On the first play from scrimmage, Taulia Tagovailoa completed a pass to Jeshaun Jones for a gain of 62 yards. Two plays later, Tai Felton hauled in a toss from Tagovailoa to finish off the opening drive with a 13-yard touchdown score.
Maryland didn’t look back after the quick start, holding Indiana without a lead for the entirety of the game en route to a 44-17 win over its conference rival.
The connection with Jones makes Tagovailoa the only player in program history to surpass 9,000 career passing yards, a feat that moves the Ewa Beach native into a league of his own in College Park.
“He’s a talented player who played really well today. He played mistake-free football today for the most part,” said Head Coach Mike Locksley. “How he goes, we go.”
The Redshirt Senior accounted for four first-half touchdowns, including three to Felton.
The win puts the Terps at 5-0 for the first time since 2001, as well as a 2-0 start in Big Ten play for the first time since joining the conference.
“I thought today was probably the most complete game we’ve played in all three phases,” Locksley said. “Usually when we play to our standard we end up with wins.”
As efficient as the offense was, the defense held just as stout, allowing 155 total yards and 3.5 yards per play through the first half. Indiana quarterback Tayven Jackson had no answer for the Terps’ defensive unit, throwing for 113 yards and one interception before being benched in the third frame.
After taking a 24-point lead out of the dressing room, the second half featured much of the same for Maryland.
Indiana attempted a fake punt on 4th and 9 in their own territory at the start of the third quarter but failed to convert. The Terps settled for a field goal following the turnover on downs and cruised to victory from there.
Tagovailoa finished with 352 yards and six total touchdowns while Jones and Felton combined for 13 receptions, 255 yards and three scores. The trio will look for similar success next Saturday against No. 4 Ohio State.
“I mean you guys know we have a lot of playmakers,” Tagovailoa said. “The two things that coach has talked about all week was winning the football game and playing to our standards. If we continue to do that, we’ll continue to make history.”
After a stellar start to the season against inferior opponents, the Terps will travel to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes in a matchup that is set up to be their first test of the season.
“This is still just the beginning, we’ve still got work to do,” Locksley said. “We’ve got a tremendous challenge coming up this week which I know our guys are excited for.”
