Maryland football grinds out ugly 13-10 victory over Nebraska, clinches bowl eligibility
The Terps snapped a four-game losing streak.
Jack Howes kicked Maryland football into bowl eligibility as time expired, but the journey to Maryland’s 13-10 victory over Nebraska was wild and ugly.
After turning Nebraska over for the fourth time, Maryland football found itself in the red zone. Roman Hemby then ran it inside the 5-yard line, but fumbled while trying to churn out a few extra yards. Instead of the Terps taking a potential 17-10 lead, they gave the momentum back to the Cornhuskers. To add more salt in the wound, Taulia Tagovailoa missed Kaden Prather for a wide-open touchdown the play before.
On the ensuing possession, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule went to his third-string quarterback, Chubba Purdy. Heinrich Haarberg started the game, but after going 1-for-5 with an interception and taking a hard sack, which forced him into the injury tent, Jeff Sims took over. But Sims threw a pair of interceptions and managed zero passing yards in more than two quarters of play.
Purdy led the Huskers all the way down to Maryland’s 7-yard line before tossing a ball right into the hands of Tarheeb Still, Nebraska’s fifth turnover of the game and the game’s eighth total. Nebraska’s quarterbacks finished the game with 86 yards and four interceptions. Tarheeb Still and Dante Trader Jr. each collected two picks.
Tagovailoa then led the Terps on a three-minute drill to end Maryland’s four-game losing streak.
Maryland joined the conference in 2014, but it received its biggest dose of traditional Big Ten football against Nebraska Saturday.
The Terps like to play fast and throw the ball at an absurdly high rate, but Nebraska’s stout defense — and dismal offense — rendered Saturday’s contest into an ugly one.
Seven of Maryland’s first 10 possessions ended in Nebraska territory, but they only had 10 points to show for it. Three of those drives ended in turnovers — an additional two resulting in failed fourth-down tries.
It also could not establish the run game in the first half, managing zero yards on seven attempts. The second half was much more efficient, though, as the Terps recorded 101 yards on the ground.
Maryland cracked the end zone first after back-to-back big plays from Tai Felton. With just over three minutes left in the half, Felton hauled in a 53-yard catch, and then caught an 16-yard touchdown a few seconds later.
The Terps had a chance to extend that lead to 10 before halftime, but Corey Dyches was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the waning seconds to pull Maryland out of field-goal range.
The Terps had many opportunities throughout, but a lack of discipline constantly kept this game up for grabs. Maryland committed 10 penalties for 92 yards, three of which came after the whistle.
Both teams managed to consistently out-embarrass each other. In the first half, it was punt after punt, and specifically for Maryland, penalty after penalty, In the second half, it was turnover after turnover. Nebraska’s last three drives ended in turnovers, and four of the game’s final six drives ended in the hands of the opposition.
Three things to know
1. An ugly display of football. There were eight combined turnovers Saturday, three of which came inside the red zone. Nebraska used three quarterbacks, the Terps committed 10 penalties and went 0-of-2 on fourth downs.
Wins come in all different types of ways, and this one came in the ugliest of fashions.
2. Maryland’s run game improved as the game went on. The Terps’ rushing attack has been terrible of late. There has been no willingness to use it, and when they had leaned on it, the results were disappointing.
In the first half, it recorded zero yards on seven attempts. However, it finished the game with 101 ground yards on 26 attempts
3. The Terps are bowl-eligible. A four-game losing streak is over, and the Terps can finally say they are bowl eligible for the third straight season.
from Testudo Times - All Posts https://ift.tt/nyGZ5Yl
0 Response to "Maryland football grinds out ugly 13-10 victory over Nebraska, clinches bowl eligibility"
Post a Comment