Game Information
Opponent: Indiana Hoosiers (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten Conference)
Location: SECU Stadium (51,802)
Date: Saturday, September 30, 2023
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: Big Ten Network, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 7-4 Indiana
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Fresh off of their best win of the 2023 season against Michigan State last weekend, Maryland returns home to face off against Indiana on Saturday afternoon. With a win, they’d begin the year with a 5-0 record for the first time since 2001. The Hoosiers have struggled a bit this season, and are still looking for their first winning record since 2020. Despite coming off of a win last weekend, needing four overtimes to beat Akron hasn’t given their fans much hope for the meat of conference play. Head coach Tom Allen’s buyout makes it unlikely he’ll be going anywhere before the end of next season, but the apathy in Bloomington has already begun to set in like a thick fog.
1. Use Last Week’s Start as a Blueprint
After slow starts in their previous two games against Charlotte and Virginia, the Terrapins came out of the gates much stronger last weekend against Michigan State. They took a commanding 21-3 lead into halftime, and held the Spartans to just nine total points. It was an encouraging performance particularly from the defense, which will need to replicate performances like this if Maryland is to compete with the best teams in their conference. Indiana has won just two conference games during the last two seasons, but their contests against the Terrapins were decided by a total of eight points. This has historically been a very competitive matchup, and another fast start would go a long way to getting Maryland their fifth win before October even begins.
2. Does McDonald Need More Touches?
Starting running back Roman Hemby has struggled during the last two weeks, rushing for just 35 yards and averaging 1.8 yards per carry. Last weekend against Michigan State, he ran for 12 yards on ten carries with his longest rush being four yards. Meanwhile, Colby McDonald has quietly put together a few solid performances in reserve despite beginning the year as the third-best option. He’s averaging 7.9 yards per carry through the first four weeks, and had the team’s longest rush against the Spartans last week. If Hemby continues to struggle, don’t be surprised to see McDonald’s carries tick up.
3. Brade is Back!
After missing the previous week’s game against Virginia due to an injury, safety Beau Brade made his presence known in a big way against Michigan State. He led the team with ten tackles, and recorded his first interception of the year. When healthy, he’s one of the more talented members of Maryland’s defense and he showed that last weekend. His experience working alongside Dante Trader, Jr. allows defensive coordinator Brian Williams to mix and disguise coverages on the back end in order to confuse opposing quarterbacks.
4. Indiana Doesn’t Have Many Strengths
When looking at the Hoosiers, it’s not the easiest task in the world to figure out what they do well. Offensively, they’ve struggled to move the ball both on the ground and through the air. They regularly get behind the chains and are towards the bottom of the country in third down conversion percentage. Tennessee transfer Tayven Jackson certainly has talent at the quarterback position, but is still young and isn’t the best fit for offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s system.
Defensively, their pass defense has been fairly respectable to this point while they’ve really struggled to stop the run. Last weekend, Akron was able to rush for 263 yards and three touchdowns against defensive coordinator Chad Wilt’s unit. To this point, they’ve done well at getting off of the field on third downs, so staying ahead of the chains and remaining in manageable situations will be key for Maryland to sustain drives on Saturday afternoon.
5. The Importance of Winning This Game
For the first time during this offseason, Maryland’s players and coaching staff began talking about competing for a conference championship. They believe the talent exists within their program, and that this is the time to make a statement. If all of that is true, then this is a game at home against a weaker Indiana team that they have to win, and likely need to dominate. The Terrapins received 20 votes in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll, and a win would likely result in a national ranking before they travel up to Columbus to face off against Ohio State next weekend. If you want to be taken seriously on the national stage, this game against Indiana shouldn’t pose any sort of serious problems for you.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.