Maryland can not complete upset bid, falls to Michigan State 19-16

After a 40-yard kickoff return by sophomore running back Anthony McFarland gave Maryland the ball on its 42-yard line, the Terps had one final opportunity to drive down the field for a game-tying field goal opportunity.

Two incompletions and a five-yard scramble from junior quarterback Josh Jackson set the offense up for a short fourth-down conversion to keep the drive going and upset Michigan State for the first time since 2016.

Facing pressure, Jackson tried to hit sophomore tight end Chig Okonkwo over the middle, but the pass was batted down and the Terps lost 19-16 Saturday afternoon.

Although this was one of the better efforts from Maryland (3-9) this season, it did not matter in the end. As a team that started 2-0 and was ranked No. 21 in the country in September, Maryland dropped eight of its final nine games.

On the brink of bowl eligibility, the Spartans (6-6) came into the game as 22.5 point favorites and were expected to win with ease.

To say the Terps had opportunities to win the game would be an understatement. The game came down to who would make the last mistake.

Up 16-13 with a little under a minute left in the third quarter, Maryland’s offense faced a third-and-eight deep in Michigan State territory. 

Jackson scrambled out of the pocket and seemed indecisive on whether to throw the ball or run it for a few yards. The ball made the decision, slipping out of his hands into a Spartan’s defender who rolled on it for the recovery.

Michigan State would take advantage of the turnover on the ensuing drive and make the game-tying field goal with a little over nine minutes left in the game.

Tied at 16 with the ball in the fourth quarter, the Terps were still in good position to chew some clock and regain the lead.

Two poorly executed runs designed for McFarland led to a loss of five yards and Maryland eventually went three-and-out, barely eating up two minutes.

On what would be the go-ahead drive, the Spartans conducted a well executed drive that included chunk play after chunk play, where they converted four plays that gained at least 12 yards and ate up about five minutes of the final quarter.

Kicker Matt Coghlin converted a 33-yard field goal, his fourth of the day, for what would be the final dagger for the Terps.

Jackson had an up and down days in terms of his passing. It seemed that after he made a positive play, he countered it with a negative play.

After his first pass was intercepted, he threw a perfect pass down the left sideline and hit sophomore wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. in stride for a 44-yard touchdown a few drives later to give Maryland a 7-3 towards the end of the first quarter.

It was the first time the Terps held the lead in a game since Oct. 19 against Indiana.

Jackson finished his first season in College Park throwing for 1274 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Demus led the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns for the season, finishing with 41 receptions, 625 yards and six touchdowns.

Showing flashes of the player that ran for over 1,000 yards last season, McFarland was the consistent bright spot on offense. On Maryland’s second drive of the second half, he broke off a 63-yard touchdown run to put the Terps up 16-13. He also picked up a 43-yard run towards the end of the third quarter.

McFarland finished with a season-high 134 rushing yards and one touchdown on only eight carries. He finished the season with 614 yards and eight touchdowns. Junior running back Javon Leake led the team in rushing yards, finishing the season with 736 yards and eight touchdowns. Leake also led the team in kick return yards, finishing the season with 804 yards and two touchdowns.

A unit that has been near the bottom in almost every statistical category, Maryland’s defense had one of its better outings against the Spartans. Senior defensive back Marcus Lewis and freshman defensive back Deonte Banks both snagged interceptions in the first quarter while senior defensive linemen Keiron Howard stuffed a Michigan State fourth down run to force a turnover on downs.

Over the last six games before Saturday, the Terps allowed an average of 48.6 points and over 246 rushing yards. The defense held the Spartans to 19 points and 88 rushing yards.

Head coach Mike Locksley will now have the offseason to regroup and reevaluate the team going into next season. Seniors that will no longer be on the team next year include Tino Ellis, Keandre Jones, Antoine Brooks Jr. and Ellis McKennie.

McFarland announced on Tuesday that he will forgo his remaining two seasons and declare for the 2020 NFL draft via Twitter. Leake did not take long to follow in his teammate’s footsteps as the junior announced his decision to declare for the draft on Wednesday via Twitter.