COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Survive and advance. That’s all Michigan wanted to do during this late-November trip to SECU Stadium that was sandwiched between an emotional win over Penn State, another batch of unsightly headlines from the NCAA’s investigation into the sign-stealing scheme and next week’s high-stakes rivalry game with Ohio State (Saturday at noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
Playing without its head coach for a second consecutive week and the fifth time this season, Michigan achieved that goal with a hard-fought 31-24 win over Maryland that invites plenty of questions about the Wolverines. A pair of interceptions from defensive back Mike Sainristil offset an uncharacteristically poor performance from quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who tossed more interceptions (one) than touchdowns (zero), to stave off a gutsy effort from the Terrapins.
Saturday’s “Big Noon Kickoff” result was the 1,000th win in Michigan history, making the Wolverines the first program in college football history to reach that mark. They advance to next week’s showdown with Ohio State knowing the winner will secure a Big Ten East title.
Here are some quick takeaways from SECU Stadium:
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Play of the game
Nineteen seconds after Blake Corum capped Michigan’s nine-play, 65-yard drive with a short touchdown plunge to take the lead, disaster struck for Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa deep in his own territory.
The streaky Maryland signal-caller narrowly missed tight end Preston Howard for what might have been a lengthy catch-and-run touchdown on a beautifully designed run-pass option. Tagovailoa pulled the ball from the belly of his running back and saw Howard in acres of space down the left side, but his throw led Howard a bit too far and forced a difficult diving attempt that ultimately fell incomplete.
One play later, Tagovailoa’s deep shot toward wide receiver Shaleak Knotts, who beat Michigan’s star corner Will Johnson off the line of scrimmage, got caught in the wind and drifted too close to the sideline for another opportunity gone awry.
Those back-to-back missed chances proved even more costly when Tagovailoa was swarmed in the backfield on third-and-10 from his own 25-yard line. Linebacker Michael Barrett sacked Tagovailoa and poked the ball free for a fumble. The ball bounced kindly to edge rusher Derrick Moore, who scooped it up and scampered into the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Wolverines an early 14-3 lead.
Michigan’s Derrick Moore recovers a fumble and scores a TD
Turning point
After an opening trio of drives that resulted in a field goal, a lost fumble-turned-touchdown and a punt, the Maryland offense finally chugged to life midway through the second quarter. Pass plays gaining 14 yards, 11 yards, 14 yards and 16 yards anchored a possession that melted six minutes off the clock and ended with a touchdown from quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. on a short sneak.
Maryland remained hot to begin the second half and turned its opening drive into another touchdown after covering 78 yards on nine plays. A 34-yard connection from Tagovailoa to wideout Kaden Prather moved the Terrapins onto Michigan’s half of the field, and a roughing-the-passer penalty on defensive lineman Mason Graham nudged the ball toward the red zone. Another sneak from Edwards pulled Maryland within 23-17.
But when given a chance to take the lead on the next possession, Tagovailoa made the kind of untimely mistake that has plagued him throughout an otherwise distinguished career. This time, he made an ill-advised throw toward the right sideline that allowed defensive back Mike Sainristil enough time to undercut the route and intercept the pass.
The turnover led to an eight-play, 51-yard touchdown drive for Michigan capped by an end around from wide receiver Semaj Morgan that pushed the lead back to double digits.
No. 3 Michigan Wolverines vs. Maryland Terrapins Highlights
Key stat
Despite claiming one of the best defenses in college football this season, Michigan entered Saturday’s game ranked tied for 53rd nationally in sacks with 23. The Wolverines have proved adept at generating pressure and disrupting quarterbacks with timely blitzes and clever designs by defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, but they’ve lacked an elite edge rusher since the departures of Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo two years ago.
On Saturday, however, Michigan’s steady harassment of Tagovailoa played a critical role in securing a win over Maryland that was far closer than most people expected. Starting edge rushers Jaylen Harrell and Braiden McGregor each chipped in at least ½ sack of Tagovailoa, as did both of Michigan’s starters along the interior of the defensive line in nose tackle Kenneth Grant and defensive tackle Mason Graham. Barrett, the inside linebacker, caused the strip-sack of Tagovailoa that led to a scoop-and-score for Moore.
In total, the Wolverines sacked Tagovailoa four times — well above their season average of 2.3 per game — and also chased him into an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone that pushed the lead to 7 with 3:38 remaining.
What’s next for Michigan?
Everyone knows what’s next for the Wolverines. With Michigan and Ohio State both facing Week 12 opponents that appeared significantly overmatched on paper, wandering eyes were already looking ahead to this year’s version of The Game. Once the Wolverines dispatched of Maryland with a second-half surge that extinguished any threat of an upset, all that separated them from a second consecutive undefeated showdown with the Buckeyes was a late-afternoon game between Ohio State and Minnesota, which has lost five of its last eight. The winner of next week’s clash in Ann Arbor will be crowned champion of the Big Ten East and receive an automatic berth to the league’s championship game.
What’s next for Maryland?
A week ago, the Terrapins snapped their four-game losing streak with a hard-fought win over Nebraska that secured bowl eligibility for a third straight season — something that hasn’t happened in College Park since 2006-08. Still, Saturday’s loss to Michigan was another painful reminder of where they truly stand in the hierarchy of a league that will welcome four more quality programs next fall. Head coach Mike Locksley has done yeoman’s work during his four-plus seasons at Maryland, but the Terrapins’ inability to win big games against the upper echelon of the Big Ten East is a reminder of how far they must go. They end with a trip to Rutgers that could give them back-to-back years with seven regular-season wins for the first time since 2013-14.
Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.
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