UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State tried to rally from an early deficit with 290 yards of total offense in the second half, but Maryland's explosive scoring plays in the first half were enough for a 35-19 victory in Big Ten football action Saturday in Beaver Stadium.
Penn State (0-3, 0-3 Big Ten) held Maryland (2-1, 2-1 Big Ten) to 70 yards with no scores on offense in the second half, but was unable overcome a 28-7 halftime deficit.
Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford attempted a school-record 57 passes and threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns as he tried to rally the Nittany Lions late, and freshman wide receiver Parker Washington caught eight passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson finished with nine catches for 123 yards - his second-straight 100-yard receiving game - and tight end Pat Freiermuth caught six passes for 91 yards, as both surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for their careers in the game.
Maryland scored all of its touchdowns from 34 or more yards out. Quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa completed 18-of-26 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns, while wide receiver Rakim Jarrett caught five passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns and wide receiver Dontay Demus caught six passes for 86 yards and one touchdown. Running back Jake Funk ran 16 times for 80 yards and a 38-yard touchdown run.
Defensive end Jayson Oweh led the Nittany Lions on defense with 10 tackles and two tackles for loss, while safety Nick Cross led the Terps with eight tackles, a sack, interception and two pass break ups.
How It Happened
Maryland took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a pair of big touchdown receptions by Jarrett, who caught a 42-yard touchdown the Terps' first possession and a 62-yard score with 19 seconds remaining in the opening frame, and then went up three touchdowns with a 38-yard rush by Funk early in the second quarter.
Penn State got on the board with 6:32 remaining in the half, as Clifford engineered a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a 20-yard touchdown toss to Dotson, but Tagovailoa connected with Demus for a 34-yard touchdown before the break for a 28-7 halftime lead.
Maryland extended its lead in the second half on a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Clifford connected with Washington for a 23-yard touchdown with 10:16 remaining to complete a 16-play, 98-yard drive, and again in the final seconds for a 1-yard score.
Up Next
Penn State travels to Nebraska next Saturday. Coverage on FS1 is set to begin at noon ET.
The 2020 Penn State Football season is presented by PSECU.
