Maryland football coach Locksley addresses 48-23 loss to Nebraska

Maryland's football team surrendered a 16-7 halftime lead and was outscored 34-0 in the second half, losing to Nebraska 48-23 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Coach Mike Locksley said the effort and energy at the start of the game were positive but the team suffered too many self-inflicted mistakes, including a blocked punt, a third-down penalty and a pick-six.

Locksley noted that quarterback Malik Washington threw his third interception in as many games and that the offense struggled on third down, citing poor execution and play-calling as factors. He added that the team needs to improve situational football on both offense and defense, especially in converting third-down opportunities.

The coach praised Nebraska for its adjustments and highlighted that Maryland's running game showed promise when DeJuan returned, but emphasized that consistency on first-and-10 and better protection against Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea were lacking. Locksley concluded that the team must focus on coaching fundamentals and execution to translate effort into results.