Maryland

Indiana football just keeps dominating: ‘Make sure there’s no doubt left, at all’

Published

4 months ago

November 2, 2025

Indiana football just keeps dominating: ‘Make sure there’s no doubt left, at all’

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Word got around here, late in the week, that Maryland finally sold out its homecoming game.

It came as a minor surprise. Good tickets remained available as recently as Monday. Mike Locksley’s Terrapins were in the midst of another midseason slump, an unfortunately common feature of his tenure, and yet, by Saturday morning, all seats were accounted for.

The alumni base recently declared America’s largest — with healthy representation in major metropolitan areas up and down the Atlantic seaboard — arrived in force. From D.C., New York and Philadelphia, Indiana football fans made their presence felt in yet another road environment.

The several thousand fans wearing Indiana crimson that stayed through all four quarters of a 55-10 blowout win Saturday roared, as Curt Cignetti led his Hoosiers (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) off the field. They cheered for a team they’ve come to love, one so deeply motivated by its ambitions and so completely bought into Cignetti’s relentless fight for focus that seemingly nothing can break its stride.

“Every single week,” Mikail Kamara said, “we’ve got to make sure there’s no doubt left, at all.”

There could be none remaining, as Indiana strode off into the cool Maryland night having bulldozed its way through another blowout win.

The nation’s leader in margin of victory heading into this weekend will only have improved on that number. This time the methods were different, because the opponent was different and so the challenge was different.

But the result was the same.

Indiana’s defense dominates Maryland

Indiana could have been forgiven a lull. Surely this brand of winning gets boring, or repetitive, or numbing. Kamara’s words, like his team’s performances, suggest otherwise.

Fernando Mendoza (14-of-21 passing, 225 total yards, two touchdowns) started slowly, and so did his offense. Mendoza’s lone interception ended IU’s first drive, and a sack doomed the Hoosiers’ second.

So Bryant Haines’ defense went to work on Malik Washington, the promising but inexperienced freshman Maryland (4-4, 1-4) lines up behind center. Washington has played beyond his years at times this season, helped by offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton’s ability to simplify and smooth for his young quarterback.

Hamilton could do nothing for his freshman QB this day, other than a reassuring arm around the shoulder afterward, and the promise most days aren’t this hard.

Because most defenses aren’t this good. Indiana finished allowing just 293 yards, a healthy chunk of those gained long after the result was beyond doubt.

The Hoosiers flipped their own script — finishing with no sacks and just three tackles for loss, they instead turned Maryland over five times.

That’s as many turnovers as Locksley’s team had committed all season before Saturday.

“The defense has, all year long, risen to the occasion when their backs are against the wall,” Cignetti said. “It wasn’t perfect tonight defensively, trust me. … But there’s a lot of good things there on tape.”

OK, so maybe it wouldn’t be Washington’s arm, or Mendoza’s slow start, or the turnover differential that untracked the freight train this team has become.

Injuries don’t slow down Indiana football

Maybe injuries would do the trick.

Aiden Fisher watched from the sideline.

Drew Evans was a surprise absence, with Cignetti suggesting his starting left guard could miss several weeks.

In the game itself, IU lost Elijah Sarratt (hamstring) and Kaiden Turner (calf), and helped Kahlil Benson (ankle/foot) play his way through pain until his efforts were no longer required.

Surely, between a starting lineman, a linebacker captain and the Hoosiers’ leading receiver, the sheer weight of injuries would affect this team’s performance. Not a chance.

“It’s just the trust we have in each other,” Mendoza said. “We know we have each other’s backs, and it’s one group going toward one goal.”

Maryland, Mendoza said, responded to Sarratt’s departure (and Indiana’s high-flying pass game) by committing to coverage and refusing to lose the game in the air. Indiana just made the Terrapins lose it on the ground.

IU’s 367 yards rushing were the most in a game since the fan-favorite Bacon And Legs win over Maryland in 2016. Three different backs ran for at least 80 yards, and four different Hoosiers (including Mendoza) rushed for a touchdown.

Backup (and little brother) Alberto Mendoza’s 53-yard run in the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers’ longest of the day, tacked one final flourish onto a signature afternoon. Everyone contributed to another remarkable performance, and so everyone shared at least a little bit of the credit.

“From my standpoint,” Cignetti said, “the thing I’m most proud of is the way they listen to the message about playing one play at a time, regardless of the circumstances.”

Cignetti will sweat some of those injuries. Indiana — like most teams in the transfer portal era — doesn’t have the depth to keep replacing starters.

There’s every chance, though, IU sees some of those important absent faces back on the field in a week in State College. And there’s just as much chance it won’t matter either way.

Cignetti spends his days, weeks, months and years preaching this unflinching focus, and the cold, ruthless dominance that follows. Never in his (admittedly brief) Indiana tenure has his team delivered performances that so clearly mastered his command.

“No matter if we’re up 10 at halftime, or we’re up 30 in the fourth quarter, we’re going to keep on swinging,” Mendoza said, “keep giving our best shot, because that’s what the present moment deserves, and that’s what we deserve as a football team.”

The relentlessness with which his team wins football games is what puts all the sport’s biggest prizes in front of this team now. At some point, we might find an opponent or an obstacle that can break this Indiana team’s unrelenting forward progress, but it’s going to take something remarkable to do it.

Zach Osterman covers the Hoosiers for IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network. Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter.

Source link

Click to comment

Maryland

Maryland AG Brown announces $1.99M settlement with LifeBridge Health over hospital fees

Published

3 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Maryland AG Brown announces .99M settlement with LifeBridge Health over hospital fees

MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced Thursday that his office has reached a settlement with LifeBridge Health, Inc. that will provide nearly $2 million in restitution to certain patients who paid outpatient facility fees before new state notice requirements took effect.

AG Brown said the Consumer Protection Division entered into a settlement agreement with LifeBridge concerning hospital fees known as outpatient facility fees that were charged prior to July 1, 2021, when the Facility Fee Right-to-Know Act took effect and established standards for notices about such fees.

The Consumer Protection Division alleged that consumers were not adequately informed they would be subject to the facility fees. LifeBridge denied that patients had been inadequately informed, but agreed to pay $1,985,198.90 in restitution.

ALSO READ | Maryland families ‘can’t even imagine’ impact of Gov. Moore’s disability funding cuts

The restitution is for patients who paid out-of-pocket for fees charged by certain LifeBridge hospital clinics for clinic services received before July 1, 2021, when those services also were available at a non-hospital facility owned or operated by a LifeBridge affiliate where the consumer would not have incurred a facility fee.

Eligible patients should expect to receive a refund check from LifeBridge over the next six months, according to AG office.

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

Consumers with questions about the settlement can call 410-576-6571.

Source link

Maryland

Maryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 4, 2026

Published

15 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Maryland Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for March 4, 2026

The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing

07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 4 drawing

Midday: 4-0-2

Evening: 7-1-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 4 drawing

Midday: 0-6-9-0

Evening: 4-8-1-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 4 drawing

Midday: 5-6-2-1-8

Evening: 1-5-8-4-5

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 4 drawing

9 a.m.: 15

1 p.m.: 03

6 p.m.: 12

11 p.m.: 15

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Bonus Match 5 numbers from March 4 drawing

01-12-24-30-31, Bonus: 09

Check Bonus Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing

05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Keno

Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Maryland Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes above $600, winners can claim by mail or in person from the Maryland Lottery office, an Expanded Cashing Authority Program location or cashiers’ windows at Maryland casinos. Prizes over $5,000 must be claimed in person.

Claiming by Mail

Sign your winning ticket and complete a claim form. Include a photocopy of a valid government-issued ID and a copy of a document that shows proof of your Social Security number or Federal Tax ID number. Mail these to:

Maryland Lottery Customer Resource Center

1800 Washington Boulevard

Suite 330

Baltimore, MD 21230

For prizes over $600, bring your signed ticket, a government-issued photo ID, and proof of your Social Security or Federal Tax ID number to Maryland Lottery headquarters, 1800 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD. Claims are by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This location handles all prize amounts, including prizes over $5,000.

Winning Tickets Worth $25,000 or Less

Maryland Lottery headquarters and select Maryland casinos can redeem winning tickets valued up to $25,000. Note that casinos cannot cash prizes over $600 for non-resident and resident aliens (tax ID beginning with “9”). You must be at least 21 years of age to enter a Maryland casino. Locations include:

Horseshoe Casino: 1525 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD
MGM National Harbor: 101 MGM National Avenue, Oxon Hill, MD
Live! Casino: 7002 Arundel Mills Circle, Hanover, MD
Ocean Downs Casino: 10218 Racetrack Road, Berlin, MD
Hollywood Casino: 1201 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, MD
Rocky Gap Casino: 16701 Lakeview Road NE, Flintstone, MD

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Maryland Lottery.

When are the Maryland Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 11 p.m. ET Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 Midday: 12:27 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, 12:28 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
Pick 3, 4 and 5 Evening: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Cash4Life: 9 p.m. ET daily.
Cash Pop: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily.
Bonus Match 5: 7:56 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, 8:10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
MultiMatch: 7:56 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
Powerball Double Play: 11 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Maryland editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Maryland

Maryland, California men plead guilty in auto-repair shop drug trafficking case

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Maryland, California men plead guilty in auto-repair shop drug trafficking case

MARYLAND (WBFF) — A Maryland man and his California accomplice both pled guilty to drug trafficking charges involving the concealment of drugs within auto parts at a repair shop, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Authorities reported that Norville Clarke, 56, of Clarksburg, Maryland, and Daniel Cruz, 39, of Los Angeles, California, were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

In 2023, an investigation targeted a drug trafficking organization that was transporting and distributing large quantities of cocaine from California to Maryland.

The investigation began after police seized a parcel containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine that was mailed from Los Angeles with an intended delivery to Clarke’s auto-repair shop in District Heights, Maryland.

ALSO READ | Gwynn Oak man sentenced to 3 years in federal prison for passport fraud, ID theft

During the investigation, Cruz was linked to the narcotics in the parcel, as well as to its source, authorities reported.

In January 2024, postal inspectors, along with other investigators, identified a freight shipment from Los Angeles intended for delivery at Clarke’s auto-repair shop, and officials said surveillance footage showed Cruz dropping off that shipment at a shipping company in California.

After that, authorities observed Cruz traveling to Maryland to track the shipment’s delivery.

Cruz and Clarke were then seen by investigators meeting at the auto-repair shop several days after the shipment occurred.

Investigators tracked the fright shipment to Dulles, Virginia, where authorities executed a search warrant and recovered two automobile transmissions inside, as well as 20 one-kilogram bricks secreted in both transmissions.

Officials reported that laboratory forensic tests confirmed that the bricks were over 16 kilograms of cocaine.

A search warrant was then also executed for Clarke’s District Heights auto-repair shop, Clarke’s Clarksburg residence, and Cruz’s hotel room in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

ALSO READ | Baltimore man sentenced to over 10 years for gun, ammunition possession as felon

At the auto repair shop, officials recovered 502.4 grams of cocaine, and then at Clarke’s residence, officers found two-kilogram bricks of cocaine and $45,730 in cash.

Furthermore, investigators later found another nine historical freight shipments that resembled the original shipment containing cocaine, which Cruz sent to Clarke’s auto repair shop.

In plea agreements, officials said both defendants agreed to have been involved in possessing around 22 kilograms of cocaine in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Both also face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum life in prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release

Cruz’s sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, at 1 p.m., and the sentencing for Clarke is scheduled for Friday, July 24, at 10 a.m.

Source link