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3 takeaways from Maryland’s dominant home win vs. Indiana
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Maryland is safely through to 5-0, the best start for the Terrapins in the Mike Locksley era. The Terrapins are now just 1 win away from securing a 3rd-straight trip to a bowl game but looking for even bigger goals.
As for Indiana, Tom Allen’s squad falls to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the B1G. The issues facing the program were evident in a narrow win over Akron, and it’s even more clear now Indiana is far from competing in the league.
Here are the key takeaways from Saturday’s dominant 44-17 win by Maryland:
Taulia Tagovailoa in a league of his own for Maryland’s history
Tagovailoa already holds a host of all-time records in Terrapin history, and he continues to rewrite the Maryland record books in brilliant fashion. Early in Saturday’s game, Tagovailoa went over 9,000 career passing yards, becoming the first QB in program history to reach that mark
In the win, Tagovailoa finished with 352 yards and 5 passing touchdowns with a rushing touchdown added to his credit. Tai Felton — Tagovailoa’s favorite target in the win — finished with 3 touchdowns.
There’s no denying Tagovailoa’s impact on the program’s turnaround and Locksley’s resurgence. His records with the Terps will be nearly unattainable in the future.
Increased expectations for Maryland?
Maryland is now 5-0, and a massive showdown awaits in Week 6. That game is a key road trip that will dictate what exactly this Terrapin squad can play for this season.
That game on Oct. 7 is a trip to Columbus to face No. 4 Ohio State. The Buckeyes — a fellow B1G East undefeated — maintain serious national title aspirations after a top-10 road win against Notre Dame.
It goes without saying, but a win by the Terrapins would upset the division outlook and shake up the postseason picture. Even with a loss to Ohio State, a 9 or 10-win season is still an outside possibility for the Terrapins, but these are the kind of games Maryland has struggled to find a breakthrough during Locksley’s tenure.
Indiana heading toward another losing season
It was not too long ago that Tom Allen had things clicking in Bloomington. Unfortunately, those happy days are a thing of the past, and they’re unlikely to return anytime soon.
After falling to 2-3 on the season, the Hoosiers will get a bye week, but the slate after the bye does not get any easy. Indiana must face Michigan on the road, Rutgers at home and Penn State on the road throughout October.
The Hoosiers are facing the serious prospects of going through that slate without a win. Even Rutgers — a team that has had its own struggles — is 4-1 to start the season and playing some tough football.
A bowl game is very unlikely for Indiana at this point, and it will probably take an upset or two to avoid this season snowballing closer to a 10-loss season.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.