went 0-for-1 in over a quarter of play.
On the other side, J.T. Barrett was 20-of-31 for 261 yards and three scores. Freshman running back J.K. Dobbins led the Buckeyes with 96 yards on the ground, while Barrett and Mike Weber added 59 each.
Ohio State marched the ball down the field and into the end zone with ease on its first drive of the game, then added another touchdown on Maryland’s first offensive possession, as a Bortenschlager fumble was returned 20 yards for six. When the Buckeyes got the ball back, they scored again.
In between all that, though, Ty Johnson brought the fireworks on the ensuing kickoff, taking it 100 yards down the sideline to the house.
This highlight brought to you by Johnson & Johnson.@TerpsFootball's Ty Johnson is still fast, and @CFBONFOX's Gus Johnson is still . pic.twitter.com/BXbNLGGa2N
— Maryland On BTN (@MarylandOnBTN) October 7, 2017
Thanks to this run and a pair of blocked kicks—one on an extra point, another on a 47-yard field goal attempt—Maryland exited a hectic first quarter trailing just 20-7 despite a stagnant offense. The Terps recorded eight total yards from scrimmage in the first quarter, and didn’t complete a pass until late in the second.
After 27 points were scored in the game’s first eight minutes, there wasn’t another score in the next 17. Then Ohio State turned on the jets.
The drought ended with a 10-yard touchdown from Barrett to Marcus Baugh, giving the Buckeyes a 27-7 lead. Parris Campbell made it 34-7 with a 24-yard score on a reverse less than three minutes later. Ohio State still had enough time to tack on another touchdown before halftime, making it 41-7.
The onslaught continued in the second half, reaching 55-7 in the third quarter. Ohio State turned to its backup quarterback late in that period. So did Maryland, but for much unhappier reasons.
Another Ohio State score pushed the margin even higher, but Maryland capitalized on a chance in the fourth quarter. The Terps recovered a fumble at the Buckeyes’ 27-yard line, and freshman Javon Leake converted a fourth down into a 20-yard touchdown run. Reaching double digits made things look better, but only by so much. That run brought Maryland to 66 offensive yards, its lowest total since 2004.
Maryland plays Northwestern at home in seven days. Basketball season starts Nov. 10.
Three things to know
1. This was an evisceration. By, like, every way you can measure it. Ohio State played well (albeit far from perfect). Maryland fell flat. It’s pretty comparable to the 62-3 shellacking in College Park last year, but this one was almost more unexpected, as the Terps were coming off a win.
2. Maryland’s special teams were the bright spot. The Terps blocked two kicks, returned a kickoff 100 yards and pinned Ohio State on multiple punts. It’s hardly ever a good thing when your kickoff return unit scores as many points as your offense, though.
3. The quarterback questions are back. To say Bortenschlager struggled would be generous. Now he’s an injury question mark in a season that has already seen plenty. he sophomore’s injury shouldn’t cost him extended time, but it might give Henderson the chance to be the man for a while.