Maryland defeated Virginia 42-14 on Friday night in College Park.

Maryland scored 42 unanswered points in the win. The Terps are now 3-0 on the season and are halfway to bowl eligibility.

Taulia Tagovailoa had a strong night. He completed 19-of-30 passes for 342 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions.

Here are 3 takeaways from Maryland’s win:

Another slow start

For the 2nd straight week, Maryland got behind 14-0 early on. And for the 2nd straight week, the Terps recovered in plenty of time to secure the win.

Maryland went 3-and-out on its first possession and then gave up a long flea flicker on Virginia’s first play from scrimmage to set up a 7-0 lead for the Cavaliers. Virginia then scored again on its next drive, putting the Terps in an early hole.

But Maryland responded with a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown on the ensuing play to cut the deficit in half. It was Maryland’s first kick return TD since 2019.

That score on special teams sparked Maryland to 42 unanswered points and a win over the Cavaliers.

Elite offense

Maryland showed off some offensive firepower in this game. The Terps averaged 7.6 yards per play and gained 461 yards on the night. Tagovailoa produced 342 of those yards through the air.

Maryland’s passing attack produced 9 plays of 15 yards or more. Jeshaun Jones was the leading receiver with 5 catches for 96 yards and 1 touchdown.

Colby McDonald was also excellent in the ground game. He rushed for 75 yards and 1 touchdown on just 10 carries. Roman Hemby wasn’t as efficient overall, but he did score twice and was effective in short-yardage situations.

Forcing turnovers

Maryland forced 4 second-half turnovers to help secure this win. It was a rough 4th quarter for true freshman quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who got the surprise start tonight for Virginia.

At one point in the second half, Colandrea threw interceptions on 3 straight pass attempts. On his next drive, Colandrea coughed up a fumble. But by that point, the outcome was no longer in question as the Terps had no issues converting those turnovers into points. Maryland scored 21 points off turnovers in this ball game, all in the second half.

Maryland will face Michigan State on the road in Week 4.