COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Brandon Ross and C.J. Brown each rushed for more than 100 yards, but the University of Maryland football team suffered a 41-38 loss to Rutgers at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium Saturday afternoon in the regular-seaosn finale for both teams.
The Terrapins (7-5, 4-4 Big Ten) opened up a 7-3 lead in the first quarter behind a 1-yard TD run from Brown.
The lead grew to 14-3 on the first play of the second quarter when Brown found Amba Etta-Tawo on a 71-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown.
After the Scarlet Knights (7-5, 3-5 Big Ten) scored their first touchdown of the game, Maryland answered back with two touchdown runs from Ross and a 9-yard scoring reception by Deon Long to open up a 35-10 lead.
The Terrapins had a 25-point lead and momentum on their side when the defense forced Rutgers to punt late in the second quarter, but a roughing the punter penalty on a fourth-and-18 gave the Scarlet Knights a sexcond chance.
Rutgers took the ball down to the one-yard line and on second-and-goal from the one William Likely stepped in front of a pass from Scarlet Knights' quarterback Gary Nova for what looked to be his seventh interception of the season, but an offside penalty on the Terps negated the interception and Rutgers scored on a one-yard TD reception by Andre Patton to cut the Maryland lead to 35-17 going into halftime.
A 71-yard kickoff return by Janarion Grant set up the Scarlet Knights with a short field and Robert Martin finished off a three-play, 25-yard scoring drive with a one-yard TD run to make it a 35-24 game just 1:13 into the third quarter.
Rutgers forced a Maryland punt and then scored on an 8-yard TD pass to Leonte Carroo to cut the Terrapin lead to just four.
A 44-yard run by Ross set up Brad Craddock for a 50-yard field goal and the Lou Groza Award finalist tied the Big Ten record with his 24th consecutive field goal to put the Terps up by seven, 38-31, at the 3:38 mark of the third.
A 10-yard scoring pass to Patton started the fourth quarter for the Scarlet Knights, tying the score at 38-38.
Rutgers took its first lead of the game with what proved to be the game-winning field goal with 6:14 remaining in the fourth quarter when Kyle Federico connected on a 25-yard field goal.
Maryland had a chance to tie the game with 3:45 left in the fourth, but Craddock missed wide left on a 54-yard attempt.
The Terrapins were provided with one final opportunity when Cole Farrand forced a Martin fumble on his own 45-yard line and Keith Bowers came up with the loose ball for Maryland.
Maryland got the ball down to the 36-yard line, but Ross was stopped on a fourth-and-1, sealing the victory for the Scarlet Knights.
Brown finished with 302 total yards on 195 yards passing and 107 rushing, while Ross ended up with 108 yards rushing on just 10 carries.
Nova threw for 347 yards and four touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights.
Likely led Maryland's defensive effort with 12 total tackles, including seven solos. Farrand finished with 10 total tackles.
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