If last week’s season-opening win showed Maryland football’s new capabilities, Friday was a reminder of how far it still has to go. 

Quarterback Malik Washington — who won Big Ten Freshman of the Week for his debut performance last week — looked flustered often on Friday. While he avoided taking a first-career sack, he was frequently forced outside the pocket and struggled to connect down the field — suffering his first career turnover late in the third quarter.

Despite Washington’s woes throughout most of the game, Maryland defeated Northern Illinois, 20-9, at SECU Stadium to avoid its first non-conference loss since 2019. The Terps’ defense stifled the Huskies with four sacks and nine tackles for loss — keeping them ahead while the offense floundered.

“These tough games, these gritty games, you just got to stay with it,” Washington said. “I think this week, we just learned that we’re a four-quarter team — we’re gonna play hard all four quarters, no matter what the score is.”

Following his debut, Washington said there were no plays he wished he could have taken back.

But the freshman’s performance against NIU was a different story, with missed opportunities littering his start. Still, he ended with 254 passing yards on a 54% completion percentage. 

The four-star recruit’s first miscue came in the first quarter, when he overthrew wide receiver Shaleak Knotts, who was streaking open in the end zone. He also fumbled in the red zone late in the third after stumbling despite being untouched. 

Washington’s first touchdown was to tight end Dorian Fleming, who has emerged as his favorite target early in the season. The transfer recorded 70 yards and a score — coming open for the first half’s only touchdown just after Washington nearly tripped while rolling out.

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Washington finally broke through again on fourth-and-five in the fourth quarter, when he threw a dart to an open Knotts for a 42-yard touchdown.

“I trust everybody in the offense,” Washington said. “Those are two older guys who’ve been here for a while.”

Maryland’s defense, which dominated most of the contest, consolidated the lead.

Coach Michael Locksley said adding pass rushers and playmakers to the defense was a priority this past offseason — following a 2024 where the Terps allowed over 30 points per game.

After conceding only seven points in a season-opening win, Maryland held the Huskies to below 300 yards. Freshman defensive lineman Zahir Mathis recorded his first individual sack and added one-and-a-half tackles for loss.

Daniel Wingate is an exception on the Terps’ primarily new defense. The junior played sparingly as a freshman before ending third on the team in tackles last year. Locksley referred to him as one of the team’s leaders this season, adding that he’s “older than his years.”

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Through Maryland’s first two games of 2025, he’s taken another step.

The linebacker collected his first career takeaway via a pick six in the season-opener, and recorded a career-high 14 tackles against the NIU, who rushed for below four yards per carry. Telly Johnson Jr. notched the Huskies’ only run of over 15 yards when he dashed 74 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter.

NIU quarterback Josh Holst threw for only 91 yards, with a revamped Terps’ secondary putting together a second-consecutive dominant performance. Transfer outside cornerbacks Dontay Joyner and Jamare Glasker have solidified a secondary that endured numerous big plays last season.

“I’ve been really pleased with the way we’ve contested the ball in the passing game, which a year ago was an Achilles heel for us,” Locksley said.

Even amid all the struggles, Washington’s final scoring drive ensured that the Terps played comfortably for the final ten minutes. The freshman and a young Maryland defense will both need to click to continue their early-season success with Big Ten play starting in two weeks.

“I thought we needed a game like this, where we were tested for four quarters,” Locksley said. “I never felt at any point that our team panicked.”