Maryland Takes Down UConn 38-14: Terps Pass First Real Test, But Virginia Tech Is the Big One

By Charles Harris | Ravori Sports

Maryland took care of business Saturday afternoon, defeating UConn 38-14 in a game that gave Terps fans plenty to feel good about heading into the next stage of the season. After opening the year with a 62-0 victory over Hampton, Maryland faced a much more competitive opponent and showed that this team can respond when another team lands the first punch.

The Terrapins didn't start perfectly, but they finished extremely well.

UConn jumped out to an early lead, but Maryland responded with better execution on both sides of the football and eventually turned the game into a comfortable victory. The Terps finished with 475 total yards, including 350 through the air and 125 on the ground. UConn managed only 223 total yards.

For Maryland, the most important part of the afternoon may have been the continued development of quarterback Malik Washington.

Washington put together another impressive performance, completing 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. He also had an incredible stretch of 18 consecutive completions.

That is the kind of quarterback play Maryland needs.

Washington looked comfortable, confident and in control of the offense. He made good decisions, delivered the football accurately and continued to show that he can be the quarterback Maryland builds its offense around.

After the Hampton game, there were still questions about how Washington would perform when Maryland faced a team capable of making the Terps work.

Against UConn, he answered those questions.

Malik Washington Continues to Impress

The biggest positive coming out of this game is Washington.

The sophomore quarterback completed more than 82 percent of his passes and finished with 347 yards. More importantly, he did it without turning the football over.

That is something Maryland fans should pay close attention to.

Quarterback play can determine how far a team goes, especially once conference play begins. Maryland doesn't need Washington to be perfect, but it does need him to make smart decisions, protect the football and take advantage of opportunities down the field.

Against UConn, he did all three.

Washington also showed that he has developed chemistry with Maryland's receivers. The ball was coming out quickly, and several different players were involved in the passing game.

That makes this offense much more difficult to defend.

Maryland's Receivers Are Becoming a Problem for Defenses

The receiving corps deserves plenty of credit for Washington's performance.

Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding finished with eight receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, while Chris Durr Jr. had a career performance with 10 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown.

Having two receivers go over 100 yards in the same game is a major positive.

Abdul-Rahim Gladding gave Maryland an explosive play with a 60-yard touchdown reception, while Durr continued to show that he can become one of Washington's most reliable targets.

That's what Maryland needs.

The Terps don't want an offense where everything depends on one receiver or one running back. They want Washington to be able to spread the ball around and force defenses to defend the entire field.

Against UConn, that happened.

If Maryland can continue getting this type of production from its receivers, opposing defenses are going to have a much tougher time loading the box and concentrating on the running game.

The Running Game Was Good Enough

Maryland rushed for 125 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns.

Harry Dalton III scored twice, while Iverson Howard added another touchdown.

With DeJuan Williams unavailable, Maryland needed other running backs to step up, and they did.

Dalton's two touchdowns were particularly important because they helped Maryland establish control after UConn's early success.

The running game didn't have to dominate the box score because the passing attack was moving the football consistently.

That's another positive.

Maryland showed it can win in different ways.

If opponents decide to play the pass, the Terps can run the football.

If defenses load up against the run, Washington now has enough weapons to make them pay through the air.

That balance could become extremely important once the schedule gets tougher.

The Defense Settled Down

I also liked the way Maryland's defense responded after UConn scored early.

The Huskies came out with confidence and were able to hit a couple of explosive passing plays. Those are the types of mistakes Maryland cannot afford against better competition.

But instead of allowing those plays to snowball, the defense settled down.

UConn finished with just 223 total yards, including only 67 rushing yards.

Maryland also consistently pressured the quarterback and forced UConn into difficult third-down situations.

The Terps held the Huskies to just 12 first downs and three conversions on 13 third-down attempts.

That's winning defense.

There are still things Maryland needs to clean up. Giving up long touchdown passes is a concern, and better opponents will make Maryland pay for those mistakes.

But overall, this was a strong defensive performance.

The Second Quarter Was the Turning Point

For me, the second quarter was where Maryland really took control of the game.

The Terps put together a 92-yard touchdown drive that consumed more than five minutes.

Then Maryland followed that with another long drive that ended in a field goal.

That is how you take control of a football game on the road.

Instead of getting frustrated after falling behind, Maryland responded with long, physical drives that gave the defense time to rest and kept UConn's offense on the sideline.

By halftime, Maryland had turned an early 7-0 deficit into a 17-7 lead.

From there, the Terps never gave UConn a realistic chance to take control again.

Maryland Finished the Job

One thing I wanted to see from Maryland was whether this team could finish a game once it had control.

It did.

The Terps scored twice in the third quarter and added another touchdown in the fourth.

By the time Chris Durr caught his touchdown pass, Maryland had turned the game into a 38-14 statement.

That's important.

Good teams don't just get ahead.

Good teams finish.

Maryland did exactly that.

Now Comes the Big One: Virginia Tech

As good as this win was, Maryland fans shouldn't get carried away.

Next week's game against Virginia Tech is the big one.

This is the matchup that can really tell us where Maryland stands.

The Terps have handled Hampton.

They have now handled UConn.

But Virginia Tech will provide a much more meaningful measuring stick.

And the fact that Maryland will host Virginia Tech in College Park makes this game even more important.

This is the type of game where Maryland needs the home crowd to be a factor.

The Terps need to come out with the same energy they showed against UConn, but they can't afford the defensive mistakes that allowed those explosive touchdowns.

Virginia Tech is going to test Maryland in areas that UConn couldn't.

Washington will have to continue making good decisions.

The receivers will have to get separation.

The running game will need to be physical.

And the defense will need to limit explosive plays.

If Maryland can put together another complete performance, then I think the conversation surrounding this team changes.

Malik Washington vs. Virginia Tech Is Worth Watching

The matchup I will be watching most closely is Washington against the Virginia Tech defense.

This is where we can really see how much progress he has made.

Through two games, Washington has shown accuracy, poise and confidence.

Now he gets a bigger challenge.

Can he make the same throws when the pressure is higher?

Can he avoid turnovers?

Can he make the big third-down throw?

Can he lead Maryland through a close fourth quarter if Virginia Tech keeps the game competitive?

Those are the questions I want answered.

Because if Washington continues playing like he did against UConn, Maryland suddenly has a quarterback capable of making this offense very dangerous.

The Big Picture

Maryland is now 2-0, and the Terps have accomplished exactly what they needed to accomplish through the first two games.

They dominated Hampton.

They went on the road against UConn and overcame an early deficit to win 38-14.

Washington is playing extremely well.

The receivers are making plays.

The running backs are contributing.

The defense is creating pressure.

And Maryland has shown that it can control a game once it gets momentum.

But the season isn't judged by what happens against Hampton or UConn.

The real measuring stick starts now.

Virginia Tech comes to College Park next week.

That's the game Maryland fans should be talking about.

That's the game where we can find out whether this is simply a team capable of winning the games it is supposed to win or a team capable of making noise when the schedule gets tougher.

For now, I'll give Maryland an A- for the UConn performance.

The Terps weren't perfect, but they were impressive.

They overcame adversity, controlled the statistics, protected the football and finished the game.

Now comes the big test.

Maryland vs. Virginia Tech in College Park.

Let's see what these Terps are really made of.

— Charles Harris, Ravori Sports