5 Thoughts Before Maryland/Wisconsin

Game Information

Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten Conference)
Location: Camp Randall Stadium (80,321)
Date: Saturday, November 5, 2022
Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: Big Ten Network, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 3-0 Wisconsin

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After a much-needed bye week, Maryland begins the month of November with a trip north to face off against one of the only three teams in the Big Ten Conference that they’ve never beaten. Wisconsin has struggled so far this season, firing head coach Paul Chryst after a 2-3 start that saw them suffer losses to Illinois, Ohio State, and Washington State. They’ve played much better under defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jim Leonhard, recording victories over Northwestern and Purdue with their only loss coming in double overtime on the road against Michigan State. Like the Terrapins, they had last weekend off.

1. How Healthy is Tagovailoa?

Head coach Michael Locksley announced earlier this week that standout quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa would play in this game after missing the team’s matchup against Northwestern two weeks ago due to a knee injury he suffered the week before. Maryland’s bye week couldn’t have come at a more perfect time for him, as he was allowed extra time to recover before playing what will be a difficult November slate. While he’s slated to start against Wisconsin, the jury is still out on whether he’ll truly be playing at full strength.

Tagovailoa suffered an MCL strain against Indiana, a re-aggravation of the injury he had in the team’s matchup with Michigan. He began wearing a knee brace after the initial injury, which almost surely prevented him from tearing a ligament when he went down the second time. That brace will obviously still be around his knee for this game, which will likely affect his mobility in certain ways. While he has never been a run-first quarterback, his agility inside the pocket is a vital part of his game. Maryland’s offensive line will need to keep him as upright as possible in this game, and give him as many clean pockets as they can.

2. Everyone Knows What Wisconsin Wants to Do…

The Badgers have had the same philosophies on both sides of the ball for decades. Offensively, they lean on a downhill, power running game typically reliant on gap-based schemes. They’ll complement that with hard play-action fakes to open up defenses over the top or underneath to a plethora of tight ends. Defensively, it’s an odd-front scheme that typically wants to stop the run and utilize a number of exotic blitz packages on passing downs. Whether it was Chryst, Bret Bielema, or Barry Alvarez at the helm, they’ve had the same plan of attack for a very long time.

3. …But This Isn’t a Dominant Badgers Team

Wisconsin’s rushing attack has been good this season but not as lethal as they’ve been in years past, currently ranking just outside the Top 50 nationally. They live and die by the legs of sophomore running back Braelon Allen, who’s averaging nearly 6 yards per carry and has rushed for nine touchdowns. Their passing attack is about what you’d expect, very pedestrian and one of the lower-ranked units in the conference. Junior quarterback Graham Mertz is completing just over 63% of his passes, and has thrown for 17 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. None of their tight ends have double-digit receptions, an oddity for a Badgers team.

Defensively, they’ve been strong against the run but again haven’t been necessarily dominant. They’re allowing an average of 114 rushing yards against them, and 137 against conference opponents. Their pass defense hasn’t been particularly good, ranking 67th nationally. They’ve allowed more than 250 passing yards to all but one conference opponent (Illinois). However, Leonhard’s defense has done two things very well: force turnovers and keep teams out of the end zone. They’re currently allowing just 22 points against per game, and have forced 14 interceptions and 2 fumbles. Overall, the team has a +5 turnover margin.

4. A Big Day For Hemby is Key

Freshman running back Roman Hemby is coming off of two massive performances against Indiana and Northwestern. In those two games alone, he racked up 325 total yards and 4 touchdowns. After a slow start to conference play, he looks to be primed for a big month of November. Despite Wisconsin’s strong run defense, the Terrapins will likely still look to feed their hot ball-carrier. If he can have another strong day, it would take a lot of pressure off of Tagovailoa in his first game back from injury.

5. We’ve Said it Before, This is a Big Opportunity

While Wisconsin isn’t as strong this season as they have been in the past, knocking them off on the road would still represent a major win for Maryland’s program. Currently ranked just outside the Top 25, they’d almost certainly enter their game against Penn State next weekend as a ranked team if they’re able to beat the Badgers. With bowl eligibility already wrapped up, they can focus on picking up one or two of the big victories that have been so elusive in previous years.

The Terrapins’ two losses have come by a combined 9 points, so there’s no reason to believe that they can’t keep this game close. Wisconsin’s defense is extremely good at forcing turnovers, which would be a way for this game to get out of hand in a hurry. With Locksley’s team fresh off of a week of rest and getting healthy at the right time, they ought to be very confident heading into this matchup on Saturday afternoon.