Late in the second quarter against Towson, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa found wide receiver Kaden Prather open in the right corner of the end zone. Prather jumped up to catch Tagovailoa’s third touchdown pass of the game over a Tigers defender, giving the Terps a 28-3 lead.
Maryland’s offense jelled quite well in the first half, establishing the good first impression head coach Michael Locksley and his players talked about this past week as the Terps (1-0) cruised to a 38-6 victory against Towson (0-1).
Maryland gained more than 300 yards of offense in the first half alone, as Tagovailoa threw for 246 yards and the team rushed for 79 yards. The Terps scored 28 first-half points, including 21 in the first quarter, en route to their 18th consecutive home-opener victory.
“It was good going against another defense other than our defense,” Prather said. “It was good just to see a lot of things click.”
Maryland wasted no time finding the end zone after starting the game with the ball. Tagovailoa guided the Terps on a seven-play, 87-yard touchdown drive, which was highlighted by finding tight end Corey Dyches wide open in the middle of the field for a 44-yard gain. Tagovailoa used his legs to race down the right side of the field for a 23-yard touchdown run to give the Terps a 7-0 lead.
Maryland extended its lead to 14-0 when Tagovailoa found Dyches for a 23-yard touchdown catch. Dyches extended the ball over the goal line to double the Terps’ lead. Maryland finished off the first quarter by scoring its third touchdown of the game. Tagovailoa threw a 24-yard pass to wide receiver Jeshaun Jones for a 21-0 lead.
Midway through the second quarter, Tagovailoa was 13-for-20 for 182 yards and three touchdowns (two passing and one rushing).
“Really all the credit goes to the guys up front blocking and receivers getting open, doing their job,” Tagovailoa said. “So I feel really confident.”
It took until the second quarter for Towson quarterback Nathan Kent to complete a pass, but Kent got in a mini-groove. Kent guided the Tigers on a nine-play 57-yard drive that ended with a 36-yard field goal, shrinking the Terps’ lead to 21-3.
Maryland cooled off in the second quarter, only mustering 125 yards compared to 200 during the opening 15 minutes. Ninety-one of those yards came on the Terps’ final drive at the end of the half that ended in Prather’s touchdown catch.
The offensive line was a question entering the season with DJ Glaze the only returner. The Terps’ starting offensive line of Corey Bullock, Mike Purcell, Amelio Moran, Glaze and Conor Fagan (from left to right) did not allow a sack and gave up just two quarterback hits through the end of the third quarter when the starters exited.
“It was a little weird for me,” Locksley said. “We were substituting offensive lineman in the middle of series, which is not normal. … We’re trying to figure out the best five so we are mixing and matching.”
Maryland benefited from two Towson pass interference penalties on its first drive in the second half, giving the Terps 30 free yards. The drive ended with running back Roman Hemby rushing for a 9-yard touchdown up the middle, as Maryland’s lead swelled to 35-6.
Dyches had a huge game, catching all six of the passes thrown his way and setting a new career high with 108 receiving yards.
“We’ve got a great connection,” Dyches said of Tagovailoa. “He has a great connection with everyone on the team. The pass game is how it is since you’ve got to be on the same page.”
Trailing 35-3, Towson went for it on fourth-and-4 midway through the third quarter deep in Maryland territory. Kent scrambled for 5 yards to extend the drive. After a penalty stalled the drive, kicker Keegan Vaughn nailed his second field goal of the game. But that drive killed nearly eight minutes of clock as Towson worked a 16-play, 53-yard drive.
In nearly three quarters of play, Tagovailoa completed 22 of 33 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 28 yards and a touchdown. Tagovailoa became the first Maryland quarterback to pass for 8,000 yards in a career.
Overall, the Terps racked up 283 passing yards and 166 rushing yards. Hemby led the rushing attack with 58 yards on 12 carries.
The Terps look to continue that offensive momentum as they continue their three-game homestand on Sept. 9 against Charlotte in a primetime game.
“Usually you see your biggest jump from Game 1 to Game 2, and I’m looking forward to getting us prepared to do that,” Locksley said.
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