Depth Dossier: Maryland Terrapins (Week 10)

Show Notes

A 108-Yard First Half, a 7-Sack Defense, and Finally, a Fourth Quarter Maryland Didn't Blow The Depth Dossier breaks down what Maryland's Week 10 game against Purdue changed on the depth chart: injuries, snap shares and who is moving up or down.

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This is the Depth Dossier: the Maryland Terrapins, Week 10.

Maryland found a way to survive its own disaster of a first half, beating Purdue 34 to 29 behind three enormous chunk plays and a seven-sack pass rush, with quarterback Malik Washington playing the whole second half on a braced, limping knee and still accounting for four touchdowns.

Let's set the scene. Maryland trailed 12 to 7 at halftime with just 108 yards and five first downs to show for thirty minutes of football. It looked like it was heading toward another loss.

Then everything changed. The Terps scored on four of their final five drives, and three plays broke this game open: a 44-yard touchdown to wide receiver Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, a 75-yard touchdown run from running back DeJuan Williams, and an 87-yard screen pass that running back Chris Durr Jr. turned into a touchdown. Washington threw for 253 yards and two scores and ran for two more, all while hurt. Seven sacks from the defense, including two and a half from freshman defensive lineman Zion Elee, sealed it. It's interim head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim's first win, and it snapped a six-game losing streak.

Now here's the strange part. Purdue actually won almost every traditional stat category. The Boilermakers held the ball for nearly 36 minutes to Maryland's 24, ran 80 plays to Maryland's 45, and had 26 first downs to Maryland's 12. None of it mattered, because Maryland averaged 8.7 yards per play to Purdue's 5.3. This game came down to three or four explosive plays, not sustained drives, and Maryland had all of them.

Purdue's bigger issue was finishing drives. The Boilermakers scored on seven possessions but only got into the end zone twice, settling for five field goals. When you run 80 plays and get 26 first downs but only score two touchdowns, that's how you lose to a team built on big plays.

Maryland also survived a lopsided penalty battle, nine flags for 107 yards compared to Purdue's two for 10. But one defensive play made up for a lot of that: cornerback Lavain Scruggs stripped and sacked Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne near the Purdue goal line, safety Daniel Wingate recovered it at the two-yard line, and Washington scored almost immediately after. One takeaway, enormous value.

And then there's the finish, which matters most given Maryland's season. This team has been defined by fourth-quarter collapses. Not this time. When Purdue cut the lead to five with under four minutes left, Washington found Gladding on a big third down to keep the clock moving, and the defense closed it out with a sack of Browne on the final play, after Purdue had actually reached Maryland's 11-yard line with five seconds on the clock.

One more note from the box score: cornerback Dontay Joyner was ejected less than two minutes into the game, and Maryland's coverage struggled the rest of the way, allowing 296 passing yards and 13 plays of 15 yards or more.

Now to the depth chart, and the biggest story going into next week is Washington's knee. He played the whole second half in a brace, visibly limping, and there's no official injury designation yet heading into the Wisconsin game. Nothing is confirmed, but his practice status is the single most important thing to watch this week.

On the field, Washington added a new dimension by rushing for two touchdowns, making him the first Maryland quarterback since 2023 with multiple rushing scores in a game. He had a hand in four of Maryland's five touchdowns. Williams was quiet most of the day before breaking off that 75-yard touchdown run, finishing with 99 yards on just 14 carries, a reminder his value is about explosive plays, not workload. Durr's 87-yard touchdown should keep him featured prominently in the passing game going forward.

On defense, Joyner's ejection is worth tracking. It's not expected to be a long-term issue, but if Maryland's coverage problems continue even with him back, the pass rush won't be able to cover for it forever. Elee's emergence as a real pass-rushing piece is the encouraging counterpoint. With Wisconsin up next, quarterback health is the whole story this week.

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