It looked like coach Michael Locksley finally quelled his post-bye week woes during the first half against Washington on Saturday.

Then, Maryland football blew a 20-point lead and fell to the Huskies, 24-20, at SECU Stadium in front of its first sellout crowd since 2023 — moving Locksley to 0-10 in games following the bye week.

“What we learned today as a team is you got to learn how to put people away, especially good teams like Washington,” Locksley said. “Every thing that we’ve made corrections with, we’ve seen [the team] go execute. Today was the first day we didn’t do it.”

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. led three consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. Running back Jonah Coleman rushed for a one-yard score with just over three minutes left to give the Huskies their first lead — the first time the Terps trailed this season.

Maryland (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) advanced into Washington territory on its next drive, but receiver Jalil Farooq dropped a throw down the sideline that would have set the Terps up in the red zone. Locksley said they expected man coverage on the play and drew up a slot fade for Farooq, who he expects to make the catch.

Quarterback Malik Washington was pressured on the next snap and lofted an incomplete pass, sealing his first collegiate loss. The freshman finished with two touchdowns, an interception and 219 passing yards, with only 46 in the fourth quarter.

[Malik Washington’s past coaches break down his historic start for Maryland football]

“I left some stuff out there, some moments where I feel like I broke the pocket a little early instead of sitting there and waiting and delivering,” Washington said.

Maryland held the ball for only about four minutes in between each of the Huskies’ fourth-quarter scores, providing little rest to a defense hampered by the loss of Sidney Stewart.

The freshman, who entered with a team-leading four sacks, was ejected at the end of the first half for targeting. He is still eligible to play in the Terps’ next game against Nebraska.

The Huskies took advantage with 185 yards in the fourth quarter against a defense that entered top-10 nationally conceding only 10.75 points per game this year. Washington (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) only reached third down three times in the closing frame against a defense that appeared tired.

Maryland’s defense thrived in the first half, consistently pressuring Williams. Safety Jalen Huskey notched the second interception of his senior campaign on the Huskies’ opening drive to set up a field goal. It was the Terps’ Big Ten-leading ninth interception, matching their total from all of last year.

[Maryland football mailbag: Terps aim to return to national relevancy after strong start]

Maryland’s ground game hasn’t similarly improved.

The Terps, who entered last in the Big Ten in rushing yards, finished with only 55 on 2.8 yards per carry. Redshirt freshman DeJuan Williams took the majority of carries, with no running back recording a run of over 10 yards, leaving the pressure on Washington.

Receiver Octavian Smith Jr. matched a team-high with 57 receiving yards. The senior broke 1,000 yards for his Terps career and boasts two 100-yard performances this season.

“I think the big thing for me [after the game] was talking about how disappointed I was for [the team], because they created this environment with how they played the first four games,” Locksley said.

Ahead of the game, defensive lineman Dillan Fontus said there was a “different mental aspect” added to bye week preparation this year. He admitted it was tough to see Locksley’s post-bye week record.

That feeling won’t be much better after Saturday’s collapse.