Northwestern found a spark by starting backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan. Unfortunately, it only lasted a half.

The Wildcats played their best game since August on Saturday against Maryland and had a 17-10 lead at halftime. But it was all for naught, as the same old mistakes came up to bite them in the second half and the Terrapins rallied for a 31-24 win.

But it didn't come without drama. Northwestern lost its lead in the third quarter but clawed back to tie the game at 24 when Andrew Clair scored on a 9-yard run with just 3:34 left in the fourth quarter.

But the Terrapins answered with a knockout blow. Roman Hemby scored on a 75-yard run on the first snap of the ensuing possession to give Maryland (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) its second straight victory. It was just the type of big play that has victimized the Wildcats all season.

The loss was the sixth straight for the Wildcats (1-6, 1-3) since the season-opening win over Nebraska in Ireland. It was also their 12th defeat in their 13 games dating back to last season.

Sullivan, who got the first start of his career in place of Ryan Hilinski, made several plays with his passing and running as the Wildcats surpassed their season scoring average by a touchdown. He finished 18-of-24 passing for 143 yards and TD. A more athletic, dual-threat than Hilinski, Sullivan also rushed for 53 yards and another score and made the defense defend his running ability.

But it was Sullivan’s two critical interceptions that wound up costing the Wildcats dearly. His first one, in the third quarter, was turned into the game-tying score by the Terrapins. His second one, with just 3:02 left in the game, allowed Maryland to run out the clock.

His counterpart in the battle of backup QBs, Billy Edwards Jr., who was playing for injured star Taulia Tagovailoa, had a similar game, completing 18-of-28 throws for 166 yards and one TD. But he didn’t turn the ball over once as the Terrapins played a clean game and got the win.

Both teams had some success on the ground. Hemby ran for 179 yards and had three touchdowns to lead Maryland, while Evan Hull put up 119 yards on 20 carries to pace the Wildcats.

Sullivan is known for his running ability, but it was his long throws downfield that altered the game in the first half.

First, he threw a 46-yard strike to Malik Washington on a corner route to set up his quarterback sneak two plays later for a 7-0 first-quarter lead.

Then, on the Wildcats’ next scoring drive, Sullivan’s two deep shots drew pass-interference flags: the first against Corey Coley Jr. covering Bryce Kirtz, and the second against Deonte Banks on another throw to Washington. Sullivan then hit Evan Hull out of the backfield for a 10-yard TD pass.

Maryland, meanwhile, got on the board a couple times with long, methodical drives in the first half.

The Terrapins found a rhythm with the running game, and Edwards made a couple key throws as they went 87 yards in 12 plays to tie the score, 7-7, early in the second quarter after a 14-yard Hemby run.

Then, just before halftime, the Terps put together a massive 16-play march to reach the Northwestern 2. But the Wildcats made a stand and forced Chad Ryland to kick a 20-yard field goal with just eight seconds left in the second quarter.

Northwestern’s seven-point halftime lead didn’t last long, however, as the Terps scored 14 points in the third quarter to take a 24-17 advantage, helped by a few critical Wildcat mistakes.

The Cats drove to the Maryland 35-yard line on their first drive, but that’s where Sullivan said he misread the coverage on a throw to Thomas Gordon on the sideline and Dante Trader Jr. picked it off and returned it 23 yards to the 46. The Terps made them pay when Hemby took it 18 yards right up the middle for a touchdown to tie the game at 17.

On Maryland’s next possession, Northwestern got a third-down stop wiped out by a holding penalty against Rod Heard II. Edwards then found a wide-open Rakim Jarrett on a blown coverage for a 30-yard touchdown pass and the Terrapins took their first lead, 24-17, with 1:07 left in the third.

The Terrapins looked poise to put the game away in the fourth quarter. They drove to the NU 5-yard line but then lost 23 yards on the next two plays: Edwards fumbled the snap and was tackled by Austin Firestone, and then Adetomiwa Adebawore sacked Edwards for a 15-yard loss. Ryland then missed the 46-yard that could have made it a two-score game with 6:24 left.

The Cats got the ball back and found their running game. Clair’s touchdown brought the Wildcats back to life, but Hemby drove the final nail through their coffin with his 75-yard TD.