Maryland football wilts late in 27-24 loss to Michigan State

COLLEGE PARK — Week 2 of the college football season wasn’t nearly as easy for Maryland. After enjoying a 43-point demolition of UConn a week ago, the Terps failed to protect a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter and watched helplessly as graduate student kicker Jonathan Kim’s 37-yard field goal with one second left cemented a 27-24 win for Michigan State on Saturday evening before an announced 34,819 at SECU Stadium. Maryland missed out on an opportunity to win its first two games for the ninth time in the past 10 years and its third consecutive Big Ten home opener.

The program lost for only the second time in 15 games in September in the past four seasons. After a slow start, redshirt junior quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. found his rhythm in the second half and finished 26-for-34 with 253 yards and two touchdowns.



He also rushed six times for 13 yards and one score. For the second consecutive game, Edwards’ favorite target was Tai Felton, who caught 11 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown. The senior wide receiver became the first Terps receiver to reach 100 yards in each of his first two games since Dontay Demus Jr.

in 2021 and the first player to compile 150 yards in each of his first two games since Jermaine Lewis in 1995. But that duo was outplayed by the Spartans’ pair of Aidan Chiles and Nick Marsh. Chiles, a sophomore transfer from Oregon State, connected on 24 of 39 throws for 363 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Marsh, a freshman, amassed 194 yards and one touchdown on eight receptions. Michigan State (2-0, 1-0 Big Ten) exposed a Maryland defense that returned seven starters and appeared to be the team’s strength after limiting the Huskies to 88 rushing yards and forcing either a punt or turnover on 11 of 15 offensive possessions. The Spartans rolled to 493 yards, including 363 through the air, averaged 7.

1 yards per play and converted 8 of 14 third-down chances. If there was a bright spot for the Terps, they came away with three interceptions, including two by redshirt senior safety Glendon Miller. With at least one interception in four straight games, Miller just needs an interception at Virginia on Saturday night to tie the school record of five straight games with an interception set by Lewis Sanders in 1999.

Trailing 17-14 at halftime, Maryland tied the score thanks to a 45-yard field goal by redshirt junior kicker Jack Howes midway through the third quarter. The Terps regained the lead on the first play of the fourth quarter when Edwards found sophomore tight end Dylan Wade along the left sideline for a 28-yard touchdown. But one play after Howes pushed a 41-yard field goal attempt wide right, Michigan State knotted the score at 24 when Chiles launched a deep pass to Marsh to complete a 77-yard touchdown with 4:11 remaining.

The Spartans defense forced the Terps to punt. Michigan State took advantage of a pass interference penalty on junior cornerback Jalen Huskey to extend its final series and end the game courtesy of Kim’s 37-yard field goal. The Terps opened the game as if they were still living off the high of .

They marched 75 yards in 14 plays, and although Edwards missed senior wide receivers Kaden Prather and Felton three times for potential touchdowns, the quarterback connected with Felton on a 15-yard corner route to the back left corner of the end zone for the early 7-0 lead nearly halfway through the first quarter. Michigan State replied on its first possession. Aided by an unnecessary roughness call by redshirt sophomore cornerback Perry Fisher and a 30-yard run by junior running back Nathan Carter, Chiles found senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr.

for a 9-yard score with less than six minutes remaining. Related Articles On the Spartans’ next offensive series, Chiles wildly overthrew Marsh, and the ball landed in Miller’s waiting arms. He returned the ball 28 yards to Michigan State’s 17-yard line, and two plays later, Edwards carried the ball seven yards off left tackle for a touchdown that gave Maryland a 14-7 lead with 47 seconds left in the frame.

Again, the Spartans had a response. They drove to the Terps’ 21 before junior right guard Gavin Broscious was flagged for an illegal blindside block. But on second down-and-23, junior wide receiver Jaron Glover faked outside and sprinted inside past Huskey to catch a 34-yard touchdown that tied the score at 14 with less than 11 minutes left in the second quarter.

Michigan State pounced on another Maryland error to end the first half. Kim’s 55-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left as time expired, but Huskey had jumped offsides. Kim made his second chance count with a 50-yarder on an untimed play to give the Spartans the 17-14 lead at intermission.

Saturday, 8 p.m. ACC Network 105.

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