University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
0-2 , 0-2
Maryland
1-1 , 1-1
Gophers Drop Overtime Contest at Maryland 45-44
10/30/2020 10:24:00 PM | Football
Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 207 yards and four scores as he reached 2,000 career yards.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — A crazy, thrilling game ended abruptly in overtime when Minnesota missed a conversion kick after a potential tying touchdown, giving Maryland a stunning 45-44 comeback victory Friday night.
After the Terrapins rallied from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa ran for a 2-yard touchdown and Joseph Peterino kicked the extra point to give the Terrapins — who came in as 19-point underdogs — a 45-38 lead.
Minnesota answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Seth Green before Brock Walker's extra-point try sailed wide right to end this Big Ten duel.
Tagovailoa went 26 for 35 for 394 yards and three touchdowns in his second college start. He also ran for 59 yards and two scores to help the Terrapins (1-1) bounce back from a season-opening loss to Northwestern.
Jake Funk ran for a career-best 221 yards, and Maryland totaled 675 yards of offense.
Mohamed Ibrahim ran for 207 yards and a career-high four touchdowns on 41 carries for Minnesota (0-2).
Ibrahim scored twice from the 2-yard-line and twice from the 1. The junior running back needed 96 yards rushing to become the 17th player in Minnesota history to reach 2,000, and he reached that mark by halftime.
The Golden Gophers turned an early 21-7 deficit into a 38-21 lead late in the third quarter before Tagovailoa brought the Terrapins into a tie at 38 with 3:38 remaining, setting up overtime.
Coming off a 49-24 loss to Michigan that knocked them out of the Top 25, the Gophers fell into a quick 14-0 hole and trailed 21-7 after the first quarter. But Minnesota rallied behind Ibrahim and Tanner Morgan, who threw for 189 yards and a score.
In his debut with the Terrapins last week, Tagovailoa tossed three interceptions. The Alabama transfer was much sharper in this one, finding a way to mount enough yardage and points to overcome another miserable performance by the Maryland defense.
On Maryland's opening drive, Tagovailoa threw his first career TD pass, an 8-yarder to Funk. On the Terrapins' second possession, Tagovailoa slithered out of the pocket and around two defenders before taking off down the left sideline for a 39-yard score, his first touchdown run at the college level.
After Minnesota closed to 14-7, Tagovailoa threw a short pass to Jeshaun Jones, who broke free for a 76-yard touchdown.
But the Golden Gophers pulled even with a pair of touchdown runs by Ibrahim, the last one after Minnesota defensive tackle DeAngelo Carter picked off a deflected screen pass and rumbled 22 yards to the Maryland 29.
Minnesota took its first lead late in the half with a 91-yard drive culminated by Ibrahim's fourth TD, then made it 35-21 in the third quarter on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Morgan to Chris Autman-Bell.
THE TAKEAWAY
Minnesota: The offense had its way against the younger, smaller Terrapins, but Minnesota has a serious problem on defense that must be fixed if the team hopes to be a contender in the Big Ten.
Maryland: It looks like Tagovailoa could be something special, although it's hard to say at this point in the season whether it's him or that he was facing a horrible defense.
UP NEXT
Minnesota travels to Illinois next Saturday. The Gophers beat the Fighting Illini 40-17 last year.
Maryland visits No. 18 Penn State. The Nittany Lions lead the series 40-2-1 and have outscored the Terps 163-6 over the last three years.
Team Stats
MINN 0, UMD 7
UMD - Jake Funk 8 yd pass from T. Tagovailoa (Joseph Petrino kick) 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:53
MINN 0, UMD 14
UMD - T. Tagovailoa 39 yd run (Joseph Petrino kick), 3 plays, 62 yards, TOP 1:19
MINN 7, UMD 14
MINN - Ibrahim, M 1 yd run (Walker, Brock kick), 8 plays, 81 yards, TOP 4:03
MINN 7, UMD 21
UMD - Jeshaun Jones 76 yd pass from T. Tagovailoa (Joseph Petrino kick) 1 plays, 76 yards, TOP 0:12
MINN 14, UMD 21
MINN - Ibrahim, M 2 yd run (Walker, Brock kick), 11 plays, 65 yards, TOP 5:18
MINN 21, UMD 21
MINN - Ibrahim, M 1 yd run (Walker, Brock kick), 4 plays, 29 yards, TOP 1:54
MINN 28, UMD 21
MINN - Ibrahim, M 1 yd run (Walker, Brock kick), 5 plays, 91 yards, TOP 2:22
MINN 35, UMD 21
MINN - Autman-Bell, C 39 yd pass from Morgan, Tanner (Walker, Brock kick) 6 plays, 87 yards, TOP 3:02
MINN 38, UMD 21
MINN - Walker, Brock 25 yd field goal 13 plays, 73 yards, TOP 7:08
MINN 38, UMD 28
UMD - Dontay Demus 15 yd pass from T. Tagovailoa (Joseph Petrino kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:49
MINN 38, UMD 31
UMD - Joseph Petrino 51 yd field goal 9 plays, 33 yards, TOP 3:51
MINN 38, UMD 38
UMD - Jake Funk 19 yd run (Joseph Petrino kick), 3 plays, 56 yards, TOP 1:08
MINN 38, UMD 45
UMD - T. Tagovailoa 2 yd run (Joseph Petrino kick), 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
MINN 44, UMD 45
MINN - Green, Seth 2 yd run (Walker, Brock kickfailed), 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00
