COLLEGE PARK, MD — With a massive crowd in attendance at SECU Stadium in College Park, the Maryland Terrapins fell short to the Indiana Hoosiers, 55-10, in their Week 10 showdown. It was a tale of two quarters early, as the Terps found momentum after a Fernando Mendoza interception and defensive stand. Unfortunately, two early interceptions from Malik Washington would turn the tide in favor of the Hoosiers early. With that in mind, let’s get into this Maryland vs. Indiana 2025 college football recap.
Maryland Terrapins vs. Indiana Hoosiers 2025 College Football Recap
In a game where Indiana was favored by 20.5 points, Maryland showed a lot of fight early. The Terps intercepted Mendoza early, and had a quick lead. However, the offense sputtered and wasn’t able to completely take advantage of their early field position advantage. Instead, the Hoosiers clawed back, relying on their rushing attack to start opening the passing lanes.
In the end, Indiana put up over 500 yards of offense, and 55 points to put away the Terps in Week 10.
Mendoza Mania
It seems as if Fernando Mendoza always has an early interception before he locks in. After all, with gunslinger quarterbacks, it may take some time for them to truly get in rhythm. With Mendoza, that was the case in Week 10.
After an interception on his first pass of the game, the signal-caller dialed in for the remainder of the first quarter. The quarterback totaled 183 yards in the contest, including a rushing and passing touchdown. One particularly impressive play was where Mendoza sold the quick hitch on his left side, moving the defense enough to hit his receiver for a big gain. Those are the type of plays that have him as the current QB1 in many 2026 NFL draft circles.
While he stumbled out of the gates, by the time halftime hit he had his team up 20-3 over the Terps. For a player with the weight on his shoulders in terms of media attention and expectations, Mendoza delivered early.
As has been the case in many Indiana games this season, Mendoza didn’t have to do much in the second half of this contest. Two rushing touchdowns gave Indiana a 31-point lead midway through the third quarter, and the Hoosiers never looked back. By the fourth quarter, Mendoza’s brother, Alberto, took over and closed out the contest for his team.
Ground Game Sets the Tone
With Fernando Mendoza’s early passing struggles, Indiana used the rushing attack to get the offense into rhythm. It was a product of both the running backs – and Mendoza himself. And, it was the catalyst for the team taking their lead in the first half.
The duo of Roman Hemby and Kaelon Black were terrific for the Hoosiers. Black would drag multiple defenders with him for extra yardage throughout the contest. And, Hemby made the Terps pay with his excellent vision. The duo combined for 107 yards in the first half, and set the pace for the Hoosiers throughout the contest.
That pacing continued into the second half, where Black had a 31-yard rushing touchdown to put the Hoosiers up 17 midway through the third quarter. Not to be one-upped, Hemby had a 16-yard touchdown himself that turned the game into a complete blowout. The Hoosiers have proven they don’t need to pass the ball to have success. And, in Week 10, they showcased a dominant ground game against the Terps.
Miscues and Missed Opportunities
Despite the early success of the Maryland defense, the Terrapins offense was not able to get anything going throughout the game.
In the first half, Maryland had six drives with an average starting spot of their own 41-yard line. However, the Terps were only able to put up three points on the board. Not being able to convert with short fields played a large part in the early hole Maryland found themselves in. However, there were also mistakes made by the unit.
Malik Washington, the team’s freshman quarterback, saw his highs and lows in this contest. He made some big passes, particularly to Jalil Farooq and Kalen Webb. However, there were times where he missed wide open receivers, ending drives or creating large down-and-distance. On top of that, the freshman had two interceptions in the first half that changed the complexion of the football game. Instead of a close contest playing with home-field advantage, the Terps were fighting not to get blown out of their own stadium.
Unfortunately, a blowout would come.
In the second half, fumbles by Washington and Octavian Smith gave the Hoosiers 14 quick points. The turnovers turned the contest into a 31-point lead for Indiana midway through the third quarter. From there, there was little Maryland could do to come out of that deficit.
The Terrapins are a young team, so mistakes like this are bound to happen. However, those miscues need to turn into future growth if the program wants to continue its forward progress. And while there are growing pains, the building blocks are there for Maryland.
Maryland vs. Indiana 2025 Recap: Other Notes
Young with Potential
No one came into this game really expecting the Terrapins to win; and that’s not a slight to them in the slightest. The Terps are one of the youngest teams in the country, playing against one of the older programs in the nation. Growing pains are expected, but there’s no question there’s serious potential on Maryland’s roster.
There’s truly too many young, talented players to name; but the foundation of Malik Washington, Sidney Stewart, and Zahir Mathis is a good starting spot for the Terps. If they’re able to bring in talented wideouts, watch out for Maryland going forward.
No Ground Game
While DeJuan Williams had success as a pass-catcher, the Maryland rushing attack was non-existent. Entering the fourth quarter, the Terps averaged 0.7 yards per attempt with just 10 rushing attempts.
Yes, the game ended in a blowout. However, there were numerous opportunities for the Terps to try and establish their ground game in this contest. This was especially true in the first quarter, where Maryland had multiple short-field possessions. Instead, they saw opportunity slip out of their grasp, and into the loss column.
Indiana Keeps Rolling
At this point, there’s no more discrediting the Indiana Hoosiers. The job Curt Cignetti has done with the program deserves praise. And, the team deserves respect. The Hoosiers aren’t just winning games. They are playing one-sided contests where they are pulverizing their opponents. At this rate, they are likely the favorites to play in the National Championship.
Shrine Bowl Prospect Watch
Maryland Terrapins
With how many underclassmen Maryland starts, it’s truly hard to pinpoint a player that is going to have an opportunity to play in a college football all-star game. However, Jalil Farooq may be a sleeper who sees his name called. The senior is one of the few trusted wideouts on the offense, and is a focal point in the team’s passing attack. There were many instances where Farooq found himself open, too, only to be missed due to the pressure caused by Indiana’s defense.
Indiana Hoosiers
Opposite of Maryland, Indiana has a plethora of all-star game-eligible players. Yet, the focus in this game is running back Kaelon Black. After the early struggles of the Hoosiers, it was Black who put the team on his back – literally. He had many rush attempts where he carried multiple Maryland defenders. He also had an impressive 31-yard score in the third quarter that helped put the game away for the Hoosiers. In a weaker running back class, Black is starting to stand out.
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