We've seen the highlights and we've looked at the lowlights, but today it's time to look at four moments that shaped Maryland's season this fall. Some of them were memorable, others were forgettable, but each had a substantial impact over the past 13 weeks or so.
Maryland fires coach Randy Edsall
The Terps hung with then-No. 1 Ohio State into the third quarter on the road on Oct. 10, but the Buckeyes showed why they were the defending national champions and a consensus pick to repeat before the season. Ohio State pulled away for a 49-28 win, Edsall stormed out of his postgame press conference and Maryland let Edsall go the next day.
Interim coach Mike Locksley took over and made some "tweaks" to the program. The result was a team that was more competitive down the stretch, though it didn't break through in the win column until the season finale. The Terps seemed rejuvenated under Locksley, who urged them to have fun and play football "in its purest form."
Maryland collapses against Bowling Green
The Terps held the Falcons to six points in the first half and seemed poised for a 2-0 start, until Bowling Green quarterback Matt Johnson and wide receiver Rogers Lewis took over to spur a 42-14 advantage in the second half. All of Maryland's difficulties on offense and defense were magnified and exploited by Bowling Green, which racked up 692 yards of offense.
From there, most of the positives of the season-opening win over Richmond were erased. Bowling Green provided a preview of what was to come as the Terps struggled with the other up-tempo teams on their schedule.
Maryland defense holds Rutgers on fourth-and-1
The Terps had erased an early 21-point deficit to the Scarlet Knights and had landed every counterpunch down the stretch, the last one being an 80-yard touchdown run by running back Brandon Ross to put them up 46-41. But Maryland needed a stop, and did it ever get one.
Middle linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. made the initial hit in the hole when Rutgers running back Robert Martin tried to convert fourth-and-1, and he was joined by a host of other Terps. When the officials made the measurement, the Scarlet Knights were about as close to a first down as possible without converting. The stop kicked off a raucous celebration on the Maryland sideline, which included a Gatorade bath for Locksley.
Perry Hills starts at Ohio State
While Hills won only one game as a starter for Maryland this fall, his return to the starting lineup at then-No. 1 Ohio State signaled a shift in the Terps offense. Hills rushed for 170 yards against the Buckeyes — a program record for a quarterback — and helped Maryland tie Ohio State in the third quarter. Hills rushed for 100 yards in three straight games and nearly led them to a victory over Penn State in Locksley's first game.
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The offensive scheme Locksley implemented for Hills helped the running game as a whole down the stretch, especially when Caleb Rowe started for an ill Hills against Indiana and took over in the second quarter against Rutgers. Ross rushed for 418 yards and six touchdowns in the final two games of the season, and the Terps rushed for 401 yards (Rowe had 98) in the season finale.
