It was not pretty but Maryland football got the job done at Nebraska on Nov. 11, picking up its sixth win of the season and reaching a bowl game for a third straight season.
That win snapped the team’s four-game losing streak and provided Maryland (6-4) with momentum before the final home game of the 2023 season against No. 2 Michigan (10-0).
Before the game, the team will celebrate Senior Day and honor quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, defensive back Tarheeb Still and tight end Corey Dyches, among others. This senior class was instrumental in helping turn the program around with head coach Michael Locksley at the helm.
“Three straight bowl games as part of their resume is a huge thing, especially around here,” Locksley said.
However, the seniors have a chance to end their careers at SECU Stadium with one of the biggest wins in program history. If the Terps pull off the massive upset, it would be the program’s first win against a top-five opponent since beating fifth-ranked Florida State in 2004.
“We have laid a foundation for the guys to come after us,” Still said. “We’re just having fun playing to the standard and just being brothers.”
Throughout his four years in College Park, Tagovailoa has rewritten the Terps’ record book. He leads the program in career passing yards (10,649), passing touchdowns (73) and completions (910), among other offensive categories.
“The biggest thing for me is just preparation and understanding what I need to do to help my team to be successful,” Tagovailoa said. “I know a big-time win like this would be a good confidence booster for the Maryland program for years to come.”
For the past several weeks, Michigan has been embroiled in a sign-stealing scandal that resulted in head coach Jim Harbaugh being suspended from the sidelines for three games to close out the regular season, including the game at Maryland. On Nov. 16, Michigan announced it stopped pursuing legal action regarding the suspension.
Maryland has changed its signals to prevent the Wolverines from knowing its plays, but the players are doing fine with the changes.
“It’s not that big of an adjustment because every week we sort of change the call and have a new game plan,” wide receiver Tai Felton said.
Michigan has shut out the drama and kept on winning. Without Harbaugh, the Wolverines defeated No. 9 Penn State, 24-15, on the road behind 227 rushing yards. Star running back Blake Corum posted 145 yards and two touchdowns.
In addition to an explosive offense, Michigan has the top defense in the entire country that only allows 4.23 yards per play. The Wolverines have given up just eight touchdowns on the season and have forced at least one turnover in 9 of 10 games.
Maryland is most successful when it wins the turnover and explosive play battle. The Terps need to play flawlessly to stay in the game against Michigan.
Maryland is 0-2 against top-10 opponents this year. The Terps held their own against Ohio State, jumping out to a 10-0 lead before faltering in the fourth quarter. They were never in the game against Penn State after a couple of early turnovers, falling 51-15.
Maryland is 3-24 against Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan since joining the Big Ten in 2014.
“Our players don’t have to play above their ability to win this game,” Locksley said. “We just have to play to our ability, and I feel confident that we’ll get our guys prepared to do that.”
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