COLLEGE PARK, Md. _ In opening the season with one-sided victories over Howard and then No. 21 Syracuse, Maryland's offense missed only one of 14 opportunities to score touchdowns in the red zone.
Since then, the last 20 yards have become a dead zone for the Terps, including twice in the first half Saturday when, after another slow start, Maryland had a chance to get back in its homecoming game against No. 14 Michigan.
Instead, the Wolverines built on an early two-touchdown lead _ the first coming on a 97-yard return by freshman Giles Jackson on the opening kickoff _ and went on to beat the Terps, 38-7.
The loss was the fourth straight and sixth in seven games for Maryland (3-6, 1-5), which now has to go on the road next Saturday to play No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus.
Coming off an impressive 45-14 win over then-No. 8 Notre Dame, Michigan (7-2, 4-2) won for the fifth time in the last six games, with its only loss in that stretch two weeks ago at then-No. 7 Penn State. Running back Zack Charbonnet scored two touchdowns, breaking the season record for touchdowns by a freshman with 11.
After giving up touchdowns the first two times their opponent had the ball _ aside from Jackson's kickoff return, Charbonnet scored the first of his two touchdowns _ Maryland's offense seemed to come to life.
But after driving from their own 25 to the Michigan 12, the Terps watched as graduate transfer quarterback Josh Jackson was hit as he threw on third-and-7. The pass was intercepted by safety Josh Metellus.
The defense also seemed to play better, and it gave Maryland another chance. Starting from their own 37, the Terps got into the red zone again on a 24-yard pass from Jackson to sophomore wide receiver Brian Cobbs to the Michigan 11.
The Michigan defense held.
Maryland put freshman quarterback Lance LeGendre on the field to run its red zone offense for a second time Saturday. LeGendre, who had picked up 6 yards on his first carry earlier, was stopped for a 3-yard loss on second-and-8 at the 7.
Jackson returned and was promptly sacked for a 4-yard loss. Sophomore kicker Joseph Petrino, who last week made his first field goal of the season, in a 52-10 loss at then-No. 17 Minnesota, missed from 37 yards.
The game was basically put away by the Wolverines late in the second quarter.
After Maryland's defense forced a fourth-and-1 from the Michigan 27, Coach Jim Harbaugh's team faked a punt and linebacker Michael Barrett took a direct snap for a 14-yard gain.
On the next play, Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson found a streaking Nico Collins for a 51-yard gain to the Maryland 8. Two plays later, Charbonnet ran in for his second touchdown.
Charbonnet has 11 touchdowns, the most ever by a Michigan freshman. While the Wolverines didn't exactly light it up offensively as many of Maryland's recent opponents have done, the Terps struggled against the nation's No. 8 defense
Jackson, making his first start and playing for the second time since suffering a high-ankle sprain in the second quarter of a 48-7 win at Rutgers on Oct. 5 _ Maryland's last victory _ completed just 9 of 20 passes for 97 yards.
The Terps couldn't get anything going on the ground for the second straight game.
Maryland was limited to 129 yards rushing on 46 attempts, with redshirt sophomore Anthony McFarland Jr. getting 60 yards on 14 carries and junior Javon Leake, the team's leading rusher this season, held to 38 yards on nine carries.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of the game was the appearance of LeGendre, a former four-star prospect who signed with Maryland on the second signing day in February after it was rumored that he was headed to Florida State.
LeGendre finished the game for Jackson, and made a couple of nice runs before the clock ran out.
LeGendre, who last played in Maryland's season opener, can now be used in two of his team's final three games without losing a year of eligibility. After playing the Buckeyes, the Terps close the season against Nebraska at home Nov. 23 and at Michigan State on Nov. 30.
