Terps Game Preview: Minnesota

Opponent: Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten Conference)
Location: Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium (51,802)
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2016
Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: ESPNU, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 1-0 Minnesota

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Opponent Preview

Saturday’s game between Minnesota and Maryland will mark the first meeting between the two schools since 1977, and just the second game ever played between them. The Golden Gophers got off to a 3-0 start in non-conference play this season, but have since lost their last two games in conference play. They began the year by beating Oregon State, Indiana State, and Colorado State. Over the course of the past two weeks, they have lost games to Penn State and Iowa, both of which were decided by one possession.

Tracy Claeys is in his first full season as Minnesota’s head coach after taking over for Jerry Kill, who was forced to retire due to health concerns in the middle of last year. Claeys had been the team’s defensive coordinator since 2011, a post which is now held by Jay Sawvel, who was previously Minnesota’s special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach. Matt Limegrover was fired as the team’s offensive coordinator after last season, and Claeys hired former Louisiana-Lafayette offensive coordinator Jay Johnson to fill his post. However, the majority of the team’s staff has been with the program since Kill arrived in 2011.

Offensive Preview

As mentioned above, Johnson is in his first year as the Golden Gophers’ offensive coordinator. During his five seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns his offenses set multiple school records. He is a native of the state of Minnesota, having grown up in Lakeville. Despite the coaching change, Johnson is essentially running the same offense that the team has run since 2011. It is a heavily run-based system that loves to run the ball between the tackles. They will use their quarterback on the zone-read with regularity, and may also use him on designed runs between the tackles. They don’t throw the ball very much, and when they do it will come on very short, easy throws. They will operate out of a huddle, and will use plenty of motions and formations in an attempt to confuse the opposing defense. 

Players to Watch

Quarterback: Conor Rhoda (Redshirt Junior)

The biggest news surrounding this game is that Minnesota’s starting quarterback, Mitch Leidner, has been ruled out due to a concussion that he suffered in the team’s game last week against Iowa. He had attempted all but one pass for the Golden Gophers this season, and was having a fairly decent year. Rhoda has attempted that one pass, a 6-yard completion in the team’s blowout win over Indiana State. He is a former walk-on who was just awarded a scholarship in the spring. He is a very similar player to Leidner. His arm is nothing to write home about, but he can probably complete some short, easy passes. He is a physical runner who has the ability to make good decisions in the zone-read game. However, his decision-making in a conference road game will certainly be tested on Saturday.

Running Back: Rodney Smith (Redshirt Sophomore)

Smith is Minnesota’s best running back, and has run for 446 yards and 5 touchdowns so far this season. He has run for over 100 yards twice this season (vs. Oregon State, at Penn State), but only carried the ball 11 times for 44 yards last week against Iowa. Expectations are high for him this season after putting together an impressive freshman season last year. In order for Minnesota’s offense to have success, Smith must be able to run the ball effectively.

Wide Receiver: Drew Wolitarsky (Senior)

With Leidner out for this game, Wolitarsky takes over as the offense’s senior leader. The Golden Gophers don’t throw the ball much, but when they do, they typically throw it to him. He is a big target, standing tall at 6-foot-3, and has caught 29 passes for 379 yards and 3 touchdowns so far this season. However, he has yet to surpass 70 yards receiving in conference play. Last week, he caught 5 passes for 58 yards. His lone conference touchdown came two weeks ago against Penn State.

Defensive Preview

Minnesota’s defense is the strength of their team this season, especially along their front seven. They are holding their opponents to just over 23 points per game, only allowing 134 rushing yards and 233 passing yards per game. Opponents are averaging just over 3.5 yards per carry against them, and are converting fewer than 40% of their third down attempts. However, their red zone defense has been poor, having never prevented a score in those situations.

What to Watch For

The Linebackers: Minnesota linebackers Jonathan Celestin and Jack Lynn are tied for the team lead in tackles with 36 each, and are both leaders of this excellent front seven. However, their run defense has slipped a bit in conference play, with Penn State and Iowa both averaging over 4.3 yards per carry against them. These two linebackers’ performances may decide whether or not Maryland’s running backs are able to get to the second level when they run the ball inside.

The Pass Rush: The Golden Gophers had a strong pass rush during non-conference play, but have only managed to record 1 sack over the course of the past two weeks. Freshman defensive end Tai’yon Devers leads the team with 3.0 sacks, but has not managed to record one yet in conference play. For a defense with such a weak secondary, it will be crucial to their success for them to be able to pressure the quarterback.

Turnovers: Minnesota’s defense has forced 5 fumbles and 3 interceptions so far this season, including two interceptions last week against Iowa. With an inexperienced quarterback leading an already weak offense, it will be important for Minnesota’s defense to put him in positions to succeed.

Maryland Preview

For the first time this season, Maryland is looking to rebound from a loss last week. The Terrapins fell to Penn State in head coach DJ Durkin’s first conference road game with the program. While it wasn’t an awful loss, it was certainly a disappointing one. Turnovers, poor defense, and an injury to starting quarterback Perry Hills all combined to result in the team’s first loss of the year.

Hills will be back as the team’s starting quarterback this week after re-injuring the shoulder that he hurt against UCF. Freshman Tyrrell Pigrome entered the game and scored a touchdown on his first snap for the second time this season, but was otherwise unable to spark the team’s offense. Penn State’s defense was able to load the box in order to stop the run against him, and he was unable to force them to respect his arm.

Maryland also lost running back Trey Edmunds in this game, but he will be out for much longer after breaking his foot. Luckily, the team has a stable of running backs at their disposal. Look for Wes Brown to play a bigger role in the offense now, along with Jake Funk.

In order for the Terrapins to win this game, they must be able to do a few things better than they did against Penn State. They must be able to stop the run, and they must be able to run the ball. Like most games in the Big Ten Conference, things will eventually boil down to your ability to run the ball and/or your ability to stop the run. Penn State’s two-headed combination of Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley terrorized Maryland’s defense last week, a unit that has struggled with their run defense for the majority of the season. Additionally, the team only ran for 170 yards against the Nittany Lions.

Zack’s Keys to the Game

• Stop the Run – As I mentioned above, this is probably the biggest key in this game. Minnesota wants to run the ball a lot, and Maryland cannot allow them to do that. Force Rhoda to beat you with his arm, which is something he won’t be able to do.
• Run the Ball – Conversely, you must be able to run the ball yourself. Minnesota has a good run defense, so offensive coordinator Walt Bell may need to get a little creative here.
• Take the Top Off – No, keep your shirts on. If Minnesota’s defense is loading the box to stop the run, Hills will need to take some deep shots downfield and his receivers must be able to beat them over the top. This will naturally open up things in the running game.
• Pressure and Contain Rhoda – Maryland’s defense must be drooling at this matchup against a former walk-on quarterback, and while they absolutely need to pressure him in order to get him rattled, they must also contain him when he scrambles, something they failed to do against McSorley last week.