Maryland football stock report: Brandon Ross shines on a dark day for the Terps vs. Indiana

The Maryland football team is 2-9, having wasted an early 21-3 lead in a blowout loss to Indiana on Saturday. The Terps started hot and finished ice cold, suffering a uniquely deflating loss in front of an exceptionally thin home crowd.

It was bad altogether, though some of it was actually decent. Here's a non-exhaustive list of the good, the bad and the in-between from Saturday's action at Byrd Stadium.

Stock up

Brandon Ross, running back. This was it for Ross at Byrd Stadium, and it was a nice capper to a challenging but dutiful four-year Maryland career. Ross never totally broke out in his time at Maryland, and it's hard to blame him because he never spent time in a complete offense with a vibrant passing game and strong offensive line. He ran like a bull on Saturday, and good for him to wrap his home career with 250 yards and 3 touchdowns on 19 carries. It was a veritable Leonard Fournette impression and quite a way to go out.

Evan Mulrooney, center. Mulrooney absolutely pulverized a poor Hoosiers defensive back to spring Malcolm Culmer for a first-quarter touchdown on a screen pass. He was also getting strong push against Hoosiers defensive tackle Darius Latham and company, helping to open holes for Ross to dart through en route to his own strong senior day.

Yannick Ngakoue, defensive end. It's worthy of recognition that Ngakoue's strip-sack of Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld in the first quarter gave him the program's all-time single-season record, with 13.5 sacks. Ngakoue otherwise wasn't an enormous factor against Indiana left tackle Jason Spriggs, but hey.

Stock holding

Mike Locksley, interim head coach. In all likelihood, this was Locksley's last home game as Maryland's head coach. He clearly had an effective game plan in place to start, with Maryland throwing off Indiana's defense with misdirection runs and keeping the Hoosiers thorougly off balance. But Indiana just as clearly adjusted, and neither Locksley's staff nor players had an answer when Indiana mounted a 27-point run in the final 17 minutes of the first half, and his team did nothing to get the game back under control down the stretch. The game ended with a 44-7 Indiana run. Maryland is 0-5 under Locksley now, but nothing is different now than it was on Friday.

Stock down

Maryland's special teams. The Terps were flabbergasted by a flawless Indiana onside kick, which set up the Hoosiers on their go-ahead touchdown drive late in the first half. Then Anthony Nixon fumbled a snap on a probably misguided fake punt attempt later in the second quarter, as Maryland tried to counterpunch on fourth-and-9 from its own 32-yard line. It didn't work, nor did Maryland's own onside kick try just after halftime. Those collective miscues led straight to 17 Indiana points. The Terps also took an illegal formation flag (for having five men in the backfield) on a punt.

Maryland's secondary. Indiana entered 0-6 in the Big Ten, but not because of its passing offense. The Terps didn't have much of an answer for Sudfeld and the Hoosiers' receivers, as the quarterback finished with 385 passing yards and 4 touchdowns for a 195.8 rating. Backup cornerback Jarrett Ross was victimized on a 59-yard touchdown strike from Sudfeld to Andre Booker, Will Likely was picked on repeatedly against receiver Simmie Cobbs Jr. and A.J. Hendy took a pass-interference flag that set up Indiana's first touchdown. The Terps leaked from the back end all afternoon.