[Baltimore Sun] Three takeaways from Maryland football’s 48-23 loss at Minnesota
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Well, it was nice while it lasted.
A week after rallying for a one-point win against Southern California and giving fans a modicum of hope that the season wasn’t entirely lost, Maryland football squandered all those good vibes by getting clobbered by host Minnesota, 48-23, on Saturday evening before an announced 48,696 at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The Terps barely blinked before finding themselves wallowing in a 24-0 deficit just five seconds into the second quarter. Golden Gophers sixth-year quarterback Max Brosmer threw two touchdown passes, and senior cornerback Justin Walley intercepted an errant pass by Maryland redshirt junior quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. and returned it 32 yards for another score to contribute to the significant advantage.
Edwards scored the Terps’ lone touchdown of the first half on a 3-yard keeper with 28 seconds left in the second quarter, and redshirt sophomore quarterback MJ Morris found sophomore outside linebacker DJ Samuels and junior wide receiver Shaleak Knotts for touchdowns in the fourth quarter. But it was an otherwise forgettable showing by a team that should have demonstrated a sense of urgency while fighting for its postseason existence.
“I’m probably more disappointed that we didn’t build off what we accomplished a week ago, and it started with just how we started the game,” coach Mike Locksley said. “If we get the game into the fourth quarter on the road, you can give yourself a chance, and we didn’t give ourselves a chance from the first quarter when we got down the way we did.”
Senior wide receiver Tai Felton expressed confidence in his teammates.
“It’s not necessarily frustration, it’s more disappointment,” he said. “Even myself, I could have played better today. There were some that I missed today. But I know how hard this team works, and I believe in them. I have total faith in this team.”
Maryland dropped to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten, while Minnesota collected its third straight victory to improve to 5-3 and 3-2. The Terps will try to use their second bye of the season to prepare for a November gantlet of games against No. 1 Oregon (7-0, 4-0), Iowa (4-3, 2-2), and No. 3 Penn State (6-0, 3-0).
Here are three observations from Saturday’s setback.
Maryland’s best asset on offense was no match for Minnesota’s suffocating defense
The Terps led the Big Ten in passing at 313.3 yards per game courtesy of leaning on Edwards and senior wide receivers Felton and Kaden Prather to befuddle defenses and score points. On Saturday, they were on the receiving end of that frustration.
The Gophers lived up to their pregame billing as the nation’s fourth-stingiest pass defense. In the first half, they held Maryland to just 133 passing yards, limited Prather to one catch for 15 yards, and tagged Edwards with his first two-interception outing with the Terps.
In addition to Walley’s interception-returned-for-a-touchdown, freshman safety Koi Perich produced an interception in his third consecutive game. He has a Big Ten-leading five interceptions, including four in the past three games.
Locksley called Edwards’ first interception a result of poor decision making.
“He’s not 100% in the run game, but he can use his feet,” he said. “When they drop eight, run it, check it down. We have answers for it. What we’ve got to do is continue to pick up on that.”
The tone might have been set on the game’s opening possession when Maryland failed to convert on third-and-1 at Minnesota’s 40-yard line after Edwards’ pass was too hot for Prather and then compounded that decision by calling for a run by redshirt junior running back Roman Hemby that actually lost 2 yards.
The Terps’ inability to make consistent gains in the rushing game (the offense averaged just 3.5 yards per carry with 69 yards on 20 attempts) has forced the offensive burden on Edwards and the receivers. After throwing for at least 250 yards in every game this fall, Edwards managed just 201 yards against the Gophers, did not throw a touchdown pass for the second time in three games and was pulled after three quarters.
While acknowledging that he has to sit with Edwards and emphasize certain principles, Locksley said he will back his quarterback.
“I’ll keep coaching Billy Edwards Jr.,” he said. “He didn’t play his best game today, but he’s given us a chance to win. I’ll keep coaching him, and he’ll be better for it.”
Junior wide receiver Octavian Smith Jr., who set career highs in receptions (eight) and yards (84) in that 29-28 win against USC, caught four balls for 51 yards. Prather, who also enjoyed personal bests in catches (nine) and yards (111) against the Trojans, finished with two catches for 26 yards.
Saturday might have been the first time Maryland was outclassed by a more formidable opponent.
Minnesota exploited Maryland’s defensive vulnerability repeatedly
The Gophers entered the game with the second-worst run offense in the Big Ten at 105.9 yards per game. That hardly mattered Saturday.
Minnesota took to the air to attack a Terps secondary that welcomed back senior safety Dante Trader Jr. after missing the past two games because of injury but was absent redshirt senior slot cornerback Glendon Miller (unspecified injury) and freshman cornerback Judah Jenkins (ejection for targeting).
Brosmer enjoyed season highs in passing yards (320) and touchdown passes (four). Fifth-year senior Daniel Jackson (nine catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns) and senior Elijah Spencer (six for 99 yards and two touchdowns) became the first pair of Golden Gophers receivers to record two touchdown receptions in the same game since Oct. 3, 2009 — a span of 185 games.
And when Minnesota had Maryland on its heels, sophomore running back Darius Taylor punctuated the rout by scoring on a 51-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“Defensively, we did a good job stopping the run, but that Achilles heel of ours, that inexperience on the outside, giving up the explosives …,” Locksley said before trailing off. “We gave up 14 explosives, and only two in the run game. To me, we’ve got to continue to find the answers. I thought a week ago, they played better. This week, our guys didn’t play as well when the ball was in the air, and that to me is the only way we want to lose. We weren’t going to let them run the ball, but those young guys had to make plays, and consistency is the toughest thing right now.”
Brosmer entered the game ranked 12th in the conference in passing yards per game. But like Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles and Northwestern’s Jack Lausch before him, Brosmer had one of the most successful games of his career against the Terps.
Still, redshirt senior defensive end Quashon Fuller said now is the time to support the secondary.
“I would say that the hardest part is throughout the tough times, just being able to stay resilient,” he said. “When things happen, we just keep going. You can’t be inconsistent. You’ve got to be encouraging and stuff like that because at the end of the day, the young guys really lean on the older guys in times like this.”
Which raises the question: what are Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakamanis, and Penn State’s Drew Allar going to do when they get their opportunities against Maryland?
Minnesota capitalized on the few penalties Maryland had
The good news is that the Terps were penalized only six times for 50 yards. The bad news is that the Gophers used three of those penalties to extend eventual touchdown drives.
Trader, a McDonogh graduate, was flagged for pass interference on Spencer on Minnesota’s first series. The Gophers pounced with Brosmer hitting Jackson for a 10-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
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On Minnesota’s next possession, Jenkins was cited for targeting when he lowered his helmet to strike Jackson in the helmet after a 10-yard gain and was disqualified from the game. That drive ended with Brosmer finding Spencer for a 7-yard touchdown and a 14-0 advantage.
And on Minnesota’s opening series of the second half, senior defensive tackle Tommy Akingbesote was assessed for roughing the passer. Brosmer made the call count when he connected with Spencer for a 25-yard touchdown and a 41-10 lead.
Maryland might take some solace in not committing as many infractions as it has in the past. But the frequency won’t matter much if opponents can turn those transgressions into points that translate into losses for the Terps.
Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.
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