COLLEGE PARK, Md. --- When it was all over Saturday, Maryland's 24-21 victory over conference foe Clemson seemed as much a matter of survival as it did a triumphant turnaround from its poor performances of previous weeks.

Chris Turner passed for two touchdowns and Demetrius Hartsfield's sack and fumble recovery in the final seconds secured the win, but not until Maryland walked away unscathed from two late missed field goals by Clemson.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak by the Terps (2-3, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).

"This game was huge for us," said Turner, who completed 19 of 26 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

"We really tried to approach this game as the first game of the season. We are 1-0 in the ACC and that feels pretty good."

Clemson (2-3, 1-2) cut the score to 24-21 with 4:11 left in the third quarter after C.J. Spiller's 92-yard kickoff return and a 2-point conversion pass from Kyle Parker to Michael Palmer. The Tigers could have tied and taken the lead but Richard Jackson missed field goals from 47 and 48 yards away.

After a Maryland punt with 1:30 to play, Clemson drove to the Maryland 28 before Hartsfield's big play foiled the Tigers again.

"(The offense) had three opportunities at the 30 yard line, it's very disappointing," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "There are a lot of things we can do just a little better."

Jackson's first miss followed a failed attempt by Maryland to go for a first down on fourth and 1 at its own 29. His second came after Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers recovered a fumble at the Maryland 31 one play after the first miss.

Maryland called timeout before both of Jackson's kicks.

On the first try, Jackson made the kick but the timeout call came just seconds before.

Maryland was held to 28 yards and a single first down in the first quarter as Clemson built a 10-0 lead, three points coming after Maryland turned over the ball on a fumbled fair catch.

But the Terps rallied with 17 points in the second quarter to pull ahead. Nick Ferrara kicked a 43-yard field goal and Turner threw touchdowns of 29 yards to Torrey Smith and 4 yards to former Wagener-Salley star Ronnie Tyler.

The pass to Tyler put Maryland ahead 17-13 with 35 seconds left in the first half.