Billy Edwards Jr. passed for one touchdown and ran for another in place of record-setting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa to lead Maryland to a 31-13 victory over Auburn in the Music City Bowl on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.
Edwards, a redshirt sophomore who attempted 10 passes during the regular season, helped the Terps (8-5) to a 21-0 lead after one quarter. Edwards completed 6 of 20 passes for 126 yards and also ran for a team-high 50 yards on 13 carries.
Tagovailoa opted out of the bowl game after setting almost every Maryland passing record and becoming the Big Ten’s all-time passing yardage leader.
The Terps also used freshman Cameron Edge, who completed 4 of 5 passes for 82 yards.
Auburn starter Payton Thorne completed 13 of 27 passes for 84 yards. Freshman Hank Brown completed 7 of 9 passes for 132 yards in reserve.
It was the fourth consecutive bowl loss for Auburn (6-7), whose last bowl victory was a 63-14 rout of Purdue in the 2018 Music City Bowl.
On Maryland’s first series, Roman Hemby turned a screen pass from Edwards into a 61-yard gain. Edwards scored on a 2-yard keeper on the next play.
Maryland made it 14-0 on its second possession when Edwards hit Preston Howard with a 5-yard scoring pass to cap an 11-play, 75-yard drive.
On the Terps’ next possession, Edge hit Kaden Prather in stride deep for a 57-yard gain to the Auburn 3-yard line. Edge found tight end Dylan Wade in the left end zone on the ensuing play to make it 21-0 with 3:24 left in the first quarter.
Auburn got on the board with a 14-play, 80-yard drive, capped by Thorne’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Frazier with 2:34 left in the half.
Jack Howe’s 49-yard field goal put the Terps up 24-7 at the break.
Glendon Miller’s 44-yard interception return extended Maryland’s lead to 31-7 with just over 11 minutes left in the third quarter.
Brown’s 57-yard completion set up Jeremiah Cobb’s 1-yard touchdown run that pulled Auburn within 31-13 with 6:53 left.
–Field Level Media