2022 Terps Football: The Focus This Week Vs. Northwestern

What a back-and-forth contest it was between the Terps and Hoosiers last Saturday. While Maryland didn’t come away unscathed because of a late injury to starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, the Terps did escape with a big road win in Bloomington, 38-33.

Tagovailoa was having a great game before his injury, throwing for two touchdowns and rusing for another, but it was backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. who brought home the victory for the Terps. Tagovailoa is currently being listed as questionable for this weekend’s game with a sprained MCL, so it appears the Terps may have avoided the worst case scenario.

It might not be the worst idea to rest Tagovailoa this week if he’s not 100% healthy. That’s because the lowly Northwestern Wildcats are coming to College Park on the heels of having lost five straight games.

Four of those five losses were relatively close games for Northwestern, but the Wildcats’ last showing was a 42-7 loss to a Wisconsin team that had been struggling. Needless to say, the Terps might not need their full arsenal of weapons to come away with a win here.

Still, there are certain Northwestern players to keep tabs on and several Terps who seem to have their roles grow each and every week. Here’s who we’re watching this Saturday…

Maryland Players to watch for…

Jacob Copeland: Copeland has been one of Maryland’s most consistent pass catchers this season and the Terps’ most valuable deep threat so far. He’s second on the team with 313 receiving yards and leads the squad with a 15.6-yard reception average (of wideouts who have caught more than one pass this season). Copeland had himself a nice game in Bloomington with 4 receptions for 62 yards, but the junior hasn’t found the end zone since doing so twice against Charlotte in the second game of the season. He’ll have a good chance to make some big plays against Northwestern, which allows the second-most yards per reception in the Big Ten (8.0 ypc).

CJ Dippre: Was the Indiana game Dippre’s coming out party? Well, not really. His 2 receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown made for a nice day, but he’s actually been quietly having a solid season as the Terps’ second tight end. He now has 17 receptions for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns this season, including a 3 reception, 49-yard, 1-touchdown performance against Michigan. He’s just one of many dangerous receiving options for the Terps, but his emergence has been a welcomed one.

Ahmad McCullough: Leading the Terps with 6 tackles last week, McCullough is one of the more sure tacklers on the Maryland defense. His 33 tackles this season is third on the team and he has also been opportune by recovering two fumbles already this year. The senior from Baltimore will have a chance to make big plays against one of the Big Ten’s most one-dimensional offenses. Since the Wildcats primarily throw the ball, McCullough might not have to worry about stopping the run as much and could be given more freedom to fly around to the ball. Perhaps a a ball gets tipped and he’s there to catch it as opposed to being in the trenches trying to stuff a gap.

Northwestern Players to Watch for…

Brendan Sullivan: Ryan Hilinski started the season as Northwestern’s starting quarterback and has been in and out of the lineup recently because of injury and poor play. There seems to be a bit of a platoon going on with the Wildcats quarterbacks, but we should see plenty of Sullivan on Saturday regardless of Hilinski’s status. Sullivan is the younger but more dynamic signal caller. He isn’t a burner, but he can scramble and run better than Hilinski. That added layer could be a welcomed addition to a Northwestern offense that struggles to move the ball on the ground.

Evan Hull: Being on top of the Northwestern backfield isn’t exactly the biggest honor this year, but Hull is the undisputed owner of that title. He leads Northwestern in rushing attempts (105), yards (428), and touchdowns (3). He’s not very explosive or dynamic, but he is a junior that has plenty of playing experience. Maryland has been good against the run, for the most part, this year, but Michigan proved there is a path to victory there and perhaps the Wildcats will try to exploit the same wrinkle in the scheme.

Xander Mueller: There aren’t that many Northwestern defenders to get excited about, but Mueller is certainly one of them. The junior linebacker makes plays. He’s second on the team with 46 tackles, has recorded a sack and two interceptions this year, and he has also recovered two fumbles. He’s a Illinois local playing for his hometown school, and he brings that passion with him in the way he plays. Running the ball against Northwestern should work, but run away from Mueller as much as possible.

Coaching Expectations…

Simply put, there aren’t that many players on Northwestern’s roster to be nervous about. The three aforementioned above should be minded, but if the Terps can keep the Wildcats offense one-dimensional by negating Hull, I don’t see the Northwestern quarterbacks or pass catchers killing them.

Northwestern gives up big plays against the pass, but the rest of their numbers in that area are somewhat respectable. The Wildcats are awful at stopping the run (13th in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed per game, 176.0).

We know the Terps can run the ball and like to run the ball. Roman Hemby is having a fantastic season and is arguable Maryland’s most explosive player on offense. Antwain Littleton II has also been great and has show flashes of brilliance when sprinkled in. Feed them, especially if Tagvailoa sits.

This is absolutely a game Maryland can win without its starting quarterback, but that means the Terps shouldn’t get cute. Use your multiple backs and run the ball down Northwestern’s throat with some timely throws over the top to take advantage of their propensity for giving up big plays through the air.

We bring it up every week, but there’s also no reason Northwestern should win this game without Maryland beating itself. But the Terps continue to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties. Granted, they’ve been able to escape most of the sloppy games with wins, but they still had 9 penalties for 94 yards last week against Indiana, so that’s still an area of concern.

Perhaps being back home at Maryland Stadium will help that cause though.

Don’t get cute. Don’t beat yourself. And run the dang ball. Simple game plan this week.