Maryland's defense has been its strength all season -- especially with back-to-back-to-back season-ending injuries to starting quarterbacks.
In Saturday's 20-17 loss to Boston College, the Terps couldn't make the stops when it mattered most, as Chase Rettig completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Johnathan Coleman with 52 seconds left to give Boston College its first FBS and ACC win of the season. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Eagles and helped them avoid their worst start since 1989.
It was a valiant effort, though, by Maryland true freshman quarterback Caleb Rowe, whose rapid ascension up the depth chart came at the expense of injured teammates C.J. Brown, Perry Hills and Devin Burns. Rowe, once a fourth-string QB who planned to redshirt, completed a 66-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs midway through the fourth quarter to give Maryland a 17-13 lead. The Terps couldn't hang onto it, though.
Rowe completed 23 of 42 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns, but also had three interceptions.
It was a much-needed win for Boston College, whose only win until today was against Maine. If BC wins out, it could still get to a bowl game. Considering No. 5-ranked Notre Dame is still on the schedule -- not to mention road trips to Wake Forest and NC State, plus a home game against Virginia Tech, it seems unlikely. The same can be said for Maryland.
The Terps are in a much better position than BC at 4-4, but two more wins will be hard to come by with Atlantic Division leaders FSU and Clemson still on the schedule. The Terps really needed that win to boost their hopes of reaching bowl eligibility after a 2-10 season. The Eagles, on the other hand, just needed a win.
