Maryland football escapes Indiana with 38-33 victory, but Tagovailoa’s injury looms large

Fewer than a minute into the fourth quarter, Maryland redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa dropped again and delivered a go to junior large receiver Jacob Copeland for 11 yards and a primary down.

When the play ended, although, all consideration instantly turned to the Terps’ star quarterback, down on the sector holding his knee in ache.

After being attended to by the coaching employees, Tagovailoa was carted off the sector, seemingly ending Maryland’s hopes at a comeback.

However, with redshirt freshman Billy Edwards Jr. in at quarterback calling the indicators and redshirt freshman operating again Roman Hemby carrying the load, the Terps pulled out a 38-33 victory in Bloomington, Indiana, Saturday afternoon.

“Once I bought the play name, I gave it to them and I mentioned ‘Let’s go to work,’” mentioned Edwards, who has performed sparingly when Tagovailoa has gone down on a couple of events this season.

The win moved the Terps to 5-2 for the primary time since 2016.

Maryland’s offense has been oft-talked about as the important thing to the group’s success. Edwards Jr. has proven glimpses of his capability to guide the unit and transfer the ball successfully, however Tagovailoa has been heralded as top-of-the-line quarterbacks within the Massive Ten.

Many have mentioned that the Terps will go so far as Tagovailoa takes them. Now, if Tagovailoa’s damage is as critical because it initially appeared, it will likely be as much as Edwards Jr. to step into that function and command the offense for the close to future.

“You gotta put together such as you’re the starter, kinda simply keep prepared for no matter alternative your quantity’s referred to as,” Edwards mentioned.

“Now we have large religion in Billy and his capability to return in and execute. It’s a subsequent man up mentality,” Locksley added.

Though the sport required a late comeback from the Terps, they shortly made an influence on the defensive finish regardless of lacking key items within the secondary. On the primary play from scrimmage, Indiana redshirt junior quarterback Connor Bazelak’s go was tipped up within the air and intercepted by junior cornerback Tarheeb Nonetheless, his first interception of the season.

“It was a extremely massive play, particularly it being the primary play. Form of surprising, simply got here proper to me,” Nonetheless mentioned.

Profiting from the brief area, Maryland shortly discovered the tip zone, with junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa punching in a brief landing. The Terps are the one group within the FBS that has scored on their first drive in each sport this season.

Indiana redshirt senior kicker Charles Campbell broke the ice for the Hoosiers with a 38-yard area aim, however Maryland answered shortly with a formidable eight-play drive. After an athletic evasion and 26-yard go to Tai Felton by Tagovailoa and a fourth-down conversion by Jeshaun Jones, sophomore tight finish CJ Dippre scampered his means in for an 18-yard rating to start out the second quarter.

Up 14-3, it seemed just like the Terps had put sufficient distance between them and the Hoosiers to start to drag away. However, the second quarter shortly spiraled into one of many worst Maryland has performed all season.

Indiana rattled off 14 answered factors to finish the half, making the most of the Terps’ quite a few errors.

With slightly below 10 minutes till halftime, Bazelak linked with senior operating again Josh Henderson for a 44-yard landing after sophomore security Dante Dealer Jr. slipped and allowed him to go unmarked and waltz into the tip zone untouched.

Then, Maryland promptly punted and gave the ball again to Indiana. After stopping the Hoosiers and forcing a punt, sophomore defensive lineman Taizse Johnson was referred to as for a maintain which stored the ball in Indiana’s arms. The Hoosiers made probably the most of their alternative, marching into the tip zone to take the lead heading into the half.

Bazelak arrange a 3-yard landing go to junior Cam Camper with a nifty 23-yard reception on a reverse from sophomore Donoven McCulley, who began final 12 months’s matchup between the 2 groups at quarterback.

“We bought kinda lackadaisical. We had first quarter … we gotta preserve the foot on the gasoline each play,” Nonetheless mentioned of the protection’s tough second quarter.

Heading into the half down 17-14, Maryland wanted a spark — badly.

Freshman large receiver Octavian Smith Jr. jumpstarted the Terps’ drive with a 54-yard kick return to start out the third quarter, resulting in a 17-yard strike from Tagovailoa to senior wideout Dontay Demus Jr. for the previous All-Massive Ten pass-catcher’s first landing of the season.

The remainder of the quarter wasn’t very eventful, as the one scores had been area objectives traded by Campbell and Maryland senior kicker Chad Ryland, however the Terps as soon as once more let the Hoosiers keep inside placing distance and subsequently allowed them to take the lead. No matter spark the early third-quarter drive had supplied had dissipated.

On a fast seven-play drive, Indiana discovered the tip zone for the third time Saturday afternoon, a short-yardage rating by Henderson.

When Tagovailoa went down and Maryland had its again firmly in opposition to the wall, Hemby stepped up when referred to as upon. He had 73 speeding yards within the fourth quarter, together with a go-ahead landing midway by means of the interval.

Edwards Jr. additionally was notably efficient operating the ball, speeding for 53 yards, together with a 31-yarder that arrange Hemby’s rating.

After a late Indiana landing, the Terps recovered an onside kick to seal a five-point win. They’ll have a possibility to clinch bowl eligibility subsequent week at dwelling in opposition to Northwestern.

Three issues to know

1. Penalties had been an issue as soon as once more. In one other displaying of a scarcity of self-discipline, the Terps had been flagged 9 occasions for a complete of 94 yards, together with a couple of that got here in extremely inopportune moments. Now greater than midway by means of the season, the hope that Maryland’s penalty downside may be addressed appeared to be waning, but it surely nonetheless seems in essential conditions.

“We’re group and good groups don’t beat themselves,” Locksley mentioned. “The penalties earlier than the primary half there that allowed them to attain factors on the finish of the sport, the false begin by veteran gamers, these are the issues that take away from our capability to have fun a extremely robust, hard-fought sport.”

2. Billy Edwards Jr. stepped up. After Tagovailoa’s damage, backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. had the ball put in his arms with the sport on the road. He got here by means of — and even whereas usually deferring to Hemby — did what he wanted to do to guide the Terps to a victory from behind. Tagovailoa’s standing stays unclear, however there’s likelihood that Edwards Jr. may have the keys to the offense shifting ahead, at the very least within the close to future.

“A street win within the Massive Ten may be very robust to return upon, so we clearly celebrated that … accidents are part of the sport of soccer. They’re by no means enjoyable, however you have fun a win when you possibly can and then you definitely group across the brothers and the blokes that bought banged up,” Edwards mentioned after the sport.

3. The Terps had been shorthanded. Maryland was with out starters in left deal with Jaelyn Duncan, cornerback Jakorian Bennett and as soon as once more linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II in opposition to the Hoosiers, and it confirmed, particularly on the offensive line. Duncan’s absence resulted in Maximus McCree beginning in his place and different starters to maneuver round, which was a motive for the strain that ultimately led to Tagovailoa’s damage.