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Maryland football: 3 takeaways from Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over NC State

By Connor Muldowney

Dec 30, 2022; Charlotte, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley and players pose after Maryland wins the 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2022; Charlotte, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley and players pose after Maryland wins the 2022 Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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I’ll admit it, I wasn’t giving Maryland football much of a chance to take down a ranked NC State team in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to end the season.

Mike Locksley got the annual (and horrible) mayo bath following the win and, honestly, it wasn’t a pretty game for either side. Defense took center stage in this one as only one touchdown was scored between the two teams to go along with seven (!!) field goals.

Let’s take a look at some key takeaways from the Terrapins’ eighth win to end the season on a high note.

3. You have to give the Maryland defense props

All season long, Maryland has played some pretty solid defense, but the offense has been the strength of the team for years. You wouldn’t have been able to tell on Friday afternoon.

The Terrapins shut NC State down completely and made the Wolfpack one-dimensional. The run game was non-existent as the Terrapins held NC State to just 27 yards on 18 carries. That’s just an impressive number for a defense that has allowed nearly 150 rushing yards per game.

And the Terrapins’ pass defense also played really well, holding Ben Finley to 269 yards on 48 attempts and he only completed 22 of those passes. He also threw two picks.

I don’t often say this, but Maryland’s defense was fantastic.

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