Maryland finds offense late, snaps three-game skid in win over Indiana

With a team that’s been beset by its fair share of injuries, Maryland coach Mike Locksley has preached to his team to stay ready because any of his Terrapins could find the spotlight for the first time.

The spotlight belonged to Carlos Carriere on Saturday.

“We needed guys to step up, and he did, big time,” Locksley said.

The fifth-year senior had his best day in a Maryland uniform, hauling in eight passes for 134 yards, both career highs, and back-to-back second half touchdowns to help Maryland snap a three-game losing streak and hold on late to beat Indiana on homecoming Saturday, 38-35.

“It’s truly a blessing,” Carriere said. “Always working throughout the summer and the offseason, I’m feeling really blessed right now.”

All but two of Carriere’s catches and 32 of his yards came in the second half. In only his fourth career start, he found opportunities among a depleted receiving corps as the Maryland offense spread the ball to nine different receivers.

“Everyone in that locker room was excited for him because of the kind of person he is,” Maryland junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa said. “What you guys saw out there today was the hard work he’s been putting in ever since he got here.”

Tagovailoa himself had a standout day. He threw for 419 yards — the third-best single-game high in Maryland history — and two touchdowns. It was his fourth 300-plus-yard effort this season and his first in four games. 

He looked like more of the quarterback fans saw when it was still summer in College Park. He was able to maintain his composure, trust his downfield throws and not lose his discipline when pressured behind the line.

“The last couple of weeks, I was killing myself looking at the rush,” Tagovailoa said. “I think this week was more so getting my feet set in the pocket.”

Maryland (5-3, 2-3 Big Ten) only gained 79 yards on the ground, but those came at key moments. Senior running backs Challen Faamatau and Tayon Fleet-Davis combined for three touchdowns, all from the one yard line.

“Those two veteran players … have continued to be really consistent when given opportunities. We’re lucky to have that kind of depth,” Locksley said.

“We didn’t have necessarily the rushing yardage that you’d like to see and the balance you’d like to see. But when we needed to run the ball to win, I was really proud of the way the offensive line came through and the backs.”

Indiana freshman quarterback Donaven McCulley started for the Hoosiers (2-6, 0-5) after juniors Michael Penix and Jack Tuttle both didn’t make the trip. Tuttle injured his ankle Oct. 23 against Ohio State. Penix, who was sensational for Indiana in last year’s surprise pandemic campaign, has been out for a month with a shoulder injury.

McCulley was inconsistent early, but settled in to finish 14-25 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Stephen Carr led Indiana on the ground with two touchdowns on 21 carries for 136 total yards.

The sunny Saturday also saw one of the most successful squads in Terrapins history honored: The 2001 Atlantic Coast Conference championship team. 

“It put an extra chip on our shoulder,” junior defensive tackle Mosiah Nasili-Kite said of having the 2001 team back in College Park. “Just wanted to make them proud as well as our families.”

Former coach Ralph Friedgen, who led that that team to Maryland’s most recent conference championship, and two-time consensus All-American linebacker E.J. Henderson were also recognized during the game.

“I love it,” Friedgen said about being back to be honored for the 20th anniversary of his Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year award. “It’s what I miss about college football. I miss the players, Imiss the opportunity to have an effect on their lives, and I miss Saturdays.

Henderson was also grateful to be back at Maryland Stadium. He expressed confidence that Locksley has the program on the right track.

“Once those guys start to get the confidence, get used to playing in these big Big Ten stadiums, make that acclimation, we’ll be fighting for a Big Ten division title,” said Henderson, who was honored for his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A bad 25-yard punt after an Indiana three-and-out set up Maryland’s first scoring drive at the Hoosier 35 early in the first quarter. Tagovailoa took little time to get back to a September-looking version of himself, going 3-3 and start staying mobile in the pocket. Fleet-Davis punched it in from the one for his sixth score on the year and Maryland’s first first-quarter touchdown since Oct. 1 against Iowa.

Locksley gave Fleet-Davis a break on Maryland’s second drive, and Faamatau started to show his skills. Starting from Maryland’s 10, he touched the ball six times, including a 37-yard reception, and got to finish the 90-yard drive with a touchdown to stake Maryland to a 14-0 lead.

A missed Joseph Petrino 40-yard field goal led to Indiana’s first points of the game. McCulley steadied and found his form on two key completions — a six-yard fourth down conversion to senior receiver Ty Fryfogle followed up immediately by a 31-yard completion to senior tight end Peyton Hendershot — to put the Hoosiers at Maryland’s one. Carr ran it in from there to cut the Terrapin lead in half.

Following a Terrapin three and out, sophomore Anthony Pecorella’s punt was blocked by junior Jaren Handy at the Maryland 13. But Indiana was backed up by a sack and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing possession. That didn’t help Indiana junior kicker Charles Campbell, who missed a 42-yard field goal attempt, and Maryland survived the miscue late in the second quarter.

Lethargy caught up to both offenses until Indiana found some rhythm. Up to that point, the teams were a combined 2-17 in the first half on third down. Carr’s second touchdown on Indiana’s first drive of the second half went for 66 yards as he blew by two Maryland defenders to give the Hoosiers their first lead.

“The goal was to start fast, and we did,” Locksley said, “but then, once they saw that was our gameplan, they made the adjustments.”

That Indiana score seemed to immediately spark Tagovailoa. He went three-of-four, finding sophomore Rakim Jarrett on a 42-yard catch-and-and run down the left sideline, then freshman Marcus Fleming for 11, and 5 more to freshman Tai Felton. Faamatau finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown dive, his second, and Maryland retook the lead, 21-17.

“Coach always tells me if my eyes are good and my feet are good, then I’m good,” Tagovailoa said. “I think the O-line and receivers just did a good job making it easy for me and giving me time.”

Carriere then began to break out. He scored on Maryland’s next two drives — a 14 yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter, and a 45 yard screen pass that saw him juke senior Indiana safety Raheem Layne out of position at the 38 and race down the sideline for the score.

“We knew that they were going to blitz the corner a lot off the back side,” Carriere said of his second score. “That kind of play, I was drawing up plays in my head throughout the week, and I reacted how I reacted.”

“We benefit from the style of offense we run…which is why you saw a guy like Carlos make a lot of plays because because of what they did defensively,” Locksley said.

Down two scores, the Hoosiers answered immediately. McCulley was a perfect 4-for-4, and found Hendershot again for an 18-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion to slice UMD’s lead to 35-28.

Two key third-down conversions on a five-plus minute drive forced Indiana to use all of its timeouts, leading to a 41-yard Petrino field goal to extend the lead to 10. That was just enough of a margin, as Indiana scored a late touchdown to cut the deficit to three, but failed to recover an ensuing onside kick.

“I’m proud of how our guys fought and stuck together,” Locksley said. 

“We continue to challenge them each and every day as coaches, and I feel like they deserved the win.”