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University of Maryland Athletics

Football Team
0
Rutgers RUT 4-8 , 1-8
37
Winner Maryland UMD 7-5 , 4-5
Rutgers RUT
4-8 , 1-8
0
Final
37
Maryland UMD
7-5 , 4-5
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
RUT Rutgers 0 0 0 0 0
UMD Maryland 0 17 13 7 37

Game Recap: Football |

Terps Shutout Rutgers, 37-0, For Seventh Win

COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland sent its 18 seniors out in style on Senior Day, dominating Rutgers 37-0 behind a three-touchdown game from Big Ten Rookie of the Year candidate Roman Hemby. The Terps recorded their first Big Ten shutout and first shutout of a conference opponent since blanking ACC foe Wake Forest in 2008. 

The Terps, who finished the regular season at 7-5 and won four Big Ten games for the first time since joining the conference, will await their bowl game information, which will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 4.

Hemby ran for three touchdowns for the second time this season, scoring from one, one and eight yards. He finished with 70 yards on 19 carries. 

Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa became Maryland's all-time leader in career touchdown passes as he completed 25-of-37 for 342 yards and a score. He now has 50 career TD passes, breaking the record of 49 previously held by Scott Milanovich. 

Super senior Jeshaun Jones had a career day with highs of nine catches for 152 yards to lead the way. Freshman Octavian Smith Jr. had the best day of his young career, setting personal bests in both receptions (four) and receiving yards (79). Corey Dyches snagged five receptions for 59 yards. Tai Felton tied his career-best with three catches for a new career-high 57 receiving yards. 
The Maryland defense was phenomenal all-game, turning in their best performance against a Big Ten opponent ever. The Terps shutout the Scarlet Knights and held them to a measly 135 total yards. Rutgers was forced into 10 total punts and no drive went longer than 22 yards as they totaled just seven first downs. Maryland held Rutgers to 1-for-13 on third down, with the first conversion coming with under two minutes left. 
In the first half, they held Rutgers to just 59 total yards and only 21 through the air. Five of Rutgers' seven possessions (excluding the one-play drive to run out the clock before halftime) were three-and-outs, with its longest drive going for just 22 yards. 

Prior to Saturday, the fewest yards allowed by Maryland in a Big Ten game was holding Rutgers to 179 yards in 2018. Overall, it was the fewest yards allowed by Maryland since holding Howard to 68 on Aug. 31, 2019. Against FBS opponents, this is the fewest yards Maryland has allowed since holding Eastern Michigan to 124 in 2001. 

Maryland put together 513 yards of total offense. 

Locksley's Take

"Proud of this team, man. Very proud of the way they finished. Every part of our program is designed to finish the right way and I thought we did that today, playing probably the most complete game we've had all season in all three phases. Really proud of the leadership shown by the 18 guys that exhausted their eligibility and of our team sending these guys out the right way. Obviously, our defense has been improving all year long. One of the things I really liked was seeing the mental intensity of how we played a week ago against Ohio State was carried over and we had our first shutout since we joined the Big Ten, which is a great feat no matter the opponent."
From The Seniors

"It was really the cherry on top of my time here," redshirt senior linebacker Ahmad McCullough said of pitching a shutout in his final game as a Terp. "It was amazing just to feel that every drive we went out there we controlled everything on defense. We controlled the line of scrimmage, we controlled everything. They couldn't pass or run. We communicated really well and it was awesome to be part of a shutout.

"It was huge, a big moment for me," Jones of his career day on Senior Day. "I've been through a lot and I just feel like I got to go out there and show everybody what I can do. 

Breaking Down The Action
  • The Maryland defense came to play early, forcing three consecutive Rutgers three-and-outs to start the game. The Scarlet Knights were held to just 12 yards total in those three drives.
  • After coming up with a huge stop on fourth-and-one at the Maryland 49-yard line, the Terps broke the stalemate thanks to a Roman Hemby one-yard rush on the first play of the second quarter. 
  • The Terps doubled their lead with a 13-play, 82-yard touchdown drive with 3:44 remaining in the half. The drive was highlighted by a 43-yard catch-and-run between Tagovailoa and Jones and capped off with another Hemby one-yard rushing score. 
  • A Chad Ryland 33-yarder right before halftime gave Maryland a 17-0 lead heading into the locker room. 
  • Maryland opened the second half where it left off in the first, stringing together a 75-yard drive that Hemby finished with his third rushing touchdown of the day. 
  • Ryland added two more field goals (46 yards, 33 yards) to give Maryland a 30-0 lead heading into the final 15 minutes of play.
  • Maryland capped off the day with a Tagovailoa 27-yard touchdown pass down the seam to Jones, giving Tagovailoa his 50th career touchdown pass, the most all-time at Maryland. 

Senior Salute
Winning Ways
  • Maryland now has seven regular-season wins for the first time since 2014.
  • The win also equals the Terps top mark for Big Ten conference wins in a season with four, also done in 2014. 

Taulia The Record Setter
  • Tagovailoa continues to add to his record-setting passing numbers at Maryland.
  • With his touchdown pass to Jones in the fourth quarter, he became the all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 50, surpassing Scott Milanovich's former record of 49.
  • Tagovailoa is the all-time Maryland leader in career passing yards with 7,658, total offense with 7,843 and 300-yard passing games with his 12th against Rutgers. 
  • He is second in career completions with 646 just behind Milanovich's record of 650.
  
Hemby's Hat Trick
  • For the second time this season, Roman Hemby ran for three touchdowns for the second time this season (also vs. Northwestern). He became the sixth Terp to rush for three or more touchdowns in a game in Maryland history. The last was Brandon Ross in 2015 with three each against Rutgers and Indiana.
  • The previous four Terps with three or more rushing touchdowns in a game in a single-season are: Chris Downs (2002), LaMont Jordan (1999), Rick Badanjek (1984), Steve Atkins (1977).
  • Hemby is one of two Big Ten running backs this season to rush for three rushing TDs in a game. The only other one is Mohamed Ibrahim of Minnesota.
  • Hemby now has 10 rushing touchdowns on the season, the most since Ross had 10 in 2015. 
  • "The O-Line definitely did a lot for me opening up holes and I just had to run through them," Hemby said. "There was a few plays when I had to make people miss and stuff like that, but it felt good to get back in the end zone and celebrate with my brothers. 

Ryland Is Good!
  • Kicker Chad Ryland kicked three field goals and now has multiple field goals in a game for the fifth time this season. 
  • He now has 16 made field goals this season, tying for 12th-most made field goals in a season in Maryland history. 
  • His 16 made field goals are the most in a season by a Terp since Brad Craddock made 18 in 2014. 

2K For Dontay
  • Dontay Demus became the seventh Terp to record 2,000 career receiving yards with his first reception of the game, a five-yard catch in the first quarter. He now has 2,008 yards in his career to stand seventh in Maryland history. Next on the list at No. 6 is DJ Moore (2,027).

Streaks Extended
Notes and Nuggets
  • Maryland has now scored at least 24 points against Rutgers in every game since the teams joined the Big Ten together in 2014. 
  • Ahmad McCullough recorded his first-career sack, on his senior day, a seven-yard stop in the third quarter. 
  • Anthony Booker Jr. had his second-career sack, coming in the first quarter, an eight-yard loss. His other sack came at Michigan. Booker finished with two TFLs.
  • Demus Jr., now has a reception in 38 of his last 39 games. 

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