COLLEGE PARK, MD -- The Terps (3-0) turned a key Dante Trader Jr. interception in the fourth quarter into a touchdown, putting them ahead of SMU (2-1) for good in a 34-27 comeback victory.
The two teams went punch-for-punch all game with neither able to create much separation until Maryland broke the 27-27 tie when Taulia Tagovailoa connected with Corey Dyches with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter. The game featured five lead changes and three ties.
Roman Hemby was the star for the Terps on offense, finishing with a 213 total yards, including a career-high 151 on the ground on 16 carries, and a score. Taulia Tagovailoa was 17-of-23 for 214 yards with two passing touchdowns.
The Mustangs had a chance to even it up, but the Terps forced an incompletion from Tanner Mordecai with 46 seconds left to seal the game.
The Terps were boosted by several momentum-swinging plays by the defense throughout the night to keep the potent Mustang offense in check. Maryland forced two interceptions, one fumble, three turnovers on downs and one missed field goal. Beau Brade, who had the Terps' other interception, piled up a career-high 15 tackles, the most by a Terp since 2020. The Terps held the Mustangs to just seven points in the second half.
The game saw 959 yards of total offense as the Terrapins gained 439 while the Mustangs had 520.
With the win, the Terps have won five straight games, dating back to last season, for the first time since 2015-16. Maryland is also 3-0 for the second year in a row, setting up a huge showdown with No. 4 Michigan in Ann Arbor next week for FOX's Big Noon Kickoff Game.
Coach Michael Locksley's Take
"We did not play our best football today, let's make no mistake about it. Lot of errors, lot of penalties, lot of turnovers, but it was against a really, really good team. I told our team this, I have way too much respect for winning. To win a game like we won today against a really good team, I promise you at the end of the year SMU will be one of the teams that's really highly thought of. To find a way to win, we needed a game like that, I got a lot of respect for the way our guys fought, the resiliency they showed being down. These guys never flinched, never looked at the scoreboard. Obviously, we've got a lot of things to get cleaned up on offense and that starts with me and the penalties. I'll get that corrected, but it sure feels good to be 3-0."
Player's Perspective
"It's a tale of two halves," Hemby said. "They kinda had us in the first half, but I feel like we did our due diligence, we came back out and we got it done. It's just one of those things where we put a body on a body and tried to win our one-on-one battles and we were victorious in that aspect."
Breaking Down The Action
- The Terps forced a Mustang turnover on downs in the red zone on the game's opening drive as Gavin Gibson was there to break up the fourth-down pass.
- Roman Hemby broke off a 50-yard run on Maryland's first offensive play of the night that ultimately led to a 36-yard field goal from Chad Ryland to give the Terps the early lead.
- SMU scored the next 13 points, but the Terps cut the deficit to three with a run-heavy, 11-play drive that resulted in an Antwain Littleton II rushing score.
- On the Mustang's next drive, Beau Brade picked off Tanner Mordecai. The Terps capitalized on the very next play as Tagovailoa connected with Rakim Jarrett for a 48-yard score.
- The Mustangs added a touchdown before halftime and went into the locker room leading 20-17.
- Ryland knocked in his 20th consecutive field goal on the opening drive of the second half to knot the game at 20 apiece.
- Beau Brade came up big in the red zone on the ensuing drive, forcing a Mordecai fumble to stymie the Mustangs' long drive on the three-yard line.
- After SMU got the ball back, Mordecai hooked up with Kelvontay Dixon for a Mustang score, but the Terps defense buckled down on the next drive and forced SMU into a missed 49-yard field goal attempt.
- Maryland took advantage of the missed field goal, stringing together a nine-play, 68-yard drive capped off by a Hemby rushing touchdown to tie the game at 27.
- The Terps took the lead for good midway through the fourth quarter, turning a Dante Trader Jr. pick into a Corey Dyches reception touchdown.
- The defense came up big again two different times late, creating two turnovers on downs and keeping the game locked at 34-27.
Taulia's Continued Dominance
- With 17 completions today, Tagovailoa moved to third all-time in career completions with 471, passing Boomer Esiason. Next up is Chris Turner with 547.
- He added to his career touchdown total with two in the game and now has 39, the third-most in school history.
- He also now has 5,766 career passing yards after throwing for 214 on Saturday.
Turning The Mustangs Over
- The Maryland defense came up with big plays when it mattered most multiple times throughout the night.
- The Terps forced three turnovers on downs, one on the opening drive and two late in the fourth quarter.
- Brade picked off Mordecai in the first half for Maryland's first takeaway of the season.
- The Terps made another massive red zone stop early in the third quarter as Brade knocked the ball loose from Mordecai for the second takeaway of the game. Ahmad McCullough recovered the fumble.
- Dante Trader Jr. came up with the biggest turnover of the night, intercepting Mordecai midway through the fourth and giving the Terps the ball back just past midfield. It was his first-career interception.
- "When we needed to make stops, our defense made stops," Locksley said. "Here's the thing that doesn't go unnoticed by us: when we turned it over, our change of possession defense was phenomenal and that's what to me gave us the opportunity...They did a lot of bending, but never broke."
Hemby Hammers It
- For the second time this season, Hemby rushed for more than 100 yards in a game as he gained a career-high 151 yards on the ground. He also ran for 114 yards in the season opener against Buffalo (on seven carries for a 16.3 average per carry).
- Hemby also added a touchdown rush, his third this season.
- He leads the Terps in rushing this season with 294 on 32 carries for a remarkable average of 9.2 per carry.
- With Hemby's 50-yard rush in the first quarter, the Terps now have three rushes of 50 or more yards this season (Hemby 70, 50) and Antwain Littleton II (59).
- Hemby was also the Terps second-leading receiver in terms of receiving yards with 62.
Littleton Comes Up Big
- Antwain Littleton II scored his fourth touchdown of the young season on a 1-yard rush in the second quarter. He became the first Terp with four TDs (or more) in the first three games of a season since Anthony McFarland scored five TDs in the first three games of the 2019 season.
- Littleton finished with 15 yards on 5 carries and that score.
Rak-ing It
- Jarrett finished with 65 yards on two receptions with the score.
- Jarrett's 48-yard touchdown reception was his first this season and eighth of his career.
- Of Jarrett's eight career touchdowns, five have been for 40 or more yards.
Brilliant Brade
- Brade continues to be the Terps' leading tackler as he racked up a career-high 15 stops in the SMU game. He has led Maryland in tackles in each game this season.
- His 15 tackles are the most since Chance Campbell had 15 at Northwestern on Oct. 24, 2020.
- He also had his first-career interception in the second quarter.
- Brade also forced his first fumble in the third quarter, making him the first Terp with an interception and a forced fumble in the same game since Nick Cross had the duo in the 2021 opener vs. West Virginia.
- "I think it showed the grit of our defensive unit and how we just keep working all four quarters," Brade said. "We don't give up, no matter what happens. We got some penalties throughout the game and we just bounced back and didn't give up, I think that just shows the character of our defense."
Barham Fitting In Just Fine
- True freshman Jaishawn Barham had the best game of his young career as a Terp.
- Barham finished with 11 tackles, good for second on the team.
- The former four-star linebacker also recorded his first career sack.
Ryland's Streak Rolls On
- Ryland added to his nation-leading streak of consecutive field goals with a pair tonight, his 19th and 20th in a row. The streak is the longest active streak in the nation.
- He connected on 36- and 41-yarders.
Non-Conference Coasting
- In the Locksley era (2019-pres.), Maryland's average of 46.2 points per game in non-conference play leads the nation. The Terps have scored 30-plus points in nine-of-10 non-conference games under Locksley.
- The Terps are now 9-1 in non-conference games under Locksley.
- Maryland has won seven consecutive games in September and is 3-0 overall for the second consecutive year.
Notes and Nuggets
- Trader and Brade's interceptions were both the first of their careers.
- Colton Spangler punted five times during the game for an average of 50.6 yards and a long of 55.
- Sophomore defensive back Corey Coley Jr. saw his first action of the season.
- Greg China-Rose recorded his first sack of the season early in the second quarter.
- Corey Dyches scored his first touchdown this season.
Up Next
- The Terps face No. 4 Michigan in Ann Arbor at 12 pm. The game will be FOX's Big Noon Kickoff Game. It will be broadcast live on FOX and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.
