Maryland football destroyed by UCLA, 54-3, in 9th straight Big Ten loss

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Maryland was outclassed from the start.

In a game that was scoreless after one quarter but quickly devolved into another lopsided loss, nothing went the Terps' way. Maryland couldn't establish a running game despite a questionable insistence on doing so; quarterback Malik Washington never got going in the one-dimensional offense and threw four interceptions; and the Terps' defense struggled to stop anything.

All of that led to a 54-3 loss to UCLA and Bob Chesney, Michael Locksley's second straight defeat to a first-year coach after the Terps fell to James Franklin's Virginia Tech last week. Displeasure in the form of "fire Locksley" chants echoed throughout a barren SECU Stadium when the Bruins went up by three touchdowns in the second quarter in what became UCLA's largest conference road win since 1955 and one of the worst losses of Locksley's tenure.

After acknowledging that his team "wasn't good enough," the coach still voiced confidence in his spiraling program's direction.

"Still got a lot of belief in this team, the guys in the locker room," Locksley said. "I won't stop fighting or coaching for them."

Some attention shifted to athletic director Jim Smith after that loss to the Hokies, when Locksley's team wasted another opportunity to prove this season could be different in front of a sold-out crowd. But calls for Smith to make a move will intensify this week after another frustrating result, this time in front of a sparse home crowd during a nor'easter that reflected Terps fans' shrinking confidence in the program's direction.

Maryland is 2-2 after the loss with its next two games on the road at Nebraska and No. 7 Ohio State. The Terps return home in three weeks to take on Rutgers.

"Now isn't time for us to hang our heads," Locksley said. "We've got to do just like we do each week: get back in here tomorrow, figure out what we need to do to get us back on track."

Some things were out of Locksley's control Saturday. Maryland's two leading running backs — DeJuan Williams and Harry Dalton III — and six running backs overall were out with injuries. A player who originally transferred to Maryland to join the baseball team took backup running back snaps in pregame warmups. The backup quarterback took a handoff at one point. Maryland finished with 39 rushing yards on 30 attempts.

"He shouldn't have to feel he needs to carry the team," Locksley said of Washington.

That made Maryland's offensive game plan even more confusing. On 16 rushing attempts in the first half, eight of them from third-string back Iverson Howard, the Terps ran for minus-1 yard. In turn, UCLA easily shut down Washington through the air, as he finished 18 for 38 for 142 yards and four interceptions. The Terps' only first-half possession that didn't end in a punt was the sophomore quarterback's first interception of the season, a third-and-22 desperation heave into triple coverage.

"One loss doesn't define our team," Washington said. "Hasn't defined anybody ever. So, we have an opportunity to bounce back. I trust this team and how strong we are as a unit, how collected we are. We're going to stay together and find a way through."

Meanwhile, a Maryland defense that held the Bruins scoreless through the first quarter broke down in the second. UCLA scored touchdowns on three consecutive drives to take a lead its defense held. Each scoring play came on a direct snap to a running back.

Like other losses throughout Locksley's tenure, penalties were an issue. A face mask infraction negated a third-down stop, keeping UCLA's offense on the field on a scoring drive. The Terps were penalized six times for 60 yards.

Self-inflicted mistakes further sunk Maryland in the second half. Washington threw two third-quarter interceptions, both returned for Bruins touchdowns, with the final one putting UCLA up 31. Both teams emptied their benches, and UCLA kept piling on.

Locksley, for the second week in a row, said he was surprised by the result.

"If you come watch the work that they put in Monday through Friday, there's no one that would have expected it," the coach said.

The loss marks Maryland's ninth straight against Big Ten teams after ending last season on an eight-game losing streak. The Terps haven't won a home conference game since upsetting Southern California in 2024, a result that led to a field storming.

It's hard to imagine the fanbase feeling that elated again. Fans made their opinions known Saturday before dispersing at halftime.

With the program's future as murky as Saturday's weather, it's Smith's turn to respond.