MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Malik Washington threw two touchdown passes to Shaleak Knotts and also ran for a score in his Big Ten debut as Maryland remained unbeaten by trouncing Wisconsin 27-10 on Saturday.
Maryland (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) has outscored its first four opponents 130-36 and already has matched its win total from last season.
Washington a true freshman, connected with Knotts on a 9-yard score early in the second quarter and hit him again for a 62-yard strike that capped a 99-yard drive with 9:03 remaining. Washington went 18 of 34 for 265 yards.
Knotts had three catches for 80 yards. Octavian Smith Jr. added six receptions for 113 yards.
Maryland also recorded six sacks and blocked a field-goal attempt and a punt as Wisconsin (2-2, 0-1) dropped to 15-15 in Luke Fickell’s coaching tenure. The Badgers trailed 20-0 at halftime as the Camp Randall Stadium crowd chanted “Fire Fickell.”
This game was billed before the season as a chance for Wisconsin quarterback and Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. to face his former team, but it didn’t work out the way he had hoped.
Edwards, who hadn’t played since spraining his knee in the second quarter of the Badgers’ season opener, started the game. The Badgers then had Danny O’Neil start Wisconsin’s second series. Edwards came back in for one play but seemed to limp as he got away from pressure.
O’Neil went 14 of 22 for 120 yards with an interception while working behind an offensive line featuring three redshirt freshmen (center Ryan Cory, right guard Colin Cubberly and right tackle Emerson Mandell). Wisconsin also lost running back Dilin Jones to a lower-body injury late in the first half.
O’Neil ended Wisconsin’s second series by throwing a deep pass that Jalen Huskey intercepted at midfield and returned to the Badgers’ 4-yard line. Two plays later, Washington scored from a yard out.
More Wisconsin mistakes helped Maryland extend the lead.
After a high snap resulted in a 23-yard loss for Wisconsin, Maryland’s Messiah Delhomme blocked a punt to give the Terps the ball at Wisconsin’s 28. That drive ended with Washington’s 9-yard touchown to Knotts on third-and-4.
Even Wisconsin’s scoring opportunities backfired.
Wisconsin lost the ball on downs at Maryland’s 35 with 25 seconds left in the first half. Washington hit Smith for a 48-yard gain on the next play, setting up a Sean O’Haire 26-yard field goal to close the half.
The Badgers’ points came on Nathanial Vakos’ 33-yard field goal in the third quarter and Hunter Simmons’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Lance Mason with 28 seconds remaining. Vakos also had a 38-yard attempt blocked by Zahir Mathis on the game’s opening series and sent a 51-yarder wide right in the fourth period.
The takeaway
Maryland: The Terps host Washington and Nebraska and visit UCLA in its next three games, so it’s not out of the question that they could carry a 7-0 record into their Nov. 1 home game with No. 19 Indiana. Maryland’s Big Ten schedule doesn’t include No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Penn State or No. 6 Oregon.
Wisconsin: The road will only get tougher. The Badgers’ October schedule has them visiting No. 21 Michigan, hosting Iowa and No. 1 Ohio State and traveling to No. 6 Oregon.
Up next
Both teams are off next week. Maryland hosts Washington and Wisconsin visits Michigan on Oct. 4.
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Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
