WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Maryland quarterback Malik Washington limped through the second half Saturday, determined to finally earn a long-awaited victory celebration.
It was one heck of a party.
Players stormed the field and gave interim coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim a Gatorade bath before carrying him out on their shoulders after Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne was sacked on the game’s final play to close out a 34-29 win. It ended their six-game losing streak and a 13-game skid in Big Ten play.
“He’s been sticking his neck out for us,” receiver Chris Durr Jr. said after caching four passes for 127 yards and scoring on a nifty, tackle-breaking 87-yard play. “He could have said no to the job, but I’m glad he didn’t.”
So are the rest of the Terrapins (3-6, 1-5), and it showed.
Washington ran for two scores, threw for two more and was 13-for-18 for 253 yards with one interception. He rushed eight times for 32 yards despite wearing a protective brace on his left knee throughout the second half.
“That’s what we expect. He’s a leader, he’s a team captain for a reason,” Abdul-Rahim said. “He laid it on the line today. He sacrificed, and I’m so happy for him.”
Maryland’s last win came Sept. 12 against UConn. Its last Big Ten win came Sept. 20, 2025, against Wisconsin.
Purdue (3-6, 2-4) has lost three straight. Browne was 24-for-38 for 296 yards and lost a fumble. Fame Ijeboi and Xavier Townsend had TD runs, but the Boilermakers settled for field goals on four red-zone trips and couldn’t score on their last chance after reaching the Terrapins 11-yard line with 5 seconds left.
Washington wasted no time showing what would change in the second half.
He opened the third quarter by finding Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding, who turned the screen pass into a 44-yard score for a 14-12 lead. And, four plays after Browne fumbled at his own 2, Washington scored on 1 -yard plunge.
Purdue answered with Townsend’s 30-yard TD run as the teams were settling down from two shoving matches that resulted in offsetting personal foul calls.
But DeJuan Williams scooted 75 yards for a TD on the next offensive play to make it 28-19.
A bad snap on third-and-goal inside Maryland’s 1-yard line forced the Boilermakers to settle for another field goal. Then Durr somehow managed to break a tackle at the 11-yard line and run across the field and down the sideline to give Maryland a 34-22 cushion.
Purdue cut the deficit to 34-29 on Ijeboi’s TD run but couldn’t get closer.
“It’s devastating,” Purdue coach Barry Odom said. “We understand what we need to do and the urgency to get it done. We’re not near as consistent enough as we need to be to win.”
The takeaway
Maryland: A lethargic offense produced just five first downs and 108 total yards in the first half, but whatever Abdul-Rahim said at halftime worked. The Terps looked like a different team in the second half.
Purdue: The Boilermakers will regret this loss. A win would have put Purdue at .500 in league play — a solid step forward for second-year coach Barry Odom. Instead, they’ll be trying to snap another losing streak next weekend.
Early exit
Maryland defensive back Dontay Joyner took another twist Saturday when he was ejected for a flagrant personal foul just 96 seconds into the game. He got into it with a Purdue player on the game’s second play. Three downs later, he was called for a shoving a player at the end of a play.
Record breaker
Purdue kicker Jacobo-Echeverria Lozano shattered the school’s single-season record for a freshman with his first of five field goals Saturday. He made kicks from 47, 26, 24 and 36 yards to give the Boilermakers a 12-7 halftime lead. His 22-yard field goal in the second half gave him 21 this season — five more than the previous record.
Up next
Maryland: Hosts the Badgers next Saturday.
Purdue: Travels to No. 21 Iowa next Saturday.
This article has been updated.
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.