2022 Terps Football: The Focus This Week Vs. Indiana

Losing a nailbiter at home is never fun, especially when your next game is on the road. And while that’s the situation Maryland finds itself in after losing 31-29 last Saturday to Purdue with a visit to Bloomington, Indiana, on deck, at least the Terps will get a Hoosiers team that has lost its last three games by an average of 18.7 points, so a chance to get back on track is there.

The matchup is a particularly nice one for Maryland’s offense because Indiana’s defense is allowing 30.5 points per game, which is the worst mark in the Big Ten so far this season.

The offense wasn’t really the issue for the Terps in their loss to the Boilermakers. It was the defense that couldn’t stop the senior connection between quarterback Aidan O’Connell and his tight end Payne Durham, which connected seven times for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Maryland’s defense will surely be looking to fare better against an Indiana offense that averages more than a touchdown less per game than Purdue. Moreover, the Hoosiers offense doesn’t just struggle to score points, it’s also about as one-dimensional as it gets. Simply put, Indiana cannot run the ball effectively and will rely heavily on its passing game. This should make gameplanning a bit easier for the Terps this week.

In terms of which players, specifically, on Indiana’s offense and defense you should be looking out for, as well as which of Maryland’s guys need to step up on Saturday, let’s take a closer look…

Maryland Players to watch for…

Corey Dyches: The wide receiver turned tight end is now leading the Terps in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this season after hauling in 4 receptions for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns last weekend against the Boilermakers. He’s become one of Taulia Tagovailoa’s favorite targets, especially deep down the middle of the field, which is a place where Indiana’s defense can be beat. The Hoosiers currently rank 13th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten against the pass, which should mean a solid day for Tagovailoa, Dyches, and the rest of the Maryland pass catchers.

Dante Trader Jr: Against a team that throws as frequently as Indiana, having disciplined and reliable safeties is at a premium. Trader and Beau Brade will take care of the backend of things for Maryland’s defense, and the former is starting to come into his own for the Terps. Brade has been perhaps the defense’s biggest revelation this season, but Trader is also having himself a fine year and has looked really good at times. He’s fourth on the team with 26 tackles and is tied for the team lead with one interception. The sophomore is maturing quickly and should be plenty busy as the Hoosiers try to air it out on Saturday.

Deonte Banks: Banks will be another part of the Maryland secondary that will be relied upon this weekend. While fellow cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Jakorian Bennett get all of the accolades as well as the well-deserved attention from opposing offenses, Banks is quietly flying under the radar as a steady defensive back for the Terps. He has 3 passes defended so far this season and showed his versatility last week against Purdue by recording a half sack, which he shared with Fa’Najae Gotay. If the Hoosiers are smart, they’ll likely limit the amount of throws toward Still and Bennett, so Banks could have a busy day and will need to play well for the Terps to be successful.

Indiana Players to Watch for…

Connor Bazelak: When you’re throwing the ball more than 60% of the time, the quarterback is always going to be a key to success, or a main reason for a lack of success. A redshirt junior, Bazelak’s attributes and stats won’t jump off the page at you, but he’s been the engine that makes the Indiana offense go when it does go. Averaging 24.3 points per game, good for 11th in the Big Ten, means the Hoosiers offense isn’t exactly lighting it up, but the damage it can do will be at the hands of Bazelak and his pass catchers. Bazelak has thrown for 1,597 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions this year.

Cam Camper: Speaking of which…Camper is Indiana’s best pass catcher and the one Bazelak will look to most frequently. However, a theme this year has been opposing offenses going to second, third, or maybe even fourth options against the Maryland defense as they look to avoid the Terps’ playmaking defensive backs. It will be interesting to see if Camper can be another top receiving target that the Terps do well against or if he’s the one that can breakthrough with a big game for his team. Camper’s team leading 35 receptions and 457 yards prove he’s the guy that can do the most with his opportunities, but can Maryland force another team to look past its top option?

Noah Pierre: Playing at the “Husky” position in Indiana’s secondary, Pierre can cause some damage. The Hoosiers play him all over the field and he’s far from your typical defensive back. He’s a playmaker. Indiana will use him in coverage but also blitz him off the edge. He’s not big, but he’s freakishly athletic and can do a lot of things that swing the momentum of the game. He is currently second on the Hoosiers with 3 sacks and leads the team with 2 forced fumbles.

Coaching Expectations…

Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. It’s the same issue every week with the Terps and it’s a direct reflection of coaching and preparedness. As 11.5-point favorites, the Terps should win the game. But even if they escape with a win on the road it will be discouraging to see another 9-10 penalty performance from this team.

Things have to get cleaned up. Whether it’s an accountability thing or a focus thing, it’s up to Mike Locksley and his coaching staff to get it corrected.

With four wins in the bank, the Terps can sniff bowl eligibility already. But losing a close but winnable game against Purdue makes the rest of the winnable games — like this one — remaining on the schedule that much more crucial. It’s been amazing that the Terps have gotten four wins with the penalty issue being as bad as it is, but none of those wins are against particularly good teams. Play with fire enough in the Big Ten and those are going to lose you games. Can’t say they’re exactly why the Terps lost to Purdue, but the penalties certainly didn’t help in a game decided by one score.

If Maryland can just play a clean game, it’s stands to reason that they’ll have no problem doing away with Indiana. Then the Terps will be one win away from a bowl game with Northwestern, Rutgers, and a struggling Wisconsin team still on the schedule. But any one of those teams, including Indiana, can beat Maryland if the Terps keep shooting themselves in the foot.

Time to FINALLY clean it up Locks. It’s not fall camp anymore. The basic fundamentals of the game are not something we should be talking about anymore for a team with postseason aspirations.

Do that and you can virtually do whatever you want against Indiana from a scheme standpoint because the Hoosiers can’t stop the run or the pass. Pick what you want to do on offense and play against the pass on defense and you should be able to pick up win number five.