Tagovailoa ready to turn the page, return to "top of my game"
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Oct 8, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 5, 2022
The level of play that quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa had reached through the first four weeks of the season came to a screeching halt last Friday as he posted his first multi-interception game of the season. The decision-making that carried Tagovailoa to start the season ascended Maryland’s offense within the Big Ten as the aerial attack was on full display, but it all went out the window last week as the second-year starter knows he’s capable of better.
“If we want to win big games like that, I’ve got to be on top of my game and play to the standard,” Tagovailoa said this week. While tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo urged the underclassmen to forget and move on following the loss, Tagovailoa admitted he was right back in the film room. “After games like that, it’s always tough watching the film. You always want plays back whether you have a good game, bad game but games like that I try to see what I can do better and just try to move on.”
The Iowa game is now in the rear view mirror as Maryland travels to Columbus, Ohio on Friday to take on the Buckeyes on Saturday. Head coach Mike Locksley said the team put the season’s first loss to bed during their team meeting on Monday “and once we took the field [Monday] afternoon in preparation for Ohio State, we have to turn the page and turn it pretty quickly.” In the first game without Dontay Demus, Maryland will look to finds its groove offensively against an Ohio State secondary that sits third-worst in pass defense in the Big Ten, but the Buckeyes' defense has also managed to score a touchdown in three consecutive games and forced at least two turnovers in the last three games. Maryland head coach Mike Locksley knows Saturday will be another challenge for Taulia, but Locksley is also reminded of the level of play that his quarterback played at through the first four weeks of the season.
“He’s played pretty good football for us up until that game and I do think as I look back on it and again, we’re not into excuses or complaining or bitching about how things transpired but to me, that game, I’m going to put it as an anomaly,” Locksley said on Tuesday. “It’s not the standard, it’s not what we’ve seen and so what I would hope to see Taulia continue to do is the things I saw him do the four weeks prior where he took great care of the football.” The Buckeyes’ secondary also sist second nationally with 38 total passes defended, including seven interceptions, while the Buckeyes’ defensive line features a pair of elite rushers in Haskell Garrett and Zach Harrison. While Saturday afternoon will be the toughest test to-date for the Maryland offensive line, it will mark the latest test for Tagovailoa as he looks to return to form.
“The way we’re able to gauge it is how we practice Monday through Friday and to me, that’s our standard that we’ve set that we’ve got to put the work in, that we’ll have tough, hard practices that will demand that we do things with the detail necessary.”
While Tagovailoa has thrown at least one touchdown in all but one game as Maryland’s starting quarterback, wide receiver Rakim Jarrett expressed utmost confidence in his starting quarterback, pointing to Taulia’s performance against Minnesota last season just one week after a three-interception performance against Northwestern.
“I have the utmost confidence in ‘Lia. It’s kind of like last year when we lost to Northwestern, he came and bounced back for the Minnesota game and guys like totally forgot about it. He kept going on, he’s doing what he’s doing now. I wouldn’t say one games defines who he’s going to be because I definitely think he’s going to bounce back for sure.”
Kickoff is set for 12 PM EST on FOX.
