UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Desperate times call for desperate measures, as Penn State heads into Saturday's matchup against Maryland in search of its first victory of the season.
To get it, the Nittany Lions are going to have to stop quarterback Taulia Tagaovailoa, who was very impressive against Minnesota last Saturday. The performance came after a dud of a game against Northwestern, during which he threw for 94 yards and three interceptions in a 43-3 loss.
The Terrapins rode the arm of Tagovailoa to take down the Golden Gophers in dramatic fashion, as he completed 74 percent of his passes for 394 yards and three touchdowns, while adding two more touchdowns and 59 yards on the ground. That type of bounce-back performance is necessary in the Big Ten, and it showed Tagovailoa has what it takes.
Despite that performance, Maryland remains last in the Big Ten in total offense and total defense, which could lead to a typical dominant performance for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has outscored the Terrapins, 164-6, in the past three games the teams have played.
Mind you, this season hasn't yet shown the capabilities the Nittany Lions have; quite the opposite actually. Penn State has struggled at times as well, but its second-half performance against Ohio State should provide the type of springboard needed to get back to winning ways.
Jahan Dotson exploded for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to the Buckeyes, a performance that shows there are offensive playmakers outside of quarterback Sean Clifford and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Opening up the offense is going to be key against Maryland, as it took nearly six quarters of football and an overtime period for the Nittany Lions to find some semblance of an offensive rhythm.
When Penn State found that rhythm, it moved down the field rather well against a vaunted Ohio State defense. It's important to note the defense the Nittany Lions will be facing this weekend is not close to that of the Buckeyes.
It will be imperative for Penn State to get the rushing game going, with Devyn Ford as well as Caziah Holmes and Keyvone Lee. The Terrapins proved in both games this season that they are simply unable to stop the opponents on the ground, giving up up 325 yards to Northwestern and 265 yards against Minnesota.
On paper, this seems like a great opportunity to exploit for a running back group that hasn't quite found success this season. A breakout offensive performance is desperately needed against the Terrapins, as the Nittany Lions embark on the remainder of the Big Ten season.
Penn State should be able to find a groove offensively early and if it can do that, this offense has the potential to finally break through in a big way.
The key to earning a victory against Maryland is to keep Tagovailoa under control. If Penn State is able to limit the damage he's able to do with his arm and his legs, there should be no problem taking down the Terrapins. Of course, it's not just Tagovailoa on offense as the first-year signal caller has quite a few weapons at his disposal.
Both Jeshaun Jones and Dontay Demus had 100-plus yards receiving against Minnesota, with 103 and 101, respectively, and each scored a touchdown, too. Jake Funk ran for 221 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota while averaging just over 10 yards per carry.
Keeping the Maryland offense at bay shouldn't be a daunting task for the Penn State defense, but in 2020, anything is possible. The Nittany Lions will need better play from their safeties, as as that position group has struggled in the early going, often getting beat deep in coverage.
As bad as the safeties have been, the cornerbacks have been the opposite, with Tariq Castro-Fields and Joey Porter, Jr. holding it down on the outside. Having solid play at cornerback is always necessary for success. and it should be no different against the Terrapins.
The key players defensively will be up front, as they look to neutralize Tagovailoa and the Maryland rushing attack. Jesse Luketa and Brandon Smith are sure to lead the way at linebacker, and a full game from Luketa will be a plus after he was suspended for the first half against the Buckeyes. Along the front line, expect Shaka Toney and Jayson Oweh to dominate on the edges.
It will be Antonio Shelton and PJ Mustipher on the inside of the front, and they are due for big games. Shelton finished with two tackles against Ohio State, while Mustipher added a season-high eight tackles.
If Penn State can get that type of performance across the board defensively, it should bode well for the Nittany Lions' chances to notch their first win of the season.
More Penn State coverage can be found on our team page:
• Outlook on freshmen earning their stripes
• How Penn State can build of Dotson's performance against Ohio State
• The struggles to find consistency on offense