Maryland will travel to face Minnesota on Oct. 26 at 3:30 p.m.
Maryland (4-3, 1-3) picked up their first Big Ten win 29-28 against USC on Oct. 19. However, the Terps have not yet won a conference game on the road.
The Terps will try to get their second win in program history at Minnesota, but first, here are three things to look for:
Will Maryland run the ball effectively?
The question is more “will” than “can” because the Terps do a good job of running the ball — when they want to.
Maryland ranks 10th in total rushing attempts (231) and 15th in total rushing yards (848) in the Big Ten. However, the Terps are tied for seventh in rushing touchdowns (12).
Junior quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw the ball 50 times against USC, though the Terps were trailing for most of the game. Still, the Terps finished with just 56 rushing yards for the game.
Head coach Michael Locksley said he won’t allow opposing teams to stack the box against the run.
“We have talented running backs,” Locksley said after the win against USC. “The offensive line is coming together, but the RPO game and the tags or add-ons allow people to not load up in the box.”
Can Maryland limit turnovers against Minnesota’s secondary?
Edwards threw a backbreaking interception in the end zone against USC. He’ll need to take care of the ball against Minnesota’s defense, which is no stranger to taking the ball away. The Gophers are currently first in the conference in interceptions (13).
Minnesota is fourth in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (139.6), while Maryland is ninth in passing yards per game (313.3).
Locksley mentioned that cornerbacks Ethan Robinson (two interceptions) and Justin Walley (one) are special players.
“[Robinson has] good length and kind of reminds me of a Deonte Banks type of skill set,” Locksley said. “They both are really twitchy guys. … Both of those guys are really talented man-coverage guys.”
Can Maryland start fast?
The Terps got off to another slow start against USC, digging themselves into a 21-7 deficit going into halftime. Maryland did not score its first points until the opening moments of the second quarter.
In their last three Big Ten games, Maryland has been behind going into halftime.
“You always want to get off to a fast start, you never want to start off slow,” junior wideout Octavian Smith Jr. said. “We don’t watch the scoreboard. We just play the next play.”
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