A domination in all phases.
Max Brosmer threw for 320 yards and 4 touchdowns, leading Minnesota to a dominating 48-23 win over Maryland. The defense made huge plays and the passing game was unstoppable as the Gophers jumped on the Terrapins early and never looked back.
The offensive accolades can be spread around today. Brosmer set a career-high as a Gopher, Daniel Jackson had 9 catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns, Elijah Spencer was just shy of 100 yards with 99 and two touchdowns, and Darius Taylor put the finishing touches on this one with a 51-yard touchdown run to start the 4th quarter and push the lead to 48-10.
Maryland managed two scores in the 4th to gain some offensive confidence for their young, backup quarterback. But this game was never in doubt.
Minnesota, now with a 3-game winning streak, came off their bye week and looked prepared and eager to play Big Ten football. Maryland was coming off a come-from-behind win over USC and brought the Big Ten’s leading passing attack to Huntington Bank Stadium. And on their first play from scrimmage, Billy Edwards Jr connects with the Big Ten’s leading receiver Tai Felton for a 26-yard gain. And that would be Maryland’s longest play from scrimmage until the 4th quarter when they were trailing by 4 possessions.
The Gopher defense forced a 4th down stop on that opening drive, forced a 3-and-out on the next and then stopped the Terps with interceptions on their 3rd and 4th possessions. Justin Walley had the game’s first turnover when he picked off Edwards Jr. in the flat and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. And on the next Maryland possession, Koi Perich intercepted Edwards Jr. in the middle of the field for his Big Ten leading 5th interception of the season.
Meanwhile, the Gopher offense was unstoppable, even though balance was difficult to achieve. The offense took a commanding 34-10 lead at halftime despite being unable to rush for more than 15 yards. But when Brosmer and the passing game are racking up 223 yards at the break, scoring still came easy.
Also at the break, Maryland’s offensive numbers were not terrible. They scored on their final two possessions of the half with a field goal and a touchdown, gaining 131 yards on those two drives. But timely penalties, the two interceptions and going 3/9 on third down made it difficult to overcome their defense being unable to stop the Gopher offense.
A balanced game for Minnesota with some impressive offensive performances. This is the offense and balance that fans had been hoping to see this season. Up next, Minnesota hits the road to face Illinois next week and a trip to Rutgers after that. Now with a 5-3 record, those games loom large for post-season destinations.
An exciting and promising win for the Gophers this afternoon over Maryland.