Within the waning moments of this messy sport, the Maryland Terrapins needed to present they may ship when the result trusted their capability below strain. No penalty flags, solely poise. That’s what the Terps wanted.
Maryland
Maryland’s defense has the final say in comeback victory over SMU
Minutes earlier than, SMU confronted a fourth down on the Maryland 9-yard line and once more the Terps held. However their offense stalled, and the following punt left the door ajar. So the Terps (3-0) needed to muster one other cease earlier than claiming a win of their first important take a look at of the season.
The victory got here lined in yellow flags — 15 penalties for a lack of 141 yards for Maryland. The Terps created their very own adversity, then overcame it.
The Terps tied the rating at 27 early within the fourth quarter with Roman Hemby’s brief landing run. Because the Mustangs (2-1) tried to reclaim the lead, Dante Dealer Jr. grabbed a important interception, the Terps’ third takeaway of the sport.
Tight finish Corey Dyches had a key 10-yard reception to transform on fourth down — making up for Dontay Demus Jr.’s drop on what may have been a deep landing cross on the earlier play — after which Dyches scored the go-ahead landing with 7:30 remaining for Maryland’s first lead within the second half.
Maryland’s offense — even with a modest efficiency from quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (17 of 23 for 214 yards) — mustered 7.2 yards per play. However a powerful day from the operating backs and key defensive performs saved the Terps from being undone by their errors.
The Terps struggled to generate scoring alternatives as a result of they struggled on third down (changing simply 5 of 13), misplaced a drive due to Tai Felton’s fumble on a kickoff and held themselves again with penalties all through.
Take into account Maryland’s journey to the purple zone simply after the halftime break: The Terps had just a few optimistic performs, propelling them down the sphere, after which a barrage of penalties. Maryland picked up unlawful formation and unlawful snap penalties on back-to-back performs contained in the purple zone. Large receiver Jeshaun Jones caught a cross ultimately zone, however lineman Mason Lunsford was flagged for holding, and Jones acquired an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taunting after what he thought was a landing. The Terps settled for a 43-yard discipline aim to tie the sport.
On the defensive finish, the Terps gave up 369 passing yards, but managed to maintain the sport inside attain because of junior defensive again Beau Brade’s standout displaying with an interception, a pressured fumble and a team-high 15 tackles — one of many few brilliant spots within the messy sport.
The protection struggled to include standout SMU huge receiver Rashee Rice. He recorded his third consecutive sport with no less than 130 receiving yards by selecting up a season excessive of 193 towards the Terps’ protection.
Each groups entered within the prime 25 nationally in scoring offense, however the Terps discovered themselves taking part in from behind by a lot of the primary half with their protection unable to restrict the Mustangs’ explosive performs. Within the first half alone, SMU had eight receptions of no less than 15 yards and two rushes for a acquire of no less than 10.
The Terps finally obtained going by stringing collectively a collection of highly effective runs from the trio of backs — Hemby, Antwain Littleton II and Colby McDonald — capped by Littleton’s one-yard, highflying leap into the tip zone. The Maryland protection then pressured its first turnover of the season with Brade’s interception, which arrange a 48-yard landing cross from Tagovailoa to receiver Rakim Jarrett on the subsequent play.
The Terps’ laundry checklist of penalties, usually at inopportune occasions, grew to an extent that may make a coach groan if that they had been compiled over the course of a month, not to mention in a single sport.
In three situations early within the sport when Maryland confronted a third- or fourth-and-short, an offensive lineman picked up a false begin. As soon as, the Terps needed to accept a discipline aim, which Chad Ryland hit from 36 yards out. The following time, Maryland couldn’t convert the third down and needed to punt. The third flag derailed the Terps’ fourth-down try from their very own 34-yard line, forcing the punt crew to take the sphere as an alternative.
After Maryland generated back-to-back landing drives however nonetheless confronted a 20-17 deficit within the ultimate minutes earlier than halftime, Tagovailoa scrambled previous the first-down marker, however Jones picked up a private foul. Two performs later, Jones was known as out of bounds on a third-down sideline catch that, upon replay on the videoboard, prompted the coed part to boo with gusto. The Terps needed to punt and head into the locker room down by a discipline aim.
Then got here the atrocious journey to the purple zone that ended with a discipline aim and set the stage for continued hassle within the second half. With the Maryland protection on the sphere within the third quarter, the unit picked up three penalties — unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing the passer and cross interference — however prevented harm because of Ahmad McCullough recovering a fumble pressured by Brade when SMU had plowed contained in the 5-yard line.