Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Maryland football: 3 takeaways from overtime win vs. Minnesota

By Riley Platt

COLLEGE PARK, MD - OCTOBER 30: Taulia Tagovailoa #3 of the Maryland Terrapins runs for a touchdown in the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 30, 2020 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - OCTOBER 30: Taulia Tagovailoa #3 of the Maryland Terrapins runs for a touchdown in the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 30, 2020 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Oct 24, 2020; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3) runs the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2020; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3) runs the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Taulia Tagovailoa shows progression, uses legs as weapon

Being the brother of famed former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa certainly hasn’t made things easy for Taulia, but he seemed to come into his own during Friday’s contest. In the opener, he threw for only 94 yards and three interceptions — talk about a rough start to the year. Despite this demoralizing debut, he wasted no time showing just what he’s capable of.

On Maryland’s opening drive, Tagovailoa broke free for a 23-yard run that set up the Terps in striking range. Throughout the entire drive, he made multiple solid check-down passes to help fuel the drive. After a performance like last week, one might try to do too much to make up for it in their next go at it. He didn’t do this, but rather stuck with the basics and made smart decisions.

On the next drive for the Terps, Tagovailoa was able to break off another big run: a 39 yard rushing touchdown that put Maryland up 14-0. He would follow this up with a 76 yard passing touchdown to Jeshaun Jones. It’s safe to say that he was able to compartmentalize after the loss at Northwestern. After one quarter of play, he had already thrown for more yards than he did all game last week.

Things didn’t go perfectly, as Tagovailoa did throw an interception early in the second quarter when a lob pass got tipped at the line. Maryland’s offense began to stagnate, but Tagovailoa continued to show improvement. Unfortunately, his impressive night would be undermined by the Maryland defense collapsing.

Throughout the game, Tagovailoa was able to keep his eyes down field and find guys when he needed to. He did a make a crucial mistake, losing big yardage on a sack and backing up the field goal attempt. His sound composure led to him diving for what would become the touchdown that put the Terps in position to win the overtime battle.

Overall, Taulia had quite the bounce-back game after a rough week one outing. After watching this game, it feels like the sky is the limit for the sophomore, who will only continue to develop as he gains more experience.

Home/Maryland Terrapins