Maryland shocks Minnesota in OT on missed conversion
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – A crazy, thrilling game ended abruptly in overtime when Minnesota’s Brock Walker missed a conversion kick after a potential tying touchdown, giving Maryland a stunning 45-44 comeback victory Friday night.
After the Terrapins rallied from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa ran for a 2-yard touchdown and Joseph Peterino kicked the extra point to give the Terrapins – who came in as 19-point underdogs – a 45-38 lead.
Minnesota answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Seth Green before Walker’s extra-point try sailed wide right to end this Big Ten duel.
Tagovailoa went 26 for 35 for 394 yards and three touchdowns in his second college start. He also ran for 59 yards and two scores to help the Terrapins (1-1) bounce back from a season-opening 43-3 loss to Northwestern.
He became the first Maryland quarterback to throw for 300 yards since Caleb Rowe against Vinia in 2013.
Jake Funk ran for a career-best 221 yards, and Maryland totaled a whopping 675 yards of offense.
Mohamed Ibrahim ran for 207 yards and a career-high four touchdowns on 41 carries for Minnesota (0-2).
Ibrahim scored twice from the 2-yard-line and twice from the 1. The junior running back needed 96 yards rushing to become the 17th player in Minnesota history to reach 2,000, and he reached that mark by halftime.
The Golden Gophers turned an early 21-7 deficit into a 38-21 lead late in the third quarter before Tagovailoa brought the Terrapins into a tie at 38 with
3:38 remaining, setting up overtime.
Coming off a 49-24 loss to Michigan that knocked them out of the Top 25, the Gophers fell into a quick 14-0 hole and trailed 21-7 after the first quarter. But Minnesota rallied behind Ibrahim and Tanner Mor
gan, who threw for 189 yards and a score.
In his debut with the Terrapins last week, Tagovailoa tossed three interceptions. The Alabama transfer was much sharper in this one, finding a way to mount enough yardage and points to overcome another
miserable performance by the Maryland defense.
On Maryland’s opening drive, Tagovailoa threw his first career TD pass, an 8-yarder to Funk. On the Terrapins’ second possession, Tagovailoa slithered