Maryland freshman QB Malik Washington throws for 258 yards and three touchdowns in debut win

COLLEGE PARK — The Malik Washington era at Maryland initially started slow but developed with a flourish, as the true freshman quarterback threw three second-quarter touchdowns in his college debut and the Terrapins recorded six interceptions to rout Florida Atlantic 39-7 Saturday.

“Started off a little slow, but as I felt myself get into the game, got them first couple hits out, and after that I was rolling,” Washington said.

The first true freshman to start a season opener for the Terrapins since Perry Hills in 2012, Washington finished 27-of-43 with 258 yards passing and three touchdowns. His three touchdowns are the most by a power conference freshman in a season-opener since Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence did so in 2018.

“I think today was so much better than what I had envisioned,” Washington said. “Just that feeling, like the energy that you get from everybody around you is something you can’t kind of replicate. So just getting out here and feeling the energy from everybody was really good.”

Maryland coach Mike Locksley kept his starting QB decision hidden throughout camp, but there was little doubt he would pick Washington, the consensus four-star recruit from nearby Archbishop Spaulding in Severn, who many view as a generational talent for a program in need of one to be competitive in the Big Ten.

“It was a comfort level he had, the maturity level he showed … it’s a calmness about him,” Locksley said. “The demeanor that you see. He’s a little older than his years, the way he’s handled this thing. And the best part about it, he’s only going to get better.”

Washington started his Maryland career slowly, only completing four of his first 12 passes for 21 yards but with at least five drops by receivers among those incompletions, in a first quarter that was marred by Maryland mistakes.

“I didn’t like the way we started on offense,” Locksley said. “To go 1-of-8 is not just a byproduct of a quarterback, it’s the system. And we started a little slow.”

When the clock turned over to the second quarter, the vision many had of Washington in their mind’s eye before the season started to materialize.

In a 26-point frame, Washington painted the field with three touchdowns: 29-yarders each to receivers Shaleak Knotts and Tennessee transfer Kaleb Webb and a 9-yarder to tight end Dorian Fleming as Maryland led 33-7 at the break.

“We’ve been working hard together since January since we got here,” Washington said of his receivers, “doing our own sessions of route timing and things like that, building trust and understanding who likes the football placed where.”

Washington finished the first half 17-of-21 and 200 yards total and would exit late in the third quarter with the game in hand for Maryland.

“The fact that he was poised — at no point in time throughout the game you see him panic or nothing,” linebacker Daniel Wingate said of Washington. “He was able to hustle off the field after the first few drives and then come back and respond in a very great, positive way.”

The Terrapins young defense came energized and set the table with a pick-six on the first play of FAU’s third drive. Freshman Zahir Mathis got pressure on Owls QB Caden Veltkamp and disrupted his throw, which ended up in the hands of Wingate, who returned the interception 20 yards for the first score of the game.

“Daniel Wingate is a warrior. We’re very fortunate to have that guy around here,” Locksley said. “I hate comparisons, but I was around here for a guy that wore number 42 and played heavy handed and physical in E.J. Henderson, one of our most decorated players, and I would say he is in that category because his leadership, he plays tough, he plays hard, he plays smart.”

The Terrapins would pick off FAU quarterbacks six times on the afternoon, the most in a game since 1998 and more than half of last season’s total of nine.

“I want to give praise to [defensive coordinator Ted] Monachino. We didn’t even really open up the playbook today, but Monachino is a genius,” said freshman defensive lineman Sidney Stewart, who had a safety in the second quarter. “I really love coach … he puts us in position to make plays. New things to some people mean bad, but for us, we’re excited for all the newness in our defense.”

Maryland (1-0) was plagued by penalties that a young team like the Terrapins would typically make but also ones that Locksley has stressed over the years had been eliminated from his program.. In the first quarter alone, UMD committed eight, and by halftime, the total had grown to 11 — more than last year’s game-high of 10 against Indiana, including encroachment penalties on third downs that twice extended an FAU drive.

“I hate it. I mean, to have six penalties in the first drive on defense … it’s just a byproduct of a new team,” Locksley said “Sixty-five guys that hadn’t played here. Six new coaches that haven’t coached here. These are the things that, the kinks that will get worked out.”

The win is Maryland’s 16th straight non-conference victory and 13th straight in a non-conference season opener. The second of three non-conference games this year comes next Friday night at home against Northern Illinois.