The Maryland football team faces Northwestern on Oct. 22 in what could be a trap game for the Terps.
Maryland (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) is coming off a comeback win against Indiana. Redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa was carted off with a right knee injury late in the contest.
Tagovailoa is a game-time decision, according to head coach Michael Locksley. If Tagovailoa cannot play, redshirt freshman Billy Edwards Jr. will start.
On the other hand, Northwestern (1-5, 1-2) is on a five-game losing streak and has not won since their season opener against Nebraska. Although their record might indicate that they are a bad team, the Wildcats have not lost a game by more than 10 points other than a 42-7 defeat to Wisconsin.
A victory would mark the first win against Northwestern in program history for the Terps.
Here are three things to look for during Maryland’s homecoming matchup against Northwestern:
1. Who will start at quarterback for Maryland?
Against Indiana, Tagovailoa re-aggravated the MCL he originally sprained in the Terps’ loss to Michigan. Luckily for Tagovailoa, the coaching staff forced him to wear a knee brace to protect his right knee.
“I’m very thankful he had the knee brace on that game,” Locksley said. “He was able to make it back after the Michigan game with this same injury. It’s all about how his body feels and recovers. We’ll continue to do the things necessary to keep his safety and health at the front of our decision.”
“A huge sense of relief,” Locksley added. “The way it played out, it looked very painful. We’re very thankful that he had the knee brace. He didn’t want to play in the knee brace for the last two to three weeks, but we forced him to do it.”
If Tagovailoa can’t play, Edwards will get his first career start for Maryland. Edwards has appeared in four games this season, scoring three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing).
Edwards went 0-for-3 through the air against Indiana, but Locksley says that was because of the game plan. The coach has confidence Edwards can lead the offense.
“People will make a lot of [the fact] that he didn’t complete a pass, but we didn’t try to throw the ball very much. We had a plan of what we wanted to get executed in the run game in the second half and he came in and executed it to a T,” Locksley said. “He made some big plays and protected the football, and if he is the guy that has to play this week I expect him to come in execute our system as well as anybody and give us a chance.”
Senior wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. believes there will be no drop-off in the offense if Tagovailoa cannot play.
“I kind of look at them like 1A and 1B,” Demus said. “They know the offense inside and out. The only thing it comes down to is that Taulia has a little bit more experience than Billy. I feel like there’s no drop-off when it comes to the offense. He knows our receivers, [running] backs, and the scheme of everything, so I feel like Billy is on track.”
2. Can Maryland contain Evan Hull?
Locksley had a lot of praise for Northwestern junior running back Evan Hull. Hull finished last season ninth in the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,009) and eighth in touchdowns (seven). He also led the Wildcats with 1,276 yards from scrimmage.
The junior running back has 833 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns so far this season. Locksley called Hull “one of the top all-purpose backs in the country.”
“I would expect them to come in and try to establish the run game because of the talent they have up front on their offensive line,” Locksley said.
Terps senior defensive back Deonte Banks does not expect Northwestern to go down without a fight, either.
“They play real hard and their running back is really good. They had a good win against Nebraska earlier in the season,” Banks said.
3. Can Maryland clinch bowl eligibility?
Although it’s not a particular thing to look for during the game, Maryland can become bowl eligible for a second consecutive year with a win.
In addition, if Maryland is able to top Northwestern, it will be the earliest the Terps would become bowl eligible since 2001.
“We’ve got a challenge on our hands that I know our players are excited about, to get back on the right track at home in front of our home crowd and … to meet one of the first goals that we have set for ourselves, which is to be a bowl-eligible team,” Locksley said.
“It would be big for the program just to be able to do that so early and still go into the bye week and have four games left to write our own story. It’s a great opportunity this Saturday,” redshirt senior defensive lineman Greg China-Rose said.
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