Aazaar Abdul-Rahim’s first game as interim head coach for Maryland ended with another loss. His postgame assessment focused on whether the Terps had begun building something they could carry forward.
Maryland fell 20–17 to Illinois on Saturday at SECU Stadium, with Ethan Moczulski’s 26-yard field goal as time expired deciding a game the Terps led into the fourth quarter. The loss dropped Maryland to 2–6 overall and 0–5 in the Big Ten.
Afterward, Abdul-Rahim thanked his players for their response to the uncertainty surrounding the program.
“This team could have went a lot of ways, you know, the last two weeks with all the craziness that they had to deal with and the uncertainty,” he said. “I wanted to let them know how appreciative I am to be their head coach.”
Named interim coach on Oct. 21 following Michael Locksley’s departure, Abdul-Rahim saw signs that his message was reaching the team. He praised Maryland’s mental toughness, technique and effort to finish plays. The Terps committed just one penalty for five yards.
Those details gave him reason to believe in the approach, even as the result remained disappointing.
“Unfortunately, it’s not the outcome that we wanted, but it has validated that the process that we have put into place is the right process,” Abdul-Rahim said.
Double Take Sports reporter Laila Rogers has more from College Park on Maryland’s 20–17 loss to Illinois.
Maryland had opportunities to turn that progress into a win.
Messiah Delhomme intercepted Illinois quarterback Katin Houser on the opening possession, giving the Terps the ball at the Illinois 12-yard line. But DeJuan Williams lost a fumble near the goal line, leaving Maryland without points from the takeaway. A later first-quarter drive also ended in Illinois territory when Malik Washington was intercepted.
Washington gave Maryland its first lead with an eight-yard touchdown run. Illinois answered shortly before halftime, when Houser found Brayden Trimble for a 16-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7.
The Terps responded to open the second half. Washington completed all five of his passes on a seven-play, 65-yard drive that Williams finished with a 17-yard touchdown run, putting Maryland ahead 14–7.
The lead did not hold.
After a Moczulski field goal cut the deficit to four, Javari Barnett broke free for a 64-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. Maryland answered with Sean O’Haire’s 46-yard field goal to tie it at 17 with 10:16 remaining, but its next possession ended in a punt.
Illinois took over with 5:45 left and used the rest of the clock, driving 67 yards in 13 plays to set up the winning kick. Maryland never got the ball back.
Washington finished with 190 passing yards, while Chris Durr Jr. caught six passes for 58 yards. Lavain Scruggs led the Terps with 10 tackles.
Washington’s postgame comments offered another perspective on how Maryland is navigating a difficult stretch. Drawing on the biblical story of Joshua, he spoke about the importance of faith and choosing words that reinforce belief rather than negativity.
“There’s power in the tongue,” Washington said. “When you speak life into things and speak positivity into things, positive things tend to happen, and your life looks better because of what you’re surrounding yourself with, how your mind thinks about things.”
For Abdul-Rahim, one of the most meaningful signs of connection came after the game. He said he heard 10 to 12 teammates tell another teammate they loved them before he left.
“That’s the goal at the end of the day for these guys,” he said. “Love each other and love football.”
Maryland’s next opportunity comes Nov. 7 at Purdue. The task is to turn the discipline and commitment Abdul-Rahim praised into the execution needed to finish a game.