Brown is stellar in starting debut, but Terps defense goes missing in 56-45 loss
Maryland discovered its offensive identity on Saturday. But the search continues for the Terrapins’ defense.
On a night when sophomore quarterback C.J. Brown played spectacularly in his starting debut, he was trumped by Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins and running back Andre Ellington. The pair of speedsters rallied No. 8 Clemson to a thrilling 56-45 victory before 47,961 at Byrd Stadium.
After Maryland (2-4, 1-2) took a 45-42 lead on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Brown to tight end Matt Furtsenburg with 7 minutes, 35 second left, Watkins returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to give Clemson the lead for good. With the romp, which took 11 seconds off the clock, Watkins scored his third touchdown of the half and established a new school record with 335 all-purpose yards.
“Matt scored that touchdown at the end, we were like ‘Defense up. Get ready. Sell out. This is it,’” said Maryland tackle Joe Vellano. “That was the one part of the game that kind of got out of our hands.”
Watkins (eight receptions, 105 yards), a true freshman, was out of hand all night. He made an immediate impact, carrying for 33 yards on an end-around to set up a field goal on Clemson’s first possession. He also returned a kickoff 70 yards to set up Clemson’s first touchdown.
Watkins wasn’t perfect. His fumbled a punt, recovered at the Clemson 9 by Maryland senior Austin Walker, gift-wrapping Maryland’s first touchdown. But he more than made up for his error.
“I told him he owed me one,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “To break C.J. Spiller’s all-purpose record in just seven games is incredible.”
Not to be outdone was junior Ellington, who carried 24 times for a career-high 212 yards. His 44-yard touchdown sprint with 3:55 left kept Clemson (7-0, 4-0) in command in the ACC Atlantic.
“The biggest thing we have to do is finish the game,” Maryland coach Randy Edsall said. “I thought we gave great effort. But effort doesn’t get you the wins. We didn’t tackle as well as we needed to.”
Clemson ran roughshod over a depleted Maryland defense, which started five freshmen, including three linebackers. The Tigers’ hurry-up, no-huddle produced 306 yards on the ground and 270 passing. After some off-target passes in the first half – one picked off by Maryland senior cornerback Cameron Chism and returned 46 yards for a touchdown — sophomore quarterback Tajh Boyd completed 26 of 38 passes, including four for touchdowns.
“I came out a little sluggish. I can’t really explain it at all,” Boyd said. “”You have to dig down internally and find out what you’re really made of. I’m glad the guys stuck beside me.”
Brown was the best quarterback on the field for most of the evening. Running out of the no-huddle spread, Brown carried 22 times for 162 yards, the most ever for a Maryland quarterback. The previous record-holder, Dennis O’Hara, rushed for 139 yards against Wake Forest in 1969.
“Being my first start, I was excited. I had the nerves. I had the energy. It felt good to go out there and show what I could do,” Brown said. “I knew the offense would take care of itself if I stayed inside the offense.”
Brown wasn’t as efficient in the passing game. He completed 17 of 35 for 177 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Furstenburg (5 receptions, 104 yards). Edsall refused to say if Brown would start next week at Florida State (4-3). But it’s unlikely he would be benched after such a performance.
“I’ve got to take a look at the film and look at everything,” Edsall said. “Looking at the numbers, C.J. did a lot of good things out there.”
When Brown threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Furstenburg early in the third period, it gave Maryland a 35-17 lead. The Terps defense forced a punt, but on the ensuing snap Brown hung a pass across the middle and it was picked off by freshman Bashaud Breeland, who ran 29 yards to set up a Boyd touchdown pass, igniting the comeback.
The rally was culminated when Watkins made his electric kickoff return, bursting free when he was still in his own territory.
When asked if he had ordered the ball to be kicked away from Watkins, Edsall gave a circuitous answer.
“We have to be more consistent in terms of the things that we do and just execute a little better,” he said.
Notes: Maryland’s 45 points matched its previous high in a loss. The Terps fell 47-45 to N.C. State in 1994. The combined output also tied the most in a Maryland game. In 1993 Maryland lost to North Carolina, 59-42 … Going forward, Maryland may be without its top receiver, Kevin Dorsey, who departed with an undisclosed injury after making one catch for nine yards … Freshman linebacker Lorne Goree (12 tackles) and Vellano (11 tackles) led the Maryland defense.
