DETROIT, MI — There ended up being no progress.
This week, Maryland football coach Michael Locksley talked about his team’s season ending in a movie-style happy ending. Instead, Saturday felt like Bill Murray’s “Groundhog Day.” The same script played out once again.
The Terps lost to Michigan State, 38–28, on Saturday at Ford Field, closing 2025 with an eight-game losing streak.
This season began the same way so many Maryland seasons do — a 4–0 start featuring wins over weak nonconference opponents and a Wisconsin team that finished 4–8. The win in Madison left many people feeling optimistic.
Instead, despite Locksley’s insistence to the contrary, the mantra “Same Old Maryland” fits once again: a second straight 4–8 finish and another collapse after September.
“This year wasn’t good enough. We did not meet expectations that any of us set,” Locksley said. “I didn’t coach well enough, [we] didn’t play well enough and now it’s my job to figure it out.”
The season finale even followed a similar path. It was a close game entering the fourth quarter — with Maryland making it a three-point game in third after trailing 24-7 at halftime.
The Terps couldn’t make the winning plays again: Sean O’Haire missed a 27-yard field goal attempt to tie the game, Maryland turned it over on downs with three minutes remaining after intercepting the Spartans and linebacker Trey Reddick received an unnecessary roughness penalty after ripping off a Spartans’ helmet to send them into the red zone, ushering a 10-yard touchdown four plays later on fourth-and-seven to seal the game.
Freshman quarterback Malik Washington delivered his best performance of the year, a bright spot to close on. Washington tossed a season-high 459 passing yards with three touchdowns. He also threw a season-high 61 attempts.
[Maryland football’s rushing woes are both offensive and defensive]
“These guys continue to fight,” Locksley said. “To have that foundation gives me the hope that if we keep the right guys and bring the right guys in, and we do a better job of coaching, leading, giving them the ability to play to their abilities, we’ll see this program transform.”
By Locksley’s own standards, there wasn’t any progress for Maryland in 2025. He slightly admitted it postgame too — but did say the team played cleaner, despite eight penalties for 75 yards against the Spartans.
He introduced “progress” as the mantra before the Terps’ ninth game of the season against Rutgers on Nov. 4.
A win would’ve given Maryland its fifth victory and second Big Ten win — one more than last year. He even framed beating a 5–7 Rutgers team as progress.
That definition may haunt him now.
The win didn’t come against Rutgers, which beat Maryland 35-20. And it didn’t happen against Michigan State either — a team that entered Saturday winless in conference play before earning its first Big Ten victory of the year against the Terps in the finale.
“My job is to find a way to win games. My job isn’t to answer how the fans need to feel. I have to do a better job,” Locksley said. “I have to do a better job as a leader and I can’t worry and spend too much time worrying about my message to the fans.”
Maryland is now 36–44 under Locksley this tenure and 16-43 in Big Ten play. After Cal’s dismissal of Justin Wilcox, Locksley’s 0.450 winning percentage is the worst of any Power Four coach with a tenure as long as his. And he will return to College Park for another year.
Every Terps season under Locksley has ended with a losing conference record. The single conference win in 2025 ties his low set last season and during his first year in 2019.
Maryland started strong again, just like they do in many other seasons. A 21–5 August and September record supports the theory. But once the leaves change and the temperatures drop, Maryland falters. A 15–39 post-September record has followed Locksley throughout his tenure — and 2025’s 0–8 finish was no different.
“Well, it’s Groundhog Day… again,” Murray says in the 1993 movie.
[Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis formed bond through Muslim faith at Maryland football]
There are reasons for optimism heading into 2026. Washington had his struggles as a freshman starter, but finished the year with 2,963 passing yards and 21 total touchdowns. Alongside freshman edge rushers Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis, there are tangible building blocks for the future.
Locksley is supposedly set to receive more resources with his return next year, and five-star edge Zion Elee is on the way.
“Coach is under a lot of fire all the time,” Washington said. “He keeps his calm, keeps his exposure, and continues to message to us the right things. And if you look when we’re out there, we all want to play for coach.”
But there’s still plenty of holes to fill.
Who will be catching passes from Washington next year? Top receivers Shaleak Knotts, Octavian Smith Jr. and Jalil Farooq all graduate.
The Terps’ rushing attack left much to be desired, averaging the second fewest rushing yards in the Big Ten. Locksley and the players never gave a concrete reason as to why they could never support Washington and the passing attack.
And the defense, which did have success generating takeaways, struggled to compete late in games and regressed as the season went on — which Locksley attributed to depth issues.
“We have a plan in place to try to build our depth. It starts today,” Locksley said. “Most of it for building depth starts with retaining the current roster … we need to keep the right ones.”
2026 will be the most important year of Locksley’s tenure yet. The Terps must show substantial progress in Washington’s second year with the program. It will be the most pressure Locksley has faced yet.
No progress? Locksley could be gone. Or not — it’s unclear what new athletic director Jim Smith wants after announcing Locksley would be back during the losing skid.
Regardless, Maryland needs real progress. Or real changes.
