COLLEGE PARK — Two years ago, Maryland football was coming off its third straight bowl win and Indiana carried the worst all-time winning percentage of any Power 4 program in the country.
Much has changed.
A promising start turned sour in a hurry for the Terps on Saturday as No. 2-ranked Indiana routed them, 55-10, in their homecoming game at SECU Stadium. It marked Maryland’s most lopsided loss since a 66-17 defeat at the hands of Ohio State on Oct. 9, 2021, and most lopsided home loss since Nov. 23, 2019, against Nebraska.
The loss was the fourth straight for Maryland (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten), which has dropped at least four games in a row each of the past three seasons under coach Mike Locksley. The Hoosiers (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) started slow but got rolling midway through the first quarter and cruised to a dominant road performance on both sides of the ball.
Maryland freshman quarterback Malik Washington committed four turnovers and the Terps managed 293 yards of total offense, including just 37 on the ground. Washington finished 16 of 31 for 242 yards and a touchdown. Locksley said in his on-field CBS interview at halftime that the true freshman looked “unsettled” in the first half and the struggled to make throws under pressure all afternoon.
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana’s redshirt junior quarterback and the betting favorite to win this year’s Heisman Trophy, didn’t need to do much as the Hoosiers’ running game racked up 369 yards on the ground. Mendoza finished with 201 passing yards and two total touchdowns, former Terps star and John Carroll graduate Roman Hemby rushed for 88 yards and seven players found the end zone for Indiana, which has scored 50 or more points in a game five times this season.
Entering the game as heavy underdogs, the Terps caught Indiana by surprise with back-to-back defensive stands to open the contest. Redshirt junior cornerback Jamare Glasker made a smart read in man coverage to pick off Mendoza on the Hoosiers’ first drive and Terps sacks on consecutive plays the ensuing possession forced a three-and-out.
Despite getting strong field position both times — including a start from the Indiana 12-yard on their first drive — the Terps’ offense scored just three points to show for it. Their inability to capitalize left Indiana plenty of time to punch back and the Hoosiers did to the tune of four straight scoring drives for a 20-3 halftime lead.
Related Articles
-
What is success for Maryland football? AD, donors and fans weigh in. -
Maryland men’s basketball deals with rash of injuries before season opener -
No. 10 Maryland women’s basketball enters season with Final 4 aspirations -
What can fans expect from Maryland basketball in Buzz Williams’ debut year? -
Maryland boosters split on Michael Locksley: ‘Some of them want changes’
Maryland showed some life to open the second half when Washington hit redshirt freshman running back DeJuan Williams for a 55-yard touchdown, a play Washington made possible with his legs and a well-placed, off-balance throw. Yet Indiana was relentless, countering with a touchdown drive of its own to rip any momentum right back.
Washington then fumbled on each of his next two possessions, one of which was picked up by redshirt senior defensive back Devan Boykin for a scoop-and-score. The turnovers put the game out of hand early in the third and the crowd, which Maryland announced as a sellout Friday, started trickling out of the stadium well before the final whistle. The student section chanted “Fire Locksley” at the end of the first half.
While Maryland will need to win two of its final four games to qualify for a bowl, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has the Hoosiers on the cusp of their second straight College Football Playoff appearance. Saturday’s game illustrated just how far apart the two programs are as the Terps are left searching for positives from a game that provided very few.
This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.
Show Caption1 of 7Maryland linebacker Carlton Smith (32) tackles Indiana tight end Holden Staes (19) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)Expand
