Maryland football suffered yet another deflating loss Saturday, this time to Rutgers, 31-17, at SECU Stadium. The Terps struggled to get anything going all night, losing to the Scarlet Knights for the first time since 2020.

What little margin for error the fading Maryland football team had remaining in its quest for bowl eligibility vanished during a 31-17 loss to visiting Rutgers on Saturday night after the Terrapins wilted down the stretch, adding more misery to a season on the verge of becoming unsalvageable.

Both teams are scrambling to become bowl eligible. Rutgers is one victory away from win No. 6. Maryland needs two more, and its regular-season finale is against Penn State, so the two games before that take on added importance. Rutgers made a bowl last season. The Terrapins are trying to extend a streak of three seasons in a row.

The Terps were crippled by dropped passes, penalties and questionable decisions that contributed to a 31-17 loss to Rutgers.

Take a bow, Rutgers. When the doubts poured in, the Scarlet Knights doubled down on their belief this team had too much to accomplish to pack things in. They withstood a four-game losing streak, injuries that continually piled up and stretches where their identity came into question.

Rutgers football earned bowl eligibility for a second-straight season with an all-around strong showing in a win over Maryland on the road.