5 Thoughts Before Maryland/Northwestern

Game Information

Opponent: Northwestern Wildcats (1-5, 1-2 Big Ten Conference)
Location: SECU Stadium (51,802)
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2022
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: Big Ten Network, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 2-0 Northwestern

(Discuss this article on the BSL Message Board here.)

Following a gutsy road victory over Indiana last weekend, Maryland returns to College Park for their Homecoming matchup against Northwestern. The Wildcats may very well be the conference’s worst team this season, and a victory would earn the Terrapins bowl eligibility before the month of November begins. Pat Fitzgerald is in his 17th season as the head coach in Evanston, and his team is on a five-game losing streak. Coming off of a bye last week however, they’re hoping to surprise head coach Michael Locksley’s squad on Saturday afternoon.

1. What’s Tagovailoa’s Status?

The entire Maryland team, coaching staff, and fanbase drew a collective sigh of relief this week when it was announced that quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa suffered only a sprained MCL in the fourth quarter against Indiana. It was a re-aggravation of the injury he suffered against Michigan a few weeks ago, and the brace he was wearing on his knee saved him from something much more serious. Locksley officially designated him as a “game-time decision” for this game and he’s been spotted at practice this week, but with a bye next week they may elect to hold him out for the team’s trip to face Wisconsin in early November.

2. The Legend of Billy the Kid

As the old Billy Joel song says, “his age and his size took [people] by surprise, and word spread of Billy the Kid.” Billy Edwards, Jr. was an under-the-radar transfer portal pickup during the off-season, coming to College Park by way of Wake Forest. He stepped into Maryland’s backup quarterback role, and has led the team to three fourth-quarter touchdown drives in just two quarters of play. While he didn’t complete a pass last week against the Hoosiers, he executed offensive coordinator Dan Enos’ zone-read game to perfection. Looking more comfortable as a rushing threat than Tagovailoa, he adds an interesting dimension to the offense when he’s behind center.

It’s likely that we’ll see Edwards, Jr. taking the snaps against Northwestern this week, so expect Enos to take a more run-heavy approach. He’ll need to give the redshirt freshman some easy early passes to get him into a bit of a rhythm. While there will likely be some bumps in the road, staying ahead of the chains and avoiding costly pre-snap penalties will be key to come away with a victory on Saturday.

3. Six Turnovers in Two Weeks

While Maryland’s defense has given up their share of yards so far this season, they’ve done a decent job of keeping opposing offenses out of the end zone and forcing plenty of turnovers. For the second week in a row they snagged three turnovers, including one on Indiana’s first snap of the game. As a team, the Terrapins’ turnover margin is +2. If they can finish the season with a positive number, it’d be the first time since 2018 that they’ve done so. The state of modern football is such that things are constantly skewed towards offenses. Success for a defense in 2022 is measured by turnovers, penalties, and situational dominance.

4. Getting Healthy at the Right Time

With Tagovailoa likely set to return for the month of November, the Terrapins also have a handful of other key players likely to get back on the field soon. Offensive lineman Jaelyn Duncan missed the Indiana game due to a family emergency, but will be back this week. Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II has been dealing with an ankle injury all month, but looks primed for an imminent return. Defensive backs Jakorian Bennett and Gavin Gibson also look ready to go. While Maryland has seen injuries derail a season far too often in the past, things seem to be trending in the right direction as they look to close out their 2022 campaign.

5. Everything in Front of You

Maryland hasn’t reached bowl eligibility before the month of November since Ralph Friedgen’s last year as their head coach in 2010. If they can beat Northwestern this weekend, they would head into their final four games with a chance to make a real statement. Maryland has been competitive in every game they’ve played this season, and they’ll be looking to continue that when they run the gauntlet of Wisconsin, Penn State, and Ohio State next month. As they showed against Michigan, the talent is there to compete with the conference’s best teams. Whether or not they can come away with a victory or two has yet to be seen.