Taulia Tagovailoa's Masterful Performance Guides Maryland to Thrilling Overtime Win Over Minnesota
The turf at Maryland Stadium was flooded with Maryland'due south bright cherry-red jerseys and blackness helmets flying in pure jubilation and commemoration shortly following Minnesota kicker Brock Walker's missed extra point.
Abaft by 17 inbound the fourth quarter, the Terps had put the finishing touches on a celebrated 45-44 comeback win over Minnesota. Entering this evening'due south matchup, Maryland was 0-71 all-time when abaft by 17 points entering the quaternary quarter. Withal, when it mattered most, Maryland stepped upwardly in all three phases of the game propelling them to the victory.
In overtime, Maryland sophomore quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa noticed the play breaking down and began to sprint towards the left pilon. The young-indicate caller pigeon for a get-ahead 2-yard touchdown–i of his several highlight plays on the night.
"We thought they were going to be in man defense force, the two receivers were cracking down and the corner cruel of," Tagovailoa said. "After that [Dontay Demus] ran [the corner] out and it was open up for me to run."
As he did all night long, Tagovailoa stepped up nether pressure leaving last week's struggles in the rearview mirror. His fifth and final touchdown put Tagovailoa in rare company. Co-ordinate to ESPN Stats and Info, he's merely the third Big Ten player over the final twenty seasons with 350 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in the aforementioned game.
In improver to Tagovailoa, Maryland's rushing assail looked revitalized, led by senior Jake Funk, who finished with a career-high 221 yards. For the get-go fourth dimension in program history, the Terps had both a 300-yard passer and 200-yard rusher in the same game. That success both running and passing led to 675 total yards for Maryland, their largest total since Oct. 27, 2022 against Illinois. Funk's total is the highest by a Maryland running back since Nov. 17, 2022 confronting Ohio State.
"I was seeing open holes, information technology was a collective squad effort," Funk said. "I'm just the one who gets credit for the rushing yards, but it was all eleven guys blocking."
Despite surrendering 451 yards and 262 rushing yards, Maryland's defence force stepped upwards when information technology needed to near. Linebacker Risk Campbell–the unquestioned leader of the Terps unit–finished with thirteen tackles, a sack and ii.5 tackles for loss. As the Gophers offense looked to shut the door on Maryland'southward improvement efforts, the defense forced consecutive punts shutting out Minnesota in the final quarter.
"Really proud of our team this evening, it was a keen graphic symbol win for the states," head coach Mike Locksley said. "We got bully play out of our offense, we got great play out of our defence force when we needed it most and so our special teams came through as well."
Maryland'south offensive firepower was on display from the opening bulldoze. On that serial, Tagovailoa completed five passes to iv different receivers and scampered for a 23-thousand run. To cap that drive, Tagovailoa continued with Funk on an eight-yard touchdown reception. Building on the momentum from the offense, Maryland'due south defense besides forced Minnesota to go three and out on its opening series.
Both Tagovailoa'south apprehension and play-making ability allowed Maryland to continue hitting their stride on the 2nd bulldoze. On the 2d play of the series, Tagovailoa spun to his right and rifled a laissez passer to a diving Rakim Jarrett for the beginning down. The side by side play, Minnesota linebacker Thomas Rush sprinted into the backfield, unblocked, in heavy pursuit of Tagovailoa. Anticipating the rush, Tagovailoa spun away from 2 defenders and found space downwards the sideline en route to a 39-grand touchdown.
"We work a lot of movement drills with Autobus Montgomery and Coach Johnson," Tagovailoa said. "Those are the drills that motorbus e'er tells u.s.a. when passes break down, use two easily on the brawl and you tin spin out or stride upwards. "I'chiliad happy that I took what we used in practice and used it at the game."
Maryland seemed primed to have over the game. However, the Minnesota offense bounced back on the following bulldoze. Headlined past a 28-yard reception from wide receiver Rashod Bateman and a sixteen-yard rush by Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota executed an eight-play 81-yard touchdown drive of their ain. Ibrahim scored his showtime of four first-one-half touchdowns, cut the Maryland lead to xiv-vii.
However, information technology didn't take the Terps long to respond. To start the ensuing bulldoze, Tagovailoa fired a pass into wide receiver Jeshaun Jones on the run-pass option. Jones broke the tackle and beelined downwardly the left sideline for a 76-m touchdown–his first touchdown since returning from a torn ACL.
Although the Terps regained a 14-point atomic number 82, the high-octane Gophers offense continued to execute at a high-level. The Gophers put together an 11-play 65-yard bulldoze with Ibrahim and the rushing assail serving as the leading catalyst.
Afterwards the offense scored, the Gophers defence needed to come upwardly with a big play and provided just that. With Maryland facing 1st and 15, Tagovailoa was intercepted past defensive linemen Deandre Carter on a tipped laissez passer. Carter and the Gophers defense snuffed out the screen pass and baited the young signal caller into making the contested throw.
Carter returned the interception 22 yards, setting up the Gophers with excellent field position at the 29-thousand line. A leaping 28-thou reception from Chris-Autman Bell fix up the Gophers at the one-thou line and Ibrahim scored his third touchdown of the game several plays later on tying the game at 21.
Minnesota's defense came up clutch once again on Maryland'due south side by side possession. With a third and 2 opportunity from the Gophers 43-yard line, backup quarterback Lance LeGendre was stopped for no gain, setting up a 4th and 2 opportunity. Locksley elected to punt the ball in an endeavor to pin Minnesota deep in their own territory.
While the Gophers began the drive at their nine-yard line, their rushing attack connected to thrive. Ibrahim and Treyson Potts began the drive with back-to-back 33 and 29-yard rushes respectively. Three plays later, the Gophers took their offset lead of the game 28-21 on Ibrahim's fourth rushing touchdown of the half.
In desperate demand of a score, Maryland's criminal offence put together a strong drive with a strong connection between Tagovailoa and Demus. 2nd and ane on the Gophers 25-1000 line, both Jarrett and Jeshaun Jones were chosen for back-to-back penalties moving Maryland dorsum to the 44-yard line.
Gaining a few yards on third down, Joseph Petrino headed out to kicking a 51-thousand field goal, which bounced off the left upright and out. Unable to score on the final drive, Maryland headed into the half trailing 28-21, allowing 21 unanswered points.
Continuing their moving ridge of momentum from the first half, quarterback Tanner Morgan and the Gophers offense continued to thrive. After an unnecessary roughness penalty on defensive linemen Mosiah Nisili-Kite gave the Gophers an automatic get-go downwards, Morgan and wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell connected for a 39-k touchdown extending the Minnesota lead to 35-21.
Sensing that Minnesota was pulling away, Maryland's offense did its best to mount a comeback. Catalyzed by a 51-yard run from Funk and an 18-one thousand take hold of from Demus, the Terps were gear up in prime position at the one-yard line.
However, on the next play, freshman running dorsum Peny Boone stretched out for the end zone and fumbled the ball. The Gophers recovered the fumble and took advantage of Boone's mistake compiling a 73-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes and resulted in a field goal.
Despite trailing 38-21 yielding 31 unanswered points, entering the quaternary quarter, Maryland remained composed and didn't flinch on either side of the ball. Tagovailoa and Demus connected their strong rapport on the run-pass pick, connecting on a 15-grand touchdown to cut the arrears to 38-28.
Playing with renewed energy, Maryland's defense, led by Campbell, picked upwards its start crucial terminate of the final quarter.
"We needed to close out the game," defensive linemen Lawtez Rogers said. "Our defence force really stepped up and it was a bully feeling especially being out there to see it. "Nosotros didn't take our foot off the gas, we were determined."
Thriving off the free energy from a defensive terminate, Tagovailoa connected with Darryl Jones and Demus setting Maryland up with another opportunity to put points on the board. However, when Maryland was merely outside the redzone, Tagovailoa couldn't escape intense pressure level and was sacked for a xvi-yard loss. Although he missed a kick from the same distance earlier, Petrino came out and drilled a 51-yard field goal cut the deficit to 38-31 with 7:06 remaining.
Minnesota once again had an opportunity to shut the door on a Terps improvement, simply the defense stymied that opportunity. On 3rd and six, Morgan scrambled left looking for an open receiver and slipped, allowing Campbell to come in and finish the sack.
"Our defence kept banging away, kept fighting and kept playing hard," Locksley said. "I thought the energy level changed as they were able to have more success."
In a game filled with so many momentum swings, Tagovailoa and the law-breaking had their opportunity to necktie the score. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Funk establish a seam on the left side of the field and dove into the endzone for a 19-yard touchdown tying the game at 38.
With three:38 remaining, Maryland completed the 17-point comeback, and the defense connected their outstanding 4th-quarter play stopping the Gophers i last fourth dimension in regulation. Maryland's crime had an opportunity to close out the game in regulation, but penalties halted their progress and sent the game to overtime.
The aforementioned Tagovailoa's scramble put Maryland on meridian 45-38 in the first overtime– the Terps first lead since the second quarter. Although Minnesota scored the presumptive game-tying touchdown in overtime, Walker'due south miss secured the Terps hard-fought victory.
Maryland'southward resilience and grit was on total display Friday nighttime and will be pivotal for the next two weeks as the Terps enter a grueling stretch against Ohio State and Penn State.
"What I learned most about the team this night is that they're listening," Locksley said. "I didn't run into us flinch when we were down, I didn't see u.s. become overly excited when we were up and that'southward the blazon of squad we're going to take to be."
Source: http://wmucsports.net/taulia-tagovailoas-masterful-performance-guides-maryland-to-thrilling-overtime-win-over-minnesota/
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