Tag: Taulia Tagovailoa

Here’s how Ji’Ayir Brown’s game-sealing pick-six sounded on Penn State radio

LISTEN: How Steve Jones called Ji’Ayir Brown’s big pick-six against Maryland on the Penn State Radio Network

Penn State’s defense has been coming up with big plays all season long, and Ji’Ayir Brown has been involved in a number of the big defensive moments this season for the Nittany Lions. Brown added one more highlight to his 2021 season with a pick-six against Maryland to put the game away in Penn State’s favor on Saturday. Brown’s long touchdown return capped Penn State’s 31-14 victory at Maryland, effectively serving as the final nail in the coffin for the Terrapins’ upset bid.

Brown played everything perfectly from reading the eyes of Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, timing the pass just right to step in front of the intended receiver and using his speed to make sure nobody could catch him along the way for an easy return for a touchdown.

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If you missed the moment live, here is how the play sounded on the FS1 broadcast with Dan Hellie on the call…

But of course, no signature moment of Penn State football is called any better than how Steve Jones captured the moment on the Penn State radio network. Here’s how Jones called the big play, and how Jack Ham broke it down afterward.

As Jones said, game, set, match.

Penn State clinched bowl eligibility with the win and now prepares for a big home game against the Michigan Wolverines in Week 11.

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Stock Watch: Tyler Shough, Malik Willis among the impressive passers in Week 3

Mark Schofield dives into what quarterbacks helped themselves during Week 3 of the college football season, and who needs to bounce-back in Week 4.

Week 3 of the college football season is in the books. While the week as a whole will probably be remembered for a thrilling game in the SEC between Florida and Alabama, a renewal of a storied rivalry that ended with the best interception you will ever see, and weather making an impact on the games in the southeast, we do have some notable quarterbacking storylines to discuss.

The Maryland Terrapins might be for real, and Taulia Tagovailoa is a big reason why. Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett continues to impress, even in a loss, and it has been a while since we talked about Malik Willis, so we need to check in on the Liberty passer.

Let’s dive into Stock Watch for Week 3 of the college football season.

Stock Watch: Mixed quarterback performances mark Week 1 of the college football season

Mark Schofield looks at how some of the top quarterback draft prospects fared in the first full weekend of college football action.

Fans and analysts alike love nothing more than to overreact to the opening slate of games during football season.

Thankfully, the first full weekend of college football action provided ample ammunition for such an exercise.

After a long, and sometimes tedious summer of scouting, fans and analysts got to see the players they spent hours arguing about over the past few month in action over the weekend. As one might expect, that led to a lot of reaction across the football spectrum. Each week here at Touchdown Wire we’ll dive into the play from quarterbacks at the college level and see who helped themselves, and who might need to seek out extra credit opportunities.

 

Taulia Tagovailoa shines as Maryland outlasts West Virginia

Taulia Tagovailoa’s three touchdowns passes and big days from receivers Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus Jr. helped Maryland upset the visiting West Virginia Mountaineers.

Taulia Tagovailoa’s first collegiate start was one he’d like to forget.

His first start of the 2021 college season was one he will always remember.

The Maryland quarterback — and yes the younger brother of Tua — shined in Maryland’s 30-24 upset victory over the visiting West Virginia Mountaineers. Tagovailoa completed 26  of 36 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns, and added a critical run at the end of the game to help the Terrapinsseal the win at College Park.

Tagovailoa got the Terrapins into the end zone for the first time this season with this 66-yard strike to wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr:

This is a beautiful job by Tagovailoa of climbing in the pocket, while keeping his eyes downfield to pick up Demus. For his part, the receiver does a tremendous job of accelerating past the coverage to get the separation, and then races downfield to give Maryland the lead.

His second touchdown pass of the game came later in the first quarter, on this screen pass to Chigoziem Okonkwo. Tagovailoa does a very good job of selling this play, waiting until the last moment before flipping his eyes to the left to pick up Okonkwo:

Tagovailoa has to navigate around a free rusher, but he hangs in the pocket and takes the shot, giving Okonkwo a chance to pick up his convoy of blockers and scamper into the end zone for an 18-yard score.

But the play that will have all the Terps fans singing Tagovailoa’s praises down at Looney’s Pub on Baltimore Avenue in College Park came late in the game, with the Terrapins clinging to a two-point lead. Maryland faced a critical 3rd-and-5 at their own 40-yard line, with just over six minutes remaining in the game. That’s when Tagovailoa faded into the pocket before finding Rakim Jarrett for this 60-yard score:

That gave Maryland a nine-point lead, but the Mountaineers responded with a field goal to cut the contest to just a one-score game. That is why Tagovailoa’s third down run on the final possession was critical, as it allowed the Terrapins to run out the clock:

This was the first meeting between these nonconference rivals since 2015. West Virginia entered Saturday having won nine of the previous ten matchups. But on this afternoon the right arm of Taulia Tagovailoa, coupled with tremendous afternoons from both Demus and Jarrett (Demus finished with six receptions for 133 yards and Jarrett added six more catches for 122), proved the difference.

PFF names Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz as top breakout quarterback candidate in 2021

PFF names Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz as a top breakout quarterback heading into the 2021 season:

On Wednesday, Pro Football Focus analyst Anthony Treash released the top quarterbacks who he expects to have a breakout season in 2021.

Related: WATCH: UW assistant coach Bobby April mic’d up at practice

Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz was named as a top breakout candidate by Treash after his explosive five-touchdown performance against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the 2020 season opener. Mertz was not the lone representative of the Big Ten, as Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa was also listed by Treash.

If being included by PFF is not enough of an indication of expectations for Graham Mertz entering his second year as a starter, he has already been named to the watch lists for both the Davey O’Brien and Manning awards.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

A look at the Big Ten passing leaders in 2020

Despite the relative inexperience, injuries and struggles with COVID-19 during the season, QB Graham Mertz finished in the top 10 in the …

Just one year removed from losing running back Jonathan Taylor to the NFL draft, Wisconsin’s offense showed some growing pains last season starting a true freshman running back in Jalen Berger and redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz for the majority of the season.

Despite the relative inexperience, injuries and struggles with COVID-19 during the season, QB Graham Mertz finished in the top 10 in the Big Ten Conference last season in passing yards per game. His numbers will likely improve in the 2021 season with an offseason to recover from his shoulder injury sustained against Michigan. The offense will also be returning wide receiver Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor healthy, as well as tight end Jake Ferguson.

Below is the ranking of the top 10 players in passing yards per game from the Big Ten Conference 2020 season. Players from Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland, Iowa, Rutgers and Minnesota all made the ranking.

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A look at the Big Ten leaders in total offense in 2020

Despite his struggles, Mertz still showed many great signs last season and he even cracked the top 15 of leaders in total offensive yards…

The Wisconsin offense had many high and lows last season, much like the play of redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz who dealt with injuries during the turbulent 2020 season.

Despite his struggles, Mertz showed many signs of a bright future last season, and he even cracked the top 15 in total offensive yards per game from the Big Ten Conference in 2020. With an entire offseason under center as a starter and some time to get completely healthy, Mertz will definitely be one of the top quarterbacks to watch in the Big Ten this upcoming season.

Below is the ranking of the top 15 players in total offensive yards per game from the Big Ten Conference 2020 season. Players from Wisconsin, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa and Illinois made the rankings.

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Ohio State vs. Maryland 2020 Football Preview And Prediction

Ohio State travels to Maryland this week to take on a team that’s getting its act together. Here’s your preview and prediction for the game.

We’re three games into the 2020 season and Ohio State has taken care of business thus far as they trek towards the toughest leg of their schedule. After taking care of Rutgers and trick plays galore, the Buckeyes are now on to face upstart Maryland.

Seriously, did anyone look at the schedule at the beginning of the season and see this stretch as the part that could make or break the Buckeyes season? If you said yes… I don’t believe you. But it is looking more and more likely to be the case.

Michigan has looked just awful after a season-opening victory over Minnesota. And Penn State? Not much better.

So, here we go with week four of Big Ten play and Ohio State takes on the second-place team in the Big Ten East… the Maryland Terrapins. What an odd time 2020 is.

Record

Ohio State (3-0), Maryland (2-1)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Saturday, Nov. 14
Game Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Network: Big Ten Network
Venue: Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium – Capacity – 51,802 (no fans permitted due to COVID-19 restrictions)
All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 6-0
Last Meeting: Ohio State defeated Maryland 73-14 in 2019

Next … The game plan

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Around the Big Ten: Wisconsin Big Ten West foe upset by Maryland

Friday night, the Minnesota Golden Gophers lost in overtime to the Maryland Terrapins 45-44 because of a missed extra point. The matchup…

Friday night, the Minnesota Golden Gophers lost in overtime to the Maryland Terrapins 45-44 because of a missed extra point.

The matchup was a shootout after Maryland initially got up to a 21-7 lead on the Gophers, and was lead by a 394 yard and three touchdown passing day from Terrapins’ quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of Tua Tagovailoa. The Maryland quarterback also racked up 59 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Oct 30, 2020; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (3) throws during the overtime against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Golden Gophers’ running back Mohamed Ibrahim led the team with 207 rushing yards and an impressive four rushing touchdowns. Tanner Morgan continues to look like he has taken a step back from last season, and the quarterback’s numbers show this with only 189 passing yards and a touchdown in the offensive showdown.

Seth Green ran in the touchdown to bring the Golden Gophers one point behind the Terrapins in overtime, but Minnesota kicker Brock Walker swung the extra point wide right to end the game in favor of Maryland.

Oct 30, 2020; College Park, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Seth Green (17) scores a touchdown dung overtime against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota sitting at 0-2 to start the season is always good to see for Wisconsin fans and will make the Badger’s path to another Big Ten Championship game a little bit easier.

BREAKING: NCAA approves Taulia Tagovailoa’s transfer waiver

Taulia Tagovailoa will now have a chance to start this fall at Maryland since the NCAA approved his transfer waiver on Friday

Former Alabama quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa will now have a chance to start this fall at Maryland since the NCAA approved his transfer waiver on Friday. This is big news for Tagovailoa and Maryland fans who were hoping to see Taulia in action this fall.

When Tagovailoa announced his decision to transfer from Alabama, many wondered why he chose Maryland and assumed Taulia Tagovailoa would transfer to a school in southern Florida such as FAU, FIU, and Miami to be closer to his older brother Tua, but he didn’t.

Tagovailoa instead transferred to Maryland, and his father, Galu Tagovailoa, shared with AL.com why.

“It’s really tough and it’s nothing against Alabama. But my boys are competitive, and Lia is such a competitive kid. And he wanted an opportunity to compete. He was told that he was going to come in and compete and he didn’t really get that opportunity, so he wanted to use the spring to do that. But with the COVID-19 thing going on, he didn’t really have the opportunity to compete. He’s a competitor. He likes to work. He likes to compete on the field. And just, going into the season this year, he just felt that he wasn’t given that opportunity and he wants to take it somewhere where they’re going to give him the opportunity to make the best of his skill set.”

And according to Galu, Maryland seemed to be the best fit for Tagovailoa:

“He’s a player. This kid likes to play. He wants a chance to get on the field. He knew that him getting on the field this past season was just to hand off the ball and they didn’t really showcase him and who he is. He doesn’t fear competition. He just wants an opportunity to go out there and play. And the best place right now for him is Maryland.”

Taulia was rated as the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the 2019 class by 247Sports and PrepStar.

Taulia Tagovailoa also became the only quarterback in Alabama state history to have at least four 400-yard passing performances in his career, throwing for 3,728 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior at Thompson High School. Tagovailoa led Thompson to the 2018 Class 7A state championship and was selected to the Class 7A All-State first team in 2017.

Taulia Tagovailoa saw limited action in Tuscaloosa for the Crimson Tide, considering he was a backup behind his older brother Tua. He recorded 9 passes for 100 yards and 1 TD. He played in three games in 2019: against Western Carolina, Arkansas, and Southern Mississippi.

But Taulia Tagovailoa is extremely talented and has so much potential, and  Locksley can help him. Considering he’s coached Tua Tagovailoa, Locksley has an edge that every other coach in the country doesn’t.

It will be exciting to see what Taulia can do this fall!

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