Be on the offensive: Terps, Taulia, TDs in win vs. Charlotte
Maryland football’s 56-21 win over Charlotte on Saturday afternoon was an offensive showcase in which the Terps registered 617 total yards, while redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa recorded 391 passing yards and accounted for five touchdowns.
From redshirt senior receiver Jeshaun Jones’ standout performance to Maryland’s success in nonconference play under coach Mike Locksley, here are three takeaways from the Terps’ second win of the season:
Jones excels in Maryland’s deep receivers room.
With so much talk surrounding senior Dontay Demus Jr. and junior Rakim Jarrett, Jones has reminded people that he is still a threat.
Jones had another solid performance, totaling six catches for 71 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the 49ers. Jones has accumulated 10 catches for 141 yards and two scores while averaging 14.1 yards per reception in the past two games.
In 2018, Jones burst onto the college scene when he became the first freshman since former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in 2012 to record a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game. Jones finished his freshman campaign with 22 receptions for 288 yards and seven total touchdowns in 12 games (two starts).
But injuries have hampered Jones’ career in College Park.
Jones missed the entire 2019 season with a torn ACL, then suffered a season-ending lower leg injury last year in a game against Ohio State.
Jones, however, appears to be unfazed by his injury track record. He has looked smooth in his route running while showcasing his ability to evade defenders. With under six minutes left in the first quarter against Charlotte, Tagovailoa threw the ball to Jones, who maneuvered past a pair of defenders for a 14-yard touchdown.
Maryland’s ‘running-backby-committee’ approach has upside.
Going into the season, running backs Colby McDonald and Roman Hemby wanted to prove that the run game could be a complementary piece to Maryland’s offense. Through two games, they’ve shown that the Terps’ “running-back-by-committee” approach might have upside.
“Our running back core is very deep,” said McDonald, who rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on four carries Saturday. “We have plenty of options.”
After Hemby was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, rushing for 114 yards and two touchdowns against Buffalo, sophomore McDonald and Antwain Littleton II, a redshirt freshman, stepped up for the Terps, who combined for 193 rushing yards on 28 carries.
Littleton, who scored two touchdowns last week, ran up the middle for a 59-yard score in the final minutes of the first quarter, while McDonald scored on a 49-yard rushing touchdown that gave Maryland a 49-14 lead late in the third.
“That backfield reminds me of the young group that our receivers were that now have become those veteran players,” Locksley said.
Terps’ dominance against nonconference opponents continues.
Maryland’s win on Saturday continued a trend of dominance against nonconference foes. The Terps have won seven straight games while improving to 8-1 against nonconference teams under Locksley. Maryland’s last nonconference loss was in 2019 when Temple defeated the Terps, 20-17.
Maryland has averaged 47.6 points in nonconference matchups while limiting opponents to 13.4 points per game. The Terps’ 56-point effort was the fourth time they have scored 50 or more points against non-Big Ten Conference teams.
Tagovailoa has shined in Maryland’s nonconference games since becoming the starter in 2020. The Alabama transfer has thrown for 1,671 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions in five nonconference matchups.