Maryland football was just eviscerated 62-14 by No. 10 Ohio State. It was not pretty and there were very few positives in the blowout.
The Terps fall to 3-2, and 1-1 in the Big Ten, with the road loss. Stock is down almost across the board. Here’s where the Terps stand:
Stock up
Maryland special teams: For the majority of the afternoon, Maryland’s only points came off a 100-yard kickoff return by Ty Johnson for a score. Special teams was the only plus position group, with the return touchdown, a blocked field goal, blocked extra point and a couple other forced miscues that proved inconsequential for the Buckeyes.
Urban Meyer reaction GIFs: It wasn’t a good day for Maryland, but at least the Buckeyes’ special team woes gave us a couple gems.
Like this one:
So many emotions! pic.twitter.com/JZVIFRkgsh
— Ryan Connors (@RyanConnors_) October 7, 2017
Or this one, that truly captured the emotions of Terps’ fans:
Urban Meyer is every Maryland fan watching this game: pic.twitter.com/egmJrSQg6m
— Lamar Johnson (@im_lamar) October 7, 2017
Stock holding
Ty Johnson: The junior was bottled up on offense for most of the game, but his playmaking ability shined early on special teams. His kickoff return touchdown, to bring the score to 14-7, allowed Maryland to appear to stay in the game a little longer than it actually did. Johnson finished as the Terps’ leading rusher with 12 carries for 57 yards, although 35 of those came on one rush near the end of the game.
Easily the Terps' best offensive play of the day on this run by Ty Johnson. pic.twitter.com/kboiktVwwz
— Lamar Johnson (@im_lamar) October 7, 2017
Vegas odds: Ohio State was a 31-point favorite in this one, and after Maryland already covered twice as 19-point road underdogs, the Terps’ luck ran out. Maryland’s already well on its way to covering an estimated win total of 3.5, despite the setback.
Stock down
Maryland’s explosive offense: It took Big Ten leading receiver D.J. Moore until near the end of the first half to extend his reception streak to 26 games. The Buckeyes swarmed the backfield often, coming up with five sacks and two fumble recoveries, and Maryland was never able to get anything going. Maryland had just two runs go over 20 yards: Johnson’s 35-yard scamper and a 20-yard score by freshman Javon Leake with time winding down in the fourth quarter. As a whole, Maryland’s offense was outgained by a whopping 584 yards from Ohio State to just 66 from the Terps.
Depth: Maryland’s depth continued to take another hit as linebacker Shane Cockerille is “day-to-day” again, and defensive back Antwaine Richardson missed the game recovering from an injury. After the game, coach DJ Durkin said Cockerille’s dealing with the same problems that held him out for the spring and summer, while Richardson won’t be out long. The Terps are also working with their fourth quarterback this season, as quarterback Max Bortenschlager will likely enter concussion protocol after he was injured in the third quarter. Hopefully, the injury doesn’t linger, but Maryland turned to transfer Caleb Henderson to finish the game.