Maryland football’s hopes of earning its first conference win of the year against Northwestern were dashed early in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by seven, Billy Edwards Jr. fell. back into the pocket and looked to his right, turning his back on the incoming pass rush. Northwestern quickly got to the unwitting quarterback, who fumbled the blind pocket. Defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard scooped and scored the loose ball, doubling Northwestern’s lead.

Maryland failed to score the rest of the game, ultimately falling 37-10 to Northwestern on Friday night at SECU Stadium. The last time the Terps scored 10 points or fewer was the 30-0 loss to Penn State in 2022.

For the first time since 2015 and head coach Michael Locksley was hired, Maryland is 0-3 in Big Ten play.

“Really hard for me to digest,” Locksley said. “We are here to build this team to compete and win championships. No one ever said it would be linear. Today we took a step back and are going to find a way to turn this frustration into something positive and productive.”

While the bye week allowed Maryland (3-3) to get healthy and get some much-needed rest, it also left behind a significant amount of rust. The Terps started the game awkwardly and quickly fell behind 17-0.

“It starts with me and making sure I do the things that get us off to a flying start,” Locksley said.

Maryland’s first drive of the game ended in a three-and-out, capped by an 11-yard sack. But things got worse for the Terps.

On Northwestern’s (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) ensuing drive, quarterback Jack Lausch found a wide-open AJ Henning, who created more than five yards of separation from Kevis Thomas. Lausch then used his legs to cap off the drive for the Wildcats, scrambling out of the pocket for a 9-yard touchdown.

After another failed drive by the Terps, Lausch hit two deep passes to Bryce Kirtz for a combined 68 yards to set up a 3-yard touchdown run from Cam Porter.

However, Maryland’s offense didn’t get a chance to respond this time, as Ricardo Cooper Jr. fumbled the next kickoff. That led to a 43-yard field goal for the Wildcats.

Even Tai Felton – the Big Ten’s leading receiver – struggled in the first half, dropping his first pass of the season. He previously had the most goals without a drop in the country, finishing the game with nine catches for 77 yards.

Maryland found some rhythm on the first drive of the second quarter. After a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone, the Terps were awarded another set of downs at Northwestern’s 2-yard line.

It cost the Terps all four downs, but they finally did it on a quarterback sneak by Billy Edwards Jr. The score marked Edward’s 11th career rushing touchdown and eighth from the 1-yard line.

While the drive offered hope heading into the second half, the Terps quickly snuffed it out.

Kaden Prather dropped a crucial fourth-and-3 pass on the first drive of the half. The Terps drove to Northwestern’s 1-yard line, but three straight negative plays forced them into a field goal. The scoop-and-score, another fumble and an interception were all game-breakers.

In perhaps the most winnable conference game of the season, Maryland looked out of place with a 27-point loss.

“It’s difficult. It’s frustrating,” Edwards said. “But we’re halfway through the season and we really only have one choice: look inward, fix some things, come together as a team and keep moving forward.”

Three things to know

1. Northwestern killed Maryland with the deep ball. The Wildcats entered Friday’s game with one of the worst passing offenses in the Big Ten, ranking last in completion percentage (54.9%) and fourth in passing yards per game (175.4) and passing touchdowns (4). Against Maryland, Northwestern posted 203 passing yards and completed three passes for at least 40 yards, and another for 28 yards.

2. Maryland lost its revenue margin badly. Prior to Friday’s game, the Terps led all power conference teams with a turnover margin of +11. Against Northwestern, they lost the turnover battle 4-0. While Northwestern didn’t dominate Maryland with its offense — totaling 283 yards — it didn’t need to.

“Whether it’s in the fourth quarter or early in the game, you don’t win games if you lose the big play battle or the turnover battle,” Locksley said, “and we’ve lost both.”

3. Locksley took over playing duties. For the first time this season, Locksley took over play-calling duties, and the Terps put together one of their worst offensive performances in years. Along with the meager point total and turnover rate, Maryland rushed for just 59 yards on 1.8 yards per carry, while Edwards threw for 296 yards and no touchdowns.

“One of my strengths is that I can help the offense,” Locksley said. “I decided to take over the play-calling today. (Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis) helped me with my eyes up, and that’s the learning curve.