A Balanced Attack Leads Penn State to Defeat Maryland on the Road

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The No. 11 Nittany Lions improved to 8-1 on the campaign as their complementary football strategy took down the Maryland Terrapins 51-15.

Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa opted to throw his first two passes to running back Roman Hemby and tight end Cory Dyches.

A 15-yard personal foul on wide receiver Jeshaun Jones pushed Maryland back deeper into their own territory for a replay of second down.

Despite the setback, Maryland trudged forward to 4th-and-1 at its 45-yard line. Deciding to go for it on fourth down, Tagovailoa’s shovel pass play to Dyches was thwarted by safety Jaylen Reed and linebacker Curtis Jacobs for negative yardage and a turnover on downs.

Penn State capitalized on field position with key plays by running back Kaytron Allen. Quarterback Drew Allar connected with wide receiver Dante Cephas for a 6-yard touchdown confirmed after further review.

Though the Nittany Lions drew first blood, Maryland’s offense recorded 34 yards in the first drive alone, which improved from 27 yards last season.

Wide receiver Tai Felton emerged as a main target for Tagovailoa in the first quarter after a 30-yard grab that positioned Maryland in Penn State territory. Penn State’s defense pounced into action, forcing Felton to fumble and be recovered by defensive tackle Zane Durant.

Although the fumble recovery did not convert into a scoring drive, Penn State’s offense found success opening up the passing game as the first half progressed.

Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith and tight end Tyler Warren each hauled in catches for 56 yards with under five minutes left in the first quarter.

With the help of consistent yardage from running back Nicholas Singleton, the blue and white clawed into Maryland territory.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Beau Pribula entered the game. Rather than Allar heading to the sidelines, the Nittany Lion quarterbacks lined up alongside one another for a lateral play. Allar found tight end Theo Johnson with a short shovel pass to extend Penn State’s lead.

Maryland’s offense felt the pressure from all angles. Tagovailoa was consistently pressured on third down with major yardage losses on sacks.

Hakeem Beamon, Abdul Carter and Johnny Dixon were a few on the carousel of players who marked a sack on their stat sheet.

Though Maryland had yet to score, Tagovailoa went 14-for-14 in completions at the beginning of the second quarter.

A costly roughing the kicker penalty positioned Maryland’s offense on Penn State’s 39-yard line. When Hemby failed to burst through the defense on two plays, Tagovailoa utilized wide receiver Kaden Prather’s ability to receive deep passes with a 17-yard catch.

More penalties on Penn State allowed Hemby to fill the gap and get Maryland’s first touchdown with just under eight minutes remaining in the first half.

Cephas and Warren were reliable targets for Allar in the next drive. This time, it was Warren’s turn in the end zone with an 8-yard touchdown catch from Allar.

Penn State’s advantage lengthened to two scores while a sack by linebacker Keon Wylie and short passes sealed the Terrapins’ story in the first half.

Penn State did not allow Maryland to score in the 3rd quarter and had just two minutes and 42 seconds of possession time.

The blue and white’s tight end room continued to fuel offensive progressions. Johnson and Khalil Dinkins were targeted, as well as wide receiver Omari Evans. Passing yards eclipsed 70 yards in the third quarter, with kicker Alex Felkins’ 30-yard field goal as the only scoring action.

Cephas opened the fourth quarter with his second touchdown of the day. He differentiated himself in the wide receiver room with six catches for 53 yards and two scores.

A roughing the passer penalty called on defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton gave Maryland the opportunity it needed to shrink the deficit. Jones reached the end zone with a little over 11 minutes remaining in the game.

A pass interference call on cornerback Johnny Dixon allowed Maryland to replay an originally failed two-point conversion and make a two-score game once again.

Singleton’s 51-yard kickoff return initiated a string of defensive plays that smothered the Terrapins’ offense in the final minutes.

Linebackers Dominic Deluca and Tony Rojas each recorded interceptions with a fumble recovery by defensive tackle Jordan Van Den Berg with seven minutes and 32 seconds remaining.

The Nittany Lions proceeded to score four more times and win the turnover battle to secure a victory over Maryland. The Terrapins fell to 5-4 with its fourth consecutive loss of the season.

Emma Holtz is a fourth-year majoring in public relations. To contact her, email emma.holtz01@gmail.com.