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Before every Ohio State game, Eleven Warriors meets with a member of the media who covers the opposing team to get her take on the Buckeyes’ next opponent.
We are joined this week by Emilie Giambalvo, who covers Maryland athletics for the Washington Post, for an expert opinion on the Terrapins, who will look to bounce back on the road at Ohio State this week after being beaten in a 51-14 loss to Iowa in their home stadium last week.
What went wrong for the Terps against Iowa, and what was going right for Maryland before this loss? Should we expect to see the passing offense that was one of the best in the country in the first four weeks, or the one that threw six interceptions against Iowa last week? How has the defense exceeded expectations this year and what kind of response should we expect from Maryland after last week’s setback?
We get answers to all of these questions and more in this week’s edition of Across The Field.
Maryland were 4-0 before returning the ball seven times and losing to Iowa at home by 37 points. What the hell happened against the Hawkeyes?
Giambalvo: It’s clear that the quality of the opponent changed dramatically when Maryland took on Iowa, but I also think the Terps are a little better than what they showed last weekend. Against Iowa, everything totally fell apart early in the second quarter to an astonishing degree.
If you look at those few minutes, Iowa scored to go up 10-7, then Dontay Demus Jr. fumbles the kickoff and suffers a brutal injury. Iowa recovers the ball near the end zone and scores quickly. First play of the next drive, Taulia Tagovailoa throws an interception, and Iowa again has short and scores. Second game of the following drive, Tagovailoa launched another interception. So you basically had a stretch where Maryland kept flipping the ball, and they dug a hole so deep there was no turning back. Tagovailoa now says he felt like he was trying to do too much – that thinking where you feel like you can earn all the points at once. The rest of the game was pretty competitive, and maybe the margin would have been tighter if things hadn’t escalated starting with Demus’ injury.
Starting the season strong and getting a win or two early on before stumbling as the season progresses has been a fairly consistent trend for Maryland in recent years. Why do you think this happened, and is it about to happen again?
Giambalvo: I imagine that’s what all Maryland fans are terrified of right now. I think this year the Terps have shown a lot more in the first four games than they did in previous solid starts before the disappointments. But what’s similar is that Maryland play well in non-conference games and then fall apart against those top Big Ten teams. I think Maryland met a good opponent and made a lot of mistakes (seven turnovers and tons of penalties). The obvious problem is, if you’re looking for a rebound game, playing Ohio State isn’t the perfect choice for that. If Maryland isn’t playing great again, I’d be more likely to think it’s the opponent’s product than the first signs of complete degradation the rest of the way.
The Terrapins were averaging over 350 passing yards per game before pitching for just 174 yards with six interceptions against Iowa. Do you think it had more to do with losing Dontay Demus or just against better defense, and what do they need to do to get back on track this week?
Giambalvo: Losing Dontay Demus certainly hurt, but Maryland have enough talented receivers that her absence alone wouldn’t be enough to rock the passing production so much. I think Tagovailoa never really took hold and the errors piled up. Facing a high level defense was a big part of that, but I still think Tagovailoa can play a lot better even against a strong side. The key this week will be to get Tagovailoa into a rhythm and maybe try to relieve him a bit by establishing the run a bit more. But then again, I’m not sure Ohio State is the best place for a somewhat inexperienced quarterback to rediscover his groove. Due to fan restrictions last season, the road game against Illinois earlier this season was Tagovailoa’s first and only experience as a starter in a road environment.
Maryland kept their opponents under 15 points per game before giving 51 to the Hawkeyes. How would you rate the Terrapins’ defense after five games of the season?
Giambalvo: I think the defense has exceeded expectations so far, even with the Iowa game. I think after seeing the outcome against Iowa, I would feel more confident in Maryland’s chances if they face a team with an elite offense than a team with an elite defense. Lots of points have come from turnovers with Iowa having a great position on the court.
The defensive line has done a solid job of reaching the quarterback, and it has been a pleasant surprise this year. The problem is, Maryland is suffering from injuries, so some of the best players haven’t made it. The Terps lost two starters, cornerback Deonte Banks and linebacker Fa’Najae Gotay, earlier in the year. The linebacker unit is particularly thin with linebacker Branden Jennings, who replaced Gotay, missing the last game with injury.
Taulia Tagovailoa and Rakim Jarrett are Maryland’s biggest names. Who are other Terrapins players to watch out for in this game?
Giambalvo: I would expect another receiver to step in without Demus, so I would watch out for Jeshaun Jones. He hasn’t always been super consistent, but he’s capable of making explosive plays. Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu has shown he can reach the quarterback and could be a problem for opposing attacks. He has benefited from his return as a “super senior” with additional eligibility due to the pandemic. Cornerback Tarheeb Still also made excellent catches in competition.
Jeshaun Jones could play an expanded role for Maryland as wide receiver with Dontay Demus out for the year. (Photo: Tommy Gilligan – USA TODAY Sports)
Which outcome do you think is more likely: Maryland bounces back to defy an upheaval at Ohio State, or the Terrapins blow themselves up for the second week in a row?
Giambalvo: I think Maryland will be better and have a performance that you could maybe classify as a rebound, but I’m not sure the Terps will be really tough for a surprise. I think the Ohio State defense could give Tagovailoa a chance to make a few plays, and I don’t think the game will be over at half-time. But I don’t think Ohio State fans will need to hold their breath in the fourth quarter, either.
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