COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Taulia Tagavailoa threw for 342 yards and a touchdown, Roman Hamby ran for three TDs and Maryland’s defense allowed just two first downs in the first 2 1/2 quarters of a 37-0 win over Rutgers on Saturday.
Jeshon Jones had nine catches for 152 yards and a touchdown for the Terrapins, who snapped a three-game losing streak and completed their first seven-game regular season since 2014.
Rutgers (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) ended its season on a five-game skid.
Tagovailoa, who has been dealing with knee issues this year, missed a few games during that stretch, but Maryland (7-5, 4-5) could have won this game even without a big offensive play. The Terps lost two fumbles in Rutgers territory in the first quarter, but after stopping the Scarlet Knights on fourth down near midfield, Maryland scored the game’s first touchdown, Hamby’s 1-yard run on the first play of the second.
Hamby added another TD from 1 yard in the second and 8 yards in the third, and Chad Ryland made three field goals. Rutgers was shut out for the second time this season in a 31-0 loss to Minnesota in October.
It was Maryland’s first shutout against a conference opponent since beating Wake Forest 26-0 in 2008, six years before the Terps began Big Ten play.
Tagovailoa threw a 27-yard touchdown to Jones in the fourth. It was his 50th TD pass, breaking a tie with Scott Milanovic for the Maryland career rushing lead.
FOR TAKE AWAY
Rutgers: After going 5-8 in 2021, the Scarlet Knights finished with about the same mark in their third season under coach Gregg Shiano. There were no real highlights in this game. Rutgers was still under 100 yards of offense with less than 10:00 left in the game.
Maryland: It was a disappointing November for the Terps, with back-to-back losses to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio State. They’ve had success against the Big Ten’s elite, but they’ve also shown they can succeed against other middle-class members of the league — and they beat one of the conference’s weaker teams on Saturday.
FURTHER
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are turning their attention to next season.
Maryland: The Terps await their bowl bid.
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
___
AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25. Subscribe to the AP Football Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2
