Taulia Tagovailoa snapped the ball and without hesitation, took off for the endzone. He landed on the 2-yard line, silencing a rowdy Michigan crowd. Tagovailoa then handed the ball off for a touchdown run on the next play, letting Michigan know that they had come to play.
Maryland stepped foot in the Big House looking for its fourth consecutive win on Saturday. After finishing 3-6 in the Big Ten last season, defeating the conference champion would have placed Maryland on every school’s radar in the NCAA.
“We don’t believe in moral victories,” said head coach Mike Locksley in his post-game presser. “Close is not good enough, but I’m proud of the way our team fought.”
For the first time this season, the Terps were underdogs. Michigan, ranked No. 4 in the country, blew out Colorado State, Hawai’i, and Connecticut. Michigan also won the Big Ten last year.
A fumble from WR Tai Felton on the opening kickoff put Michigan on the 10-yard line to start. Eight seconds into the game, QB J.J. McCarthy connected a pass with TE Luke Schoonmaker to put the Wolverines up 7-0. Maryland would respond with a 53-yard field goal from Chad Ryland on the ensuing drive.
McCarthy struggled for the Wolverines on offense, mostly connecting with his receivers on short, underneath passes. Maryland was able to create its first stop on Michigan’s second drive, forcing a career-high 52-yard field goal from Jake Moody on fourth down.
On offense, Maryland performed like a well-oiled machine on the ground and in the air. Tagovailoa rushed for nine yards in the first quarter to put Maryland at first and goal. A two-yard touchdown-run by RB Antwain Littleton II brought the score to 10-10.
Chad Ryland’s big leg was vital for keeping the Terps in the game. Following a 53-yarder in the first quarter, a 52-yard field goal in the second put Maryland up by three.
“These are the moments you live for,” Ryland said. “It was a blessing to get the two 50+ [field goals] and be able to knock them down.”
Maryland’s defense had done its homework. Consistent downfield coverage forced McCarthy to move around in the pocket, which prevented several big plays. Its only weakness appeared to be slowing Michigan’s run game. A 33-yard rush from RB Blake Corum put Michigan back on top before the half, bringing the score to 17-13.
“It was definitely an emphasis this week, ” said DB Jakorian Bennett in regards to stopping Michigan’s pass game. “In our last game they were throwing the ball a lot, so we just wanted to get more reps at it and make it second nature.”
Injuries plagued the Terps in the third quarter. Tagovailoa went down with an apparent hip injury but returned on the following drive to finish the game. WR Rakim Jarrett went down with a left shoulder injury following an unsuccessful pass attempt but did not return.
After a scoreless third quarter from both teams, McCarthy threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to WR Roman Wilson, extending the lead to 24-13.
A 44-yard pass to TE Corey Dyches set the Terps up nicely for another score to respond. Tagovailoa found Felton wide open in the endzone for a touchdown. Maryland went for the two-point conversion, but Tagovailoa’s pass was intercepted. 19-24, Michigan.
On Michigan’s next drive, McCarthy completed his first long pass with a 49-yard strike to WR Ronnie Bell. Maryland’s zone coverage proved too much for the Wolverines, forcing yet another field goal to advance their lead by three.
DB R.J. Moten came up with an interception from Tagovailoa, undoubtedly sealing the victory for Michigan. Corum managed a 47-yard run to earn his second touchdown of the game.
With under a minute left, backup QB Billy Edwards Jr. threw to TE CJ Dippre for an 18-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was successful, but the onside kick to follow was not.
The final score was 27-34, Michigan.
Despite the loss, Maryland certainly has a lot to be proud of. The defense held Michigan to its lowest-scoring game by almost 20 points. From an offensive standpoint, Maryland improved immensely on third-downs, finishing with a 45.5% success rate. Most importantly, the Terps had just a single penalty in the game, a major improvement from last week’s fifteen.
