College Park, Md.— Freshman quarterback Malik Washington led Maryland to a convincing 44–17 victory over Towson on Saturday, as the Terrapins wrapped up nonconference play in dominant style. With the win, Maryland extends its streak of nonconference victories to 18 straight games, the longest active such run in FBS. The Big Ten season begins next week.
Washington threw for 261 yards and a touchdown, added 29 rushing yards, and completed 16-of-22 passes while tossing his first interception of the season. On defense, La’khi Roland made a splash with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown—a feat Maryland hadn’t achieved since 1962.
Early Dominance
Maryland grabbed momentum right away and never let up. DeJuan Williams powered in a 2-yard touchdown early, and Washington followed with a QB sneak to extend the lead. A 32-yard TD pass to Shaleak Knotts pushed the margin to 24–0 before the first quarter ended. By halftime, Maryland held a commanding 34–0 advantage.
Big Defensive Play
The turning point came just after halftime. With Towson driving, a pass attempt into the end zone was picked off by Roland, who then took it the distance for a 100-yard touchdown. It marked the first such return for Maryland in over six decades.
Towson Strikes Late:
Towson finally got on the board midway through the third quarter with a 19-yard touchdown pass. Nathan Kent later connected with Jaceon Doss on an 84-yard scoring play in the fourth—which was Towson’s biggest highlight.
Standout Performers & Notes:
Octavian Smith Jr. led Maryland’s receiving corps, hauling in 103 yards.
Washington has racked up 773 passing yards over three games, the most by a true freshman in a Power Conference since Alan Bowman in 2018.
Defensively, Maryland forced key turnovers, and held Towson to little success on third downs.
Looking Ahead:
With nonconference play in the rearview mirror, Maryland heads into Big Ten action with confidence. They’ll travel to Madison next week to face Wisconsin. Towson has a bye before returning at home to play Bryant on Sept. 27.
