Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa passed for a school-record 3,860 yards — and he’s back to lead an impressive attack again

With an skilled quarterback in Taulia Tagovailoa and a proficient receiving corps, Maryland has constructed an thrilling passing assault that has received its share of Huge Ten video games.

Whether or not the Terrapins will be something greater than an afterthought to the convention’s high groups stays to be seen.

Maryland is coming off a profitable season and a bowl victory — accomplishments value appreciating — however when the Terps went up in opposition to Ohio State and Michigan, they misplaced 66-17 and 59-18. A giant residence evening sport in opposition to Iowa became a 51-14 defeat.

Coach Michael Locksley is attempting to maintain the concentrate on his crew — what the Terps can do to keep away from beating themselves — as an alternative of worrying an excessive amount of about how formidable the competitors is perhaps.

“It’s going to be extra about what we do,” he stated. “I do know folks say we wish to shut the hole between the highest groups — we’ve bought a troublesome league, we perceive that — but it surely’s nonetheless going to be extra about what we do than it’s what they do.”

Maryland made it to a bowl by profitable the video games it was imagined to win. The Terrapins went 3-0 in nonconference video games and managed Huge Ten wins over Illinois, Indiana and Rutgers. They completed the season robust, routing Rutgers 40-16 for win No. 6, then beating Virginia Tech 54-10 within the Pinstripe Bowl.

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Tagovailoa returns after passing for a school-record 3,860 yards. Additionally again are receivers Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus. Jarrett caught 62 passes for 829 yards a season in the past, main a crew that had 10 gamers with at the very least 18 catches and at the very least 197 receiving yards.

Demus was misplaced to a knee damage lower than midway by final season, however he nonetheless completed with 507 receiving yards in 5 video games. Maryland additionally provides switch receiver Jacob Copeland, who had 41 catches for 642 yards at Florida final season. And Jeshaun Jones returns after his 2021 season was lower brief by a leg damage.

Tagovailoa, the brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, lastly had an opportunity to play a full season for the Terps after the pandemic shortened the 2020 marketing campaign. The outcomes had been spectacular. He additionally set faculty information for completions (328) and completion proportion (69.2%).

“The largest subsequent step for Lia, and he understands, is to proceed to emotionally mature to the place, as a pacesetter, he doesn’t trip the wave of feelings that go throughout the sport,” Locksley stated. “The place you’ve gotten the nice and the dangerous, we wish to type of maintain him at impartial.”

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Pretty much as good because the passing sport could possibly be, the Terps know they will’t beat the Huge Ten’s finest on velocity alone. They’re hopeful that returning their total beginning offensive line will assist.

“We’re constructing nice depth, lastly,” Locksley stated. “Particularly up entrance within the trenches.”

Jap Michigan switch Chad Ryland arrives at Maryland with a streak of 17 consecutive made area targets. Locksley would like to see that type of consistency from his crew’s kicking sport.

“When you cross the 35-yard line, you need to have the ability to at the very least know that we have now an opportunity to get factors on the board,” he stated.

These scores in opposition to Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa illustrate how a lot room for enchancment Maryland has on protection, however the Terps do convey an honest quantity of expertise again. Sixteen gamers on the Maryland protection have began at the very least one sport.

Maryland opens the season Sept. 3 in opposition to Buffalo. Its different nonconference video games are at Charlotte and at residence in opposition to SMU.

Huge Ten play begins with back-to-back robust video games at Michigan and in opposition to Michigan State. November isn’t straightforward both — highway journeys to Wisconsin and Penn State adopted by a house matchup with Ohio State.