Instant analysis of the Terps' 42-24 win over Rutgers.

The Terps got out to a red-hot start at Rutgers and never looked back, scoring touchdowns on each of their first two drives of the game, building a 21-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Senior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa threw three touchdown passes and sophomore running back Roman Hemby rushed for over 100 yards.

The Maryland defense held Rutgers to just seven points in the second half, helping the Terps cruise to a 42-24 win.

With the regular season complete, the Terps have now finished with 7 regular-season wins for a second straight year.

The Terps now awaits their bowl destination.

Tagovailoa becomes Big Ten's all-time passing leader

It wasn't sexy. It didn't come on a long TD pass or a critical third-down conversion. But Taulia Tagovailoa became the Big Ten's all-time passing leader on a six-yard completion to Jeshaun Jones in the second quarter of the Terps' win over Rutgers.

Tagovailoa's final Big Ten game was one of his finest, as he threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in the win.

In his four years as Maryland's starting quarterback, Tagovailoa has led the Terps to a road win over Penn State, back-to-back bowl victories and three straight winning records. Fans might question his signature wins, but he etched his place in Big Ten history with his performance versus Rutgers.

Hemby finishes strong

It was undoubtedly a difficult, if not frustrating season for sophomore running back Roman Hemby. After rushing for just shy of 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago, yards have been much more difficult to come by this year.

After rushing for over 100 yards four times in 2022, he accomplished the feat just once coming into Saturday's game at Rutgers, finishing with 162 yards on the ground versus Charlotte in Week 2.

Hemby finally broke out versus Rutgers, finishing with 113 yards rushing on just 15 carries versus a defense that came into the game ranked 11th nationally. He also had five catches for 14 yards and a touchdown.

While the 2023 season likely didn't go as he probably would have liked, his 100-yard performance versus Rutgers helped assure the Terps finished with seven regular-season wins for a second straight season and likely boosted his team's chances of landing in a higher-profile bowl.

Defense third-quarter shutout

After turnovers helped Rutgers cut the Terrapin lead down to 11 at the half, it was the defense that clamped down in the third quarter, shutting out the Scarlet Knights during the period as Maryland was able to take a 35-17 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Terrapin pass defense was especially good in the second half, holding Rutgers to just 52 yards through the air with a Glen Miller interception of Scarlet Knights quarterback Gavin Wimsatt.

Junior safety Dante Trader led the defense on this day, finishing with a career-high 11 tackle, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.

Terrapin Tush Push

While the Terps scored three touchdowns against Michigan's No. 1-ranked defense a week ago, it wasn't Taulia Tagovailoa or one of the running back's that put the ball in the end zone.

Maryland used their own version of the Philadelphia Eagles' tush push with 6-foot-4, 219-pound backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who punched the ball into the end zone from near the goal line three times versus the Wolverines.

With the Terps' offense struggling in the second half to get it going like they did in the first quarter, they once again turned to Edwards, who scored two more times on one-yard plunges into the end zone.

Edwards now has five touchdowns in the Terps' past two games. Head coach Mike Locksley seems to have found something with Edwards, who should likely take on a much bigger role within the offense next season.

Win triggers Locksley extension

Saturday's win over the Scarlet Knights was a big one for Mike Locksley and the Terrapin football program. With the vcitory, the Terps have now had three straight winning seasons for the first time since Ralph Friedgen's first three seasons as Maryland's head coach.

Seven is also a significant number, as it marked the second straight season that Maryland will finish the regular season with that many wins. But it also triggers a clause in Locksley's contract that automatically extends his deal another year through 2028.

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