The Terps finish their 2024 season with a 4-8 record.
Maryland football was trounced, 44-7, by No. 4 Penn State Saturday in Happy Valley.
The Terps struck first before allowing 44 unanswered points. With the win, the Nittany Lions will play No. 1 Oregon in the Big Ten Championship.
Here are the final position group grades of the season.
Quarterback
Billy Edwards Jr. did not take the field Saturday, as he nursed an injury that initially had him listed as questionable. In his place, redshirt sophomore MJ Morris earned the start, but he was less than impressive.
Other than his first throw of the game — a 25-yard dime to the corner of the end zone for Kaden Prather — Morris was subpar in terms of accuracy. While his offensive line did not do him any favors, Morris threw three interceptions, two of which came on crucial drives when the Terps were searching for points.
For a drive in the third quarter when Maryland was down big, head coach Michael Locksley elected to plug in redshirt freshman Champ Long. Long’s drive went nowhere, though, highlighting the lack of success the field generals had all game.
Morris finished 14-of-24 completion for 112 yards and a touchdown to go with his three interceptions, while Long was just 1-of-2 for 10 yards.
Grade: D
Running back
In what was possibly his final game as a Terp, Roman Hemby had a solid showing, but there was not much to show for it. He carried the ball 13 times for 64 yards with a long of 19, bursting through holes that he had to mostly create for himself. But Hemby was also stuffed on two fourth-down shotgun rush attempts, highlighting his struggle against the Penn State front seven.
Nolan Ray also saw a significant amount of game action, and displayed noticeable burst on some chunk runs as well. He finished with nine carries for 51 yards and, with Hemby possibly out the door, could assume the top running back role in 2025.
Grade: C+
Wide receiver
The passing attack was the worst it has been all season, and while there are a myriad of reasons for that, wide receiver play was certainly a contributing factor.
Prather’s touchdown was a beautiful route, beating two defenders to the end zone before snagging the over-the-shoulder grab. But that’s where the good things ended. Prather failed to record a reception for the remainder of the contest.
As for Tai Felton, who was hunting Maryland’s all-time single season yards record, he fell well short. The ball was only thrown to him on short passing situations and screens, and as a result, he finished with four catches for 27 yards.
The only other wide receiver to record a catch Saturday was Braeden Wisloski, who had one reception for nine yards.
Grade: C
Tight end
Preston Howard and Dylan Wade have largely underperformed this season, failing to consistently provide a safety blanket for the Maryland quarterback to throw to. This continued Saturday, as the pair combined for just four receptions for 29 yards.
It’s worth wondering whether or not Locksley and his staff make a conscious effort to manufacture touches for either of them, as they’ve been utilized few and far between. Howard, who is the primary blocking tight end, also factored into the various pass protection issues that transpired Saturday.
Leon Haughton, the third-string tight end, had one catch for two yards.
Grade: C-
Offensive line
This position group has been dismal all season long, and Saturday’s game served as a microcosm of its woes. It may have been the unit’s worst display all season.
The Terps gave up six total sacks, including two from standout defensive end Abdul Carter, who struck the Heisman pose after his second takedown in the backfield.
While Maryland had just one false start on the day, blocking and communication were undoubtedly the premier issues. There were numerous occasions where Nittany Lion rushers were simply allowed a free rush at the quarterback. On the afternoon, the line allowed four quarterback hurries.
Grade: F
Defensive line
Maryland’s defensive line may be the most disappointing aspect of the team relative to its expectations heading into the season.
The experienced line generated no quarterback hurries and no sacks Saturday, as quarterback Drew Allar was left with a relatively clean pocket.
Penn State’s rushing attack also had plenty of holes to run through, illustrated by its eight plays of 10-or-more rushing yards, including big runs from tight end Tyler Warren and backup quarterback Beau Pribula.
The lone bright spot on the defensive line was Tommy Akingbesote’s forced fumble on the very first play of the game, ripping the ball out of running back Nick Singleton’s hands.
Grade: D+
Linebacker
There continue to be some bright spots at the linebacker position for Maryland despite the defense’s overall struggles.
Sophomore Daniel Wingate was impressive Saturday, recording a team-high 13 tackles to go along with 2.5 tackles for loss. In what was likely his last game as a Terp, Ruben Hyppolite II followed Wingate up with 11 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
Trey Reddick and Kellan Wyatt also contributed with a tackle for loss and 0.5 tackles for loss, respectively.
Grade: B
Secondary
Considering the circumstances, Maryland’s secondary played relatively well. In the beginning of the contest, the Terps shadowed Penn State’s receivers tightly, forcing Allar into some errant throws and a few three-and-outs. Glen Miller was particularly impressive, showcasing his ability to make up ground.
When the floodgates opened, though, there was no looking back. Warren erupted, and Allar began dishing out balls left and right. Still, the Penn State field general had only 171 yards passing and a touchdown.
Perhaps the secondary’s worst moment of the day came when Allar chucked a lollipop over the middle of the field that was in the midst of two Terp defenders, but both failed to turn around and locate the ball. Instead, it was the lone Penn State receiver in the area, Omari Evans, that came down with the crazy completion.
Grade: B
Special teams
It was a punt show for Bryce McFerson Saturday. The Notre Dame transfer recorded seven boots on the afternoon, with a long of 53 and two pinned inside the 20. He totaled 294 yards on punts.
Josiah McLaurin assumed kick return duties for the Terps, and his production was relatively standard, taking the ball back for an average of 14 yards with a long of 20.
There were no field goals attempted by Maryland Saturday.
Overall, the special teams unit was competent for what it was asked to do.
Grade: B-
Coaching
Maryland was outmatched this game in terms of talent, but the play calling wasn’t exactly revolutionary on both sides of the ball.
On offense, there was a lack of creative plays to scheme players — namely Felton — open consistently. Some plays took too long to develop, which resulted in Morris typically being sacked or rushed significantly.
On defense, the Terps failed to do the one thing it needed to: stop Warren. He was consistently open and faced little resistance on his routes and touches. He finished with six receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Grade: D