This included redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who was carted off after he aggravated a sprained medial collateral ligament in opposition to Indiana. Three weeks later, Tagovailoa is returning to the sphere because the Terps look to grab the second in November.
Tagovailoa has thrown for two,001 yards with 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions this season. His play below middle has the Terps third within the Big Ten at 34.1 factors per recreation. With daunting defenses remaining, Maryland (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) will look to its star signal-caller to proceed to guide the crew’s development. Tagovailoa is excited to place his injury behind him and rejoin his teammates Saturday in a pivotal matchup at Wisconsin.
“To miss [a game], it gets hard just because you always want to be out there for your team, and you want to contribute to the success of a team,” Tagovailoa stated. “Not playing, it sucks, but I’m happy to see the team win. That’s the biggest thing. That’s what brought joy to me.”
In Tagovailoa’s absence, redshirt freshman switch quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. rallied the Terps to a win at Indiana, and a late landing run by Roman Hemby sealed a victory over Northwestern.
The bye got here on the excellent time for the Maryland soccer crew. After they beat Northwestern at residence, the banged-up Terrapins used the week off to regroup, rehab and refocus as they embark on crucial stretch of November soccer within the latest historical past of this system.
Rested and assured, the rising Terps usually are not shying away from the massive stage.
“We get to rest our bodies this late in the season. Now everybody’s good for the November stretch. You get remembered in November, especially the next couple of games we’re playing,” junior defensive back Beau Brade stated. “Getting our bodies rest, right before this Wisconsin game, the game will be great.”
The difficult month begins on the street. Since interim coach Jim Leonhard took over Oct. 2, Wisconsin has gone 2-1, with the lone loss coming at Michigan State. Overall, the Badgers are 4-4 and rank sixth within the convention in scoring protection (21.9 factors per recreation) and seventh in scoring offense (31.8 factors).
Specifically, the Terps should be cautious of an opportunistic Wisconsin protection. The Badgers rank second within the Big Ten with 14 interceptions. While they’re tied for tenth in sacks, they’re typically unique of their defensive shows. In entrance of a raucous crowd in Madison, the Terps’ offense most likely might want to talk successfully and be sharp in deciphering the Wisconsin scheme. Plus, with Maryland tied for fourth within the convention in sacks allowed, holding a just lately recovered Tagovailoa upright can be necessary.
“[Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator] puts them in great positions, and on top of that, they’re really good athletes. Really good players in the secondary; up front they generate sacks, too,” Tagovailoa stated. “They run a lot of simulated pressures, which means they only rush four at the end of the day. Whether it’s blitzing linebackers and dropping the ends or blitzing safeties and stuff like that, they do a lot of different things that could probably get offenses and get quarterbacks.”
Despite the looming challenges, the Terps emerged from the bye week with an aura of perception. This program already has proven indicators development, however the ultimate stretch may additional amplify that development. Maryland has an opportunity at its first eight-win season since 2010 and an out of doors shot at its first 10-win season since 2003. While Locksley continues to emphasise specializing in the quick time period, it’s clear he understands the magnitude of the final 4 video games, particularly along with his quarterback back on the helm.
“We’re still about the walk, not talking about the destination. It’s about how we’re going to finish. We got tremendous opportunities,” Locksley stated. “He’s been around. He’s been at practice. It’s not as if he was gone, but I do know we have our leader back.”