Maryland eager to turn things around at resurgent UCLA

After challenging UCLA not to be a “one-hit wonder,” Bruins interim head coach Tim Skipper shifts his team’s focus to a third straight win when it hosts Maryland on Saturday in Pasadena, Calif.

UCLA (2-4, 2-1 Big Ten) resurrected its season from an 0-4 start, winning the last two under Skipper’s direction. Skipper was tasked with replacing DeShaun Foster, fired after a 35-10 loss at home to New Mexico in Week 3.

Following a 17-14 loss at Northwestern in Skipper’s first game as the interim head coach on Sept. 27, UCLA stunned Penn State in a 42-37 contest. Last week, the Bruins rolled at Michigan State, 38-13.

“When you’re taking over something and you’re no, everything you say is important,” Skipper said following Monday’s practice. “Each week presents different challenges. This week’s (theme) is the standard’s the standard and don’t get bored with success.”

Highlighting UCLA’s turnaround in recent weeks has been the play of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. He has not thrown an interception in the last three weeks after giving one up in each of the three prior games, and against Michigan State tossed a season-high three touchdowns.

Iamaleava faces a Maryland defense that leads the nation with 12 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns. No single player has intercepted more than two passes, with the team’s dozen spread among nine different defenders.

The Terrapins (4-2, 1-2) picked off Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola three times, with Dontay Joyner returning one 67 yards for a score. Joyner, Jalen Huskey and La’khi Roland are Maryland’s three defenders with multiple interceptions.

The pick-six wasn’t enough for Maryland to hold off the Cornhuskers, however. The Terrapins surrendered a touchdown with 68 seconds remaining to fall 34-31.

The Terps are on the mirror-opposite trajectory of UCLA, having opened 4-0 but since losing two straight. Last week’s home setback vs. Nebraska followed a 24-20 home loss to Washington in which Maryland gave up three fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“A lot of reason for frustration for us the last couple of weeks, not being able to finish,” Terps coach Mike Locksley said on Tuesday. “But there’s also a lot of optimism in our program … because I know this team is different than any team I’ve had the chance to coach here.”

Locksley pointed to the Maryland offense having a narrow “margin for error.” Freshman quarterback Malik Washington has thrown 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions, but the Terps rank among the nation’s worst offenses in the run game with fewer than 100 yards per contest.