Maryland Beats Rutgers, Bowl Bound For 1st Time Since 2016

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Shortly aft securing their archetypal vessel berth since 2016, Maryland players and coaches gathered successful the extremity portion with a monolithic video surface astatine SHI Stadium down them and took a squad photograph with the people of their 40-16 triumph implicit Rutgers showing.

Coach Michael Locksley called it a Christmas Card photograph players could nonstop successful little than a month. It was much than that. It was a motion Maryland (6-6, 3-6 ) is turning the country successful the Big Ten Conference.

READ MORE: First Snow Of Season Could Bring Slick Spots, Little Accumulation To Parts Of Maryland

“I came present to physique a programme that our erstwhile players and each of our fans could beryllium really, truly arrogant of,” said Locksley, who was hired for the 2019 season. “This is conscionable 1 step. We talked astir taking the adjacent measurement and that’s being vessel eligible now. The adjacent measurement for america is to physique upon what we’ve established, the culture, the identity. We person young players that I deliberation springiness america a agleam future.”

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is ground of that future. He threw 3 touchdowns, ran for different and grabbed the school’s single-season grounds for passing yards successful the biggest crippled of the twelvemonth for some teams.

“It means truthful overmuch to get to a vessel crippled arsenic a team,” Tagovailoa said. “We wanted to beryllium the squad that did it, not adjacent year’s team. We wanted to beryllium the squad that started that.”

Rutgers (5-7, 2-7) suffered its 19th consecutive nonaccomplishment astatine location against a Big Ten opponent.

The setback was evidently a disappointment for Rutgers’ fans, but manager Greg Schiano said the squad astatine slightest was playing a meaningful crippled successful November. That has not been the lawsuit betwixt 2016-19. Rutgers past played successful a vessel crippled successful 2014.

“It’s important that we each admit that we are increasing we are building,” said Schiano, whose 8 wins implicit the past 2 seasons are 1 little than the squad had betwixt 2016-19.

Maryland halfback Tayon Fleet-Davis besides had a big-day with a bowl-bid connected the line, rushing for a career-best 152 yards and 2 touchdowns arsenic the Terps had 575 yards successful full offense. Fleet-Davis scored connected runs of 13 and 2 yards successful the 4th quarter.

“You know, I’ve been present since 2017, I’m a 5th twelvemonth elder truthful so this is my archetypal clip bowling and I’m inactive still successful shock,” Fleet-Davis said. “I conscionable can’t judge it. I’m acceptable for it and I can’t hold to experience, and I’m besides excited that my squad get acquisition this, too, particularly the young guys.”

READ MORE: Baltimore Police Seek Help Identifying Young Boy Walking Street Early Saturday

Tagovailoa had touchdown passes of 25 and 11 yards to Corey Dyches and 38 yards to Brian Cobbs successful getting the Terps vessel eligible. He besides tallied connected a 10-yard tally arsenic Maryland opened a 20-2 halftime pb and ne'er looked back.

Tagovailoa finished 21 of 30 for 312 yards. The yardage gave him 3,595 yards, breaking the Terps’ single-season grounds of 3,499 acceptable by Scott Milanovich successful 1993.

After taking the last snap, Tagovailoa thorax bumped with receiver Rakim Jarrett, who had 7 catches for 111 yards arsenic the Terps ended a three-game losing streak.

The Scarlet Knights got second-half touchdown runs of 1 gait from Johnny Langan and 3 yards from Aaron Young.. Kessawn Abraham returned a blocked PAT effort 85 yards for the different 2 points. Maryland’s defence stopped Rutgers doubly connected downs wrong its 3-yard line, erstwhile successful each half.

THE TAKEAWAY

After opening the the play with 4 consecutive wins, Maryland yet sealed its vessel berth. Tagovailoa was outstanding and helium volition beryllium an attraction astatine immoderate vessel game.

UP NEXT

The Terps volition hold until adjacent Sunday to find retired what vessel has selected them.

MORE NEWS: Baltimore's Monument Lighting, In Its 50th Year, Returns Thursday

(© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed.)