There was plenty of good and bad on Saturday, but Maryland did enough to pull out the 38-35 homecoming win and move to 5-3 (2-3) on the season. Maryland fans soaked in their first 400-yard passer in nearly ten years while veteran receiver Carlos Carriere became the unlikely hero with his first career 100-yard performance, but there was plenty to correct on the defensive side of the ball. We break down the game film from Saturday’s win.
Quarterback: B
It was the exact start that was needed out of Taulia Tagovailoa as he completed his first seven passes to six different receivers for six first downs to help the Terps build a 14-0 lead. Ironically, his first incompletion was a near interception after the Indiana cornerback jumped the route over Maryland WR Marcus Fleming. It was largely an efficient day for Taulia, though, as he made it through Saturday without a turnover and did well to hit the deep shots available to him. Maryland had success with their running backs on the wheel routes as Taulia hit Tayon Fleet-Davis and Challen Faamatau on separate plays in stride, but Taulia also just overthrew a wide-open Challen on a third-down wheel route in the fourth quarter where a completion could have iced the game much earlier. Indiana did well to disguise their blitz schemes at times and on a pair of plays, Taulia used his agility to extend the play before the Hoosiers took him down on third down in the first half. Taulia had one ill-advised pass downfield to Marcus Fleming in double coverage that was incomplete but overall, Taulia did well to take what the defense gave him. Head coach Mike Locksley said after the win that Indiana’s defensive scheme dared Taulia to throw the ball as the Hoosiers strived to capitalize on a mistake, but Taulia ended the day 26-of-40 for 419 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Taulia became the first Maryland quarterback to throw for 400 yards since Danny O’Brien threw for 417 against NC State on November 27, 2010.
Running back: B-
I’m grading the unit based on a curve as the Terps’ offensive playcalling was altered as a result of Indiana stacking the box, forcing Maryland to throw. Locksley said postgame that Peny Boone was a late scratch due to injury while Isaiah Jacobs continues to battle through a high ankle sprain, leaving Maryland with a pair of veterans in Challen Faamatau and Tayon Fleet-Davis. It was Challen who flashed as a blocking back as Indiana brought pressure from all angles, but the duo were also efficient through the air. Both Challen and Tayon capitalized in man coverage as they streaked down the sidelines on wheel routes, each coming down with the catch as they combined for four catches for 101 yards. Freshman running back Colby McDonald also appeared in the game and registered one catch in the first half, but Challen and Tayon controlled the workload. Eliminating Taulia’s rushing stats from the win, Maryland still averaged under two yards per carry but accounted for three touchdowns as they cashed in on redzone opportunities. While the Terps didn’t turn to the ground game for the first 54 minutes, Maryland’s game-sealing drive was driven by the success on the ground as the Terps took nearly five minutes off the clock before kicking a 41-yard field goal through the uprights to push the lead to two possessions. Maryland lacks a true home-run hitter in the unit but when they needed to, the running backs answered the call.
Wide receiver: A
The Carlos Carriere game. Who could have seen it coming? The Terps lose length and playmaking ability after the season-ending injuries to Dontay Demus and Jeshaun Jones, but Carriere was the safety blanket that capitalized in man coverage. The senior set career-highs with eight receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns, his first multi-touchdown game of his career, and helped Maryland move the sticks on a key third down in the fourth quarter. Rakim Jarrett also flashed on a pair of big plays, but suffered a team-high three drops. Marcus Fleming turned heads with his footwork after the catch and also turned in four catches for 70 yards, while tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo hauled in both of his targets for just two yards. Fans also saw freshman wide receiver Tai Felton bask in second-half snaps as he registered one catch for five yards, but the emergence of Carriere proved to be the deciding factor in a Maryland win.
Offensive line: C+
Maryland’s offensive line has benefitted from maintaining full health through the first half of the season, but even in conference play, the staff is still working with rotations. Reserve tackle DJ Glaze took snaps at right tackle in the first quarter and at left tackle in the second quarter, while reserve lineman Amelio Moran filled in at right guard at one point. Maryland continues to create reps to bolster the development of their OL depth, but the veteran starting group was in to seal the game for Maryland. Locksley said postgame the staff challenged the offensive line on the game-sealing drive and they answered the call as Maryland drained five minutes off the clock. The pass protection was largely able to keep Taulia upright as the Hoosiers generated a pair of sacks, though the blame is shared between the offensive line and Taulia on the second sack. Run protection continues to be an area of concern as Maryland struggled to create the holes for Tayon and Challen at times, while the unit accounted for three of the team’s five penalties due to false starts.
Defensive line: B+
The unit was able to control Indiana in the opening minutes to help the Terps assemble the 14-0 lead. On Indiana’s opening possession, defensive tackle Greg Rose delayed his 3rd down blitz for the first sack of the game to force a three-and-out, while Mosiah Nasili-Kite played through a nagging foot injury to make a key stop in run support on 3rd down later in the first quarter. Indiana had prime field position after blocking a Maryland punt, but the defense stepped up as DE Sam Okuayinonu and Nasili-Kite teamed up for the first down sack followed by DT Ami Finau meeting QB Donaven McCulley at the line of scrimmage on second down. The pair of plays pushed Indiana forced a long Hoosier field goal that was wide, preserving the 14-7 lead. Cracks in the unit emerged over the course of the game as an over pursuit created the hole for Indiana RB Stephen Carr to break loose for a 66-yard touchdown. A handful of underclassmen played as Darrell Jackson flashed inside and on the edge on Saturday, while Taizse Johnson and Riyad Wilmot checked into the game as well. Nasili-Kite tied with Jordan Mosley for a team-high eight tackles in the win as the Terps’ defense forced five three-and-outs on the first seven series. The Terps did allow over 200 yards on the ground in a concerning stat, however, just three runs between Stephen Carr, Bryant Fitzgerald, and Donaven McCulley accounted for 100 yards on the day.
Linebackers: D
Inside and out, Maryland’s depth is significantly tested heading into the final games of the season as there’s ample room for the unit to improve following Saturday’s win. Already without Durell Nchami for the season, SAM linebacker Deshawn Holt was inactive and is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery. That opened the door for freshman LB Demeioun Robinson to draw his first start at the SAM, while Ruben Hyppolite and Ahmad McCullough drew the starts at the MIKE and WILL. Tyler Baylor and Lawtez Rogers also switched between defensive end and outside linebacker on Saturday as head coach Mike Locksley said the two help shore up the rotations there, but the unit struggled to fill the holes throughout the game as the Hoosiers amassed over 200 yards on the ground. WILL Branden Jennings played sparingly again on Saturday as he continues to fight through an injury sustained in the Iowa loss, but the defense will need him close to 100% for the final four games.
Defensive backs: C
There was both good and bad from the defensive backs on Saturday as the Hoosiers tested the secondary on the first play of the game. The unit was once again without cornerback Kenny Bennett as he missed his third consecutive game, but cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Jakorian Bennett both had good plays in downfield coverage against Ty Fryfogle through the opening quarter. Maryland disguised their blitz packages at times with S Nick Cross playing inside the box, which was how the Terps were able to make a third-down stop on the Hoosiers’ second drive. After Indiana blocked the Terps punt and took over with great field position, the defensive line made plays on first and second down while Bennett came downhill to break up an intended pass to Fryfogle to force a long field goal attempt. The improved ability to diagnose a play and make his read has been evident by Jakorian Bennett through the season, but it wasn’t all pretty. Jakorian had a fourth-quarter pass squirt through his hands and into the lap of the Indiana receiver, one of three missed interception chances for the Terps’ defense. Indiana turned that miscue into a touchdown just five plays later, while Jordan Mosley and Nick Cross unintentionally competed with each other for an interception that was later dropped. Mosley also had another pass thrown to him in the final minutes of the first half that was a clear interception opportunity but wasn’t able to come down with it. The lack of turnovers was brought up even by Locksley in his postgame remarks but while the Terps were well-positioned for large parts of the game, the miscommunication and mispositions at times allowed Indiana to turn in big plays. That miscommunication loomed large on the Hoosiers’ final drive as they scored a touchdown on three plays and just 20 seconds, a flat-out inexcusable sequence by the Terps’ defense. Indiana TE Peyton Hendershot also found success as he finished the day with 106 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions, an area of concern heading into next weekend given Penn State's offensive identity.
Special teams: D
Coverage units weren’t bad while the Terps muffed a punt before recovering, but the special teams units remain a work in progress. Indiana overloaded the Terps’ punt coverage to force a second quarter block, giving the Hoosiers prime field position, while they executed a fake punt in the third quarter and helped regain control. Special teams coordinator Ron Zook has had plenty to fix with his units through the season and Saturday was no different. Petrino also split his two field goal attempts, missing from 40 yards while connecting on the game-sealing 41-yard field goal in the fourth to move to 10-of-14 on the season.