The Maryland Terrapins begin a long, uphill battle as they enter Big Ten play this weekend, facing Michigan State in their first road game of the season.

With the 42-14 win over Virginia last Friday, Maryland conquered all three of its out-of-conference opponents, beating Towson 38-6 and Charlotte 38-20. Still, it wasn’t a perfect series of games with Charlotte and Virginia each holding 14-0 leads throughout the first quarters. 

Charlotte’s lead even carried into the second half with the 49ers up 14-9.

“I think I have enough proof that we’re a team built to overcome adversity,” head coach Mike Locksley said post-game after beating Virginia. “And I don’t think I need to see us down 14-0 anymore to know that we’re capable.”

It’s safe to say Maryland cannot afford these slow starts in the Big Ten where coming back from a two-possession seems unlikely. And if these comebacks were proof of Maryland’s ability to persevere, keep in mind they happened in College Park, and not a hostile road environment.

But it goes without saying that the Terps showed a lot of promise in the first three weeks, especially in the later quarters when they were able to recollect themselves. 

With that said, here’s the report card for the first few games:

Offense: A

Maryland’s offense currently shines in the Big Ten with the second-highest average passing yards per game (304) and fifth-highest average rushing yards per game (176). While the slow starts keep this group short of an A+, Maryland has drastically outscored its opponents in each of its three games.

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa averages the most passing yards per game in the Big Ten (296.3) and currently sits in third for highest completion percentage (66%). He started the season off strong with three passing touchdowns against Towson and has found the endzone six times in total thus far. 

With nine of Maryland’s 14 touchdowns happening on the ground, there has been a heavy reliance on the running back corps. Standout Roman Hemby leads the team with four touchdowns (two behind Michigan’s Blake Corum who leads the Big Ten), and has shown versatility as a pass-catcher with 94 yards while averaging 10.4 yards per catch.

“I feel like the more I can do for this offense, the better off I’ll be,” Hemby said post-game after notching 55 receiving yards against Charlotte. “I want to help this team win, and however that makes my role is how I’ll take it.”

Jeshaun Jones, Corey Dyches and Kaden Prather are the clear go-to guys in the receiving corps. Jones and Prather are tied for two touchdowns apiece, and Prather sits fifth in the Big Ten for yards per catch (20.4). 

Defense: B+

Maryland’s defense has proven sturdy in its first three games, only allowing two touchdowns apiece to Charlotte and Virginia while keeping Towson completely outside the endzone in Week One.

But like the offense, the defense has started slow in each of the past two games, if not slower. A 48-yard touchdown pass put Charlotte up 7-0 on its first drive, and Virginia took advantage of its first two drives with a 13-yard rushing touchdown and 19-yard passing touchdown. 

Defensive back Tarheeb Still and defensive lineman Donnell Brown tie with five others in the Big Ten for most interceptions, each with two. No one else on the team has any.

All four interceptions were made in the fourth quarters of the Charlotte and Virginia games. Brown got one in each game, while Still caught both against Virginia.

“We didn’t start well, we didn’t finish well, but we played good in-between,” Brown said after beating Charlotte. “We just gotta play good all the way through, and if we do that, we have a chance to do something special.”

Jaishawn Barham leads the defense with two sacks but the team has seven total, which is currently the ninth-highest accumulated in the Big Ten.

This defense is all-around solid, but also all-around even. There doesn’t seem to be a clear defensive star just yet besides Still and maybe Barham, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

However, those who are at the top of Maryland’s stat sheet are being significantly outpaced by the Big Ten’s current defensive leaders.

Special Teams: A

Maryland has shown to be very reliant on its kicking team. Jack Howes has racked up 23 points for the Terps so far, nearly 20% of the team’s total. His biggest showing was against Charlotte in which he made three field goals and three extra points.

Howes’ only two misses were a 45-yard field goal attempt vs. Towson and a 55-yard attempt vs. Virginia— two considerably deep attempts for a sophomore kicker. He now sits with a field goal percentage of 60%, which is fifth-highest in the conference.

Then there is Braeden Wisloski, who prevented Maryland from going scoreless in the first quarter against Virginia by returning a 98-yard punt to the endzone. 

The true freshman gave Maryland its first punt return since DJ Turner’s in 2019. 

“[Braeden] is the guy that has the ability to make explosive plays,” Locksley said after the game. “We’re looking for a guy that can give us a spark in the return game, and he was able to get us going.”

After Wisloski’s touchdown, Maryland prevented Virginia from scoring again as the offense went on to score 35 more points to win the game.

Overall Grade: A

None of these groups are perfect right now, but Maryland hasn’t let starting 0-14 affect its record just yet. When the first quarter jitters are brushed off, this offense works like a well-oiled machine that has potential to be one of the highest producers in the Big Ten.

How to watch Maryland (3-0) vs. Michigan State (2-1):

• Kickoff: 3:32 p.m. EST, Saturday, Sept. 5.
• Where: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.
• Watch: NBC – Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter).
• Listen: 105.7 FM (Balt) / 980 AM (DC) – Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), Steve Suter (analyst).
• Stream: Fubo and Peacock