The Terps' senior wide receiver, was taken off the field after sustaining a leg injury on a kickoff return. After Demus' departure, the Hawkeyes scored 41 points unanswered to defeat Maryland, 51-14.
Nine plays, four turnovers and zero points. Five penalties, five fouls and five penalties. The Terps' second quarter produced 31 points, four turnovers and zero points. Iowa won the game by 31 points.
The matchup between Maryland and Iowa was the biggest in over a decade. The Terps were aiming for their first 5-0 win since 2001, and their first victory against a top-10 opponent since 2007.
A student section in black, 21 NFL Scouts , and a new 120-foot by-54-foot videoboard were presented to a national prime-time audience. Unfortunately, the program failed to live up the hype and seemed to be taking a significant step backward.
Although the Terps don’t like to dwell on past events, the loss to Iowa was similar to the crushing 59–0 defeat to Penn State in 2019. This game had a similar build up before Maryland finally fell apart.
"We've had chances here in the past couple of years where they could capitalize on their energy and support that they continue bringing in," stated Mike Locksley, Maryland coach. He is now 13-years old since taking over the job in 2018. "It is our responsibility to do better in putting a team together that performs when we have these chances. We missed an opportunity.
Demus, who was the Big Ten's leading receiver with 61 yards from four receptions in the opening quarter, fell while his right leg was twisted. After that, Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras completed an 8-yard touchdown to Arland Bruce IV. This extended the Hawkeyes' lead by 17-7 at 14:04 in the second quarter. Iowa's 11th consecutive win was achieved by Petras, who completed 21 of the 30 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. He also scored twice on ground.
Locksley didn't provide any updates on Demus' condition after the game. He said that Demus had received an X-ray, but that they are still waiting for results from an MRI.
"[Demus] was our best player so when that happens it's bound to impact the team," Chigoziem Okonkwo, a Terps junior tight-end, said. It hurts me to see how good a season he has had so far. I hope that he gets better, and that it's not too serious.
The Terps were facing a critical drive and junior quarterback TauliaTagovailoa intercepted Iowa safety Jack Koerner. While Koerner was running downfield, Maryland's sophomore tight end Corey Dyches forced a fumble. However, Iowa (5-0 and 2-0 Big Ten) managed the ball to be recovered. Petras ran into the end zone for his second rush touchdown, giving his team a 24-7 lead after less than 11 minutes.
Petras' touchdown was followed by Tagovailoa's third interception to Iowa's defensive back Dane Belton. This allowed fullback Monte Pottebaum to score a 2-yard touchdown which extended the Hawkeyes lead to 31-7. Maryland's penalties played a crucial role in the Hawkeyes' scoring drive. The Terps were flagged twice for pass interference and a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct that put Iowa in scoring position.
Locksley stated that "penalties, interceptions and turnovers all fall under the discipline category." We are still not playing the football I want or expect us to play. We'll continue to coach, make necessary adjustments and correct it, which is what we have to do.
Petras made a quick pass to Tyler Goodson, running back. Goodson ran down the field for an impressive 67-yard touchdown which gave the Hawkeyes a 41-0 lead. Goodson finished with 66 yards rushing and 85 receiving yards.
After Okonkwo's 9 yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa in the first quarter ended, the Terps didn't make any progress on the scoreboard until the third quarter when Tagovailoa passed a 7-yard touchdown to Rakim Jarrett, sophomore receiver, to reduce the deficit to 44-14 at 6:01.
