COLLEGE PARK — Taulia Tagovailoa eclipsed 8,000 passing yards for his Maryland career, accounted for four touchdowns, and the Terrapins got up quick with 21 first-quarter points and didn’t look back in a season-opening 38-6 win over Towson on Saturday afternoon.
Tagovailoa was prolific, posting 246 yards, three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the first half alone. He exited in the third quarter, finishing with 260 yards on 22-33 passing. For the fourth-year Terrapin, it was his ninth time throwing for more than 200 yards in a first half, the fifth time he’s accounted for four touchdowns, and his 32 passing attempts were a career first-half high.
“I felt really good,” Tagovailoa said. “I know the work we put in the whole offseason and leading to fall camp. I know that our guys were ready for our game, and just to see us connect gives us a lot of confidence for the weeks to go on.”
After hitting tight end Corey Dyches for a 44-yard strike over the middle on the first drive of the game, Tagovailoa’s first score came with his legs, running untouched off the right side for a 23-yard touchdown.
“That was one of the things coach Locks always talked to me about in the offseason: Getting to use my legs when things break down, especially in the red zone because things like that can happen,” Tagovailoa said. “It was a play where they kind of dropped coverage more, and that’s what coach talked to me about, try to use my feet when when they drop eight.”
He was favoring his right arm after the series after “I got hit and driven into the ground,” but described it as a stinger and nothing serious. Tagovailoa would find Dyches again and receiver Jeshaun Jones for nearly identical 23-and-24-yard touchdowns, respectively, on back-to-back drives late in the first quarter to put Maryland up 21-0.
“They were in a lot of open middle of the field, open looks. So coaches just took advantage of that, made the right call. We talk with him, but [offensive coordinator] Gattis, he made a great decision because he sees everything from up top,” Dyches said.
Montgomery County native Kaden Prather added to the total with his first score as a Terrapin. The West Virginia transfer went up and grabbed a pretty right-side corner fade over a defender in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown 17 seconds before halftime.
Dyches was Tagovailoa’s favorite target and had a career day in his new number — donning No. 2 this season instead of his previous 84. The Oxon Hill native hauled in six balls for a career-high 108 yards and the first-quarter touchdown, with 80 of those yards coming after the catch.
“Corey has been one of those guys that we’ve identified as a playmaker, and so what we saw Corey do today was things he did all camp long,” Locksley said. “It started last year with him in terms of the value he gives us in the passing game, and he had a big day, executed really well.”
Maryland’s new-look offensive line struggled to find consistency early and saw a lot of rotation, perhaps leading to the Terrapins’ heavy reliance on the passing game. Left tackle DJ Glaze was the unit’s only returning starter, and Frostburg State transfer Gottlieb Ayedze was expected to start at right tackle, but was ruled out before the game due to injury.
“Yeah, it was a little weird for me,” Locksley said of the constant changes. “We were substituting offensive linemen in the middle of series, which is not normal. But it goes back to we’ve got what we think are nine guys that can play winning football with for us.”
Tagovailoa wasn’t sacked, but was hurried and ended up on the ground on multiple occasions, including a hit on the first drive that caused him to favor his right arm on the subsequent series. He ended up being the leading rusher in the first half (28 yards) while starting running back Roman Hemby was held to 24 yards on four carries.
“We’re trying to figure out the best five, and so we’re mixing and matching, and it shows the versatility that we have where guys can play guard, can play tackle, guys in the center,” Locksley said. “And so we’re gonna continue to try to play as many guys as we can like to get settled on an O-line.”
Hemby would eventually get into gear, besting his first half totals in Maryland’s first drive after halftime. He carried the ball seven times for 33 yards, capping the possession with a 9-yard touchdown run on a cut back up the middle. It was Tagovailoa’s final action of the day, with reserve quarterback Billy Edwards taking over with 1:33 remaining in the third quarter.
Maryland’s defense held Towson (0-1) to only 128 passing yards, and Tigers quarterback Nathan Kent went without a pass completion in the first quarter.
The win over Locksley’s alma mater is the Terrapins’ 12th-straight over a non-conference foe and their 20th-straight over an FCS opponent.
“What a great thing it is to be able to play local teams, in state programs. It’s great for our state to be able to keep it here in the state,” Locksley said.
• George Gerbo can be reached at ggerbo@washingtontimes.com.
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