With a sixth win and bowl eligibility on the line, Maryland beat Rutgers in dominant fashion on the road in Piscataway, NJ on Saturday afternoon. The 40-16 victory leads to the team’s first bowl berth since 2016 and gives them a chance for their first winning season since 2014. While being more competitive against the Big Ten Conference’s best teams would’ve been ideal, getting to a bowl game is still an important step for the program in head coach Michael Locksley’s third season. The Terrapins will learn their postseason destination next Sunday, December 5th.
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Offense Rolls, Led by Tagovailoa
For the majority of their game against Rutgers, Maryland’s offense was able to do anything they wanted. As a team, they put up 575 total yards and had success both on the ground and through the air. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa completed 70% of his pass attempts for 312 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was the seventh game of the season where he threw for over 300 yards, and he surpassed Scott Milanovich as the Terrapins’ single-season passing yards record holder.
Running backs Tayon Fleet-Davis and Colby McDonald combined for 251 rushing yards and averaged 7.6 yards per carry. It was the team’s best performance on the ground all season, and was a refreshing sign after being unable to run the ball consistently to this point. McDonald’s emergence is especially encouraging, considering that Maryland will be looking for a new starter at the running back position in 2022.
The Terrapins’ offensive line also deserves a lot of credit for this victory, as they were opening big holes in the running game and providing Tagovailoa with plenty of time to carve up Rutgers’ defense through the air. Right guard Johari Branch is the only starter on the line who’ll definitely be moving on after this season, though left tackle Jaelyn Duncan could leave early for the NFL. The extra month of practice gained by this victory will only help this unit to play more cohesively heading into their bowl game and the offseason.
What’s Next?
While Maryland won’t officially learn where they’ll be headed in late December until next weekend, there are three games that seem like the most likely possibilities for them.
- Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit, MI): December 27th vs. Mid-American Conference
- Guaranteed Rate Bowl (Phoenix, AZ): December 28th vs. Big 12 Conference
- New Era Pinstripe Bowl (New York, NY): December 29th vs. Atlantic Coast Conference
When the Terrapins made their last postseason trip in 2016, it was to the Quick Lane Bowl where they lost to Boston College. That seems like the most likely destination for them again this season, as all of the other bowl eligible teams in the Big Ten Conference have at least seven wins.
Even more importantly than where they’ll be playing or who they’ll be playing however, is the extra month of practice that they’ll receive prior to their bowl game. For a young program that’s still building their identity, getting an additional four weeks to practice together is invaluable. With Tagovailoa set to return as the team’s starting quarterback next season, he’ll have an opportunity to gain even more experience in Locksley and offensive coordinator Dan Enos’ system and further build relationships with his entire group of skill position players.
Additionally, the ability for the coaching staff to use their bowl eligibility as a selling point for recruits ought to pay large dividends over the course of the next month. Maryland’s 2022 recruiting class is currently ranked 49th in the country and 12th in the conference, a stark contrast from their Top 20 class last season. Locksley and his entire coaching staff will be hard at work before National Signing Day, but will also likely look to the transfer portal in a big way as they’ve done in each of the last few years.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.