New OL…Maryland tested their new-look offensive line earlier this week in practice as the Terps attempted to minimize the costly penalties in the trenches. Spencer Anderson shifted from right tackle to center, a position he’s lined up at dating back to the spring, while DJ Glaze made the start at right tackle. It was Aric Harris who was bumped from the starting rotation, but the starting unit still struggled to make a consistent push in run support against Penn State.
Passing attack carries Maryland…Maryland finished with just three rushing yards on 14 first-half attempts, a stat slightly skewed due to a pair of Penn State sacks, but the Terps’ offense was largely unable to create much balance if at all. It helped that QB Taulia Tagovailoa had an efficient day as he completed seven of his first eight passes and started 17-of-23 for 149 yards through the first 30 minutes. Tagovailoa finished the day with 371 yards on 41-of-57 passing and while Taulia did well to see the entire field against a stingy Penn State secondary, it was Rakim Jarrett and Chigoziem Okonkwo who stepped up in the passing game as they combined for 155 yards on 18 catches. Okonkwo came up on a big 4th-and-2 in the final minute of the third quarter, catching the pitch for an eight-yard gain and putting the Terps’ offense in the redzone. The tight ends cashed in on the drive as Taulia found Corey Dyches for the game-tying touchdown before Okonkwo converted the two-point attempt to tie the game at 14 to open the fourth quarter. Okonkwo registered 12 catches on Saturday, marking the most receptions of any Maryland receiver since Dontay Demus’ performance at Purdue during the 2019 season.
Maryland almost went the entire game without a turnover but down ten in the final minutes of the game, Taulia threw a pick-six to Ji’Ayir Brown to ice the game.
Missed opportunities…Maryland was able to cut the deficit heading into halftime, but still had ample missed opportunities on Saturday. WR Marcus Fleming dropped an undoubted touchdown in one-on-one coverage downfield, while TE Chigoziem Okonkwo followed up the play with his own drop on 3rdd down. It wasn’t all on the offense, though, as CB Jakorian Bennett had another ball go through his hands in seemingly the same spot as the missed interception against Indiana.
The Terps did make up for it on the final drive of the first-half as Okonkwo, WR Tai Felton and TE Corey Dyches combined for 71 receiving yards across five catches. After WR Brian Cobbs drew a defensive pass interference against CB Keaton Ellis, RB Challen Faamtau punched in a two-yard rushing touchdown to cut the lead to 7-6 heading into halftime.
After Penn State stretched the lead to eight on the first drive of the second half, Maryland’s offense responded with an efficient drive that took them inside the Penn State ten-yard line. But a high snap from Anderson to Taulia combined with a misplaced handoff to Tayon Fleet-Davis prompted a Maryland fumble and into the hands of the Penn State defense.
Even considering the missed opportunities, Maryland had a chance to capitalize in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter after a poor Penn State punt set the Terp offense up at the 50. But on 3rd-and-7, the ball once again went through the hands of WR Marcus Fleming while OT Jaelyn Duncan followed it up with a false start on fourth down, forcing the Terps to punt.
The Jahan Dotson show…the Terps’ offense struggled with consistency, but the Terps’ defense was there to keep the game close. Maryland knew that entering Saturday, the receiver weapons at Clifford’s disposal was going to be tough to contain and Jahan Dotson made that a reality on Saturday as he finished with 242 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches. Dotson opened the game’s scoring and made Maryland safety Nick Cross pay on a double-move and set up up a 38-yard touchdown. Whether it was along the sideline or across the middle of the field, Dotson’s ability to create separation due to his speed and catch radius made him a tough matchup for Maryland’s secondary, but the Terps didn’t adjust much to provide more help over the top on Dotson. While the Penn State offensive line has been a clear weakness this season, the Terps still took advantage of the matchups in the front seven to register three tackles for loss and limit Penn State's efficiency on the ground. Penn State was able to pick it up in the second half as Keyvone Lee wore the front seven down, inching the Terps’ defense closer to the line of scrimmage before Jahan Dotson punched his second touchdown of the game. The defense once again stepped up after the Terps’ costly fumble in the redzone, forcing another Penn State three-and-out to position the Terps near midfield. The Terps seemed to figure out the Penn State offense and with a game tied at 14 in the opening minute of the fourth quarer, Dotson emerged yet again for an 86-yard touchdown as Penn State retook the lead.
Third down woes…the biggest difference on Saturday was third-down execution, where Penn State converted 10-of-18 opportunities, including 5-of-8 in the second half, while Maryland finished just 4-of-15. To make matters worse, Penn State averaged 8.2 yards to go on their third-down opportunities, 1.3 yards further than Maryland, while the Nittany Lions converted all four attempts within four yards. Maryland, meanwhile, was just 3-of-10 passing on third downs and failed to convert all four attempts from nine or more yards. It’s been a concern for Maryland on both sides through conference play but on Saturday, proved costly as Clifford looked to attack the Terps’ man coverage.
Note: WR Tai Felton and DE Sam Okuayinonu went down with injuries during Saturday’s game
Next: Maryland will travel to Michigan State next Saturday. Time TBD.