Big Ten power rankings entering Week 6: Iowa and Penn State ready to face off
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Maryland and Friday night home games with a blackout theme just aren’t a good duo.
The Terps were rocked by Iowa 51-14 on Friday night.
Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa threw five interceptions, as Maryland turned the ball over a total of seven times in the game. The Iowa defense had Maryland’s number all night.
No turnover was more costly than the one at the start of the second quarter. Iowa had taken a 10-7 lead and kicked off to Maryland return man, and star receiver, Dontay Demus Jr. Demus was then hit in the lower leg, bending his knee in a way so painful that it resulted in him dropping the ball and Iowa recovering.
Iowa would score two plays later and never look back. Meanwhile, Tagovailoa lost his favorite target for the night, and the season. Demus was giving Iowa trouble with four catches for 61 yards in just one quarter. That kickoff changed the course of this game.
Defensively, it’s hard to really judge the Terps in this one. Their offense clearly did them no favors, but the defense didn’t do a great job of keeping Iowa out of the end zone after the turnovers.
Not having Demus for the season will hurt and if history is a good indicator, Maryland’s seasons usually spiral after their first loss.