The University of Maryland beat turnover-prone West Virginia University 30-24 on Saturday as their star man Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns.

Tagovailoa’s three touchdown passes were a 66-yard pass to Dontay Demus, an 18-yard pass to Chigoziem Okonkwo, and then a 60-yard pass to Rakim Jarrett. The last pass came in the fourth quarter and gave the Terrapins (1-0) a 30-21 lead.

This was a bright start to the season for Tagovailoa, who is in his second year leading the Terrapins. And he has some talented receivers to throw to.

West Virginia’s vaunted pass defense did not look good at all in the first quarter, although the Mountaineers did stiffen in the second and third. Turnovers were the story in this one. They eventually caught up with West Virginia.

Maryland: 

West Virginia (0-1) turned the ball over four times and lost despite holding Maryland without a first down in the third quarter. Leddie Brown scored three touchdowns for the Mountaineers, but his fumble late in the third quarter was a turning point in the game.

West Virginia University led 21-20 at the time of the fumble, but after that play in Maryland territory, the Terrapins drove for a field goal. The Mountaineers then drove into the red zone, but Jarret Doege was intercepted in the end zone.

West Virginia, which had the top-ranked pass defense in the nation last year, then left Jarrett alone in the secondary for Tagovailoa’s third touch down throw.

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These two nonconference rivals were meeting for the first time since 2015. The Mountaineers had won nine of the previous 10 matchups.

Brown gave West Virginia a 7-3 lead with a 20-yard reception from Doege, but Maryland answered less than a minute later when Demus got behind the defense for his long touchdown.

It was 17-7 after Okonkwo’s touchdown, but Winston Wright returned the kickoff 98 yards, setting up a 2-yard TD run by Brown with 35 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Mountaineers took the lead in the second quarter on Brown’s 9-yard scoring run.