COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The Michigan Wolverines demolished the Maryland Terrapins 38-7 in a Big Ten Conference battle that featured a pair of 97-yard kickoff returns Saturday afternoon at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium.
The Wolverines entered the contest 6-2 and rated 14th in the nation while the Terps came in sporting a 3-5 record. Michigan was an 18 1/2-point favorite.
The Wolverines immediately jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the opening kickoff when Giles Jackson galloped 97 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. That was quickly followed by Zach Charbonnet’s 2-yard scoring run for a 14-0 bulge at the 8:42 juncture of the opener, a margin that stood through the initial break.
Michigan went up 21-0 on Charbonnet’s second TD — an 8-yard jaunt with just 1:28 to go until intermission and which remained in effect at halftime.
Maryland’s first-half efforts were plagued by long drives that ended with an interception and a missed field goal deep in Wolverine territory.
The second half was more of the same, as the two swapped possessions until Michigan went ahead 28-0 on a 5-yard pass from quarterback Shea Patterson to Nick Eubanks with 5:10 left in the third. Soon thereafter the Wolverines took control 35-0 on a 15-yard scoring run by Hassan Haskins with 1:33 remaining in the quarter.
The Terps got on the board on the very next play when Javon Leake ran back the kickoff 97 yards up the middle to slice the gap to 35-7.
The finale saw Rockford’s Quinn Nordin boot a 38-yard field goal for a 38-7 advantage at the 9:04 mark — a count that remained until the final gun.
Next up, the Wolverines will enjoy a bye next weekend before returning home for their annual intrastate rivalry with Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Michigan Stadium. The game time has not yet been finalized.
Meanwhile, the Terrapins will hit the road for Columbus, Ohio, and a date with No. 3-ranked Ohio State next Saturday afternoon.
