Michael Locksley remains ‘100 percent’ committed to Taulia Tagovailoa as Maryland starter
“We all have the responsibility of personally being accountable for what we put on tape and how we coach — players and coaches included,” Coach Michael Locksley said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Lia took personal accountability for how he played on Saturday.”
Locksley, a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, meets with his quarterbacks the Sunday after games. Any loss brings urgency and some reassurance that another opportunity will come soon. For Tagovailoa, the next chance arrives Friday night against visiting Minnesota. Locksley said he is “100 percent” committed to Tagovailoa as Maryland’s starter.
The sophomore’s performance at Northwestern — 14-for-25 passing for 94 yards with three interceptions in a 43-3 loss — could be remembered as merely one bad showing, albeit the Terrapins’ worst defeat in an opener since 1892, the team’s inaugural season. If Tagovailoa becomes the Terps’ long-awaited stable quarterback, that game could become one of more than 30.
“We’re going to watch film and watch the mistakes,” Tagovailoa said after the season opener. “I have full faith in Coach Locks and our whole team that we’re going to come back better from this.”
Maryland’s struggles in Evanston, Ill., extended far beyond Tagovailoa’s. The Terrapins’ defense played poorly, allowing Northwestern 537 yards of offense with a new coordinator, Mike Bajakian, and graduate transfer quarterback Peyton Ramsey from Indiana.
As the offense struggled and Tagovailoa threw two interceptions in the first quarter, Locksley remained committed to his starter. Locksley has said his starting quarterback will not have a short leash and “doesn’t have to look over his shoulder.” Replacing a struggling quarterback midgame may have a short-term benefit but could hurt the player’s confidence and ability to play without fear of making mistakes. Locksley had the same philosophy last season with Josh Jackson, who played well early in the season but had trouble in Big Ten play. Jackson completed only 47.3 percent of his passes and finished with 12 passing touchdowns and six interceptions, but Locksley never switched his starting quarterback because of his performance.
Redshirt freshman Lance LeGendre, the backup quarterback, led the offense during Maryland’s final drive. He completed all four pass attempts, and the Terps’ 76-yard drive was their longest of the night. But there’s little value in comparing quarterbacks with a drive in these circumstances — four minutes to go and the opponent ahead by 40 points with backup defenders on the field.
Tagovailoa played well during his first drive, guiding Maryland inside the 20-yard line with short passes. He completed 6 of 7 attempts, with an 11-yard pass to Dontay Demus Jr. the longest reception in that drive. Tagovailoa played with confidence, and the offense moved down the field with ease. Those early plays are scripted ahead of the game, and they’re the ones the staff and Tagovailoa are most comfortable with executing. After the opening series, the offense led by Tagovailoa never sustained a drive longer than 31 yards.
Asked why the offense struggled to find a rhythm after the opening series, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jeshaun Jones said, “Just not taking what the defense gave us.”
Locksley said he thought “the running game was efficient early but just not consistent enough.” Senior Jake Funk added a 24-yard carry during the pass-heavy first drive. But during Tagovailoa’s other eight drives, the Terps generated only 42 rushing yards, which doesn’t include the 24 yards lost from two sacks. Behind Tagovailoa, Maryland attempted 27 passing plays (including sacks) and 14 rushes.
Maryland relied on Funk (six carries for 35 yards) and freshman Isaiah Jacobs (six carries for 15 yards) with senior Tayon Fleet-Davis out for reasons stemming from last season when he was charged with driving a vehicle while impaired. Locksley said he hopes Fleet-Davis will be available against Minnesota.
Despite the issues in the passing game, Maryland’s offensive line, which had depth concerns entering the season, offered solid protection. The Terps have strong receivers, led by Demus and Jones, who were both targeted six times by Tagovailoa.
“I’ve just got to get my timing down with the receivers,” Tagovailoa said. “They were there. I just missed them. I think it’s something that we can continue to work on and we’re for sure going to get better.”
The turnovers, Locksley said, are correctable. Tagovailoa overthrew freshman wide receiver Rakim Jarrett on the first interception. On the other two, he threw downfield into double coverage.
The way Tagovailoa responded to the loss, and his desire to move forward and improve, “is the expectation I have for quarterbacks,” Locksley said. Inside the program, Locksley differentiates between jobs and professions. A job is what you do from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A profession is who you are around-the-clock.
“And Lia is one of those guys that treats playing quarterback as a profession,” Locksley said. “He’s one of those guys, he takes copious notes. He’s a studier.”
That’s what Locksley is accustomed to from his quarterbacks, a list that includes two Heisman Trophy finalists: Jalen Hurts and Tagovailoa’s older brother, Tua, whom Locksley coached as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. The way Tagovailoa approaches the game, Locksley said, fits in with those “great ones.”
“We expect him to bounce back,” Locksley said. “What I expect to see is one, take personal accountability. Two, make the corrections based off of what we put on tape and what we teach as a coaching staff. And those things, he’s already started.”
