Quarterback Drew Allar caught the snap and stayed poised as his receivers spread out across Maryland’s end zone. Without taking a single step, Allar aired one out to Dante Cephas in the end zone who made it more than a three-score game to start the final quarter.
The 5-3 Maryland Terrapins hosted the 7-1 Penn State Nittany Lions (ranked ninth in the country) on Saturday in College Park. Adding onto their three-game losing streak, the Terps were defeated 51-15, becoming 2-4 in the Big Ten conference.
“I don’t think they’re 51-15 better than us,” head coach Mike Locksley said during his post-game presser. “I don’t think we played to our potential, and when you don’t play to your potential, the first place you look to is me.”
Maryland looked to get a fresh start with its first November game after experiencing a series of pitfalls in October. It started with a 37-17 loss versus Ohio State, then a 27-24 loss to Illinois, followed by a 33-27 loss against Northwestern.
In between, co-offensive coordinator Kevin Sumlin was arrested and charged with a DUI in Florida, and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis was referenced in a Michigan sign stealing report.
Penn State on the other hand entered the game coming off of a 33-24 win against Indiana after losing to Ohio State the week prior, 20-12, and the winning momentum kept up for the Nittany Lions.
Maryland started with the ball on offense but turned it over on downs at its own 44-yard line. Penn State made quick work of its first possession, with wide receiver Dante Cephas catching a short pass in the end zone to put his team up 7-0.
Penn State made it a two-score game only two drives later, starting with a 38-yard reception from WR Keandre Lambert-Smith to enter Maryland’s red zone. After a couple of rush attempts, quarterbacks Drew Allar and Beau Pribula entered the field for a trick play that ended with a shovel pass to tight end Theo Johnson in the end zone.
Maryland entered the second quarter trailing 14-0.
The Terps finally managed to score on their first drive of the next period. A personal foul penalty against Penn State placed the ball on the 8-yard line, and running back Roman Hemby caught a short pass from QB Taulia Tagovailoa for the touchdown.
The touchdown pass marked Tagovailoa’s 17th straight completion to start the game, a career-high that tied him with South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler for most in the country this season.
Penn State managed to reach first and goal territory with under three minutes left in the half. TE Tyler Warren hauled in an 8-yard reception in double coverage to maintain a two-score game.
“[Allar] was getting the ball off in like three seconds or less,” Maryland linebacker Donnell Brown said post-game. “It was difficult to get back there, but the only thing we could do was try to get him out of the pocket.”
Unable to respond before time expired, Maryland entered the second half trailing 21-7.
Kicker Alex Felkins made a 30-yard field goal at the end of Penn State’s first drive, giving Maryland the ball with just over nine minutes in the quarter. However, this field goal was the only score made in the third quarter as Maryland failed to gain more than 15 yards on offense while holding Penn State to 68.
The fourth quarter bore opposite results.
Penn State broke the scoring drought just over a minute into the final period, with Dante Cephas catching his second touchdown of the night in the corner of Maryland’s end zone.
But Maryland proved it still had life left. A 30-yard completion to WR Tai Felton landed the Terps on Penn State’s one-yard line, and the drive ended with a dish-off to WR Jeshaun Jones. RB Antwain Littleton II rushed for a successful two-point conversion attempt, making it 31-15 Penn State with 11 minutes to go.
“We just couldn’t get it together today, it was one of those things where we were up and down all day, had some turnovers,” Felton said post-game. “We just gotta keep going, move on and fix our mistakes so it doesn’t happen again.”
RB Nicholas Singleton returned K Jack Howes’ kick for 51 yards to land the ball at Maryland’s 41-yard line. A long pass to WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith put Penn State in the red zone, and the drive quickly ended with a rushing touchdown from RB Kaytron Allen.
Tagovailoa threw an interception and then fumbled on back-to-back possessions, and both turnovers led to field goals from Felkins to further cushion Penn State’s lead at 44-15.
QB Billy Edwards Jr. relieved Tagovailoa for the final two minutes, but his first pass was an interception. A third straight Maryland turnover resulted in a Penn State score, with Beau Pribula rushing six yards for a touchdown.
Maryland crumpled in the final minutes, dropping its record to 5-4 overall.
Despite ending with 283 passing yards, the Terps finished with -2 rushing yards (not accounting for sacks) and four turnovers.
“It just seemed like guys were unblocked inside when we tried to establish the run, and sometimes you get scooped out of it, but we gotta continue to coach those guys through it and have a better plan,” Locksley said.
