Game 7: Maryland vs. Illinois Preview

Maryland (5-1, 2-1 B1G) vs. Illinois (2-4, 0-3 B1G)

October 14, 2023

SECU Stadium

3:32 p.m.

NBC

COLLEGE PARK, MD - The University of Maryland football team will host Illinois for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 14 at SECU Stadium. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.

strong start

As the University of Maryland celebrates 100 years of Homecoming, this will be Maryland's 101st homecoming game. The Terps have won 64-percent of its homecoming games all-time, a 61-35-4 record. The Terps have won six of their past seven homecoming games, including three in a row, defeating Purdue in 2016, Indiana in 2017 and 2021, Rutgers in 2018, Minnesota in 2020 and Northwestern in 2022, while falling to Michigan in 2019. Illinois will be the 31st different opponent Maryland will welcome on homecoming.
The Terps are 5-1 to start the season for the first time since 2013. Maryland's 5-0 start was the program's first time winning the first five games of the season since 2001, all by 18+ points, one of only two FBS programs in the nation to accomplish that this season (#2 Michigan).
Over the last 21 games played, dating back to 2021, Maryland is 15-6, good for the fourth-best record of any Big Ten school, trailing only three top-10 teams: #2 Michigan (19-2), #4 Ohio State (18-3) and #6 Penn State (17-4).
The Terps have won five home games in a row dating back to last season's game vs. Rutgers (11/26), their longest home winning streak since winning seven in a row 2007-08. The five-game winning streak is tied for the 12th-longest in the nation and second-longest in the Big Ten, only trailing #2 Michigan (19).
Maryland's 210 points (35.0 per game) this season are its second most through six team games in school history, bested only by its 221 points in the 2019 season.
On the offensive side of the ball, Maryland currently ranks top-three in the Big Ten in total offense (429.3), scoring offense (35), passing offense (280.5), third down conversion percentage (48.2%) and fourth down conversion percentage (87.5). On the defensive side of the ball, Maryland currently ranks top-three in the Big Ten in sacks (2.67 per game), interceptions (eight) and turnovers gained (12).

Roman Hemby and Taulia Tagovailoa have paced the Maryland offense through five weeks

rewriting the record books

QB Taulia Tagovailoa has helped ascend the Terps' passing game to new heights during his three-year career. The quarterback has set Maryland career records for passing yards (9,539), passing touchdowns (65), total touchdowns (77), completions (797), completion percentage (66.6), 300-yard passing games (14), passing efficiency (146.5) and total offense (9,816).
Tagovailoa has been the best quarterback in the Big Ten through six games, currently leading the conference and standing top-20 in the FBS in passing yards (1,660), passing TDs (14) and points responsible for (110). He leads the Big Ten and is top-30 in the FBS in total offense (1,749) as well.
The redshirt senior is one of only four FBS quarterbacks with at least 14 passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns this season, along with LSU's Jayden Daniels, Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel and USC's Caleb Williams.
Tagovailoa's current career completion percentage (.666) is the sixth-best of any Big Ten quarterback all-time, only trailing Dan Persa, Northwestern (.727), Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (.700), Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin (.681), Jack Coan, Wisconsin (.668) and Aidan O'Connell (.667). He stands 10th all-time on the career Big Ten passing yards list with 9,539. Last week, he passed the likes of Tanner Morgan (Minnesota) and J.T. Barrett (Ohio State) and now stands only 176 yards behind Chad Henne (Michigan) for ninth all-time.
Tagovailoa has reached 1,500 passing yards through his team's first six games for the third straight season (2021-2023). The only other Maryland player to do this even once over the past 25 seasons was Sam Hollenbach in 2005 (1,513 passing yards).
Also on the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award and Polynesian Player of the Year Watch Lists and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after a 24-for-34, 352 yard performance two weeks ago vs. Indiana (9/30), Tagovailoa currently stands top-15 among all FBS QBs in career completion percentage (ninth), passing yards per game (11th), completions per game (13th) and total offense (14th).

Taulia Tagovailoa leads the Big Ten in every passing category

turnover terps

Maryland has been one of the best teams in the nation at forcing turnovers through six games, currently standing fourth in the country in turnover margin (+7) and 10th in the country and first in the Big Ten in turnovers gained (12).
On the offensive side of the ball, the Terps have only lost five turnovers, good for 16th in the nation and second in the Big Ten. Maryland is one of 11 FBS teams and the only Big Ten team that has not lost a fumble this season. Dating back to last season, Maryland has gone seven straight games without a fumble lost.
The Terps stand fifth in the nation and first in the Big Ten in interceptions, tallying eight through six games. CB Tarheeb Still has three himself (two vs. Virginia & one at Michigan State), one of only 32 players in the FBS with at least three interceptions. Still's three interceptions over the two games are the first time a Maryland player has done that since current Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage Jr. in 2018 (one at #15 Michigan, 10/6 & two vs. Rutgers, 10/13).
Only two FBS teams (Colorado State – 15, Tulsa – 14) have committed more turnovers than Illinois' 13 this season. Maryland has forced 12 turnovers in 2023, tied for 10th most in FBS and even with Penn State for the most among Big Ten teams.

Tarheeb Still stands second in the Big Ten with three interceptions this season

de-fense!

The Terps have been especially good in the third quarter over the last two seasons, only allowing 52 points in the past 19 games dating back to the beginning of last season. This is the seventh-fewest in the FBS, only trailing Air Force (29), Ohio State (34), James Madison (38), Michigan (43), Memphis (45) and Penn State (46).
Maryland has three sacks in three straight games (at Michigan State, 9/23; Indiana, 9/30 & at #4 Ohio State, 10/7). The last time the Terrapins had such a streak in a single-season was between November 19 - December 26, 2016 (also three straight).
DL Donnell Brown is the third-highest rated edge defender in the FBS and the top-rated in the Big Ten, via Pro Football Focus earning a 90.7 grade. He is the fourth-best edge defender in the nation in pass coverage, earning a 92.3 grade.
Maryland held #4 Ohio State to only 62 rushing yards last week, the fewest for the Buckeyes in a game since 2011 against Michigan State (35 rushing yards).

Beau Brade celebrates the first of three Terp interceptions at Michigan State

terps vs illinois

In their two meetings in Big Ten play, Maryland has outscored Illinois by an 83-50 margin with the lone home game for the Terps being a 63-33 win in 2018. The 63 points are tied for the most ever scored by Maryland in a conference game, along with a 63-7 victory over Virginia Tech in 1950.
In 2021, the Terps won 20-17 in Champaign. Down 17-10 with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Maryland rallied for a dramatic 20-17 victory over Illinois to stay perfect at 3-0. The Terps scored twice in the final 2:13. Joseph Petrino kicked his first-ever game-winning field goal as his 32-yard field goal gave the Terps the conference road win. It was Maryland's first walk-off win since Dan Ennis' game-winner against Clemson in 2006. Tagovailoa threw for 350 yards on 32-of-43. Dontay Demus Jr. had eight catches for 77 yards, extending his consecutive game streak with a reception to 25. Fleet-Davis carried the ball 11 times for 62 yards and two total touchdowns (1 rushing & 1 receiving).

Joseph Petrino kicks a game-winning field goal at Illinois in 2021

so many... receivers

The Maryland wide receiving corps has totaled 6,243 receiving yards in their careers. This is led by transfer WR Tyrese Chambers, who has tallied 151 receptions for 2,464 yards over his collegiate career at Sacred Heart, Florida International and Maryland. Sixth-year WR Jeshaun Jones, has accumulated 117 receptions for 1,631 yards as a Terp.
Maryland has six players with at least 11 receptions and 100 receiving yards this season (WR Kaden Prather, TE Corey Dyches, WR Jeshaun Jones, WR Tai Felton, WR Octavian Smith Jr. & RB Roman Hemby), tied for second-most in FBS after Temple (seven) and the most in the Big Ten.
Over the course of his career, Maryland is 10-0 when WR Jeshaun Jones has 70 or more yards receiving. Against Indiana, Jones tallied six receptions for 121 yards. Jones is currently ninth all-time in program history with 12 receiving touchdowns, 12th all-time with 117 receptions and 13th with 1,631 receiving yards.
WR Tai Felton had a career day in the Terps' last home game against Indiana, catching seven passes for 134 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half, the first Maryland player to ever accomplish that feat. He became the sixth Terp with three receiving touchdowns in a game – and the first since Torrey Smith had four vs. NC State in 2010. The others on the list are: Vernon Davis (vs. Duke in 2004), Guilian Gary (vs. Georgia Tech in 2000), Jermaine Lewis (vs. West Virginia in 1993) and James Milling (vs. North Carolina in 1986).
WR Kaden Prather stands third in the Big Ten with four receiving touchdowns this season. He is the first Terp to have four receiving touchdowns in the first six game since Rakim Jarrett in 2021.