Maryland sacks Purdue with Homecoming loss

Maryland sacks Purdue with Homecoming loss

Written By: P.E. Gable/Excel H Sports

One month ago, the Purdue football team looked poised to make a push up the Big Ten standings, looking like a team that could make some noise down the stretch after posting impressive back-to-back wins over Illinois and Minnesota.
Since then, second-year head coach Barry Odom has seen his team fall on hard times, including Saturday’s 34-29 homecoming loss to Maryland at Ross-Ade Stadium.

The Boilers fell to 3-6 overall, 2-4 in the Big Ten and have lost three straight games. Perhaps, most importantly, Purdue’s bowl chances took a huge hit and Purdue now must win out against ranked foes Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana to become bowl eligible in his second season.

Maryland, on the other hand, saw its bowl chances remain alive, as the Terrapins gave interim coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim his first win, his first time being carried off the field and the first win since Sept. 12. The win over Purdue was the first Big Ten win for the Terps since Sept. 20, 2025.

Purdue may have outgained the visitors, 425-390, but it was unable to crack the end zone in the first half, as kicker Jacobo Echeverria Lozano (Pittsburgh, Pa.) booted four first half field goals for the Boilermakers. The freshman set a record for most field goals in a season.
The first was a 47-yard field goal to give Purdue a 3-0 advantage, which would stretch to a 12-7 halftime advantage.
That would be as good as it got for Purdue, as the Terrapins exploded for 21 points in the third quarter and the visiting defensive intensity caused the home team fits.
Old Dominion transfer Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding (Brooklyn, NY) gave Maryland its first lead with a 44-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Malik Washington (Glen Burnie, Maryland). Moments later, Lavian Scruggs (Baltimore, MD) recorded a strip sack against Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne (Clarkston, MI) that set up a touchdown run from Washington, pushing the lead to 21-12.

Purdue would not go away quietly, as senior Xavier Townsend (Tampa, Fla.) hit paydirt from 30 yards out, cutting the deficit to 21-19 with three minutes to play in the third quarter. It would be as close as Purdue would get, as running back DeJuan Williams (Baltimore, MD) broke loose for a 75 yard touchdown to push the Terrapins ahead 28-19.
Echeverria Lozano hit his fifth field goal of the game to open the fourth quarter, cutting the Maryland advantage to 28-22.
Washington would extend the lead for the visitors, hitting Chris Durr Jr. (Chicago, IL) for an 87-yard strike that the Wyoming transfer would take into the end zone, giving the Terps a 34-22 lead.

Still, Purdue would not go away quietly.
The Boilermakers managed to piece together a 13-play, 75-yard drive that saw Fame Ijeboi (Folcroft, PA) break into the end zone from two yards out, cutting the Maryland lead to 34-29.
Purdue’s defense would answer the bell, giving the offense the ball with one minute left in the game, trailing 34-29.
A huge fourth down conversion, combined with a personal foul call on Maryland pushed the Boilers to the Maryland 16-yard line with five seconds left.
That would be as close as the Boilers would get, as they would be whistled for an illegal substitution and Browne was sacked for the seventh time to end the game.
Browne finished the game 24-of-38 for 296 yards through the air.

Purdue will look to crack the win column on November 14 when it travels to Iowa.