Maryland football will look to halt its three-game losing streak when it hosts Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 30 in its annual homecoming game. The Hoosiers are also on a three-game losing skid, fresh off a 54-7 loss at home to No. 5 Ohio State.
Here are three things to watch for in Saturday afternoon’s matchup:
No. 1: Can Maryland’s defense force more turnovers?
In the first three games of the season, Maryland’s defense forced seven turnovers with four interceptions and three recovered fumbles. However, the last four games have been drastically different, as the Terps have forced zero turnovers.
Meanwhile, the Terps’ offense has eight turnovers during the last three games, losing the turnover battle in all three losses. Against Indiana, Maryland will look to disrupt the Hoosiers’ offensive rhythm by creating pressure and forcing turnovers.
“The glaring thing for me is no takeaways,” head coach Michael Locksley said of the defense’s recent performances. “I haven’t seen a ball on the ground. I haven’t seen an interception tipped or dropped. It’s crazy for me that you don’t see those opportunities. To me, that’s one of the key ingredients to having a win is winning the big-play battle and winning the turnover battle. We’ve got to figure out how to create some ball disruptions on the defensive side of the ball.”
The key to creating those turnovers is pressuring the quarterback, an area the Terps excelled in during the opening four games. However, opponents have attacked Maryland’s defense more on the ground recently, limiting opportunities to rush the passer.
On Oct. 30, Maryland will look to improve in that area, preventing Indiana from establishing balance offensively. Forcing the Hoosiers to become one dimensional is vital if the Terps want to come out on the right side of the turnover differential.
No. 2: Can Maryland’s offense establish more balance offensively?
Facing multi-touchdown deficits in its last three losses, Maryland hasn’t been able to establish a consistent rushing attack. The Terps struggled on the ground in Minneapolis with 79 total yards on 23 carries. Redshirt senior Tayon Fleet-Davis, the veteran and anchor of the running back group, had only eight carries in each of the last two games.
That lack of rushing attempts can be attributed to the flow of the games, as the Terps and Taulia Tagovailoa needed to try to create chunk plays through the air. Against Indiana, Tagovailoa and the Terps’ offense should try to establish the run game early. Finding success in the run game allows offensive coordinator Dan Enos to become less predictable in his play-calling.
It also can potentially open up the play-action and run-pass-option sets that Tagovailoa consistently operates efficiently. Without top receivers Dontay Demus and Jeshaun Jones, an effective rushing attack is an even more critical part of Maryland’s offense moving forward.
That unpredictability will be especially important against an Indiana defense that features stout playmakers at all three levels. Linebacker Micah McFadden is one of the best tacklers in the conference, often creating disruptions in the run game.
“Indiana is a great defense, they have a great defensive coordinator,” Tagovailoa said. “Just like last year they do a lot of blitzes and change the fronts up. We’re expecting blitzes to come from all types of places. I just got to know what to do, know where my answers are when they blitz.”
No. 3: Can Maryland’s defense get off the field on third down?
Maryland’s defense has struggled recently, allowing big plays both through the air and on the ground. However, the inability to get off the field on third down has developed into an alarming trend in recent losses. Minnesota converted 5 of 11 third-down opportunities Oct. 23, while Ohio State converted on 7 of 11 the week prior.
“Limiting the explosive plays and we just have to play technically sound as a defense,” sophomore cornerback Tarheeb Still said of how the defense can improve. “You can’t have any missed tackles, any miscues. You’ve got to know your assignment, know where to line up and just go play ball.”
Third down is widely referred to as “the money down,” and the Terps will need to improve in that area against Indiana. So far this season, the Hoosiers have been successful on 40.35 percent of third-down opportunities.
Forcing Indiana into third-and-long situations is vital in getting off the field. Creating those opportunities allows defensive coordinator Brian Stewart to get more creative with his coverages and blitz packages.
That unpredictability defensively is particularly important given the question marks surrounding Indiana’s quarterback group with true freshman Donaven McCulley potentially starting. Tackling also remains paramount for Maryland, as the Terps have been plagued by missed tackles at all three levels in recent weeks.
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