Maryland Backup QB Billy Edwards Jr. Runs Through Indiana Defense in Fourth Quarter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa was carted off the field as the Terrapins faced a three-point deficit early in the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
During the injury timeout, Indiana coach Tom Allen huddled with his defense to give the game plan for backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. Indiana linebacker Aaron Casey recalls Allen saying Edwards isn’t as quick or as talented of a passer as Tagovailoa, but he’s fast and can run the ball. Casey said Indiana talked about Edwards early in the week, but didn't have much on him.
Entering this matchup, Edwards completed 9-of-13 passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns to go with eight carries for 17 yards. He transferred to Maryland before the season after one year at Wake Forest as a redshirt in 2021. From Burke, Va., he was the No. 104 quarterback in the class of 2021, according to the 247Sports Composite. Maryland coach Mike Locksley said Edwards gets 40 percent of the snaps at quarterback in practice.
“We have tremendous faith in Billy and his ability to come in and execute,” Locksley said. “It's a next-man-up mentality.”
Clinging to a three-point lead with the second-string quarterback entering the game, Indiana had a prime opportunity to change the tide of its season. The Hoosiers failed to finish close games against Nebraska and Michigan the two weeks prior, and this was their chance to reverse the trend.
Edwards’ first series under center led to a punt after four plays. Indiana offensive coordinator Walt Bell called for a run up the middle with Jaylin Lucas on 3rd and 9, and the Memorial Stadium crowd booed as Indiana punted the ball right back to Maryland.
With the clock ticking below eight minutes, Indiana cornerback Tiawan Mullen and safety Devon Matthews broke up Edwards' pass on 2nd and 5. The Hoosiers were one step away from getting off the field, but Matthews was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the whistle.
"I just don't see that call being made in that situation,” Allen said. “That's my opinion. I just don't see it."
Two plays later, on 3rd and 2, Edwards faked a handoff up the middle to Roman Hemby. The Indiana defense converged on Hemby, creating a seam up the middle for Edwards’ 31-yard gain to the Indiana 3-yard line. Hemby plowed forward for a touchdown to give Maryland a four-point lead with 5:29 on the clock.
“I know I messed up on the long quarterback run,” Casey said. “My eyes weren’t right.”
True freshman Jaylin Lucas responded with a 43-yard kick return, setting the Hoosiers up with optimal field position to mount a comeback. Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak zipped a screen pass to the sideline to Andison Coby, who appeared to pick up an easy first down. But as Coby tried to juke a Maryland defender and extend the play, the ball popped out of his hands, and Maryland’s Mosiah Nasili-Kite pounced to the turf for a fumble recovery.
And again, the Indiana defense was one play away from getting a stop when Maryland lined up for 3rd and 9. Edwards handed the ball to Hemby, who turned the corner behind the right tackle. The Maryland front pushed Indiana off the ball to pave a lane for Hemby, who blazed past the Indiana defense for a 46-yard gain.
“We had a pass pressure called, and they ran it,” Allen said. “Sometimes you're trying to decide what they're going to do. If you have a run call, you're going to give them too much time against talented receivers if you don't get any pressure on the quarterback. Just part of it. You have to make decisions. I wish we could have that call back, without question.”
Edwards kept it on the ground by himself for the next three plays, finishing with a 3-yard touchdown run that represented the final dagger. Edwards was 0-for-3 passing, but he rushed five times for 53 yards and a touchdown.
"Never going to cease to emphasize takeaways and tackling," Allen said. "Not getting enough takeaways, and we didn't tackle good enough tonight. To me that's the disappointing part for our defense."
For the third consecutive week, Indiana was outplayed in the fourth quarter in a winnable game. The result was a 38-33 loss to Maryland, Indiana’s fourth defeat in a row. Saturday’s game was perhaps Indiana’s best chance to reverse the momentum of a season that is now slipping away.
“To me it's just about having a finishing mindset, finishing mentality,” Allen said. “We had ourselves in position to do that and we didn't do that. That's what makes this really, really disappointing."
Related stories on Indiana football:
- TOM ALLEN REACTS MARYLAND LOSS: Indiana head coach Tom Allen addressed the media following the Hoosiers' 38-33 loss to Maryland. Read his transcript, or just watch the attached video of the full press conference. CLICK HERE
- WHAT CONNOR BAZELAK SAID: Indiana quarterback Connor Bazelak spoke to media after the Hoosiers' 38-33 loss to Maryland. Read the transcript, or just watch the attached press conference. CLICK HERE
- DON FISCHER INDUCTED TO IU HALL OF FAME: 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
- HOOSIER FANS TRY TO PRONOUNCE TAULIA TAGOVAILOA 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
