Maryland football drops season finale to Michigan State, 38-28

Down by three points with two minutes left, Maryland football just needed a stop to give its potent offense a chance to tie the game or take the lead. Michigan State was staring down the barrel of a fourth-and-7 from Maryland’s 10-yard line.

The Terps were 0-of-2 on fourth down Saturday night in Detroit. But Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic had other plans for his squad. He rocketed a pass into the arms of Omari Kelly, who found a soft spot in the end zone amongst Maryland defenders.

The gutsy call from Spartans’ head coach Jonathan Smith paid off and effectively iced the contest — Malik Washington tossed a pick on the subsequent drive.

In a season that has been fraught with negatives, it was no surprise that Saturday’s match ended in the same fashion. The Terps fell to the Spartans, 38-28, cementing an eight-game losing streak — their first eight-game skid since 2015 and tied for the program’s longest since 1967.

“Obviously there is no progress in terms of wins and losses, but if you peel back the layers of the program, we played a lot cleaner,” head coach Michael Locklsey said.

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles was ruled out prior to the start of the game — the field general tossed for a career-high 363 yards in a win over the Terps last season. But his replacement, Milivojevic, actually offered the Spartans’ offense more from a pure passing perspective.

That was evident on Michigan State’s first drive.

Milivojevic went 3-of-4 for 36 yards through the air as he charged down the field. His favorite target was none other than receiver Nick Marsh, who torched Maryland’s defense for 194 yards and a touchdown last season. Marsh beat La’khi Roland on a critical third-down conversion before drawing a defensive pass interference shortly after.

Michigan State capped off the opening drive with a nifty play-action touchdown to Kai Rios, the tight end’s first catch of the season.

Washington’s inaccuracies on deep passes marred Maryland’s first drive — he couldn’t hit the streaking Kaleb Webb and Knotts on relatively open shots. The Terps’ second drive was cut short due to multiple untimely penalties — a holding and false start. A second false start on the subsequent punt further illustrated Maryland’s sloppiness.

The Terps’ defense only continued to get carved apart just days after Thanksgiving. Poor coverage, pursuit angle and tackling on a play-action crosser led to an Omari Kelly 46-yard catch and run. A facemask penalty only added a negative to an already demoralizing play. After a field goal and Marsh touchdown on the following drive, Maryland trailed 17-0 just midway through the second quarter.

Washington responded with his best drive to that point. He showcased his seam passing, ability to work through reads and hit checkdowns, and took off running effectively. He ultimately found Jalil Farooq wide open in the end zone to cap off the eight play, 75-yard drive, and cut the Spartans’ lead down to 10.

But Milivojevic was just as willing to put on a show. He turned Maryland’s failed fourth-and-2 conversion into a 75-yard touchdown drive right before the half. The massive swing gave the Spartans a 24-7 halftime lead, and the redshirt freshman a career-high three touchdown passes.

Washington orchestrated a nearly-perfect hurry-up drive out of the half. He was decisive and accurate with his throws, finding four different receivers on the touchdown drive. He then repeated that same success on the very next drive, delivering a beautiful ball to the outside shoulder of Knotts in the end zone. That also brought Washington over 300 yards passing for the first time this season — just halfway through the third frame.

Even a Spartans kick return touchdown didn’t faze the suddenly surging Terps’ offense. They scored 21 points in the third frame; more than they’ve scored in an entire game since Oct. 11.

Maryland had a chance to tie the game early in the fourth quarter after another lengthy drive that put Washington over 400 yards passing. But Sean O’Haire, the Terps’ typically reliable kicker, shanked a field goal from 27 yards to keep the Terps behind.

Jamare Glasker tried to give Maryland a chance to redeem itself after picking off Milivojevic. But the Terps failed on yet another fourth down opportunity. Just minutes later, their demise was sealed.

“We did not meet expectation,” Locksley said. “We did not coach very well. We did not play very well, but one thing we did was stay together, and I think you’ll be able to build on that part of it.”

Three things to know

1. Washington was electric. Maryland’s running backs ran for just 75 yards combined Saturday, but they didn’t need to do much more. Washington carried the offense all night, going 38-of-61 for a ridiculous 459 yards and three touchdowns. The performance should cement Maryland fans’ confidence in the young signal caller going forward.

2. Flags told the story. There were a combined 15 penalties for 125 yards between the two teams Saturday, including some egregious personal foul infractions on Maryland. On multiple occasions, these flags pushed the Terps out of scoring range, or shortened drives. An unsportsmanlike conduct on Trey Reddick — for ripping the helmet off an opponent well after the play — deep in the fourth quarter pushed Michigan State closer to its final touchdown.

3. End of the road. With the loss, Maryland finishes the season 4-8 for a second straight year. With Locksley coming back next season, it will be interesting to see how the program attacks the transfer portal in the upcoming offseason — as well as who may leave the team in the portal.

“This has been a tough two year stretch, and as I told those guys in the locker room, the seniors, this one never felt like last year,” Locksley said. “Our ‘26 season starts today…we’ve got to retain this roster, which I expect us to be able to do.”