Terps Top Gophers in Thrilling 45-44 OT Victory
In a game that featured over 1,000 yards of total offense, it was Maryland who prevailed for a 45-44 victory over Minnesota that took overtime to decide.
After struggling in his Maryland debut, sophomore quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa found his groove early as he accounted for five of Maryland’s six touchdowns, including a pair on the ground. Tagovailoa became the first Maryland quarterback to throw for 300 yards or more since Caleb Rowe accomplished the feat against Virginia back in 2013.
Maryland started the game up 13-0 before Minnesota got on the scoreboard. After notching a 20-7 lead in the closing minutes of the first quarter, the Gophers outscored the Terps 31-0 over the ensuing 30 minutes. It took a revamped defensive game plan in the fourth quarter and an uptick in energy sparked a trio of defensive stops as Maryland clawed their way back into the game.
“It was a long game but we fought the whole time…we were ready to go all four and we needed the extra energy at the end when we really needed it,” defensive end Lawtez Rogers said postgame. “Our defense really stepped up.”
Tagovailoa took over with just over one minute remaining as the Terps had one final chance to win the game before head coach Mike Locksley pocketed his final timeout as the Terps approached midfield in the closing seconds. After the Gophers won the coin toss and elected to start on defense, it was the Terps who were up first in overtime notched in a 38-all tie.
Tagovailoa looked outside to wide receiver Jeshaun Jones to pick up the quick first down before Tagovailoa eventually found the endzone on his fifth and final touchdown on the night. The Gophers took the field and went back to Mohamed Ibrahim to lead them down the goal line before Seth Green broke the plane. The Gophers missed the ensuing extra point, giving the Terps the one-point victory over the Gophers.
Maryland moves to 1-1 on the season and will travel to Penn State next Saturday for a 3:30 PM kickoff.
