Maryland Terrapins at Wisconsin Badgers

Malik Washington has successful Big Ten debut as Maryland throttles Wisconsin 27-10

Maryland (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) has outscored its first four opponents 130-43 and already has matched its win total from last season.

“We just came into this game super confident,” said Jalen Huskey, whose 46-yard interception return set up Maryland's first touchdown. “We wanted to show everyone this isn't the same old Maryland we've been.”

Washington a true freshman, connected with Knotts on a 9-yard score early in the second quarter and hit him again for a 62-yard strike that capped a 99-yard drive with 9:03 remaining. Washington went 18 of 34 for 265 yards.

Knotts had three catches for 80 yards. Octavian Smith Jr. added six receptions for 113 yards.

Maryland also recorded six sacks and blocked a field-goal attempt and a punt. The Terrapins' first two touchdowns followed Huskey's interception and the blocked punt.

“I really liked the physicality that we played with on defense,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said. “We made just enough plays on offense and took advantage of some of the things that they gave us.”

Wisconsin (2-2, 0-1) is 15-15 in Luke Fickell’s coaching tenure and has lost its last seven games against Power Four opponents. The Badgers trailed 20-0 at halftime as the Camp Randall Stadium crowd chanted “Fire Fickell.”

The student section was virtually empty midway through the fourth quarter.

“They have every right to be unhappy,” Wisconsin outside linebacker Aaron Witt said. “I grew up a fan. A lot of my family are fans. They're not happy about it either. The frustration is definitely warranted. But that frustration is also in the locker room. My message to the fans would be we're going to try and get this right. We're going to show up and work.”

This game was billed before the season as a chance for Wisconsin quarterback and Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. to face his former team, but it didn't work out the way he had hoped.

Edwards, who hadn’t played since spraining his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ season opener, started the game but played only one full series. He was in for one play on Wisconsin's second series but seemed to limp as he got away from pressure.

Danny O’Neil took over for Edwards and went 14 of 22 for 120 yards with an interception while working behind an offensive line featuring three redshirt freshmen. Wisconsin also lost running back Dilin Jones to a lower-body injury late in the first half.

Wisconsin's only points came on Nathanial Vakos' 33-yard field goal in the third quarter and Hunter Simmons' 13-yard touchdown pass to Lance Mason with 28 seconds remaining. Vakos also had a 38-yard attempt blocked and sent a 51-yarder wide right.

“We didn’t do a good enough job on any phase of the game,” Fickell said.

The takeaway Maryland: The Terps host Washington and Nebraska and visit UCLA in its next three games, so it’s not out of the question that they could carry a 7-0 record into their Nov. 1 home game with No. 19 Indiana. Maryland’s Big Ten schedule doesn’t include No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Penn State or No. 6 Oregon.

Wisconsin: The road will only get tougher. The Badgers’ October schedule has them visiting No. 21 Michigan, hosting Iowa and No. 1 Ohio State and traveling to No. 6 Oregon.

It's a first This marked Maryland's first win over Wisconsin. Although Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014, this was only the fifth time the Terps had faced Wisconsin.

Up next Both teams are off next week. Maryland hosts Washington and Wisconsin visits Michigan on Oct. 4.