Ad Disclosure
Rapid Reaction: Maryland knocks off West Virginia behind QB Taulia Tagovailoa and an opportunistic defense
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Final Score: West Virginia 24, Maryland 30
Brief Recap: Well, it wasn’t always easy, but head coach Mike Locksley and the Terrapins came up with a huge performance in the season opener against West Virginia. Maryland’s defense did allow 21 first-half points, but that same unit was much stiffer after the break, surrendering a lone field goal and coming up with some key takeaways in the second half. Offensively, Maryland gained nearly 500 yards of offense in a variety of ways and led time of possession by nearly 9 minutes. It was the type of balanced performance that fans will hope to see throughout the season as Locksley tries to build the program in Year 3.
Key Player: There’s no denying who the key player is for the Terps this season, and that’s quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. He was also the key player Saturday, stepping up in big moments for Maryland. Tagovailoa connected with Dontay Demus Jr. for the program’s first touchdown of the season in a big way. He also found Rakim Jarrett for a key score in the fourth quarter to go up by 9 points. Both of those plays went for 60+ yards. For the game, Tagovailoa finished 26-for-36 in the air with 332 yards and 3 TDs. Most importantly, Tagovailoa avoided turnovers.
Key Moment: After Maryland kicked a field goal to go up by 2 points in the fourth, West Virginia appeared to be headed right back for the lead. The Mountaineers marched into field goal range and were threatening for a touchdown. That is when Jakorian Bennett picked off a pass in the end zone to get possession back to the offense. On that ensuing drive, Tagovailoa found Jarrett for a huge score and a 9-point lead. West Virginia would cut into that lead but was unable to tie it up down the stretch.
Key Stat: +4 turnover differential. In the end, Maryland’s ability to create turnovers and hold onto the ball offensively was the big difference-maker in the season opener. It allowed the Terps to be efficient offensively while waiting for the big moments to open up downfield.
What it means moving forward: If Maryland’s goal is getting to six wins and a bowl in Mike Locksley’s third season, this win is a big step in the right direction. A win over West Virginia was far from a given and was an early question mark on the schedule. With early-season contests against Howard and Kent State still remaining, the Terps have a golden shot to get off to a very strong start before the meat of B1G play enters the picture.
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.