For the first 29 minutes and 30 seconds on Saturday, the Maryland football team trailed. Indiana kept the Terps’ injury-ravaged defense off balance, combining a wildcat rushing attack and high-tempo throws.
But with half-a-minute left in the second quarter, D.J. Moore lifted the Terps out of their 16-14 hole with the touch of his toe inside the pylon.
The sophomore wide receiver reeled in a 23-yard heave from quarterback Perry Hills, securing the ball despite defensive contact midair, extending the tip of his left cleat inside the end zone, tumbling to the ground. Hills ran down the field with his arms up, signaling the Terps’ first lead of the game.
Moore’s acrobatics provided a spark for coach DJ Durkin’s squad entering the break, but the advantage didn’t last. The Hoosiers continued to gash the front seven and slash through the secondary, delivering the Terps a 42-36 loss in Bloomington.
The defeat denied Maryland (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) a chance to clinch a bowl berth before facing three top-10 teams in their next outings and continued a pattern of woes stopping the run.
In a loss to Penn State on Oct. 8, the Nittany Lions’ threats from quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Saquon Barkley exposed the Terps for their first loss of the season.
In a double-overtime victory against Central Florida during the team’s nonconference slate, Maryland also struggled to keep dual-threat quarterback McKenzie Milton in the pocket.
The Hoosiers exploited the gaps, too.
Throughout the game, coach Kevin Wilson’s squad used a wildcat offense. Running back Tyler Natee, a 6-foot, 270-pound freshman, took direct snaps and powered through the line. He finished with 18 carries for 111 yards, often times pulling defenders downfield as they tried to tackle his bruising frame.
Reserve quarterback Zander Diamont took some snaps, too, replacing quarterback Richard Lagow in stretches. Lagow, meanwhile, completed 16 of 25 passes for 207 yards as the Hoosier amassed 650 total yards on offense.
Diamont helped the Hoosiers open 13-0 lead, but running back Ty Johnson ensured the Terps kept up with Indiana’s frantic pace, scampering 66 yards down the sideline and into the end zone with about a minute left in the first quarter.
The sophomore has shown a penchant for explosive plays throughout the season — Saturday’s burst was his seventh of at least 40 yards — and he averaged 10.9 yards a carry in Memorial Stadium. Still, the Terps failed to generate consistent gains against the Hoosiers defense.
Hills overthrew wide receiver Teldrick Morgan twice on deep balls up the middle. Aside from the toe-taping stunt, Hills also underthrew Moore on a few deep routes.
Moore led receivers with five catches for 81 yards, while running back Lorenzo Harrison (14 carries, 73 yards) and Johnson (13 carries, 142 yards) shared snaps in the backfield.
They failed to ignite the Terps offense after the Hoosiers scored touchdowns on two of their first three possessions in the second half. The Terps settled for a field goal midway through the third quarter after taking a timeout when Hills’ shoe came off.
Then, the Terps appeared to have a chance to cut into their 29-24 deficit, but Hills dropped back to pass on 3rd-and-5 deep in Maryland’s territory and fumbled amid Indiana’s pressure. Two plays later, Natee barreled through the line for a touchdown.
Diamont, his wildcat counterpart, sealed the lead with 41 seconds left, bursting 52-yards upfield, matching the Terps’ emphatic end to the first half with an exclamation point of his own.
