Game 12: Maryland at Rutgers Preview

Maryland (6-5, 3-5 B1G) at Rutgers (6-5, 3-5 B1G)

November 25, 2023

SHI Stadium

3:40 p.m.

Big Ten Network

COLLEGE PARK, MD - The University of Maryland football team will travel to Rutgers to take on the Scarlet Knights on Saturday, Nov. 25 at SHI Stadium. The game, which will be the regular season finale for both teams, is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. and be broadcast on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.

With a win at Nebraska (11/11), Maryland is bowl eligible for the third season in a row for the first time since 2006-08. The Terps have won each of their previous two bowl games, the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in 2021 and the Duke's Mayo Bowl in 2022. Maryland will look to win a bowl game in three straight seasons for the first time in program history this year.

rewriting the record books

QB Taulia Tagovailoa has helped ascend the Terps' passing game to new heights during his four-year career. The quarterback has set Maryland career records for passing yards (10,895), passing touchdowns (73), total touchdowns (85), completions (931), completion percentage (66.8), 300-yard passing games (14), passing efficiency (144.9) and total offense (11,115).
Tagovailoa has been one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten through 11 games, currently leading the conference and standing top-20 in the country in passing yards (3,016), passing touchdowns (22), completions (266), points responsible for (158). He leads the Big Ten and stands top-30 in the nation in total offense (276.1).
The redshirt senior is one of only two FBS quarterbacks with at least 2,500 passing yards in each of the last three seasons, along with Memphis' Seth Henigan. He's also thrown at least one touchdown in 33 games, tied for the second-most among FBS quarterbacks in that time with Sam Hartman (Notre Dame). Seth Henigan (Memphis) has thrown a TD in 34 games over the last three seasons.
Tagovailoa is only 268 yards away from becoming the all-time Big Ten passing leader. Currently, he stands fourth all-time and is only 14 yards behind Purdue's Drew Brees and only 22 yards behind Minnesota's Adam Weber. Purdue's Curtis Painter currently stands atop the all-time list with 11,163 passing yards. Tagovailoa's current career completion percentage (.668) is the fourth-best of any Big Ten quarterback all-time. He is also eighth in career passing touchdowns in Big Ten history with 73 in his Maryland career. Next on the list with 74 is Chuck Long of Iowa from 1981-85.
The Ewa Beach, Hawaii native has now thrown multiple touchdown passes in 23 career games, the most of any active Big Ten player. Maryland has gone 15-8 in those games.
Tagovailoa currently stands top-15 among all FBS QBs in career completion percentage (fifth), completions (eighth), passing yards (10th) and total offense (12th).

Taulia Tagovailoa leads the Big Ten in every passing category

dominant dyches

TE Corey Dyches has 86 receptions over the last two seasons, tied for the second most among FBS tight ends in that time. The only tight end with more since the beginning of last season is Georgia's Brock Bowers (114).
This season, Dyches' 47 receptions are the fourth-most among all FBS tight ends, only trailing Colorado State's Dallin Holker (59), Georgia's Brock Bowers (51) and UConn's Justin Joly (50).
Dyches is the eighth-highest rated receiving tight end in the FBS (over 400 snaps) via Pro Football Focus with a 74.9 grade. He is the highest-rated receiving tight end in the Big Ten and fifth-highest in the nation (over 300 snaps) with a 83.9 grade.
The redshirt junior has at least four receptions in all 10 games played this season and has caught a reception in 24-straight games, the longest streak on the team.
Over the last two-plus seasons, Maryland tight ends as a unit have combined for 205 receptions, 2,052 yards and 17 touchdowns, the most receptions, receiving yards and second-most touchdowns of any tight end unit in the Big Ten over that span.

Dyches is among the best tight ends in the nation

interceptions on interceptions

Maryland has been one of the best teams in the nation at intercepting passes this season, currently standing sixth in the nation and first in the Big Ten with 14.
CB Tarheeb Still has recorded five of those 13 interceptions, good for second in the nation, trailing only Notre Dame's Xavier Watts. Still is one of only two Big Ten players (Ricardo Hallman, Wisconsin) to have at least five interceptions.
Still was last week's National Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after a two-interception performance at Nebraska (11/11), both in the end zone and one with a tie game late in the fourth quarter to give Maryland the ball back for the game winning drive.
The senior is one of only three players in the FBS to have two games with two interceptions this season (Virginia, 9/15 & Nebraska, 11/11), joining Elijah Jones (Boston College) & Xavier Watts (Notre Dame).
Still's five interceptions this season are the most by a Terp since Tre Watson in 2018 (also five). With one more interception, he'd have the most in a season by a Terp since Will Likely had six in 2014.
S Dante Trader Jr. also had two interceptions in Maryland's win over Nebraska, marking the first time this season an FBS team had two players with at least two interceptions in the same game.
Maryland's defense has intercepted three or more passes in three different games this season (Virginia, 9/15, Michigan State 9/23 & Nebraska, 11/11), tied with Notre Dame and Coastal Carolina for most such games this season in the FBS. It is the Terps' first season with three such games since having three in 2002.
Maryland's defense has intercepted three or more passes in three different games this season (Virginia, 9/15, Michigan State 9/23 & Nebraska, 11/11), tied with Notre Dame and Coastal Carolina for most such games this season in the FBS. It is the Terps' first season with three such games since having three in 2002.

Jeshaun Jones stands top-10 in program history in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns

matching up with rutgers

Maryland has beaten Rutgers by a combined score of 77-16 over the last two seasons, 37-0 last year in College Park and 40-16 the year prior in Piscataway. QB Taulia Tagovailoa has completed 46-of-67 passes over the last two games vs. the Scarlet Knights for 654 yards and four touchdowns in the two wins. Tagovailoa became Maryland's all-time leader in career touchdown passes last season, Maryland's all-time single-season passing leader in the game two years ago and this year has the chance to become the all-time Big Ten passing leader with 268 yards.
Since joining the Big Ten, Maryland is 6-3 against Rutgers and has averaged 35.8 points per game in those contests. The Terps have scored more than 24 points in each of the nine games against the Scarlet Knights with seven games over 30 points. Each of the last four Terrapin victories over Rutgers have been by at least 24 points.
Maryland has averaged 250.2 rushing yards per game against Rutgers since the two schools joined the Big Ten in 2014, the sixth-most by any Big Ten team against a single opponent over that time (minimum nine games) behind Wisconsin against Nebraska (293.0), Wisconsin against Purdue (258.6), Ohio State against Rutgers (253.4), Ohio State vs. Indiana (251.6) and Northwestern vs. Illinois (251.6).