Big Ten Preview: Maryland Terrapins

Carson Hutton
Thu, 26 Sep 2019 04:20:43 +0000
Big Ten, Big Ten Preview, Football, News, Sports, Al Washington, Anthony McFarland, big ten championship, Big Ten football, Big Ten preview, Branden Bowen, Buckeyes, Buckeyes football, Chase Young, Chris Chugunov, college football, College Football Playoffs, Day coaching staff, garrett Wilson, Greg Mattison, Gunner Hoak, J.K. Dobbins, Jeff Hafley, jeffrey okudah, Jonah Jackson, jonathon cooper, Jordan Fuller, Josh Myers, justin fields, K.J. Hill, maryland football, Maryland Terrapins [and 19 more]

Location: College Park, Maryland

2018 record: 5-7

Head coach: Michael Locksley (first year, 2-1)

2019 record so far: 2-1

Record against Ohio State since 2010: 0-5

What’s happened so far in 2019:?

The Terrapins opened their season with a 79-0 thrashing of Howard and followed that up with an impressive 63-20 win over then-No. 21 Syracuse. They then hit the road to face Temple, losing 20-17. Despite the defeat, the Terrapins have outscored their opponents 159-40, averaging 53 points per game on offense, which is No. 4 nationally.

Key offensive player:?

Don’t let his 18-yard season opener fool you. Maryland did not need its star sophomore running back Anthony McFarland in its 79-point win over Howard. Still, two of his six carries were for touchdowns, and he’s scored four total in two subsequent games. McFarland had back-to-back 200-yard games in a true freshman season, in which he averaged 7.9 yards per carry, including a 298-yard game against Ohio State in 2018. The 5-foot-9 running back had 120 total yards on 16 touches against Syracuse and broke out for 132 on the ground against Temple. If he can repeat what he showed at the tail end of Big Ten play this past season, McFarland will be a problem for his conference opponents.?

Key defensive player:?

The Maryland defense has shown glimpses of growth through three games, allowing 298.3 total yards per game compared to 390.4 yards per game allowed in 2018. The leader of the slightly improved defensive backfield is senior defensive back Antoine Brooks, who leads the team with 25 total tackles and added a fumble recovery. His standout game this year against Syracuse gave him nine tackles in a 63-20 blowout win.

Weaknesses:?

The 224.7 passing yards per game allowed by the Terrapins’ defense puts them at No. 73 nationally and No. 10 in the Big Ten. Another area of concern is the passing offense, with Jackson completing only 51 percent of his passes. As a team, Maryland is No. 121 nationally in completion percentage, and its 54 pass completions are third least in the Big Ten.