Following a thrilling 34-27 victory over SMU its last time out, Maryland football gets set for its toughest test of the young season.
The Terps travel to Ann Arbor this weekend to face No. 4 Michigan, a daunting opponent, to begin Big Ten play.
“We have nothing to lose,” coach Mike Locksley said. “We’re going to face the reigning champ and we know we’ll get a really good team … it’s a great opportunity for us to go on the road, leave caution to the wind and play to the best of our ability.”
Despite entering 3-0, Maryland dealt with its fair share of issues in the non-conference slate.
Against Buffalo, the Terps’ pass offense struggled while the defense starred. Against Charlotte, the Terps’ pass defense displayed a subpar performance while the pass offense got things rolling.
Against SMU, both sides of the ball performed well, but it was the penalties that killed the Terps and kept the game tight. Maryland was flagged 15 times for 141 yards, 11 more penalties than SMU. In spite of the Terps’ undisciplined play, an excellent fourth quarter propelled them to the win.
Maryland outscored SMU 14-0 in the fourth for the comeback victory.
On offense, Taulia Tagovailoa played a clean game for the first time this season. Tagovailoa finished 17-23 for 214 yards, a pair of touchdowns and no turnovers. Tagovailoa enters top-15 in the nation in passing efficiency (180.66) and top-20 in passing yards (895).
Tagovailoa has his work cut out for him against the Wolverines, as they enter Saturday allowing less than 100 passing yards per game and have only given up one touchdown through the air. The Wolverines’ defense ranks first in the Big Ten in yards allowed (91.3) and passing efficiency (75.7).
“They have great coaches, a great defense, I think everything starts up front with them,” Tagovailoa said. “They have a good d-line, front seven, a good secondary … we’ve got to prepare as always. Our biggest opponent is ourselves.”
A plethora of options have been effective in the passing game for Maryland, as four Terps enter with over 100 yards receiving this season. Rakim Jarrett leads the bunch with 196, while Jeshaun Jones, Jacob Copeland, and Corey Dyches round out the group of pass catchers.
“Because we all have so different skill sets, just watching what they do and try to implement into my game … all of us, we have different skill sets which you can take from each other and implement in our own games,” Jarrett said.
While the Terps have found an early grove in the passing game, Maryland’s offense isn’t limited to the right arm of Tagovailoa. Roman Hemby has been sensational out of the backfield to start the season, chalking up 294 yards rushing through three games, including a 151-yard outburst against SMU. Hemby also caught four passes for 62 yards against the Mustangs, pacing the Terps with 213 yards of total offense.
After entering the game with zero takeaways, Maryland’s defense force three turnovers against SMU, including an interception in the fourth from Dante Trader Jr. that set up Maryland’s game-winning touchdown drive.
The Wolverines meanwhile, have dismantled their opponents each time out this season.
Michigan has yet to allow more than ten points, its offense has scored over 50 in every game, and the Wolverines enter with an average margin of victory of nearly 50 points.
“This offense is dangerous because they’ve got a lot of playmakers and their o-line is very strong and big,” Trader Jr. said. “They can run the ball willingly, they can pass the ball willingly, so you’ve got to be able to stop everything.”
Michigan will be without quarterback Cade McNamara, who has split the starting role with J.J. McCarthy. McNamara will miss a few weeks after suffering a lower-body injury in Michigan’s previous game against UConn.
McCarthy has been efficient and effective for the Wolverines, arguably the better quarterback of the two. McCarthy enters with a completion percentage of 88%, 473 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
The Wolverines’ main focus on offense has been on the ground, as they rank second in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (694) and rushing touchdowns (15). Blake Corum leads Michigan with 239 yards and seven scores on the ground. Maryland will look to contain the Wolverines’ offense and keep the game much closer than Michigan’s prior three.
“Keep the game really tight, get it to a fourth quarter, and you never know what can happen,” Locksley said.
The game on Saturday will start at 12 p.m. and will take place at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
