Maryland struggles on the road again, falls to Purdue 40-14
Photo obtained from the Journal Gazette
It was another mistake filled afternoon for Maryland as they struggled on both sides of the ball in their 40-14 loss to Purdue Saturday afternoon.
Coming into the game with a record of 1-4 in the midst of a three game losing streak, Purdue was supposed to be a game in which the Terps could build momentum upon for the rest of the season as they prepared for the brutal back half of their schedule.
Their remaining six opponents have a combined record of 29-9, as their final three home games are against Indiana (4-2), No. 16 Michigan (5-1) and Nebraska (4-3). Their final three away games are against Minnesota (6-0), No. 3 Ohio State (6-0) and Michigan State (4-3).
Now Maryland (3-3), will have to win three out of their next six to become bowl eligible.
With starting junior quarterback Josh Jackson out with an ankle injury, fellow junior quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome made his first start of the season at the helm.
While Pigrome made a few highlight-reel worthy plays with his legs, his costly interceptions halted Maryland’s chances of a comeback. He finished the day throwing for 218 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
All though he struggled through, Pigrome’s success on the ground was one of the lone bright spots for the Terps’ offense. He finished the day running for 107 yards on 13 carries, including a 61-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that put Maryland within six before Purdue took control for the rest of the game.
On the Terps’ first drive of the game, sophomore wide receiver Dontay Demus broke free down the field for a 50-yard touchdown reception, only to have it called back because of a holding penalty.
Demus finished the game with a team-high 10 receptions for 105 yards. Demus is the first Maryland receiver to have 10 receptions in a game since Carolina Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore had 10 against Northwestern in 2017.
The Terps then faced a fourth-and-short situation deep in Boilermaker territory late in the first quarter, but could not convert as sophomore running back Anthony McFarland dropped a would-be touchdown on an open, well-designed wheel route.
McFarland, who has been battling a minor ankle injury throughout the season, did not look like the explosive freshman who ran for 1,034 yards in 2018. He finished the afternoon with four yards on four carries, both season lows.
Down 23-14, Pigrome’s first interception put the team in a deeper hole as his intended pass to sophomore tight end Chig Okonkwo was returned for a 42-yard touchdown by cornerback Cory Trice with 18 seconds left in the first half. Maryland trailed 30-14 at halftime and never recovered.
While trying to gain momentum late in the third quarter, another misfire from Pigrome would seal the Terps’ fate. His intended pass for sophomore wide receiver Darryl Jones was thrown far behind Jones’ catching range.
The ball bounced off of Jones’ hands and landed into the arm of Trice, who finished the game with five tackles, two interceptions, and a pass deflection.
Maryland shot themselves in the foot time and time again, and Purdue capitalized on the extra opportunities.
The defense struggled to find their footing, as they allowed 547 yards of total offense. They did force a fumble late in the fourth quarter, but the game was already decided.
Senior linebacker Keandre Jones registered the team’s lone sack. He now has a team high 5.5 sacks on the season.
Boilermaker quarterback Jack Plummer was surgical all afternoon as he threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue had two receivers finish with over 100 yards, as tight end Brycen Hopkins and wide receiver David Bell found open holes in the Terps’ defense throughout the afternoon. Hopkins finished with 140 yards and Bell finished with 138 yards and two touchdowns.
Terps’ junior running back Javon Leake was the featured back Saturday afternoon as he finished with 79 yards on seven carries and also adding 33 receiving yards on two receptions.
Maryland will host Indiana on Oct. 19 at Capital One Field at 3:30 p.m.