Maryland football’s week two offense looked nothing like week one, but that’s the outcome it wanted. 

In week one, Maryland’s passing offense looked questionable as the run game moved at will. 

In week two, the run game did fine, but with quarterback Malik Washington’s pinpoint accuracy and the best receiver play the Terps have seen in years, the passing attack exploded in Maryland’s 38-14 victory over UConn on Saturday. 

If Washington continues to perform how he did against the Huskies, there won’t be any more questions. His 209 first-half yards were more than all of week one, and the vast majority of his throws were extremely well placed, shutting down the accuracy concerns from last week. 

Washington ended the day going 34-for-41, with 347 yards and 2 touchdowns, one of his best performances to date. 

He went for 18 straight completions in the second and third quarters as Maryland began to put up big-time points, scoring on four straight drives during the streak, including a 92-yard touchdown drive. 

“The big drive for us on offense and Malik was the answer after the explosive play,” head coach Michael Locksley said after the game. “We get pinned down there; I think we go 98 yards. Malik really operated our stuff the way we needed to.”

The real highlight of the day was Maryland’s two transfer receivers, who combined for 18 receptions, 233 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Both receivers went over 100 yards, the first time that has happened this season. 

Gladding’s run-after-catch ability and strong hands shined all game, especially on a 60-yard touchdown where he broke tackles on his way to the end zone. 

Kaleb Webb got involved in the second half, making some jumping catches on high throws that fully utilized his 6-foot-5 frame. He ended the game with 5 receptions for 60 yards, including an impressive one-handed grab. 

Additionally, the dropping issue was nonexistent. Durr made a fantastic one-handed catch on a perfectly placed ball on a post route from the slot, catching the ball mere inches from a defender’s helmet. 

“I think we saw the talent level that we’ve increased at the receiver position with Chris Durr and those guys, Na’eem, both making plays and going over 100 yards together,” Locksley said. 

The Terps defense also played well, but they did not look nearly as in sync as the offense. 

The front seven played fantastic for most of the game, finishing with 6 TFLs and 5 sacks. The UConn rushing offense only managed 67 rushing yards on 2.2 yards per carry.

Pass rushers Sidney Stewart and Zion Elee both recorded strip sacks, Elee’s being his first career sack with Maryland. DD Holmes also looked great for the second time this season, recording half a sack and a fumble recovery. 

The loss of Zaire Mathis might still prove to be an issue as opponents improve, but for now the issue is the defensive backs. 

Starting corners Amari Jackson and Jamare Glasker both got beat for UConn’s pair of long touchdowns. There were noticeable gaps in Maryland’s zone defense for a lot of the game, but the pass rush tended to cover it up for the most part. That won’t happen against better competition in conference play. 

“There’s an Achilles heel in this game for us: the two veteran corners that we have a very high expectation from didn’t play with the eye discipline that you’re going to need to play with,” Locksley said. 

West Virginia transfer Jordan Scruggs flashed with some PBUs and good tackles. He committed to Maryland on August 17, so he should continue to improve as he gels with the rest of the defense.

The run game looked decent despite missing starter DeJuan Williams, as Iverson Howard and Harry Dalton III took all the reps at running back. 

The Terps ended with 125 rushing yards, a huge contrast from the Hampton game, but the 36 attempts show Trickett’s commitment to the run, something that will need to continue if they want to do better in Big Ten play. The pass/rush split was 42/36. 

“I was really happy to see the way the two running backs ran the ball hard, especially when we were coming off the goal line and not having DeJuan out there,” Locksley said. 

The dominant victory punctuates a big week for the Terps, where many said UConn would be a tough out for Maryland. Safe to say the team was well prepared. 

Although this is probably the second easiest game Maryland plays all season, if Washington and the receivers can play the way they did on Saturday, Maryland fans are in for a treat in 2026.