A 54-10 win in the Pinstripe Bowl has kept students across the University of Maryland more than satisfied after having not made a bowl appearance since 2016. As spring football comes around, expectations for this team have only grown more after seeing a glimpse of what this team has to offer. Nevertheless, there is something about Maryland football that is special and over this last year with the struggles with the basketball team, you may ask yourself, has Maryland officially become a predominantly football school?
After the Terrapins went 3-9 in the first season under head coach Mike Locksley, followed by a shortened 2020 season due to COVID, it’s understood why you’d believe no one would want to show out. The struggles from previous years still live in the minds of the upperclassmen within the university.
“One game that resonated with me the most was the Penn State blackout game in 2019,” according to William Ginsberg, a senior at the University of Maryland. “The game was hyped up like no other, tickets sold within a day, and I’ve never seen the stadium as packed as that night.”
The Terrapins had gone on to lose 59-0 that game, and to make matters worse, half of the students had left by halftime. With this in mind, how could any student have faith in a team that loses by that margin to a conference rival.
But for all Maryland fans that had dealt with the pain and suffering, there was one day that will live in their minds, May 15th, 2020. On this day, quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa announced that he would be continuing his academic and athletic career at Maryland.
“At first I was ecstatic, I couldn’t believe that we were finally getting a quarterback that not only had a brother that is in the NFL, but came over from a prestigious football school such as Alabama,” University of Maryland student Daniel Fernald said. “This was when I felt that this team could end up being something this year.”
On a team that has had over ten starting quarterbacks over the last decade, it’s hard to see improvement for a school that suffered had instability at the most vital position on the field. Tagovailoa’s arrival has been viewed as a major role in the team’s recent success.
Tagovailoa holds several single-season program records—passing yards (3,860), completions (328), completion percentage (69.2%), touchdowns (26), and 300-yard passing games (7). Tagovailoa also sits first in career completion percentage (67.6%), but after punching the Terps’ ticket to a bowl game for the first time since 2016. With a chance at their first bowl win since 2010, the arrival of postseason play for Maryland football even energized the students.
“My friends and I bought tickets as soon as they became available and it was worth every penny,” Fernald said. “Not only did Taulia play well which was fun to see, but you could feel like the entire team wanted to win that game badly.”
From the jump, the Terps had Virginia Tech on their heels with an early touchdown at the 13-minute mark with an electric 92-yard punt return by Tarheeb Still.
“When Still had that return early in the game, I could remember loads of beer being spilled on me by my friends next to me and the Maryland fans behind me,” according to UMD student Matt Francis. “I’ve never gone as crazy as I did that day for Maryland football and as a senior, to see them win and in the fashion that they did, it was a great way to end my college career as a fan of UMD football.”
Francis had gone to every single Maryland football game that he could over the last four years at the school. This season for him just simply felt different, and who could blame him when you have a great quarterback talent and an overall solid team that Maryland has not seen since the 2016 season.
When asked about why he attended all the games he did over his four years, Francis replied, “After these four years, I don’t know where life will take me, I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see the Terps in person again, so I figured I might as well cherish every opportunity I got.”
Fans such as Matt, William and Daniel are what make Maryland fans amongst the best in the country. Staying with their team through the thick and thin had finally paid off for these Terrapin supporters, but the new football season is just around the corner and the brilliant quarterback and coaches will be back.
Maryland football begins with media day next Tuesday, March 29th with 15 scheduled practices leading into the annual Red-White game set for April 30th. Heading into a pivotal fourth season under head coach Mike Locksley, fans remain anxious yet excited to see whether Maryland football can take the next step in conference play.
“With Mike Locksley at the helm, I do believe that this team is geared to make another bowl game next year and I am excited to see what players thrive and do well this spring, according to Ginsberg. “From afar, Locksley seems like a coach that has a good relationship with his players and as a student who loves football, I think that’s a great formula for success.”