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The Terps were outclassed in all three phases of their first game of the new season, with the Wildcats showing no mercy in their demolition
Maryland football entered its second practice of its opener against Northwestern down 7-3, with a chance to regain the lead
Facing his team’s first third of the night on the 33-yard line, second-year quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa took the snap and pulled out before moving easily into the pocket, defenders around. of him all covered by his offensive linemen
Eager to make the most of the opportunity, he threw the ball down the field towards rookie Rakim Jarrett, knocking it lightly in the hands of Wildcat defenseman AJ Hampton around the 50-yard line.
The sophomore threw three interceptions in his debut for the Terps, a dismal 43-3 loss for head coach Mike Locksley’s team in Evanston, Illinois
« I feel like today I made a lot of mistakes that cost us the game, » Tagovailoa said « But it’s a good thing it’s early in the season Obviously that’s not how we want to start, but you have to pay tribute to Northwestern »
Despite looking calm and confident to open the game, it seemed nerves had gotten the better of Tagovailoa It was his first college debut at a new school, under pressure from his last name and expectations to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Tua, the starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins who previously had a record-breaking career for Alabama
Although practice ended on a basket, the Terps showed promise early in their new starting quarterback, moving quickly across the field as Tagovailoa completed six of his first seven assists. went south in the blink of an eye, on both sides of the balloon
The Wildcats snatched a piece of the plays with ease – both on the ground and in the air – parting the Maryland defense in their first snapshot Led by transfer quarterback Peyton Ramsey, who was making his Wildcat debut, Northwestern paraded the field on his first possession, totaling 75 yards on 14 plays to quickly regain the lead
Still down 10 points, the Terps had a shot to get back into the game – but that wouldn’t be the case as the second player threw his second straight interception on the next disc In an effort to get the ball out with two defenders starting to charge in his direction, Tagovailoa threw another long shot, this time at Dontay Demus Jr amid two defenders
« I thought about the first ride, he did a good job Obviously it’s still his first college career start, so he made mistakes, » Locksley said He threw the ball in double cover, maybe he threw the ball on the pitch in a short situation where we would like him to do a higher percentage of the throw and make a better decision «
Locksley said he didn’t think his quarterback was showing any signs of discomfort, acknowledging that ‘first-start nervousness’ likely played a role He doesn’t expect it to be so much of a factor moving forward, expressing confidence in Tagovailoa’s ability to bounce back
« He’s one of those players who doesn’t make the same mistake twice, » said Locksley. « So I expect him to keep improving once we are able to show him the tape «
The defense again proved unable to slow Northwestern, allowing a back-to-back touchdown to put the team at 14-3 Jon Hoke’s unit proved unable to cause a save in the first half And bogged down by turnover, Maryland has never been able to respond with its own score
The Wildcats have lost their two best defensive backs, safety star Travis Whillock has retired from the season and team top cornerback Greg Newsome II out of the contest with an undisclosed injury But that didn’t make a difference; Maryland forced their own misadventures with poor decision-making on both sides of the ball throughout
On offense, Tagovailoa continued to reverse the ball and miss several open receivers, with the offensive line struggling to protect him at times, forcing quick throws Running back Isaiah Jacobs searched the ball on a kick return And the fourth down continued
And on the other side, the Wildcats put on one of their best performances in recent years, producing their third-highest points in a half since 2015 as the Terps entered the 30-3 breakout, finishing with 86 yards in half against 336 for their opponent
Although the defense performed better than the first half, they still allowed 13 points in the last two quarters The Terps were cut and nicked by new Northwestern offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian as the Wildcats finished with 537 yards – 325 rushing and 212 flying – all while converting on all three of their fourth betting chances.
« We knew they had the ability to go fast I think something that was probably a little unforeseen was their ability to change, you know the staff and the pace, » said junior linebacker Chance Campbell « I think we adjusted well, it just took a little longer than we would have hoped »
Regardless of how well the defense performed, offense never gave the Terps a shot at a win, finishing with just 12 first downs, 171 yards on an average of 38 per game, and all three interceptions
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« For us to be a good team we have to play with great discipline, » said Locksley « And playing with great discipline means protecting football, and we didn’t do that today »
Maryland football
World news – USA – Maryland football exploded to open the season, falling 43-3 to Northwestern
