Terps fall to Illinois in 20-17 heartbreaker, but UMD student wins free tuition

So much going down here in College Park. Now, unfortunately, the Maryland Terps dropped a heartbreaker on the field. However, a student did win free tuition for a semester in the process. Shut my God t-shirt! What a day for football here at UMD. The Azhar Abdul-Rahim era began with the Terps' interim head coach, stepping in after Mike Locksley's dismissal. And to pump up the stadium energy even more, the university raised the stakes. Stay for the entire game, they say, for a chance to win a semester of free tuition. The big winner, Bryce Hartle of Keedysville, Maryland, a senior mechanical engineering major whose commitment to the team just paid off. My mother started working a second job, and I had to take out a lot of student loans to pay for it, but I'm very glad I won, and it helped a lot. As for the product on the field, Maryland, well, they played... Better quarterback Malik Washington and the Terps led late into the third quarter before ultimately losing a heartbreaker 20-17 on the Fighting Illini's walk-off field goal. Close doesn't win ballgames, so no more victories in football, man. Coach's not putting any game plan for them at all. It's like we're just running the ball up the middle every time. No pass plays. It's terrible. It's terrible to watch. It doesn't feel good. I thought my team was going to win, but they didn't win. That sucks. In Coach Abdul-Rahim's first game, the Terps were better, but still not good enough. That's right, and that will do it from SECU Stadium. A loss for the Terps on the field, but a big-time win for one lucky fan.