College Park, Md. — Down 20–0 late in the third quarter and struggling to find any rhythm, Washington looked finished. The Huskies hadn’t scored a touchdown, their offense was sputtering, and Maryland seemed in full control at home.
Then everything changed.
Washington erupted for 24 unanswered points, dominating the fourth quarter to pull off a stunning 24–20 comeback win over Maryland on Saturday. It was the Huskies’ first Big Ten road victory since joining the conference last season — and it came without a single turnover forced on defense.
“Our guys just kept believing, kept competing,” said Washington coach Jedd Fisch. “We just played sound football — covered well, rushed well, and tackled when it mattered. They didn’t get any free yards.”
From the moment Washington finally got on the board with a field goal late in the third quarter, the momentum shifted. Over their final five drives, the Huskies ran 45 plays for 298 yards and 24 points — a stretch of near perfection. Meanwhile, Maryland’s offense stalled completely, managing just 52 yards on its final four possessions.
“You have to learn to put people away,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said. “Especially a good team like Washington when you have them here at home.”
Running back Jonah Coleman punched in the go-ahead score on a 1-yard run with 3:21 left, completing Washington’s rally from a three-touchdown deficit. Coleman finished with 57 yards on 18 carries, but his short burst at the goal line sealed the game’s defining moment.
Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. led the comeback, throwing touchdown passes of 3 yards to Denzel Boston and 34 yards to Dezmen Roebuck to trim the deficit to 20–17 early in the fourth. The Huskies’ defense took over from there, forcing Maryland into consecutive three-and-outs and giving Williams another chance to orchestrate the winning drive.
The Terrapins (4–1, 1–1 Big Ten) had one last opportunity, but a key drop by Jalil Farooq near the Washington 15-yard line derailed their hopes. On fourth down, Maryland’s pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs and sealing the Huskies’ comeback.
It was a collapse few saw coming. Maryland had never trailed all season, and after freshman quarterback Malik Washington tossed a 2-yard touchdown to AJ Szymanski early in the second half, the Terps seemed on their way to another comfortable win. But their offense grew conservative, abandoning the run and leaving their defense exhausted as Washington seized control.
“We had our backs against the wall,” said Williams. “We knew if we didn’t respond, the game was over. So we just stayed calm — one play at a time — and the game came to us.”
Maryland entered the game off a statement win at Wisconsin, but this one marked a missed opportunity. The Terrapins still haven’t won a regular-season game following a bye week since 2016.
Washington improved to 4–1 overall and 1–1 in the Big Ten, a much-needed bounce-back after early struggles on the road. The Huskies will look to carry that momentum into their Friday night matchup at home against Rutgers.
Maryland, now 4–1 and 1–1 in league play, will try to regroup when it hosts Nebraska next Saturday.
