COLLEGE PARK — Trailing Iowa, Maryland football No. 5, 10-7 at the start of the second quarter on Friday night, a harsh silence broke out among the 45,527 fans declared at Capital One Field.
Senior wide receiver Deontay Damas Jr., perhaps Terp's top playwright, was kicked off the field after injuring his leg during the kickoff return. What followed Demus' exit was a devastating wave of turnovers and penalties that resulted in Hockey scoring 41 unanswered points to beat Maryland 51–14.
Nine plays, four turnovers, five penalties and zero points. That's what Terps did in the second quarter, as Iowa scored 31 points and turned a close game into a jumble.
Maryland's matchup against Iowa was the program's biggest game in more than a decade. The Terps, who were approaching a potential Associated Press Top 25 ranking, were seeking their first 5–0 debut since 2001 and their first win over a top-10 opponent since 2007.
Maryland WR Dontay Demus Jr. carted off the field with leg injury vs. No. 5 Iowa https://t.co/dMDg0AFc2n
— Baltimore Sun Sports (@BaltSunSports) October 2, 2021
In front of a national prime-time audience, a student square draped in black, 21 NFL scouts and a new 120-foot-by-54-foot videoboard that shines bright enough to be seen from any part of Campus, Maryland is (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) did not live up to the hype that the program was given and it appears to have taken a big step back.
The Terps don't like to dwell on the past, but the loss to Iowa felt similar to a crushing 59-0 loss to Penn State in 2019, a game that received a similar build-up before Maryland eventually fell flat .
"We've had opportunities here over the years where we can take advantage of the energy and support," said Maryland coach Mike Loxley. It is our job to make a team perform better on the field when we have these opportunities. It was a missed opportunity on our part."
After Demus — who entered Friday as the Big Ten's leading receiver and was 61 yards on four receptions in the first quarter — threw the ball while his right leg was twisted, Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras caught receiver Arland. Throw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Bruce IV in the second quarter with a 14:04 to extend the Hawkeyes' lead to 17-7. Petras completed 21 of 30 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns and scored twice on the field, giving Iowa its 11th consecutive win.
After the game, Loxley had no update on Demus' condition, saying the senior receiver had an X-ray, but the team is awaiting results from an MRI.
"[Demus] was the best player on our team, so when that happens, it's bound to affect the team," said Terps Jr. tight end Chigozim Okonkwo. "I feel sad to know how wonderful he has been so far. I really hope he can get better and it's nothing too serious."
With the Terps facing a crucial campaign, junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa threw an interception to Iowa safety Jack Korner. As Corner was running down the field, Maryland tight end Corey Dyches forced a fumble, but Iowa (5–0, 2–0 Big Ten) managed to recover the ball. The Hawkes took advantage of solid field conditions as Petras entered the end zone for his second rushing touchdown to give his team a 24-7 lead with less than 11 minutes to go in the first half.
After Petras' touchdown, Tagovailoa threw his third interception to Iowa defensive back Dane Belton, leading Monte Pottebaum to score a 2-yard touchdown, which extended the Hawkes' lead to 31–7. Maryland's penalty was a key factor in hockey's scoring drive, as Terps was twice flagged for pass interference and imposed a non-playing conduct penalty that helped put Iowa in scoring position.
"Penals, interceptions, turnovers, all those things fall into the discipline category," Locksley said. “We still sit here with us, not playing the type of football that I want us to play or what we hope to play. This is something that will just continue to coach, make the necessary adjustments, and get it fixed, which is what we have to accomplish. "
The train havoc continued through the early parts of the third quarter when Petras threw a short pass to run back to Tyler Goodson, who rolled down the field for a 67-yard touchdown that gave the Hawkes a 41–7 advantage. Goodson had a strong all-around game, scoring 66 rushing yards and 85 receiving yards.
After Tagovailoa threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Okonkwo in the first quarter, Terps would not break into the scoreboard until the third quarter, when Tagovailoa threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Rakim Jarrett to cut the deficit. For 44-14 with 6:01 remaining.
(5) Iowa forced 7 turnovers, its most takeaways in a game in the last 25 seasons. The Hawkeyes now lead FBS with 15 takeaways and 12 interceptions this season.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 2, 2021
Iowa's 37-point win is its largest in the AP Poll era (since 1936) against a team that entered the game 4-0 or better. pic.twitter.com/iEm9OvBS0J
After Tagovailoa threw for 106 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the first quarter, the Iowa defense blocked the Maryland signal-caller to only 6 yards and four interceptions. Tagovailoa finished the night 12-for-29 with 127 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions – two fewer than four starts in the previous season – with 12 minutes remaining in the game before being replaced by senior transfer Reece Udinsky. . Udinsky, a Virginia Military Institute transferee, also threw an interception in the fourth quarter, giving Maryland a six in the evening, setting a school record for most runs in a single game.
"I think the big thing for [Tagoveloa] is just to keep that belief," Loxley said. "After the first doubles interception, he was applying a little pressure and wanted to play well. I still have a lot of faith in him as a quarterback. I mean, for four matches he played really well. It was a bad game not only on their part but for all of us. "
As the clock ran out and a few fans who remained outside the stadium, it was not surprising whether hopes of the event for the season had also been blown away with Demus. Maryland will play No. 11 Ohio State next Saturday and then take on Indiana and Minnesota, who are currently 2-2. If the Terps are unable to upset Columbus, there will be additional pressure to win against the Hoosiers and Golden Gophers, as Maryland will play No. 4 Penn State, No. 17 Michigan State, No. 14 Michigan and Rutgers. end the season.
"I still have great faith that this is a group that will stick together and bounce back," Locksley said. “We will not let a sport define us. What we need to do is find out why those mistakes happen and get them fixed. I believed in this a lot."