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Roman Hemby rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns as Maryland overcame the absence of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa to overcome visiting Northwestern in a 31-24 Big Ten win Saturday in College Park.

With the score tied, Hemby scored the game-winning touchdown, bursting off tackle and breaking into the clear on a 75-yard touchdown sprint with 3:22 left as Maryland (6-2, 3-2) clinched bowl eligibility for the second straight year.

The Terps were without Tagovailoa, who entered Saturday as the Big Ten leader in passing yards but was sidelined by a knee injury. In his stead, Billy Edwards Jr. made his first college start, completing 18 of 28 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.

Also making his first college start was Northwestern quarterback Brendan Sullivan, who threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score as the Wildcats built a 17-7 lead.

But Northwestern (1-6, 1-3) couldn’t hold it as Sullivan threw two costly interceptions in the second half. It was the sixth straight loss for the Wildcats.

The Maryland defense rose in the second half. On Northwestern’s opening possession of the third quarter, Dante Trader Jr. set the tone with an interception, which set up an 18-yard, game-tying touchdown run by Hemby.

Maryland took the lead, 24-17, late in the third quarter as Edwards Jr. threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Rakim Jarrett.

Northwestern tied it on a 9-yard touchdown run by Andrew Clair with 3:34 left. But on the first play of Maryland’s ensuing possession, Hemby took it to the house.

Five plays later, Maryland’s Beau Brade helped sew it up with an interception of a long pass by Sullivan, who finished with 18 completions in 24 attempts for 143 yards.

Evan Hull added 119 yards rushing on 20 carries and caught four passes for an additional 31 yards.

Northwestern struck first as Sullivan fired a 46-yard strike to Malik Washington and followed two plays later with a 1-yard quarterback sneak touchdown.

Maryland answered immediately as Edwards directed an 87-yard drive, capped by a 14-yard touchdown run by Hemby.

After Maryland committed pass interference penalties on back-to-back plays, Northwestern’s Adam Stage made a 24-yard field goal.

On their next possession, the Wildcats marched 83 yards. Sullivan scrambled for two first downs in Maryland territory before finding Hull open in the flat on a 10-yard touchdown play and a 17-7 lead.

–Field Level Media