Maryland Terrapins vs Illinois Fighting Illini Box Score on Sep 17, 2021

Tayon Fleet-Davis scored two touchdowns and Maryland put up 10 points in the final 2:13 to win a defensive struggle 20-17 over Illinois on Friday night in Champaign, Ill.

Fleet-Davis took a 10-yard reception into the left side of the end zone to cap an eight-play, 86-yard drive in the waning minutes, and the extra point tied the game at 17.

The Terrapins' defense took the field and forced consecutive sacks by Greg Rose and an intentional-grounding penalty -- which not only forced Illinois to punt but gave the offense terrific field position for a game-winning drive.

Joseph Petrino hit a 32-yard field goal as time expired for Maryland (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten).

Fleet-Davis also scored a rushing touchdown and fumbled a reception in the red zone during the back-and-forth second half. Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa completed 32 of 43 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown.

Illinois had wrested control in the first minute of the fourth quarter on a wild 63-yard touchdown. Freshman running back Reggie Love III broke off a long run but had the ball stripped out. It bounced forward to wide receiver Casey Washington, who snagged it and sprinted 30 yards to the end zone to give Illinois a 17-10 lead.

In his first game back after sustaining a non-throwing shoulder injury in the first quarter of the season opener, quarterback Brandon Peters completed 10 of 26 passes for 185 yards and an interception for Illinois (1-3, 1-1). Another freshman running back, Josh McCray, led Illinois with 60 rushing yards and a TD on eight carries.

The Terrapins blocked a 26-yard field-goal attempt in the final minute of the first quarter, then opened the scoring on Petrino's 32-yard field goal. Petrino missed wide right from the same distance on Maryland's next possession, and Illinois responded with a 10-play, 73-yard drive to tie the score before halftime on James McCourt's 25-yard field goal.

Maryland finally managed the game's first touchdown drive to open the second half. Tagovailoa took a QB keeper 35 yards up the middle, helping set up Fleet-Davis' 2-yard rushing score that gave the Terrapins a 10-3 lead.

Fleet-Davis fumbled in the red zone on the next Maryland possession, recovered by Jartavius Martin for Illinois. The Illini tied it at 10 when McCray stiff-armed and galloped his way to a 38-yard rushing touchdown.

--Field Level Media