The Maryland football team will travel to Happy Valley to face Penn State on Nov. 12 and try to bounce back from a 23-10 loss at Wisconsin.
On a rainy day in Madison, Wis., the Terps could not build on the momentum they had put together before the bye week. Maryland (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) is now focused on Penn State (7-2, 4-2) and will look to avoid back-to-back losses. The Terps have yet to lose two consecutive games so far this season.
In the midst of a tough three-game stretch, Maryland is looking to prove it can beat the powerhouses of the conference.
Here are three things to look for in the Big Ten East showdown at 3:30 on FOX:
1. Can Maryland contain the run?
It’ll be deja vu for the Terps, as they face another team that will try to establish the run. Penn State has had 333 carries this year, just five fewer than Wisconsin (338).
Maryland did not fare well against the Badgers’ run game, and the Terps will face the same challenge against the Nittany Lions. They have to limit the freshman running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
“The styles are a little different,” Maryland head coach Michael Locksley said of the duo. “I think [Singleton] is more of a home run hitter, whereas [Allen] is an in-between-the-tackles, strong runner. They both have made big plays. The way that they rotate them, and the way they use both those guys, we’re going to have to continue doing a great job of getting 11 hats to the ball and wrapping because they both are physical runners.”
Wisconsin dominated the Terps on the ground, posting 278 rushing yards (211 of those yards came in the first half). Penn State will look at how they can replicate that success with Singleton and Allen.
Singleton and Allen have combined for eight rushing touchdowns and 1,237 yards. Allen also has 137 yards and one touchdown receiving.
“I think they have the ability to run really well,” junior linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II said. “Allen is great out of the backfield as far as receiving goes. Singleton is a speed guy, so we have to contain that but they’re very good players.”
2. Can Maryland run the ball effectively?
In each of the Terps’ three conference wins, redshirt freshman running back Roman Hemby has topped 100 yards. In their three losses, he has not cracked 100 yards, nor has any other tailback.
Hemby can change the game in a blink of an eye, as evidenced by his 75-yard game-winning touchdown against Northwestern. But against Wisconsin, in the bad weather, Maryland couldn’t get anything going. Hemby finished with 66 yards on 16 carries (4.1 yards per carry).
Penn State allowed 418 rushing yards to Michigan and 100-plus to Minnesota and Auburn.
“I think for us up front it always starts with managing and handling movement,” Locksley said. “We were on edges quite a bit [against Wisconsin]. For us to get the run game going, it’s about us covering people up and making sure we’re doing a good job of being tight with our footwork, anticipating the movement, and making sure we don’t end up on the edges.”
3. Can Taulia Tagovailoa bounce back?
Redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa had a bad day at the office against Wisconsin. He completed of 10 of 23 passes for 77 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
“It’s all about moving on. You always wish you could do more,” Tagovailoa said. “That’s life. That’s football. You have to turn it around quickly because in the Big Ten you have to face good teams back to back, and this is our stretch of good teams. It’s just a matter of putting it behind you and working hard.”
Wisconsin junior outside linebacker Nick Herbig (two sacks, three tackles for loss) lived in the Terps’ backfield and often blew up plays. Although Penn State doesn’t have a standout edge rusher like Herbig, the Nittany Lions’ defensive backs could cause coverage sacks.
Penn State is tied for third in interceptions in the conference (10). Sophomore Kalen King and redshirt junior Joey Porter Jr. are tied for first in pass breakups (11).
“They play a lot of man coverage and a lot of press,” Terps redshirt senior Jeshaun Jones said. “They like to be in your face and they send a lot of pressure as well, and I think they rely on that. We’ve just got to go out there and execute.”
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox