University of Maryland Athletics

Football 9/3/2024 10:00:00 AM

Game 2: Maryland vs. Michigan State Preview

Maryland (1-0, 0-0 B1G) vs. Michigan State (1-0, 0-0 B1G)

September 7, 2024

SECU Stadium

3:30

BTN

COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Maryland opens Big Ten play on Saturday, Sept. 7 when the Terps host Michigan State. The game is set to kickoff at 3:30 and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network and the Maryland Sports Radio Network.

Strong Start

The Terps got off to an impressive start in the 2024 season, putting together a 50-7 victory over UConn. The 50 points marked the most against an FBS team in a season-opener since scoring 51 in the 2017 win at Texas. It was also the largest margin of victory in a season-opener against an FBS opponent since 1978, when Division I was divided into subdivisions. Additionally, the seven points allowed marked the fewest for an FBS opponent in a season-opener since defeating North Carolina 23-7 in 2001.
Overall, the offense piled up 629 yards with 381 coming through the air and 248 on the ground. The Terps finished Week One ranked first in the Big Ten in total offense and passing offense and second in both rushing offense and scoring offense. It was the the third time in the last 25 seasons where the Terps had at least 375 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game, also doing so on October 30, 2020 against Minnesota and September 25, 2004 at Duke.
Maryland's defense held UConn to just 88 rushing yards. It also forced either a punt or a turnover on 11 of 15 of UConn's drives.

Maryland's 43-point win was the school's largest in a season opener that was against an FBS school since Division I went to two distinctions in 1978.

Last time vs. Michigan State

The Terps also faced the Spartans in the 2023 Big Ten opener, going into East Lansing and picking up a 31-9 win to move to 4-0.
Maryland started fast, jumping out to a 21-0 lead early and never looked back. Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 223 yards on 21-of-36 passing and three touchdowns. He also rushed for an additional score. Sean Greely became the first defensive player in Maryland history to catch a touchdown.
The Terps have defeated Michigan State two years in a row by an average margin of victory of 18 points (also beating the Spartans 27-13 at SECU Stadium in 2022).

The last time the Terps and Spartans played, the Terps forced five total turnovers (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries) to go along with three sacks.

Big Game Billy

Redshirt junior quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. is now 4-0 as a starter at Maryland, with wins over Northwestern, NC State, Auburn and UConn.
Edwards Jr. starred in the Terps' win over UConn on Saturday, completing 20 of 27 passes (74 percent) for 311 yards and two touchdowns---all career bests. His performance earned him a top-five rank by Pro Football Focus among Power Four quarterbacks in Week One. Over 16 career games at Maryland, he has accounted for 14 total touchdowns (eight rushing and six passing).
The 2023 TransPerfect Music City Bowl Edwards Jr. is one of three QBs in the country to have at least 300 passing yards, no interceptions and a 74.0% completion percentage against a FBS team this season (North Texas' Chandler Morris and USC's Miller Moss).
Edwards Jr. is the second Maryland player in the last 25 years to throw for 300+ yards and multiple touchdowns in a season opener, joining Taulia Tagovailoa (2021).

Maryland Football vs. UCONN at SECU Stadium in College Park, MD on Saturday, Aug.31, 2024.

Billy Edwards Jr. started the UConn game hot, completing all seven of his pass attempts in the first quarter.

Touchdown tai

Senior wideout Tai Felton had a huge day against the Huskies, posting a career-high 178 receiving yards on seven catches to go along with two touchdowns. The 178 receiving yards were the most for a Terp since D.J. Moore had 210 in 2017 vs. Northwestern and it ranks 14th all-time at Maryland in a single game.
A 2023 All-Big Ten selection, Felton's performance marked his third career 100-yard receiving game and second career multi-touchdown game.
He is the fourth Big Ten player this century to have at least two TD catches, seven receptions and 175 receiving yards in his team's first game of a season. He joins Ohio State's Curtis Samuel (2016), Northwestern's Jonathan Fields (2004) and Illinois' Brandon Lloyd (2001).

Tai Felton's 178 receiving yards were the most for a Terp since D.J. Moore had 210 in 2017

Ground game gains

The Terps rushed for 248 yards against the Huskies on Saturday, the most for Maryland since posting 281 against Minnesota in 2020.
Maryland racked up 165 first-half rushing yards, the most in the first half of the Michael Locksley era. It surpassed the Terps' 145 yards vs. Minnesota on Oct. 30, 2020 and was the most for the Terps in a first half since gaining 281 vs. Ohio State on Nov. 17, 2018.
The Terps recorded 131 rushing yards in the first quarter, which was the most for any Maryland team in a first quarter since 148 vs. Ohio State in that 2018 game.

Nolan Ray is one of three Big Ten freshmen since 2022 to score a 40+ yard TD in the season opener Ray's 48-yard touchdown run came on his first carry of the season and just the fourth of his career.

Defense!

The Maryland defense picked up right where it left off in 2023, when the Terps held opponents to just 22.5 points per game, marking the fewest number of points allowed for the Terps since 2010 (22.2).
With just seven points surrendered against UConn, the Terps have held their opponents to 10 points or less in each of the last three season openers.
The Terps, who did not allow the Huskies to score for the first 44:44 of game action, limited UConn to just 2.9 rushing yards per carry.
Maryland's 17 interceptions last season were tied for third among Power Conference teams and ranked second in the Big Ten, only behind Michigan which played two more games than the Terps. Maryland continued that trend to start the 2024 season as both Glendon Miller and Ruben Hyppolite II notched picks.

The Terps shutout UConn for the entire first half, marking the sixth first-half shutout of the Michael Locksley era.

Starting b1g

Maryland's game against Michigan State this Saturday will be the first Big Ten matchup of the season for the entire conference.
It also marks Maryland's earliest conference matchup since joining the league in 2014 and earliest overall since Sept. 5, 2011 (Miami).

With a win, the Terps will move to 2-0 for the ninth time in the last 10 years.

Click here for this week's game notes.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#3 Taulia Tagovailoa: QB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior

#9 Billy Edwards Jr.: QB; 6' 3"; Redshirt Junior

#10 Tai Felton: WR; 6' 2"; Senior

#4 Ruben Hyppolite II: LB; 6' 0"; Senior

#1 Glendon Miller: DB; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior

#25 Nolan Ray: RB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

#3 Taulia Tagovailoa
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior
: QB

#9 Billy Edwards Jr.
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Junior
: QB

#10 Tai Felton
: 6' 2"; Senior
: WR

#4 Ruben Hyppolite II
: 6' 0"; Senior
: LB

#1 Glendon Miller
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior
: DB

#25 Nolan Ray
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman
: RB