Hoosiers Come Back, Then Collapse in 38-35 Loss to Maryland
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Several times this season, Indiana's defense has turned in a great performance only to be let down by the Hoosiers' offense during a rough start to the season.
It was a complete reversal on Saturday, as Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa torched the Hoosiers' defense, ruining the quarterback debut of true freshman Donaven McCulley. Maryland rolled up 502 yards of offense and won 35-28,
The loss dropped Indiana to 2-6 on the season, and 0-5 in the Big Ten, a rapid departure from a year ago when the Hoosiers went 6-1 in the league. Maryland snapped a three-game losing streak to Indiana with the win.
Tagovailoa threw was 26-for-40 for a whopping 419 yards, by far the Hoosiers' worst performance of the year with pass defense. (Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe threw for 365, the previous high.
McCulley was 14-for-24 passing for 242 yards, with his first two career touchdown passes and no interceptions.
The game couldn’t have started any worse for Indiana. In just the first 11 minutes of the game, Maryland jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead with all three facets contributing to the early disaster for the Hoosiers.
The offense was a mess on the first two drives, and then special teams made it worse.
On the first possessions, true freshman starting quarterback Donaven McCulley was sacked for a 14-yard loss on third down and Indiana went three-and-out. Freshman punter James Evans, who’s been struggling at the position allyear, shanked the punt that only went 25 yards. That gave Maryland great field position, and the Terrapins went right down at scored to take an early lead.
Maryland went 35 yards on seven plays for the opening touchdown, and benefited from a pass interference call on Indiana junior quarterback Tiawan Mullen, giving them the ball on the 6-yard line. They scored two plays later on a 1-yard run by Tayon Fleet-Davis.
Indiana got two first downs on the second drive, but was forced to punt again. Maryland took over at its own 10-yard line, but then proceeded to go 90 yards in nine plays, with quarterback Taulia Tagavailoa tearing up the Indiana secondary.
He was 3-for-3 passing on the drive for 62 yards, and the Terrapins also benefited from another close pas interference penalty against Indiana, this time on backup cornerback Noah Pierre.
Another penalty against Indiana, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Jaylin Williams, gave Maryland the ball the 1 yard line. Challen Faamatau scored to make it 14-0.
The rout was on. Sort of.
From there, though, momentum started to swing back in Indiana’s direction. The defense stiffened, forcing three straight three-and outs, and making a huge stop on fourth down to get the ball back.
McCulley got more comfortable, too. He led to Hoosiers on the seven-play, 77-yard scoring drive, capped off by Stephen Carr 1-yard touchdown run to get Indiana closer at 14-7. McCulley hit tight end Peyton Hendershot twice on the drive, with a pair of 31-yard gains.
Charles Campbell, who missed a 42-yard field goal wide right earlier in the game, hit a career long 55-yard field goal just before halftime to make it 14-10.
Indiana came out and grabbed the lead early in the third quarter when Stephen Car hit a crease on third-and-2 and dashed 66 yards for a touchdown, the longest running play of the season for Indiana.
But then that Indiana defense, which was nearly perfect on five straight drives — they allowed just 91 yards on 27 plays — fell apart again, especially the secondary. Maryland scored on three straight possessions to go back up 35-20. On the first drive, he was 3-for-4 for 58 yards, and also got another pass interference call on Indiana's Noah Pierre. Tagovailoa was 4-for-4 for 62 yards on the second drive and was 2-for-3 for 58 yards on the third possession, where Carlos Carriere juked past Raheem Layne for a 45-yard score.
Indiana answered right back, though cutting the lead to 35-28. The drive started with a 41-yard completion to Miles Marshall and ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Hendershot for McCulley's first career touchdown pass with 9:28 to go in the game.
Indiana's defense got a stop, but the Hoosiers couldn't put anything together offensively and had to punt. Maryland kept getting first downs, and capped a 12-play drive that lasted nearly five minutes with a 41-yard field goal by Joseph Petrino with 1:20 left.
Indiana refused to roll over, though, and went flying down the field. After a roughing the passer penalty, he found Ty Fryfogle open on the left side and he went 52 yards. McCulley then hit Hendershot again, and he broke a tacke to score from 8 yards out, cutting the lead to 38-35 with 1 minute to go.
Indiana tried an onside kick, but the high hop was cleanly fielded by Maryland to basically end the game.
The Hoosiers play Michigan next Saturday in Ann Arbor.
