Big Ten Friday: Iowa Forces 7 Turnovers in 51-14 Rout of Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Maryland's 4-0 start had the hype machine rolling out of control in the first month of the season. And a nationally televised showdown at home with No. 5 Iowa before a sellout crowd was supposed to cement the Terrapins' arrival as one of the better teams in the Big Ten.

Instead, a night filled with turnovers — seven of them, to be exact — turned a coronation into an embarrassment. Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa had five interceptions himself in Iowa's 51-14 drubbing of the Terrapins.

"I don't think anybody could have seen that coming," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "Their guys have done a great job of protecting the football. I don’t know if I want to call it a dominant performance, but we were playing at a high level.''

Maryland was actually leading 7-3 after the first quarter, but then the turnovers started coming in bunches and so did Iowa scores. The Hawkeyes ran 25 plays and took 12:20 off the clock in the second quarter, and Maryland had just 28 yards on nine plays with four turnovers.

The 31 points by Iowa were the most in a quarter for them in 19 years, when they had a 37-point first quarter against Akron in 2002. It was their most points in a Big Ten quarter since scoring 35 against Illinois in 1985.

Tagovailoa had five interceptions, and backup QB Reece Udinski had one. Maryland also lost a fumble in the second quarter on a kickoff return after Iowa"s first touchdown. It was uncharacteristic for the Terrapins. Coming into the game, Tagovailoa had 10 touchdown passes and just one interception during their four-game winning streak.

"There's no way to sugar coat it: This was an exciting night for the Terps, the crowd was ready, and it went about as badly as it possibly could have,'' Maryland coach Mike Locksley said. "I'm obviously disappointed. I'm disappointed for our fans, disappointing for our supporters and for our team. Give Iowa credit. They're a good football team that took full advantage of the opportunities we presented. Obviously, as the head coach, it's my job to get us to play well, which we didn't do today.

"But I also think it's important that we realize this is just one game. And it's important for us as a team to understand that one game shouldn't and can't define us, and we can't let one game played poorly, lead to a second one.''

The six picks by Iowa were the most in a game since 1982, when Iowa had seven against Wisconsin. Iowa now has 12 interceptions this season and 76 since the start of the 2017 season, more than any team in the country. They intercepted Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. three times in the season opener as well, returning two of them for touchdowns.

Their opportunistic defense reminded everyone on Friday night that there's a very good reason why this team is ranked No. 5 in the country and is now 5-0 on the season.

Iowa's offense was efficient enough, too. Quarterback Spencer Petras completed 21-of-30 passes (70 percent) for 259 yards and three scores. He completed 17 of his last 20 throws. Tyler Goodson gained 66 yards on 19 carries.

Next up for Iowa is a huge showdown with No. 4 Penn State next Saturday in Iowa City. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. ET.

Saturday's Big Ten games

MICHIGAN (4-0) at WISCONSIN (1-2): Noon ET at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. TV: FOX. SISportsbook.com point spread: Wisconsin is a 2-point favorite as of Saturday morning. The over/under is 43.5. CLICK HERE
MINNESOTA (2-2) at PURDUE (3-1): Noon ET at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. TV: Big Ten Network. SISportsbook.com point spread: Purdue is a 2.5-point favorite as of Saturday morning. Over/under is 47. CLICK HERE
CHARLOTTE (3-1) at ILLINOIS (1-4): Noon ET at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. TV: Big Ten Network. SISportsbook.com point spread: Illinois is an 11.5-point favorite as of Saturday morning. Over/under is 54. CLICK HERE
OHIO STATE (3-1) at RUTGERS (3-1): 3:30 p.m. ET at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. TV: Big Ten Network. SISportsbook.com point spread: Ohio State is a 15-point favorite as of Saturday morning. The over/under is 58. CLICK HERE
INDIANA (2-2) at PENN STATE (4-0): 7:30 p.m. ET at Beaver Stadium, State College, Pa. TV: ABC. SISportsbook.com point spread: Penn State is a 12.5-point favorite as of Saturday morning. The over/under is 52.5. CLICK HERE
WESTERN KENTUCKY (1-2) at MICHIGAN STATE (4-0): 7:30 p.m. ET at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. TV: FOX Sports 1. SISportsbook.com point spread: Michigan State is an 11-point favorite as of Saturday morning. The over/under is 63.5. CLICK HERE
NORTHWESTERN (2-2) at NEBRASKA (2-3): 7:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. TV: Big Ten Network. SISportsbook.com point spread: Nebraska is an 11.5-point favorite as of Saturday morning. The over/under is 51.5. CLICK HERE

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