Indiana Football Drops Fourth Consecutive Game in 38-33 Loss to Maryland
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana had every chance to reverse the pattern of a season that is now slipping away.
A 43-yard kick return from Jaylin Lucas set Indiana up with prime field position late in the fourth quarter. But two plays later, the ball slipped out of Andison Coby’s hands when he tried to juke a defender. Maryland recovered, and backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr.’s 3-yard touchdown represented the final dagger.
Indiana dropped its fourth consecutive game, a 38-33 loss to Maryland on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers turned the ball over three times and allowed a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns with Maryland's backup quarterback in the game. With this loss, Indiana moves to 3-4 on the season with its bowl hopes dwindling.
Indiana’s season-long trend of slow starts continued on Saturday. On the first play of the game, Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak looked for tight end Aaron Steinfeldt in the flat, but his pass sailed over Steinfeldt’s head and into Tarheeb Still’s hands for a Maryland interception. Four plays later, Tagovailoa beat the Indiana defense to the pylon for a 3-yard rushing touchdown.
Kicker Charles Campbell put the Hoosiers on the board with a 38-yard field goal on Indiana’s second drive of the game. Maryland responded with another touchdown drive, this time an 18-yard pass from Tagovailoa to tight end CJ Dippre, who flipped over the Indiana defense into the end zone.
"So frustrating for me," Indiana coach Tom Allen said. "Having this type of pattern continue like this is hard to put a finger on. We've changed so many different things practice-wise trying to emphasize strong starts."
After a shaky start from Indiana’s defense from a tackling perspective, the Hoosiers held strong for the rest of the first half. Tight coverage on 3rd and 5 forced a Tagovailoa incompletion, and kicker Chad Ryland hooked a 51-yard attempt wide left.
Indiana started its next drive with six runs and one pass before Bazelak found a wide open Josh Henderson down the sideline. Henderson scored easily to cut Indiana’s deficit to four points early in the second quarter.
"When [Henderson] is in, he gets the ball a lot and usually good things happen," Bazelak said. "He runs hard. He runs over guys. He catches really well out of the backfield."
The Hoosiers’ defense came through with another stop when Bradley Jennings Jr. corralled Tagovailoa’s scramble attempt on third down. Looking to spark an inconsistent passing attack, Indiana offensive coordinator Walt Bell decided it was time for some trickery. The play started with a hand off to Jaylin Lucas to the left, but Lucas pitched it back to quarterback-turned-wide receiver Donaven McCulley coming back to the right. McCulley lofted a pass to Bazelak for a 23-yard gain, setting up a 3-yard jump-ball touchdown by Cam Camper on the next play.
"I don't think I've ever had a reception. I really wanted to get in until I saw the two guys at the pylon and then I thought it'd be best if I didn't blow out a shoulder or something. We've been practicing that play, and I actually dropped the ball in practice on Tuesday, so I was just making sure I secured the catch. Donaven put it on me."
The first half ended with an impressive pass breakup by Devon Matthews, jumping a hitch route on second down. Brylan Lanier burst through the Maryland offensive line on third down to sack Tagovailoa to secure Indiana’s 17-14 lead at halftime.
Maryland’s Octavian Smith brought the second half kickoff across midfield, and the Terrapins regained the lead with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Dontay Demus Jr. four plays later. And like the first half, Bazelak started the second half with an interception. Ryland and Campbell traded field goals, and Maryland took a four-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Bazelak delivered one of his best passes of the game, completing a perfectly-timed back-shoulder throw to Camper on the 6-yard line. Two plays later, Shaun Shivers plowed forward for a 2-yard touchdown to give Indiana the lead.
The game took a scary turn when Tagovailoa went down with A knee injury on the next possession. Indiana defensive end James Head Jr. fell over a Maryland offensive lineman on the ground, and without malice, collided with Tagovailoa’s leg. Tagovailoa was carted off the field early in the fourth quarter.
"It was a lower leg injury," Maryland coach Mike Locksley said after the game. "I don't know if it was a knee or ankle. By the time I got in there, probably won't be clear until tomorrow when hopefully we get back he gets an MRI. I know he was in there celebrating with his teammates, so that was good to see."
Wake Forest transfer Billy Edwards Jr. replaced Tagovailoa early in the fourth quarter, and Maryland punted four plays later. When Maryland got the ball back with 8:05 left in the game, Indiana's defense came through with a crucial stop on 3rd and 5. But after the play, Indiana safety Devon Matthews was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Maryland 15 yards and an automatic first down.
"I just don't see that call being made in that situation," Allen said. "That's my opinion. I just don't see it."
Edwards found seam in the middle of the Indiana defense for a 31-yard scamper that led to a Roman Hemby touchdown to give Maryland the lead with 5:35 left in the game.
Jaylin Lucas responded with a 43-yard kick return to midfield, but Coby’s fumble gave the ball back to Maryland. Hemby’s 46-yard run set up an Edwards touchdown run to take an 11-point lead with 2:11 left. Indiana responded with Aaron Steinfeldt’s first-career touchdown reception, but it was too little, too late.
Bazelak finished the game completing 29-of-42 passes for 293 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Emery Simmons led Indiana with six receptions for 99 yards, and Shaun Shivers carried the ball 14 times for 32 yards.
Tagovailoa completed 25-of-29 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He spread the ball evenly to nine different receivers, four of which finished with 35-plus yards. Hemby took 17 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown, and Edwards rushed five times for 53 yards and a score after replacing Tagovailoa.
Up next for Indiana is a road trip to Piscataway, N.J. to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who hold a 3-3 record on the season. Similar to Indiana, Rutgers started the season with three wins followed by three losses. The Scarlet Knights had a bye week on Saturday, and most recently lost 14-13 at home against Nebraska.
Related stories on Indiana football:
- LIVE BLOG: Indiana (3-3) takes on Maryland (4-2) at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Here's our live blog, where you can catch all the action in real time live from the press box at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. CLICK HERE
- HALL OF FAME CLASS HONORED: The 50-season play-by-play broadcaster Don Fischer was honored as one of six members inducted into the Indiana Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2022 in Saturday's Indiana football game versus Maryland. A video is attached. CLICK HERE
- TAILGATE TALES: Ahead of Indiana football's matchup versus Maryland, Hoosier fans try to pronounce Terrapins' starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa's name and determine what a Terrapin is. CLICK HERE
