College football roundup: Maryland beats Minnesota in OT

Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa (3) is congratulated by Jake Funk (34) after scoring an overtime touchdown against Minnesota.

Oct. 30, 2020 10:33 PM PT

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — A back-and-forth game that featured comebacks by both teams, a dozen touchdowns and more than 1,100 yards in offense seemed destined to reach a second overtime before ending abruptly on — of all things — a botched conversion kick.

Minnesota’s Brock Walker sent an extra-point try wide right after the 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 two-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 two-yard touchdown run by Seth Green before Walker’s extra-point try went awry to end this Big Ten duel and launch a wild celebration by the Terrapins, who jubilantly sprinted across the field, seemingly uncaring that they had no fans with whom they could share the moment.

Never in school history had Maryland won after trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter.

“It feels good to get a win,“ Terrapins coach Michael Locksley said. “These players have been through so much. With all the things and adversity this team has faced, it’s great and rewarding for them to be able to feel what success feels like.“

It was a bitter end for the Golden Gophers (0-2), who had turned a 21-7 deficit into a 38-21 lead late in the third quarter.

“We just have to be able to be resilient and develop that thick skin, to be able to take it and swallow it and respond,“ quarterback Tanner Morgan said. “Because I can guarantee you we will respond.”

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 43-3 loss at Northwestern.

He became the first Maryland quarterback to throw for 300 yards since Caleb Rowe against Virginia in 2013.

Jake Funk ran for a career-best 221 yards, and Maryland totaled a whopping 675 yards of offense.

“Our team has put in a lot of time, and to win like that on a Friday night, it’s exactly what our team needed,“ Funk said.

Mohamed Ibrahim ran for 207 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in 41 carries for Minnesota, which was bounced from the Associated Press top 25 with a season-opening loss to Michigan.

Ibrahim scored twice from the two-yard-line and twice from the one. 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.

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.

The Golden Gophers did their best to let Walker know the loss wasn’t his fault.

“Brock’s kick didn’t lose us the game,“ said Morgan, who threw for 189 yards and a score. “He’ll be fine, and he’ll be OK. We love Brock, and we have his back always.”

Coach P.J. Fleck added: “I just told Brock I love him. I told him, ‘That’s not the reason why we lost this football game.’ There was plenty of opportunity. There was plenty of blame to go around.”

Funk averaged 10.5 yards per carry. After missing most of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the fifth-year senior got the starting job this season after Anthony McFarland and Javon Leake left for the NFL draft.

Minnesota travels to Illinois next Saturday, while Maryland visits No. 18 Penn State.

Tulsa 34, East Carolina 30

TULSA, Okla. — T.K. Wilkerson scored a go-ahead touchdown on a one-yard run with 29 seconds left to help Tulsa beat East Carolina.

The Golden Hurricane’s 11-play, 75-yard final drive was aided by two questionable replays — a fumble that was overturned and a fourth-down catch that appeared to hit the ground. The Pirates had a chance in the closing seconds, but Holton Ahlers’ pass into the end zone was batted to the ground.

Zach Smith was 19-of-37 passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions for Tulsa (3-1, 3-0 American Athletic), which has won four straight conference games for the first time in program history. Wilkerson had 89 yards rushing and two scores. Keylon Stokes caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown.

Ahlers, who missed the last game against Navy because of COVID-19 protocols, completed 38 of 50 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns for East Carolina (1-4, 1-3). Rahjai Harris rushed for 118 yards.

Wyoming 31, Hawaii 7

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Xazavian Valladay and Trey Smith each rushed for 85-plus yards and two touchdowns, and Wyoming cruised past Hawaii.

Valladay carried it 32 times for 163 yards and Smith gained 89 yards on 20 runs for the Cowboys (1-1, 1-1 Mountain West), who have won nine consecutive home games. Levi Williams passed for 112 yards.

Valladay’s 18-yard touchdown on the opening possession was the only touchdown over seven yards for either team. He added a six-yard score, and Smith had scoring runs of one and two yards.

Chevan Cordeiro was 10-of-26 passing for 106 yards with one interception for the Rainbow Warriors (1-1, 1-1). Dae Dae Hunter scored Hawaii’s lone touchdown on a nine-yard run to pull to 10-7 in the second quarter. The Rainbow Warriors were outgained 281-123 on the ground and turned it over twice.

Wyoming claimed the Paniolo Trophy for the 15th time in the 25 meetings between the schools.