Roman Hemby ran for three touchdowns and the Maryland defense held Rutgers to 120 yards and five first downs as the Terrapins celebrated Senior Day with a 37-0 shutout Saturday afternoon in College Park, Md.
Senior Taulia Tagovailoa completed 25 of 37 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown as Maryland improved to 7-5 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten. The touchdown pass was the 50th for Tagovailoa as he became the program’s all-time leader in the category.
Jeshaun Jones caught the scoring pass, a 27-yarder in the fourth quarter, and finished with nine receptions for 152 yards, coming up big in the absence of top receiver Rakim Jarrett, who was out with an injury.
Rutgers (4-8, 1-8) generated little offense against the stingy Maryland defense as Gavin Wimsatt completed 5 of 13 passes for 48 yards. The Scarlet Knights came up empty on all 11 of their third-down conversion tries and never crossed the Maryland 45.
The Terps got off to a slow start, committing turnovers on two of its first three possessions. But Rutgers couldn’t take advantage of either of Wesley Brown’s fumble recoveries.
The Scarlet Knights went three and out after the first turnover and turned it over on downs after the second as Maryland’s Anthony Booker Jr. lassoed Chris Long for a three-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 play.
On Maryland’s ensuing possession, Hemby scored on a 1-yard run on the first play of the second quarter to cap a 53-yard drive.
Hemby’s second touchdown, also a 1-yard carry, culminated an 82-yard march in the second quarter.
When Tagovailoa was shaken up late in the half, third-string quarterback Eric Najarian completed three of his first four passes for 37 yards to set up the first of three field goals from Chad Ryland as the Terps took a 17-0 halftime lead.
Hemby’s third touchdown, on an 8-yard rush, finished off a 75-yard drive to open the second half.
Rutgers’ only promising drive came in the third when Wimsatt and Johnny Langan hooked up on a 27-yard play. The Scarlet Knights reached the Terps’ 46, but Ahmad McCullough snuffed out the uprising with a third-down sack.
–Field Level Media