The mass exodus began even before the first half’s final seconds ticked off. Maryland football’s student section started funneling out — some donning brown bucket hats given earlier in the day and others decked out in red.
By midway through the third quarter, the majority of the sellout red-out crowd remaining in the stands was Indiana’s crimson.
The student section at SECU Stadium chanted to fire coach Michael Locksley at the end of the first half — an indictment of the Terps’ 17-point deficit and eventual 55-10 loss to No. 2 Indiana on Saturday. It marked Maryland’s fourth consecutive loss.
“It just sucks to watch our team play,” junior computer science major Justin McKendry said. “We should be a better program than this.”
In many ways, Indiana was in a similar situation to Maryland before the hiring of coach Curt Cignetti. Despite a few bowl game appearances over the past decade, the school regularly finished near the bottom of the Big Ten. The Hoosiers, too, are historically considered a basketball school.
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Cignetti’s hire has Indiana now 20-2 across the past two seasons, including a College Football Playoff appearance last year — which is why some Terps fans believe the school could use a similar coaching replacement.
“We’re a basketball school. We need to be a football school, too,” junior Miles McDonald said. “If Indiana can do it, we can do it too.”
The 45-point margin was different from the past three losses, though, all of which were by one score. Maryland was outscored in the fourth quarter 44-7, blowing a lead in the period each game.
Locksley admitted he, and his staff, need to coach better going forward — noting the team shouldn’t play inexperienced since they’re eight games in. And again, he said the team isn’t the “same old Maryland” — despite moving to 1-4 in Big Ten play, and now 16-39 in his current tenure.
To prevent another late-season spiral, the coach pointed to his relationship with the players. He called it the difference between last year’s five-game losing streak to end the season and 2025.
“These players will play hard for me,” Locksley said. “I will coach them hard and I will hang in there with them.”
Maryland notched its Big Ten-leading 15th interception of the season on Indiana’s opening drive. But with the ball on the Hoosier’s 12-yard line, the Terps mustered just six yards and settled for a Sean O’Haire field goal.
It was reminiscent of an offense that scored just three points in the first 58 minutes against UCLA two weeks prior, including stalling in the red zone twice.
Maryland didn’t score again in the first half. Quarterback Malik Washington threw two interceptions before adding a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown in the second half.
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Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza led multiple 80-plus yard drives, including a 93-yard one for the Hoosier’s first touchdown. The redshirt junior tossed a 22-yard touchdown to Omar Cooper Jr. in between field goal attempts in the second quarter.
Washington threw a 55-yard touchdown of his own to redshirt freshman running back DeJuan Williams to open the second half. But Indiana’s top-ranked Big Ten offense responded with two touchdowns in the frame, along with the defense’s score.
“A lot of guys are upset, disappointed with how things are going,” defensive lineman Cam Rice said. “We all got to be better at what we do and just keep pushing.”
Larry Sefcik, who graduated from this university in 1981, said he doesn’t believe Locksley has proved himself as coach, now in his seventh year. Sefcik acknowledged Maryland is predominantly a basketball school, but called it disappointing to see fans leaving early — though he somewhat understood due to the halftime deficit.
“I’m not seeing a lot of hope right now,” Sefcik said.
Esa Ellahi, a freshman business and finance major, pointed to the team’s young talent but lack of results. McDonald suggested firing Locksley while keeping the core intact. Junior Justin McKendry said the Terps should be better with the Under Armour backing they receive.
With four games remaining, Maryland needs two wins for a bowl game berth. A similar unravel to 2024 could loom large over a promising young group.
“It’s a waste of talent right now,” Ellahi said. “We got a bunch of potential, but it just seems we can’t get it.”
