5 Thoughts Before Maryland/Indiana

Game Information

Opponent: Indiana Hoosiers (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten Conference)
Location: Memorial Stadium (52,626)
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2022
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: ESPN2, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 7-3 Indiana

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After suffering a close loss to Purdue last weekend, Maryland hits the road to face off against the state of Indiana’s other Big Ten team on Saturday afternoon. The Hoosiers followed up their 3-0 start to the season by losing three straight games, all with a margin of at least two scores. Head coach Tom Allen responded to his team’s losing streak by firing their offensive line coach/run game coordinator last week. Since joining the conference in 2014, this matchup has typically been very competitive, with just one of the last six matchups being decided by more than one score.

1. Another Opportunity Squandered

Maryland had a chance to put the nation on notice with a win over the Boilermakers last weekend, but were unable to take advantage of the opportunity. It’s been an all-too familiar theme in College Park recently, almost feeling as if receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll is a kiss of death for the Terrapins. Make no mistake that Purdue is a talented team with a good coaching staff, but it’s a game that head coach Michael Locksley’s squad should win at home.

While many will point to the officiating as the primary reason for the team’s loss (and to be fair, it was very poor), they had more than enough opportunities to put the game away and failed to do so. Defensive coordinator Brian Williams’ unit forced turnovers on Purdue’s first three drives of the second half, and the offense came away with nothing on each ensuing possession. After showing progress a few weeks ago against Michigan, penalties reared their ugly head once again (nine for 76 yards). While this loss isn’t as deflating as the debacle against Iowa last year, it’s nonetheless frustrating to see Maryland unable to get out of their own way and over the hump.

2. Silver Linings Do Exist

If you’re looking for reasons to remain optimistic about this team, look no further than the defense’s performance last weekend. Against one of the conference’s best quarterbacks, they put their offense in positions to win the game handily. While the final numbers don’t look particularly impressive against Purdue’s passing attack, they consistently forced quarterback Aiden O’Connell to dump the ball off and limited his ability to take deep shots down the field. After running all over Minnesota two weeks ago, the Boilermakers’ running backs combined to rush for 38 yards. While Maryland’s defense was never going to be the star of the show this season, they just needed to do enough to keep their team in the game. Despite the loss, they did that last week.

3. Short Yardage Play Calling Must Improve

Two weeks ago against Michigan State, the Terrapins ran the ball up the gut four times in a row at the goal line and were unable to pick up a yard to score. Against Purdue last week, a risky fourth-down decision was stuffed at the line and the offense turned the ball over. I don’t necessarily have an issue with these sorts of aggressive decisions, but rather with the individual play-calls. Whether it’s Locksley or offensive coordinator Dan Enos, the team has to start running counters to plays they’ve already called.

After running the same lead power play three times in a row against the Spartans, the easy decision would’ve been to fake the run and throw the ball over the top. Odds are, it’d be wide open. Last week before going for it on fourth down in their own end, they’d converted an earlier third-down by running a fullback dive to an offset Antwain Littleton II. Lining up in the same formation, they ran the exact same play instead of running a counter (whether it be a play-action pass, a fake dive with a toss, etc.).

4. Another Big Day For Barham

Freshman linebacker Jaishawn Barham has become very comfortable very quickly for Maryland’s defense, and picked up two sacks, last weekend. He also forced a fumble, and recovered the ball twice. With Ruben Hyppolite II still recovering from an ankle injury, he’s stepped into a starting role for the Terrapins just a month into his collegiate career. With the ability to play both inside and outside, his versatility gives Williams plenty of flexibility when he designs his defense. Locksley has praised his “robotic” nature, saying he’s as even-keeled as they come.

5. Bowl Eligibility Before November

With games against two of the conference’s worst teams before the month of October ends, Maryland’s aim is clear: reach the coveted six-win mark before running the gauntlet in November. Accomplishing that goal begins on the road this weekend, against an Indiana team that’s reeling. The Terrapins are currently favored by 11.5 points, a significant advantage in a conference road game. They haven’t beaten the Hoosiers on the road since 2014 however, and can’t take them lightly.

Two areas where Maryland seems to have a significant advantage is with their passing offense and pass rush. Indiana has the 117th-ranked pass defense in the country this season, and quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is leading a Top 20 passing attack. While they’d obviously like to run the ball better than they did last weekend, it could be another big day for their signal-caller. Maryland also ranks third in the conference in sacks, and picked up five against Purdue last week. Indiana’s offensive line has already allowed 19 sacks, the worst mark in the conference.