COLLEGE PARK — All week, Michael Locksley stressed that Maryland football would show exponential growth in its second game of the season. The biggest improvement comes between Week 1 and Week 2, the coach said.
That didn’t appear to be the case in the Terps’ 20-9 win over Northern Illinois on Friday night at SECU Stadium. After racking up more than 300 total yards in its first game, Maryland’s offense labored to move the ball against the Huskies.
The Terps are not in the position to care about style points, though. There were encouraging signs from the secondary, a new weapon in the passing game continued to emerge and freshman quarterback Malik Washington battled through some struggles.
“I thought we needed a game like this,” Locksley said. “We faced adversity for the first time as a team together. I liked the way we responded.”
Here are three takeaways from Friday’s victory:
Dorian Fleming is emerging as a top option
Maryland lost its two starting tight ends, Preston Howard and Dylan Wade, to the transfer portal in the offseason. Yet it appears that the portal also handed them a better player.
Sophomore tight end Dorian Fleming has emerged as the Terps’ top pass catcher to start the year. The Georgia State transfer caught four passes for 70 of Maryland’s 75 first-half passing yards.
Washington consistently targeted Fleming as a safety valve, finding him on drag routes and over the middle of the field. The sophomore’s versatility was on display Friday, as he lined up at H-back, an inline blocker and even as a slot receiver.
While his blocking needs to improve, Fleming’s play style is familiar to former Terps tight end Chig Okonkwo. Okonkwo was drafted in the 2022 fourth round by the Tennessee Titans and has played three seasons in the league.
“My [commitment] was mostly because of Coach Locks,” Fleming said. “He has a great tight tight end history, he’s known for featuring tight ends in his offense and that was a big part of me coming here.”
Through Maryland’s first two games, Fleming has recorded 10 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. Without a true No. 1 wideout on the roster, Fleming could be the Terps’ leading receiver this season.
It was an up-and-down showing from Malik Washington
Last week, Washington said he didn’t realize that he had thrown 40 passes until after the game. Locksley suggested his quarterback wouldn’t be asked to throw that many times again.
It’s clear Maryland will have to rely on its freshman quarterback more than it might want to. The Terps rushed for just 3.2 yards per carry, another poor showing on the ground. Washington attempted 35 passes Friday — albeit mostly within five yards of the line of scrimmage — and was who the offense turned to when the score tightened.
Make no mistake, though, Friday’s showing did not resemble Washington’s nearly flawless debut. He missed throws and turned the ball over in the red zone.
“He had a tough game today,” Locksley said.
Washington appeared confused by some of NIU’s defensive calls. The Huskies disguised several blitzes and batted a couple of balls down at the line. The freshman quarterback rarely moved off his first read, which led to several ugly incompletions.
He also fumbled inside the red zone with just a minute left in the third quarter. Washington brought the ball down to the ground trying to escape a tackle and simply dropped the ball.
Still, the 19-year-old signal-caller followed that drive with a 42-yard touchdown pass to Shaleak Knotts on fourth down to essentially end the game. He’s immensely talented and mature for a freshman.
It’s not realistic to expect stellar performances week-by-week, especially as the competition continues to improve. How Washington builds on his skill set will go a long way in determining the Terps’ season.
The secondary shines again
Aazaar Abdul-Rahim didn’t shy away from how disastrous Maryland’s secondary was last season. The Terps were among the worst in the Big Ten at defending the pass and surrendered four 300-plus passing yard games.
But in the offseason, Abdul-Rahim told The Baltimore Sun that he was high on a pair of transfer cornerbacks whom he believed could help the unit rebound.
The program added Jamare Glasker from Wake Forest and Dontay Joyner from Arkansas State to man the outside cornerback position. Their insertion allowed promising sophomore Kevyn Humes to shift inside as a nickel cornerback.
That trio has reshaped the passing defense through two games. NIU completed just 64% of its passes for 91 yards. While the Huskies have a run-first offense, it was another encouraging outing for the Terps’ secondary.
“It honestly helps if they can cover for more than two seconds, it allows for our pass rush … to get home,” linebacker Trey Reddick said.
Glasker limped off the field in the second half and did not return in the fourth quarter. Redshirt freshman Braydon Lee replaced him.
NFL scouts from the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings were at SECU Stadium on Friday. Glasker and Joyner are both draft-eligible and looked sticky in coverage again. While the Terps didn’t come away with six interceptions like last week, Northern Illinois’s wide receivers were completely negated.
A unit that was undoubtedly Maryland’s biggest weakness last season has transformed into a potential strength.
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