Maryland rallies to beat Illinois on last-second FG
Tayon Fleet-Davis scored two touchdowns and Maryland put up 10 points in the final 2:13 to win a defensive struggle 20-17 over Illinois on Friday night in Champaign, Ill.
Fleet-Davis took a 10-yard reception into the left side of the end zone to cap an eight-play, 86-yard drive in the waning minutes, and the extra point tied the game at 17.
The Terrapins’ defense took the field and forced consecutive sacks and an intentional-grounding penalty — which not only forced Illinois to punt but gave the offense terrific field position for a game-winning drive.
Joseph Petrino hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired for Maryland (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten).
Fleet-Davis also scored a rushing touchdown and fumbled a reception in the red zone during the back-and-forth second half. Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa completed 32 of 43 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown.
Illinois had wrested control in the first minute of the fourth quarter on a wild 63-yard touchdown. Freshman running back Reggie Love III broke off a long run but had the ball stripped out. It bounced forward to wide receiver Casey Washington, who snagged it and sprinted 30 yards to the end zone to give Illinois a 17-10 lead.
In his first game back after sustaining a non-throwing shoulder injury in the first quarter of the season opener, quarterback Brandon Peters completed 10 of 26 passes for 185 yards and an interception for Illinois (1-3, 1-1). Another freshman running back, Josh McCray, led Illinois with 60 rushing yards and a TD on eight carries.
The Terrapins blocked a 26-yard field-goal attempt in the final minute of the first quarter, then opened the scoring on Petrino’s 32-yard field goal. Petrino missed wide right from the same distance on Maryland’s next possession, and Illinois responded with a 10-play, 73-yard drive to tie the score before halftime on James McCourt’s 25-yard field goal.
Maryland finally managed the game’s first touchdown drive to open the second half. Tagovailoa took a QB keeper 35 yards up the middle, helping set up Fleet-Davis’ 2-yard rushing score that gave the Terrapins a 10-3 lead.
Fleet-Davis fumbled in the red zone on the next Maryland possession, recovered by Jartavius Martin for Illinois. The Illini tied it at 10 when McCray stiff-armed and galloped his way to a 38-yard rushing touchdown.
–Field Level Media
