It wasn’t pretty and took a lot more time than Maryland fans expected, but the Terps squeaked out their second road win of the season with a 38-33 win over Indiana. Breaking down our instant reactions from Saturday’s game:
Lapses Through Second Quarter…Maryland took a 14-3 lead just seconds into the second quarter after Taulia Tagovailoa found tight end CJ Dippre for his first passing touchdown of the gae, but Maryland would see the tide turn shortly after. Maryland’s defense was largely able to contain Indiana’s offense through the first 20 minutes, but quarterback Connor Bazelak was able to recognize Maryland defense’s busted coverage to find a wide-open Josh Henderson for a 44-yard touchdown to give the Hoosiers their first big play of the day. That wasn’t the issue, though. Despite 21 plays across the next three drives, Maryland amassed just 60 yards of offense. Despite seven different receivers with at least two catches midway through the game, Taulia struggled to find his wideouts downfield yet still did well stepping into the pocket and extending plays with his legs.
Offensive line adjusts…the big news ahead of kickoff was left tackle Jaelyn Duncan not with the team due to personal reasons, forcing offensive line coach Brian Braswell to reshuffle his starting unit. That led both Aric Harris and Coltin Deery to rotate in at center while Johari Branch lined up at right guard, Spencer Anderson at right tackle and DJ Glaze at left tackle. Reserve lineman Amelio Moran also checked into the game as the offensive line rotations have become the norm dating back to last season. The line struggled to hold up pressure, though, and weren’t equipped when the Hoosiers brought an extra defender. On the final drive of the first half, that’s what happened when a third down sack took Maryland out of field goal range and a chance to claw back into the game. The Hoosiers were able to generate a pair of sacks and six tackles for loss, including two from star linebacker Aaron Casey, despite the Terps generating over 400 yards of offense for the fifth time this season. Still, the drop in offensive line play was evident in a game the Terps should have dominated.
Penalties Hinder Maryland’s Efficiency…Maryland already entered Saturday leading the conference in both penalties and penalty yards and on Saturday, they had costly ones. Maryland had one penalty result in points after Taizse Johnson was called for defensive holding on 4th-and-8, giving the Hoosiers possession once more. Five plays later, the Hoosiers found the endzone to take their first lead of the day. During roughly the final five minutes of the second quarter, Maryland was called for four penalties for 44 yards to help the Hoosiers climb back into the game.
Those sloppy and unforced errors continued in the second half and were magnified in the final minute of the third quarter. After replay gave Indiana a first down, Maryland’s defense was able to swarm for a tackle for loss but a second penalty on Taizse Johnson was called after he pushed the Hoosier after the whistle. The call pushed Indiana’s offense to the Maryland 30, and one play later, Bazelak found Camper for a 24-yard catch that ultimately set up the Indiana touchdown to retake a 27-24 lead.
Quick Bounceback to Open 3rd Quarter…a disappointing ending to the first half set the stage for an explosive start to the second half. After a 54-yard kickoff return from Octavian Smith gave Maryland’s offense prime field position, Taulia connected with WR Dontay Demus for his first score of the season and promptly gave the Terps the lead back. On the first play of Indiana’s next drive, cornerback Deonte Banks turned his head around to haul in his first interception of the season to give the Terps a chance to tack on points. Maryland did exactly that with a 36-yard field goal extending the lead back to seven.
Star Carted Off, Edwards Time…With a chance to retake the lead after Indiana bounced back with a 27-24 lead, Maryand fans saw the image they hoped they’d never see. With the offense near midfield, Taulia found Jacob Copeland for a first down but the end of the play saw Taulia grimacing in pain holding his right knee. Moments later, the cart came onto the field to effectively end Taulia’s day. That brought out backup quarterback Billy Edwards, who was able to do some good in his first big moment.
After rushing for 10 yards on his first snap, the Terps eventually punted with the game still up in the air. After Maryland forced a quick stop deep in Indiana territory, Edwards and the offense took over at midfield before a 31-yard rush from the former Lake Braddock star pushed the Terps inside the five. Just three plays later, Roman Hemby would punch in a six-yard touchdown as Maryland retook the lead once more. After the second takeaway of the day, Hemby then broke free for a 46-yard run to push the Terps inside the redzone and begin to seal the game. Though he finished the game 0-for-3 through the air, Edwards managed to finish second on the team with 53 rushing yards in the win.
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