With just under two minutes remaining and USC set to kick a game-sealing field goal up six points, the unthinkable happened.
Maryland football linebacker Donnell Brown got his hands on the attempt, and the block was returned into USC territory by defensive back Glen Miller.
The Terps scored five plays, 47 yards and 48 seconds later to take an improbable lead with under a minute left. The advantage held for the remainder of the contest — despite Maryland’s various miscues, mistakes and gaffes, it eked out a season-saving 29-28 victory at SECU Stadium on Saturday night.
“Really proud of the guys, really proud of the coaching staff [that] did a great job preparing these guys,” head coach Michael Locksley said. “They kept dialing and figuring out how to answer the things that were taking place.”
The early action was not characterized by stellar offensive performances, as both secondaries stepped up early. The Terps contained USC (3-4) well on its first drive, but the Trojans equally stymied Maryland’s offense on its first two drives.
In his second game calling offensive plays, Locksley rejected the run, solely opting to pass the ball on the team’s first two drives. Only on the second play of the Terps’ third drive did they hand the ball off to Nolan Ray, for a 3-yard gain.
Instead, the Terps’ offense was strewn with quick bubble screens and short play-action throws. Those didn’t produce explosive results, as Maryland (4-3) scored just seven points in the opening half.
Meanwhile, USC settled in nicely after its second drive. It drove into Maryland territory before being forced into a 52-yard field goal that it missed. But an illegal Terps substitution gave the Trojans a more manageable fourth down, which it converted.
The ensuing sequence saw Moss find wide receiver Kyron Hudson for a 22-yard touchdown, the game’s first score.
Similar mistakes built up slowly over the course of the half — and the game — as the Terps accumulated seven infractions for 60 yards on the night.
After its first touchdown — a corner fade to Octavian Smith Jr. — Maryland had difficulty building on its momentum. A missed 52-yard field goal from Jack Howes and a fourth-and-2 stuff on running back Roman Hemby left points on the board.
The start to the second half nearly sealed the Terps’ demise, as they turned the ball over on downs after chewing over three minutes of clock. But Moss underthrew a pass to Zachariah Branch on the very next drive, resulting in a Lavain Scruggs interception and return that set Maryland up at the USC 18-yard line.
“We’ve created some depth where these young guys are forced in there, and I gotta live with some of the mistakes,” Locksley said. “But right now, they are doing everything we’ve asked of them.”
The very next play resulted in a Tai Felton receiving touchdown, bringing the Terps within a score.
“That’s the beauty of our system, is that we have answers,” Locksley said. “If [USC is] going to play man and we’ve got a group — Octavian Smith and Tai Felton and these tight ends have to make these plays … they did today when we needed them to.”
Yet, Maryland failed to take the lead until until very late. USC was forced to punt on the next drive, and the Terps had no trouble driving the length of the field. But red zone problems got the best of Maryland once again, as Edwards threw an interception in the end zone on fourth down.
The Terps clawed their way back nonetheless, forcing USC into a punt with 6:37 left to give itself another chance. After another botched fourth down play on the ensuing drive, things looked hopeless for Maryland.
“It’s like a little slugfest, Coach Locks might say, [a] little slugfest where we’re just taking punches [and] we’re giving them out,” linebacker Donnell Brown said. “At the end of the day, we stood up and they stood down.”
But that’s when the magic occurred — and Maryland’s first Big Ten win resulted in an emphatic Saturday night storming of SECU Stadium.
Three things to know
1. Late chaos took place. After the Terps’ late score with just 53 seconds left, USC had a prime opportunity to drive down for a game-winning field goal attempt. It got all the way down to Maryland’s 40-yard line before a 4th-and-2 incomplete pass with 11 seconds left sealed the victory for the home team.
“I slammed my helmet on the field,” Brown said. “I was just so happy, because that was the breakthrough that we’ve been waiting for for a very long time.”
2. A highlight-reel grab. USC wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane had the best catch of the day, bar none, as his 15-yard one-handed reception for the team’s second score might be in contention for catch of the year. He wildly contorted his body around Maryland defensive back Perry Fisher before reeling it in.
3. Smith sees increased utilization. Aside from his first touchdown reception of the 2024 season, it was encouraging for Maryland fans to see the shifty junior produce well. He finished the day with career-highs in both catches (8) and yards (84).
“I think KP told me he had over 100 [yards], Tai had a bunch of touches,” Edwards said. “Octavian Smith had a hell of a catch there in the first touchdown in the first half. So just continue to feed them the ball.”
