Michigan holds off Maryland in Big Ten opener, 34-27

Michigan football moved to 4-0 on the season after a harder-than-expected, 34-27 win over Maryland in Ann Arbor.

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The offense was disjointed and inconsistent but made plays when needed, while the defense was bend but don’t break throughout, and much better in the second half. The Wolverines made adjustments and stiffened after quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa completed 12-of-18 passes for 121 yards in the first half, but Maryland still moved the ball relatively well.

Michigan pulled away late behind Blake Corum’s 243 yards rushing, winning 34-27. Here’s how it went down:

First Quarter — A fast Michigan start

Michigan won the toss and elected to defer … and it turned out to be the right move. Tai Felton fumbled the opening kickoff off his facemask, recovered by U-M’s Matt Hibner. The Wolverines capitalized in one play, sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy passing to grad student tight end Luke Schoonmaker for a 10-yard score. 

Eight seconds in, Michigan was up 7-0. 

Maryland countered with an 8-play, 40-yard drive, aided by a third-down facemask penalty on Jaylen Harrell while pressuring Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa tested Michigan grad senior Gemon Green twice deep, but Green was up to the task.

Chad Ryland finished the drive with a 53-yard field goal that would have been good from 65.

The Wolverines countered with a field goal drive of their own. McCarthy used the tight ends to move to the 35 before the drive stalled, and Jake Moody connected from 52 yards.

Maryland answered again. Tagovailoa engineered a drive that took only 5:48 and ended in a touchdown 13 plays later. That tied it up at 10.

Back came Michigan. The drive started with a 24-yard run by Corum behind a great block from Max Bredeson. The Wolverines moved into Terrapins territory on a 23-yard run by Corum, but freshman CJ Stokes fumbled at the Terps’ 27. 

The quarter ended 10-10. 

SECOND QUARTER — Michigan takes a late lead into the half

Maryland’s offense continued to win the battle up front, and it resulted in more points. A 26-yard pass from Tagovailoa to Jeshaun Jones moved the ball into U-M territory. The Wolverines stiffened on a tackle for loss by senior defensive tackle Mazi Smith, but Ryland hit another long field goal — 52 yards — to make it 13-10. 

Michigan’s next drive resulted in a punt, and the Wolverines were feeling the heat. They couldn’t get any pressure with the front four, and Tagovailoa went back to work.

Someone needed to make a play, and senior cornerback DJ Turner stepped up. His diving interception gave Michigan the ball back at their own 28-yard line. 

McCarthy kept the next drive alive with a third-down scramble near midfield, and he used the boundaries on outs to Andrel Anthony and Schoonmaker to move the chains. Another big Corum run moved the ball to the 17, a 21-yard run. 

McCarthy, however, took a sack for a 15-yard loss on the next play, and the Wolverines had to settle for a 43-yard field goal attempt from Moody. He missed wide left.

The defense finally stepped up on the next possession. Great defensive plays by Turner and senior Mike Sainristil forced a three-and-out, and McCarthy went to work. The short passing game, including three completions to Cornelius Johnson, moved the ball into Maryland territory. 

Corum did it again on fourth-and-1. He broke through the line for a 33-yard touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the half, and the Wolverines somehow took a 17-13 lead into the break. 

THIRD QUARTER — A standstill

Michigan got the kickoff to open the second half with a chance to regain momentum, but some questionable play calling led to a punt. Corum ripped off a couple of 9-yard runs, but the Wolverines didn’t throw once and ran on third-and-four with Isaiah Gash. He was stacked up at the line, and Brad Robbins punted inside the 10.

The Terps started to move again. They kept a drive alive on an 8-yard slant pass from Tagovailoa to Rakim Jarrett and moved near midfield. 

Mike Morris’ big hit on the quarterback on a second-and-nine throw knocked Tagovailoa from the game for a play, and Jaylen Harrell’s pressure forced a bad pass on the next. That forced a Maryland punt. 

The Wolverines gave it right back three plays later, two runs and a sack, and the Terps had life when Tagovailoa checked back into the game. He also went three-and-out, with Eyabi Okie forcing a bad throw with pressure, and U-M got the ball back again. 

The Wolverines went to roll out and short passes, including heavy doses of the tight ends. The quarter ended with Michigan driving and facing second-and-four at the Maryland 27. 

FOURTH QUARTER — Michigan pulls away

Two plays later, McCarthy found receiver Roman Wilson for a 20-yard touchdown. Michigan had finally gotten a bit of separation, leading 24-13 with 14:16 remaining.

It didn’t last long. The Terps started to drive on the ground. The Wolverines had a chance to get off the field on fourth-and-one near midfield, but Maryland picked up a first down on a 4-yard pass to an uncovered Felton. A 44-yarder to Corey Dyches set up a 4-yard Felton touchdown reception — the two-point conversion failed, and it was 24-19 with 9:10 remaining.

McCarthy missed an open Andrel Anthony with a deep ball. On third down, however, he found Ronnie Bell for 49 yards to the Maryland 22 down the right sideline, a critical conversion. They dodged a bullet with a near-interception on third down, settling for a 38-yard Moody field goal.

Maryland’s next possession ended after only two plays. Junior safety RJ Moten came up with a spectacular interception on a deep ball, tipping the ball to himself and diving to secure it at the Michigan 35.

Corum then took over. He knocked out several nice runs, and then bounced outside to score on a 47-yard gallop to make it 34-19 and put the Terps behind the eight-ball.

The Michigan pass rush finally came alive. Sainristil and Mike Morris both picked up sacks, but the Terps still made a couple of long conversions. Quarterback Billy Edwards, filling in for Tagovailoa, picked up 23 yards on one — he completed a touchdown drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to CJ Dippre with 45 seconds remaining, and the 2-point conversion cut it to 34-27.

That’s how it would end after freshman tight end Colston Loveland recovered the onside kick and McCarthy knelt twice.

McCarthy finished 18-of-26 passing for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. Schoonmaker and Bell led Michigan with 72 yards receiving each.