Maryland football’s Malik Washington shrugs off Virginia Tech criticism

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COLLEGE PARK — Malik Washington refused to take the victory lap.

After an uneven showing in Maryland’s season-opening 62-0 pasting of Hampton on Sept. 5, the sophomore quarterback reminded fans and opponents of what he is capable of by passing for 347 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday’s 38-14 victory over UConn at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.

That performance was a triumphant rebuttal after critics questioned whether Washington had regressed from a freshman campaign highlighted by an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision-leading 2,963 yards among all freshman passers. But if the Glen Burnie native and Spalding graduate was feeling emboldened to take a bow, he adroitly kept those emotions to himself while speaking to the media during Tuesday’s availability at SECU Stadium.

“I don’t really pay attention to it,” he said of doubts after a 19-of-31 for 186 yards and one touchdown effort against the Pirates. “It’s more about me and how I feel about myself from the first game. Just judging myself and then going into the next game, continuing that, just grading myself on how I play. Not so much about what other people say.”

Unlike that showing against Hampton, Washington looked more comfortable against the Huskies in his second start under offensive coordinator Clint Trickett. His yardage marked the second-highest total in a single game, his 82.9 completion percentage (34 of 41) ranked fourth in the program’s single-game history, and his run of 18 consecutive completions during one stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters set a school record.

That outing, however, did not impress at least one member of Maryland’s next opponent. Virginia Tech senior cornerback Jaquez White told media on Monday he spotted some limitations in Washington’s game.

“He has a decent arm,” White said. “I don’t really think he’s that accurate, but he’s pretty good. He’s not a runner. He’s looking to throw the ball pretty much every time.”

When asked about White’s assessment, Washington flashed a small smile before showing off diplomacy that’s wise beyond his years. “Just ready to play football,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got.”

Senior inside linebacker Daniel Wingate said Washington’s teammates heard White’s comments.

“But we don’t pay attention to it,” said Wingate, a Laurel resident and Pallotti graduate. “That’s outside noise that we don’t really care for. We’re focused about what we’re doing and what we have to do within our program. It’s just a nameless, faceless opponent at the end of the day.”

Washington looked composed and accurate in and out of the pocket against UConn. Late in the second quarter, he displayed his athleticism by ranging to his left before jumping and launching the ball to redshirt senior tight end Preston Howard standing open in the middle of the field.

Coach Michael Locksley noted that unlike the season opener against Hampton, Washington connected on his first throw and found a rhythm early. Locksley said the biggest difference he saw in Washington was his mindset.

“I had a conversation with him about [Hall of Fame NBA coach] Phil Jackson taking over with [Chicago Bulls star] Michael Jordan and then also doing the same thing with [Los Angeles Lakers star] Kobe [Bryant], and that triangle offense was about flow and everybody kind of being involved and touching the ball to where you don’t feel like you have to do everything, and I think he got into a flow,” he said. “For me, I always talk about the diversity of how we spread the ball around as a weapon for us, and he did a tremendous job with the flow of our offensive system — whether it was the tempo, getting the players involved, making the right decisions, and not forcing things. But I also thought that he didn’t come into the game feeling as though, ‘I have to play above my head.’ I just think he let the game flow.”

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Saturday’s game pits a pair of 2-0 teams, but the Hokies figure to present a different challenge from Hampton and UConn. Virginia Tech leads the country in total sacks with 12, including seven in Saturday’s 44-21 romp over Old Dominion and ranks third in fewest first downs surrendered with just 17.

For his part, Washington vowed to make adjustments without worrying about what the Hokies intend to do.

“Every week, you kind of talk about nameless faces and opponents,” he said. “So it’s not about who you’re playing or what they’re doing, [but] you and yourself and your scheme and your execution, the ways that help you win the game. It’s not so much about what the other team is doing.”

End zone: Redshirt sophomore running back DeJuan Williams’ availability is uncertain after the Baltimore resident and St. Frances graduate sat out the game at UConn. He was pulled in the second quarter of the opener against Hampton and later described “a clicking” in his knee. A team spokesman opened Locksley’s news conference by saying there would be no updates on players’ status. … A year ago, the team’s first home game against a Power 4 opponent ended in a 24-20 loss to Washington on Oct. 4 that ignited a season-ending eight-game losing skid. The memory of that game is not a lingering concern, according to Locksley. “Our last home game was against an FCS opponent,” he said. “I think for us, the more we keep it about the work on the field, the more we keep it about the upgrade and who we play. That’s the only thing that’s really going to be important for us.”

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun. 

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