The Terps have flipped the script in the last three games compared to the first three. While they did get off to a good start against Towson, that quickly cooled and then they had to come from behind against Charlotte and Virginia. Once the Big Ten Conference got underway, it was a totally different team as the Terps wasted little time in taking advantage of numerous Michigan State turnovers early on, jumped all over a poor Indiana team out of the gate and clearly came to play and was the better team in the first half against 4th ranked Ohio State in Columbus this past Saturday. In fact, they were tied at 10 at the half with the Buckeyes and even with that they could have and probably should have potentially had a 17-3 lead. Unfortunately, that didn’t carry over enough into the second half as they fell to the Buckeyes who just covered the spread by winning 37-17.
Before I get into the rest of the Ohio State game, taking a trip back a few weeks to the Big Ten Conference opener. We didn’t know what kind of Michigan State team Maryland would get before the season started but it was clear leading into the week, we knew it was a program in disarray. Even if there was no controversy surrounding the program, that Spartans team who might have been better than the 5TOs they committed (they had more total offense) still were not superior to the Terps. The Terps were just as talented a team if not more so and were capable themselves of playing better even though they won. It was a strange win indeed that felt like half a win, but it doesn’t matter how it felt it was a win nonetheless and on the road. In fact, it was the first win for the Terps in East Lansing since 1950. It was a game that showed the improvement of the Maryland program as it pertained to talent and depth…
…Then the following week the Terps didn’t waste anytime in jumping on Indiana literally. Their first score came on a 3 play 75-yard drive, a 62-yard-deep pass to Jeshaun Jones Two plays later a 13-yard WR screen to Tai Felton put them on the board. It would be a big half for Felton who became the first Terp to have three TD catches in a half. It was his first multi-TD game. Tagovailoa surpassed the 9,000-yard passing mark and Jones went over the 1,500-yard receiving mark. Maryland had a tough time running the ball in that game. Any load or zone plays went nowhere. The only running play that worked was the counter play pulling the backside Guard and Tackle from the weakside to the play side in a gap scheme approach. The Terps defense did a good job in holding down the Indiana offense early. The coverage on a deep and talented Indiana WR corp was impressive although the Hoosiers were without their #1 WR Cam Camper for most of the game as he got hurt very early on. Whether it was stopping a jet sweep play to the outside that had potential for disaster, getting a crucial sack, holding on 4th down forcing a turnover on downs or stopping a fake punt on 4th down the Terps locked down on Indiana. The Hoosiers offense led by former Terps OC Walt Bell presented a lot of different motions and tried to force feed the speed option at times that got them very little all day. Their offense has struggled all season and in fact Bell was relieved of his duties after the game…That was one of the most dominating performances in Conference play that I have seen since Mike Locksley took over in a long time. They didn’t mess around against an inferior opponent.
Back to the Ohio State game, the Terps took advantage of what appeared to be a fake punt or a botched punt on their first offensive series that gave the Terps the ball at the Ohio State 30 for their 1st offensive drive. The TD pass that Tagavailoa threw to Kaden Prather was both an amazing one-handed catch by Prather but an elite throw by Tagavailoa who got solid protection initially but had to move a little as the pocket was collapsing some and threw a beautiful strike. Prather not only caught the ball but did it as the OSU DB was holding down his right arm and could have been called for a pass interference penalty.
After the MD defense forced a punt on OSU’s next offensive series the Terps who on their 2nd offensive series just missed on a deep pass from Lia to Tai Felton ended up with a 4th and 1 at the Ohio State 29 where they decided to bring in backup QB Billy Edwards in a special package only to see him stuffed on the play and forced MD to turn the ball over on downs. The Terps blocking scheme passed up the DE on the weak side by the RT (who either double teamed with the RG or got up to the next level to block a LB) and instead brought the TE Preston Howard on the strong side to come over to block him, but he missed the block. He didn’t really get there in time to give him much a chance and the DE stopped Edwards. Although even if Howard had made the block, I don’t think the push by the Terps offensive line was good enough to have given Edwards a 1st Down. I personally think the Terps should have settled for 3 points and attempted a FG. I understand Ohio State has dynamic weapons at WR and TE but their offensive line and QB are not nearly as strong as they were last season. So, if the argument is we can’t settle for TDs we need FGs against this opponent, I think that argument is much stronger last season than this although I can’t completely dismiss that line of thinking by Mike Locksley but still stand by my opinion.
On the Terps 3rd offensive drive in the Red Zone Tagavailoa missed TE Preston Howard in the back of the end zone on a 2nd down pass that needed to have been executed, the ball needed a bit more touch and accuracy. Then a roll out run/pass on 3rd down was stuffed and poorly executed. The Terps had to settle for a FG which was a lost opportunity to score a TD which they should have scored there.
On the Terps 4th offensive drive the pick six that was thrown by Tagavailoa gave OSU life and momentum. It also woke up the crowd. The ball if it was going to be thrown need to be thrown to the inside, and the WR should have turned to the inside instead of the outside. It seemed like a bang, bang play where Lia was trying to get rid of the ball quickly on a timing play and it seemed like his eyes were read by the defender as well. I don’t think the WR did a good job in reading the defense or attacking the ball in a more physical manner or trying to body up or fend off the defender from stepping in for the interception. A quick read though indicates that Lia should have looked elsewhere, tucked, and ran or thrown it away. That was a tough interception to take there when MD had all the momentum.
For the Terps to run out of time on the 6th offensive drive (the last one before the half) and not be able to kick a FG is completely unacceptable. There is no way a QB with that much experience should have thrown short after his initial reads were not open. Lia needed to throw the ball out of bounds and have the FG unit come out to a kick a FG right before the half.
Credit DL Tre Colbert on a 3rd and 5 (at the MD 8) play on OSU’s 6th offensive series in the first half where he came off his rush as soon as he felt a screen was coming and he forced Buckeye QB Kyle McCord to ground of which he got a penalty but it also forced OSU to kick a FG when the drive was looking like it would lead to a TD after McCord hit Marvin Harrison, Jr with a 58 yard completion earlier in the drive. If he doesn’t snuff the screen out it looked like a TD play.
In the second half the Terps did come out to their credit and score a TD on a 9 play 75-yard drive which was crucial. But it was all downhill from there. The Terps did not have much success running the ball in the second half as the first which did not help. The second Lia interception was one where he was trying to make a play but if you’re going to throw the ball there you must be able to make the throw and get the ball above the initial defender enough but also have it drop down in the open area in front of the next line defender. It probably would have been best if he just lived another day and threw it away. The defense to their credit only gave up a FG with the good field position they were given off the interception. However as good as the defense played in this one, when Ohio State pushed the pedal to the meddle, they were able to have success throwing the ball and throwing to Marvin Harrison, Jr. Harrison is the best WR in CFB but you would really hope to force it where you want anyone else to beat you but Harrison even though OSU has talented WRs behind him. But that said the best WR in football beat you, not something to hang your head about and they had to get some trickery on the one TD to do it.
They may not have won the game anyway, but Maryland squandered a chance to be right there at the end and knock off the #4 team in the country. The 2018 and 2022 OSU losses (& Michigan ’22) still linger as what ifs, and this can be added to the list as another lost opportunity for that big program defining win. That said Maryland came to play in this one and they got out to another good early start, which had been an issue in the past. In totality the fact we are talking about MD competing with the elite in the Big Ten and all of College Football is a far cry from a few seasons ago. It shows serious progress and for that the program is to be majorly commended. It has come a very long way in a positive direction. But I don’t know about you, I would like to have one of these upsets one of these days.
Terps Analyst
Mike Popovec is a Weekend and Fill-In host at 105-7 The Fan. In addition Mike hosts the Pre and Post, Halftime and Scoreboard Updates for the Football Games on the Maryland Terrapins Sports Radio Network. He also hosts the Pre and Post Game Show on weekends for some of the Maryland Basketball Games. Popovec also hosts a local News, Talk and Sports Morning Program at the beach on 92-7 WGMD. He also produces and hosts High School Football Games and Shows throughout the season out of Easton covering the Eastern Shore’s Bayside Conference. He sideline reports for CW54 for the Maryland State High School Football Playoffs with Bruce Cunningham, Doug Duvall and Wally Williams.