Here’s how each of Maryland’s position groups performed against the Buckeyes.
Maryland football had its opportunity. A dream start put Ohio State behind the 8-ball in its own backyard.
But, despite multiple chances for Maryland to go up three scores, mental mistakes, poor execution and a disastrous fourth quarter ultimately allowed the Buckeyes to take over and pull away for a 37-17 victory.
Here’s how each position group performed in the defeat.
Quarterback
Taulia Tagovailoa walked into the postgame press conference with a palpable look of sadness and disgust.
“I gotta be better,” he said.
The fifth-year senior led the Terps to a 10-0 lead and had numerous chances to extend it. But all momentum was relinquished in the second quarter when he threw an interception returned for a touchdown. And then, at the end of the half, he inexplicably threw the ball in the middle of the field with no timeouts left, extinguishing any chance for Maryland to go into halftime with a lead.
He finished 21 of 41 passing with 196 yards and a touchdown, adding a rushing score.
Grade: C
Running back
Maryland’s rushing attack has not been good enough in Big Ten play.
Provided the drop in production can be contributed in part to the offensive line’s run-blocking struggles, Roman Hemby’s explosiveness has disappeared in the past few games.
Against the Buckeyes, Maryland’s running backs finished with 85 yards on 23 carries, with just one rush of over 10 yards. While Ohio State’s defensive front is phenomenal, the Terps’ running backs are developing a worrying trend of failing to generate big plays.
Grade: C-
Wide receiver
Maryland’s offense was rolling to begin the game, but as the game waned on, it stalled.
Kaden Prather (three catches, 49 yards and a touchdown) was mere inches away from hauling in his second score of the first quarter, but an under-thrown ball slipped through his fingers on a diving effort.
Not only did his production essentially end after that, but so did a lot of Maryland’s momentum.
Jeshaun Jones and Tai Felton combined for eight catches on 15 targets, but mistakes loomed large. A would-be first-down dropped by Felton and erroneous route by Tyrese Chambers, which contributed to the pick-6, were among the crucial errors.
Grade: C+
Tight end
Corey Dyches had his most productive game since nonconference play ended, managing 41 yards on five catches. Preston Howard added eight yards on a pair of catches.
According to Pro Football Focus, both players registered pass-blocking grades more than 70.
Grade: B-
Offensive line
For the most part, the offensive line held up very well in the passing game in the first half. But in the second half, the Terps’ offensive line looked tired out and vulnerable, especially when Corey Bullock — who was riding a PFF pass-blocking grade of 89.0 — exited the game.
His injury forced Locksley to shuffle personnel, and the unit was in shambles thereafter. After being inserted at right tackle, Andre Roye Jr. finished with a pass-blocking grade of 48.1.
Kyle Long also struggled, allowing eight quarterback pressures.
Grade: C+
Defensive line
Ohio State may have scored 37 points, but Maryland’s defensive front was solid. The unit graded out poorly as a whole, but the numbers are inflated because of the Buckeyes’ fourth-quarter rampage.
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord was under duress early, and lapses in the secondary were the primary reasons the Buckeyes entered cruise control.
Donnell Brown and Isaac Bunyun each had a tackle for loss.
Grade: B-
Linebacker
Similar to the defensive line, Maryland’s linebackers held up well to start, but tired out as the offense gave up short fields and quick possessions.
Ruben Hyppolite II, one of four Terps linebackers with a PFF grade over 70, led the way with seven tackles and three defensive stops — defined as “a play where a defender makes a tackle, and the location of the tackle means the play is a successful one for the defense.”
Most of Ohio State’s 246 second-half yards came downfield or by the sidelines, with the middle of the field being mostly contained by the linebackers.
Grade: B-
Secondary
Ohio State did not score on any of its first five possessions, something it had not done in seven years.
But the seas parted in the second half as McCord found his groove — finishing with 320 yards and two touchdowns — and honed a lethal connection with Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison Jr. was on the receiving end of eight throws, totaling 163 yards and a score.
Ja’Quan Sheppard struggled immensely against Harrison Jr., surrendering four catches for 129 yards.
Blame it on Tarheeb Still’s absence or fatigue, but the bottom line is that Maryland’s secondary was lifeless in the second half.
Grade: D
Special teams
Not much to be dissatisfied with here. Colton Spangler averaged 41.3 yards on his five punts, once pinning the Buckeyes inside their own 20-yard line. Jack Howes hit his lone field goal, a 21-yarder.
In the return game, Jeshaun Jones took two punts back for a total of 32 yards, the former being an explosive 26-yard gain. He muffed his first return attempt, but it was scooped up by Dante Trader Jr.
Grade: B+
Coaching
Locksley and the rest of the coaching staff had a good game plan — one that worked early on. It was a lack of on-the-field execution in big moments which derailed the Terps Saturday.
Grade: B-