It was a strong week one performance for quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa as he assembled his first 300-yard performance of the season, a performance that helped him become one of eight quarterbacks selected to the Manning Award Star of the Week.
It was the type of performance that set the bar for the rest of the season, but the preparation leading into the game helped him find his groove early in Saturday’s game. “I felt helped with watching film late night and how to watch film,” he said. “Coach [Dan] Enos and coach [Mike] Locksley continue to teach me how to do that, starting a routine when I go to sleep, when I wake up…trying to do the same everything everyday so I get used to it.” That includes eating all three meals, Tagovailoa added. “I think what I eat is more healthy for me and it’s helping me think better and my sleep got way better from last year, too, so just being more mature and being disciplined and going to sleep on time and eating all three meals every day and doing the right things.”
Taulia even admitted he doesn’t have cable TV in his apartment, much like his older brother Tua, to eliminate all potential distractions. “I cut social media just for a way for me to focus, you know, stay disciplined with keeping the main thing the main thing and that’s football, you know, with watching film and anything that I can get better with. I’m up at the facility 24/7 so really no time for it. If I’m on the phone, I’m either on the phone with my family back home or watching film on it. I think that’s another big thing that helped me with my preparation.”
Head coach Mike Locksley noted on Saturday that his starting quarterback “doesn’t give up on plays,” but there’s still ample room to grow after his first showing. “I thought there were a few plays he got a little antsy in the pocket. He had great protection and, you know, he kind of starts looking all around and our goal is to keep him settled in the pocket with his eyes down the field, not looking at the rush so a ton of things to keep correcting but I do think overall his decision-making was on point,” Locksley added on Tuesday.
One miscue that’s been noted by Locksley was the 3rd down sack late in the second quarter was Taulia’s 13-yard sack on 3rd-and-7 that pushed Joseph Petrino’s attempt 51 yards out, ultimately becoming the lone missed attempt on the day. “That was like a 15-yard loss, and it made it a harder field goal for [Joseph] Petrino,” Tagovailoa added. The second-year starter knows there’s more he can correct ahead of Saturday. “Some reads I got off my read progression too quick and I’m staying in the pocket. Just a lot of things that still I gotta work on, continue to work on. Two hands on the ball every time even if I’m scrambling, stuff like that. Coach always tells us that a good team gets better from week one to week two so we got to continue to stay disciplined and work hard and can’t take any day for granted.”
Tagovailoa will have an opportunity to perfect his craft when Howard comes to College Park in just two days, but veteran running back Tayon Fleet-Davis has full confidence in his quarterback.
“That guys all you can ask for when it comes to being a quarterback, being a leader, someone who's gonna demand respect, you know, and just a great person to follow. I couldn't ask for no better quarterback. When things go wrong, he's never too anxious, he's always poised, he's just someone to look at when the game get hard.”
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