The Maryland Terrapins used 416 yards of total offense, including 262 on the ground to run past Minnesota, 31-24, in the Big Ten opener. Terrapins quarterback Max Bortenschlager threw a pair of touchdown passes and running back Ty Johnson burst free for a go-ahead score in the final minutes. Minnesota dropped their first game of the season as they kicked off conference play.
Gophers struggle to defend the run
The Gophers struggled to defend the run in Saturday’s game vs. Maryland. The Terps got off to a quick start, averaging 5.2 yards per carry in the first quarter. During the same stretch, they controlled the time of possession 10:26 to 4:34. Maryland never let up, rushing for 262 yards on the day. The Terps spread the field and unleashed their athleticism in space. Minnesota missed numerous tackles and Maryland picked up yardage after contact. The Terps set the edge well, which opened up interior lanes for running backs Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison to run. Minnesota missed too many tackles and it allowed the Maryland offense to get into a rhythm.
Coming into the game, the Gophers’ third down defense ranked ninth in the country, but was exploited by the Terps. Maryland converted 9 of their 16 total third down situations. The defense allowed an 11-play, 65-yard drive, sparked by three runs over ten yards to put Maryland on top by one score in the fourth quarter. The defense allowed significant chunk plays throughout the day, especially on the ground. Minnesota struggled to tackle well and defend the run with discipline.
Maryland targets Gophers vertically
The Terps went at redshirt freshman cornerback Kiondre Thomas, who allowed a 22-yard completion to DJ Turner on fourth-and-long. Thomas has struggled when covering vertically this season and he fell for a fake at the stem of his route.
It kept the Maryland drive alive and quarterback Max Bortenschlager burst into the end zone for a 7-yard score. Two drives later, the Terps used two carries for 32 yards and quick rhythm passing to fuel an 11-play, 92-yard scoring drive. Wide receiver D.J. Moore ran an excellent route for a 27-yard touchdown grab on cornerback Antonio Shenault. Maryland took plenty of shots up the field to exploit the Gophers’ secondary. They took advantage of safety Antoine Winfield Jr.’s first half exit with a hamstring injury. The matchup with Shenault and Kiondre Thomas on the outside was clearly one the Maryland coaching staff liked. It became even more enticing after Winfield left the game. P.J. Fleck said the gameplan was to have Winfield shadow wide receiver D.J. Moore, but they were unable to do this after the injury.
Terrapins stack the box
Minnesota was up-and-down on offense and had drives fizzle throughout the game. In the first half, wide receiver Phillip Howard hauled in a 19-yard shallow cross and drew a personal foul penalty. However, two plays later, a poorly placed Rhoda slant to wide receiver Tyler Johnson tipped of his hands and was intercepted by Maryland safety Josh Woods.
Conor Rhoda had certain moments throughout the game where he locked into receivers and needed to go through his reads. In the first half, he missed a wide-open Rodney Smith and stared down wide receiver Rashad Still before going through all of his progressions. More importantly, Rhoda was still unable to run out of zone reads. It allowed Maryland to stack the box with additional players and slowed the Gophers’ running game. During one instance, Rhoda was unable to tuck and run off a zone look and it nearly led to a catastrophic fumble deep in Minnesota territory.
Maryland completely abandoned defending the edge and it put a strain on the Gophers’ running game. However, on the most important drive of the game, Rhoda finally kept the ball, rushing for six yards, while drawing a personal foul call. A few plays later, wide receiver Eric Carter made an acrobatic diving catch to set up a 1-yard Shannon Brooks run to tie the game at 24. He secured the pass outside his frame and maintained impressive body control while rolling over.