Max Brosmer’s career day leads Gophers to 48-23 blowout win over Maryland

The Maryland Terrapins high-flying passing offense led the Big Ten in yards coming into the Gophers’ homecoming game at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday.

But it was Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer — not Terrapins QB Billy Edwards  — who racked up big yards and many touchdowns in Minnesota’s 48-23 win over Maryland, which has the worst-ranked pass defense in the conference.

In his best game as a Gopher, Brosmer completed 79 percent of his passes (26 for 33) for 320 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. His four TD passes were the most since Tanner Morgan produced four against Northwestern in 2019.

Minnesota (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) is now one win away from bowl eligibility after its victory over Maryland (4-4, 1-4).

Gopher receivers Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer each had two touchdown catches and at least 99 receiving yards as Brosmer found seven pass catchers.

The Gophers’ defense — which allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the Big Ten this year — stifled Edwards, who managed 201 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions before he left the game after being flipped over on a tackle in the fourth quarter.

After Minnesota’s offense was shutout in first half against UCLA two weeks ago, Minnesota scored 21 in the first quarter and 34 in the half.  The first-half scoring outburst was the highest total in a Big Ten game in more than a decade; they put 35 on Iowa in 2014.

Minnesota scored a touchdown on its opening drive for the first time this season. The Gophers had two field goals and five punts across the seven opening drives this season.

Until Brosmer started hot on Saturday. The senior QB went 3 for 3 for 47 yards on the first series, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jackson.

Brosmer stayed hot on the second drive and might have turned in his best pass of the game — a feathery toss to Spencer in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown. He was 9 for 11 for 99 yards and two TDs to start the game.

Then Minnesota’s defense got in on the scoring, with Justin Walley’s interception returned 32 yards for a touchdown. With 21 points, it was most in a first quarter since a win over Rutgers in 2016.

Then Koi Perich’s interception and 45-yard return on the next drive set up Dragan Kesich’s 40-yard field goal to make it 24-0.

Another Brosmer-to-Jackson TD connection — this time four yards out — made it 31-3, but Maryland got its first touchdown after a 12-play, 75-yard drive was capped with Edwards’ 3-yard keeper.

In the third quarter, Brosmer found Spencer wide open in the corner of the end zone to add to the blowout.