Lincoln – Maryland kick a short field goal as time expired to give the Terrapins a 13-10 win over Nebraska at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams moved to 5-5 on the season and 3-4 in the Big Ten with the result.
Maryland place-kicker Jack Howes accounted for all of Maryland’s scoring in the second half, including his 24-yard walk-off field goal. He opened the fourth with a 35-yard field goal with 12:42 left, following a Nebraska fumble on the opening play of the period.
While Maryland won the fourth quarter, the Huskers dominated the third by turning a pair of Terrapin turnovers into 10 quick points to turn a 7-0 halftime deficit into a 10-7 Nebraska lead heading to the final quarter.
The Blackshirts held Maryland’s high-powered offense to 384 total yards, including 283 passing and 101 rushing, while also forcing three turnovers. But the toughness of the Blackshirts could not overcome five turnovers by the Husker offense.
Nebraska’s final turnover was the most costly, an interception by Chubba Purdy after he had guided the Husker offense on an 11-play, 90-yard march. Purdy’s pass into the end zone on 3rd and Goal eliminated a chance for Nebraska to potentially pull ahead on a short field with just over 3:30 left in the game.
On the drive, Nebraska’s third quarterback in the game rushed three times for 33 yards and completed a 24-yard pass to Billy Kemp to put the Huskers on the threshold of victory.
That Nebraska drive started after defensive tackle Ty Robinson recovered a fumble forced by Javin Wright inside the Husker 5. It was the third turnover forced by the Blackshirts in the half, following a fumble forced and recovered by Omar Brown. The play by Brown set up Janiran Bonner’s two-yard scoring run to tie the score 7-7 just 3:25 into the second half.
On Maryland’s next drive, Wright came up with a spectacular interception on the Nebraska sideline to set the Huskers up with another short field, ultimately resulting in Tristan Alvano’s 38-yard field goal to give the Big Red a 10-7 lead with 8:26 left in the third quarter.
Heinrich Haarberg opened the game at quarterback for the Huskers but went just 1-of-5 passing with an early interception. He gave way to Jeff Sims, who completed 8-of-13 passes for 62 yards but threw a pair of interceptions. He also rushed 10 times for 37 yards but lost a fumble early in the fourth quarter deep in Nebraska territory that led to the game-tying field goal for the Terps.
As a team, Nebraska managed just 269 total yards, including 183 yards rush and 86 passing. Emmett Johnson led the Big Red on the ground with 84 yards on 17 totes, while adding three receptions for nine yards.
Taulia Tagovailoa led the Terp offense by completing 27-of-40 passes for 283 yards, while adding five carries for 27 yards. Jeshaun Jones hauled in five receptions for 86 yards, while Tai Felton added five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. Roman Henby led the Maryland ground game with 74 yards on 16 carries.
Wright led the Nebraska defense with eight tackles, an interception and forced a fumble. Robinson added seven stops, including 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups. Isaac Gifford contributed seven stops of his own, while Omar Brown and Tommi Hill each contributed six tackles.
Nebraska returns to Big Ten road action next Saturday when the Huskers travel to Wisconsin. Kick-off with the Badgers in Madison is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) with live national television coverage by NBC.
