Maryland
Three Thoughts on Rutgers Football's 31-17 victory against Maryland
Rutgers secured bowl eligibility for the second straight season following its 31-17 victory against Maryland.
Here are three thoughts after the game….
A coaching clinic
Head Coach Greg Schiano and the rest of Rutgers’ staff have taken a lot of flack this season, especially after their four-game losing streak. However, one could argue their performance against the Terrapins (4-6, 1-6) was their best of the season, and that was coming off a 26-19 win against Minnesota without their best playmaker in Kyle Monangai.
“When you win four and then you lose four, that thing could go either way,” Schiano said. “The way they bonded together, I think it’s a defining moment for our team and our program.”
Following five lead changes to start the game, the Scarlet Knights (6-4, 3-4) had the ball at Maryland’s 12-yard line with the chance to kick a chip shot field goal and tie the game at 17 with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter. Schiano decided to forgo the kick though and went for it on 4th-and-2, only to have Athan Kaliakmanis connect with Dymere Miller Miller for six yards before Monangai punched it in from six yards out to give Rutgers a 21-17 lead with 5:14 left. From there, the Scarlet Knights never trailed again and got their first win over Maryland since 2020.
Another offensive display
Rutgers’ offense has found a groove the last two weeks as they not only totaled over 300 yards in both games, but did so with at least 100 yards on the ground. Kaliakmanis tallied at least two touchdowns for the second week in a row and finished 20-for-30 for 238 yards. The Scarlet Knights also moved the sticks, going 6-for-14 on third down and 3-for-3 on fourth.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Kaliakmanis said. “It was awesome, but we know we got more work to do.”
Schiano also credited his offense and Kaliakmanis’ performance.
“The whole offense is getting better,” Schiano added. “Athan is a big part of that.”
Monangai returned to the lineup and led Rutgers’ rushing attack with 25 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He also became the first player in program history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since Ray Rice.
The rollercoaster continues
The bye week seemed to do wonders for Rutgers as it looked more like the team from the first half of the season in the last two weeks than the second. It could not have come at a better time for Schiano’s squad as they are bowl-eligible in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2013-14.
“I think every guy in that room would tell you getting to the bowl was not the goal this year, but it’s all relative,” Schiano said. “I’ll never take it for granted.”
The journey is not over yet though as the Scarlet Knights have two games left with a chance to meet what many had as preseason expectations. In a season that has featured more twists and turns than Kingda Ka, Rutgers fans hope they are on more incline.
Rutgers will return to action next Saturday when it faces No. 24 Illinois at noon (ET) on Peacock.
Maryland
Maryland residents question new paint can fee amid growing costs
MARYLAND (WBFF) — A trip to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) left some drivers stunned by higher costs that they say are piling up across the state.
Tony Joshua said he walked away when he saw what it would cost to register his vehicle.
“Sticker shock? (laughs),” he said. “I turned right around and got out of the line. I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have it.”
ALSO READ | Maryland’s new paint fees spark outrage as recycling nonprofit isn’t registered in state
The cost of registering, titling and inspecting a vehicle in Maryland doubled last year, but the fee increases don’t stop at the MVA. The Maryland legislature has approved more than 300 new fees in the past two years including a tire tax, a tech tax and a vending machine tax.
“It’s just like greed more than anything,” Baltimore resident Clifton Parrot said.
Baltimore resident Sheila Bowling questioned how the additional funding is being used.
“This is the million dollar question. Nobody knows what those fees are doing. Everything is high in the city,” she said.
If I’m dodging potholes, where is the money going?” Joshua asked.
One of the latest fees will be attached to every gallon of paint sold in Maryland and will go to a nonprofit organization that will manage Maryland’s paint recycling program. But FOX45 News has learned that the nonprofit, PaintCare, isn’t registered as a nonprofit in the state of Maryland, even though it’s set to receive a dollar fee for every gallon of paint sold in the state.
Joshua said the growing costs have him questioning whether he can stay in Maryland.
“It flabbergasts me where the money is going. Sometimes I’m like ‘dude, do I stay here?’” he said.
Bowling said, “This shouldn’t be happening in 2026 this shouldn’t be happening.”
For many Marylanders, the rising fees have strained budgets and morale, with some saying they can no longer afford the increasing price of driving.
“I’m just at my wits end about it. I’m like when do we, the taxpayers get a break?” Joshua asked.
Maryland
Deadly motorcycle crash closes busy stretch of Connecticut Avenue in Montgomery Co. – WTOP News
A deadly crash involving a motorcycle shut down a stretch of Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, early Tuesday.
A deadly crash involving a motorcycle shut down a stretch of Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, early Tuesday.
Montgomery County police said officers responded around 6:15 a.m. to a report of a crash involving a car and a motorcycle at Manor Road and Connecticut Avenue.
A motorcyclist was found in serious condition. Police said the man died at the scene.
A woman driving the car was hospitalized with minor injuries.
Connecticut Avenue is closed in both directions between Jones Bridge Road and Manor Road as police investigate the collision.
The crash is the latest in a series of deadly motorcycle incidents across Maryland, including a deadly hit-and-run in Charles County that left one man dead Saturday.
A map of the area is below.
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Maryland
Maryland House passes bill to end automatic charging of some juveniles as adults
MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland lawmakers have approved a bill that would end the automatic charging of certain juveniles as adults and is now on its way to the governor’s office for review.
The Youth Charging Reform Act passed the House of Delegates on Monday after clearing the Senate last week. The bill aims to end the automatic charging of 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for certain drug, assault, and gun offenses.
ALSO READ | Bill to end automatic charging of some juveniles as adults inches closer to passage
The bill drew significant opposition from several top prosecutors in Maryland, including Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Tara Jackson, Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy, and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
For months, they’ve warned that the change could weaken accountability and pose public safety risks.
“DJS is not equipped to deal with these increased violent offenders, and the legislature should defer the implementation of this bill until the programs are in place,” McCarthy said.
Maryland sheriffs also joined the pushback, including Carroll County Sheriff Jim Dewees, who previously said, “This is not a smart move, by any means, I don’t like it because, and I think by and large, law enforcement doesn’t like it, because we don’t have a whole lot of trust in the juvenile court system and the DJS system.”
ALSO READ | FOX45 sends video of prosecutors’ concerns to lawmakers backing juvenile justice bill
Supporters of the bill argued that most cases end up in the juvenile system regardless, and therefore, it makes sense to start them in the Department of Juvenile Services.
“They’re already ingesting that work anyway; they’re already doing that workload anyway,” Sen. Will Smith, lead sponsor of the legislation, previously told FOX45 News. “We’re just wasting time and money by sending them to the adult system first.”
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The bill now awaits at Gov. Wes Moore’s desk for a final decision.
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