Leading 41-21 at the end of the third quarter, the Maryland Terrapins proceeded to lose to the North Carolina State Wolfpack by a score of 56-41. The Wolfpack scored 35 fourth-quarter points and 42 unanswered in route to their biggest comeback win in team history.
The Terps' collapse will only embolden critics of coach Randy Edsall, and rightfully so. Maryland now ends the year in horrible fashion, losing in a game it held a significant lead with only one quarter to play. The NC State comeback is now the second-biggest comeback win in ACC history.
Some other facts about the Terps' collapse:
- It is, unsurprisingly, North Carolina State's biggest comeback win ever, according to Jeff Barker of the Baltimore Sun.
- Maryland now becomes the first major-conference team to have two 10-loss seasons sandwiched between a winning year, according to Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times.
- This is by far the most points NC State has scored this season. The previous most was 38. The Wolfpack scored 42 points in just over one-third of the game in this one.
- Debbie Yow, former Maryland and current NC State athletic director, received a game ball. Wonder what Ralph Friedgen is thinking?
Maryland now finishes the 2011 season with a record of 2-10. Obviously, there will be no bowl game for the Terps, and the Terps will face many questions throughout the offseason. Edsall will receive the most criticism, and there will undoubtedly be a crowd that wants the first-year coach fired.
The collapse against NC State will prove worse for Edsall than just a simple loss would have been. In this awful season, Maryland lost games against lesser competition while the team appeared to get worse as the season progressed, not to mention the benching of much hyped quarterback Danny O'Brien and the suspension of numerous players for unknown infractions.
An awful season for Maryland football came to a historic, ugly ending. Now Edsall will find out if he can weather the storm.