Malik Washington leads Maryland past UConn, 38-14

The Maryland Terrapins improved to 2-0 on the season Saturday afternoon with a convincing 38-14 road victory over the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. Maryland overcame an early 7-0 deficit, controlled the game throughout the final three quarters and extended its nation-leading nonconference winning streak to 20 consecutive games. The Terrapins finished with 475 yards of total offense while limiting UConn to only 223.

Sophomore quarterback Malik Washington delivered one of the best performances of his Maryland career. Washington completed 34 of 41 passes for 347 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, finishing with a career-high 82.9% completion percentage. He also completed a Maryland-record 18 consecutive passes during one stretch as the Terrapins’ up-tempo offense gradually wore down the Huskies.

UConn struck first when quarterback Kalieb Osborne connected with JD Willoughby for a 36-yard touchdown with 4:39 remaining in the first quarter. Maryland answered almost immediately, however, as Washington found Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding for a 60-yard touchdown that tied the game at 7. Abdul-Rahim Gladding finished with eight catches for a career-high 130 yards and a touchdown.

Maryland’s defense also provided an important first-quarter momentum swing. Freshman edge rusher Zion Elee recorded the first sack of his college career and forced a fumble, which DD Holmes recovered near midfield. The Terrapins did not immediately turn the takeaway into points, but the play was an early indication that Maryland’s defensive front would make life difficult for Osborne and the UConn offense.

The Terrapins took control during the second quarter. Harry Dalton III completed a nine-play, 92-yard scoring drive with a four-yard touchdown run, giving Maryland its first lead of the afternoon at 14-7. Maryland then put together another lengthy possession, marching 91 yards in 15 plays before Sean O’Haire kicked a short field goal just before halftime to give the Terrapins a 17-7 advantage.

Those two drives were particularly important because they allowed Maryland to dictate the tempo of the game. The Terrapins ran 78 offensive plays overall and held the football for more than 35 minutes. Maryland generated 27 first downs compared with UConn’s 12 and converted eight of its 15 third-down attempts. The Huskies, meanwhile, converted only three of 11 third downs.

Maryland quickly expanded its lead after halftime. Iverson Howard capped a 10-play, 71-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 24-7. Howard finished with 55 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries before leaving the game, while Dalton carried 17 times for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Maryland finished with 125 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns despite playing without leading running back DeJuan Williams.

UConn briefly responded when Osborne found Shamar Porter for a 39-yard touchdown, cutting Maryland’s lead to 24-14 with 5:38 remaining in the third quarter. The Terrapins answered once again rather than allowing the Huskies to build momentum. Dalton scored his second touchdown of the afternoon on a two-yard run, pushing Maryland’s advantage back to 31-14 before the end of the third quarter.

Washington put the game away during the fourth quarter when he connected with Chris Durr Jr. for a 13-yard touchdown. Durr finished with a career-high 10 receptions for 103 yards and the score, giving Maryland two 100-yard receivers in the same game for the first time since 2023. Washington distributed the ball to eight different receivers as Maryland consistently created favorable matchups in the passing game.

Maryland’s offensive balance was one of the biggest differences in the game. The Terrapins passed for 350 yards as a team and rushed for 125 more, averaging 6.1 yards per play. Maryland also did not turn the ball over, while the defense forced one UConn fumble.

The defense produced another strong performance after shutting out Hampton in Maryland’s season opener. UConn managed just 67 rushing yards on 31 attempts, an average of only 2.2 yards per carry. Osborne completed 10 of 21 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, but Maryland prevented the Huskies from sustaining drives for most of the afternoon.

Maryland’s defensive front also consistently pressured Osborne and recorded five sacks. UConn entered the game after producing a school-record 671 yards of offense in its season-opening victory over Lafayette, making Maryland’s defensive effort even more impressive. The Huskies finished Saturday with only 223 total yards and six punts.

Washington’s performance added several entries to the Maryland record book. His 82.9% completion percentage was the fourth-highest single-game mark in program history, while his 34 completions tied for eighth-most in a single Maryland game. Washington also moved into 15th place on Maryland’s career passing-yardage list with 3,496 yards and 12th in career completions with 326.

Maryland has now won 20 straight nonconference games, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Terrapins also improved to 4-1 all-time against UConn and have won three consecutive meetings between the programs. Maryland previously defeated the Huskies 50-7 in College Park during the 2024 season.

The victory continued an impressive start to the 2026 season for Mike Locksley’s team. Maryland opened the year with a 62-0 victory over Hampton before scoring another 38 points Saturday, giving the Terrapins 100 points through their first two games. More importantly, Maryland has shown that it can win in different ways, dominating Hampton from the opening kickoff before responding to some early adversity on the road against UConn.

Maryland returns to College Park next Saturday, Sept. 19, to host Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. The matchup will represent another step up in competition and an important opportunity for the Terrapins to continue building momentum before the heart of the Big Ten schedule begins.

MSB Take

Malik Washington looked like a quarterback capable of taking a major step forward this season. Completing 34 of 41 passes is impressive by itself, but the more encouraging part was how comfortable Washington became after Maryland’s slow start. Once he settled into a rhythm, UConn had very few answers for Maryland’s passing game.

The receiving corps also looks considerably deeper than it did a season ago. Abdul-Rahim Gladding and Durr both topping 100 yards in the same game gives Maryland two legitimate weapons capable of creating explosive plays, while Washington showed he is comfortable distributing the football throughout the offense. If that continues, defenses will have a difficult time focusing their coverage on one player.

Maryland’s defense deserves just as much credit. UConn entered Saturday after putting up 671 yards in its opener and was held to only 223 against the Terrapins. The Huskies hit two big touchdown passes, but outside of those plays Maryland controlled the line of scrimmage and made UConn work for nearly everything.

There are still things Maryland needs to clean up, especially on special teams, and Virginia Tech should provide a much tougher test. However, the Terrapins are 2-0, Washington is playing with confidence and the defense has allowed only 14 points through two games. Maryland could not have asked for a much better start to the 2026 season.