5 Thoughts Before Maryland Plays Michigan State

Game Information
Opponent: Michigan State Spartans (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten Conference)
Location: Spartan Stadium (75,005)
Date: Saturday, September 23, 2023
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: NBC, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 10-3 Michigan State 

I’m filling in for my colleague Zack Kiesel this week as we break down Maryland’s next opponent. The Terps will start Big Ten play on Saturday with a 3-0 record when they head to East Lansing to take on a Michigan State Spartans team that is dealing with off-the-field distractions and will be led by an interim head coach. Spartans head coach Mel Tucker has been placed on leave as the school begins its process of firing its coach for cause. That will leave assistant Harlon Barnett at the helm on Saturday. He’ll be looking to right the ship with his team coming off of a 41-7 loss to Washington last week. Maryland will be looking to remain unbeaten and start conference play with some momentum. 

 1. Do your job!

It’s a phrase that gets thrown around football a lot. You’ll see signs of it in locker rooms. It was famously coined by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. But it certainly holds true here for the Terps, who are coming into a hostile environment with a lot of question marks about the state of mind their opponent will be in. But their opponent’s state of mind should not determine how focused and prepared Maryland is this week. That’s the stuff the Terps can control and should. 

It’s up to the coaching staff to relay the message this week that whatever is going on in East Lansing is in no way guaranteed to help the Terps overcome a tough road matchup. Winning on the road in the Big Ten will still require the players to show up and show out. One would hope the coaches are preaching discipline and focus this week, and then it’s up to the players to take it to heart and, you guessed it, do their job. 

 2. A Test For Maryland’s Secondary — Part II

A retread from last week’s five thoughts before the Virginia game, but it’s certainly applicable again here, perhaps more so. Much like the Cavaliers, Michigan State likes to chuck it. They’re perhaps a bit more balanced in their attack than what Maryland saw last week, but it’s not question that the Spartans’ biggest playmakers are in the receiving corps. 

The names to watch here on Michigan State will be Christian Fitzpatrick, Jaron Glover, and Tre Mosely. Fitzpatrick, in particular, is a physically imposing threat and someone who can create big plays. I would think we’d see Tarheeb Still on him for most of the game, but Maryland could elect to put a taller corner on the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Fitzpatrick. However, Still is coming off a great game in which he had two interceptions against Virginia. So perhaps he’s more than ready for this assignment. Also, I’m not seeing Beau Brade on this week’s injury report so I’m assuming he’ll be back at safety and ready to help this secondary in a big way. 

 3. RBBC or a Hemby breakout?

Those who play fantasy football will probably recognize the dreaded acronym RBBC. It stands for running back by committee and it’s a strategy many teams at the pro and collegiate level deploy in order to keep backs fresh and ride the hot hand. It’s also the strategy that Maryland has used so far this year, spreading its carries between Roman Hemby (last year’s leading rusher), Colby McDonald, and Antwain Littleton II. 

Hemby still has almost twice as many carries on the season as the two latter, but it has been McDonald who has been the more efficient runner the last two games. The carries against Virginia were split 10-9-9 between the three backs with McDonald getting the most, and it will be interesting to see if the coaching staff sticks with that approach or goes back to Hemby as the bell cow. Hemby had a great game against Charlotte, but is he primed for a breakout Big Ten performance here? 

 4. Are the Special Teams finally special?

It took some early season ironing out, but Maryland’s special teams unit is starting to look strong and solidified. Colton Spangler has been a stud punter all season. Jack Howes seems to have settled in as the placekicker and he’s currently 14-for-14 on extra points and 3-for-5 on field goals with a long of 45 yards. And now with Braeden Wisloski returning kicks for the Terps, Maryland might also have a dynamic returner on its hands. After Octavian Smith Jr. struggled with fielding kickoffs to start the year, Wisloski took over last week and took the first kick he touched 98 yards to the house. It was Maryland’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2019 and the longest by a freshman since Stefon Diggs in 2012. 

In what could be a close game, these three players could be crucial. Can Howes hit a game-winner if he has to? What does Wisloski have for an encore? 

 5. Shake-ups along the OL

One of the more inconsistent units for Maryland so far this season has been the offensive line. The Terps did just get some players back at that position and have been trying out some different blocking combinations in the first few games, but this is a unit that everyone hopes gets settled sooner rather than later. 

There could be some changes coming as soon as this week with Aric Harris looking like he’ll line up at center to start the game and Gotlieb Ayedze probably getting his first start at right tackle with incumbent Conor Fagan backing him up. There could also be a change at one of the guard spots. Look for Kyle Long to possibly replace Amelio Moran in the starting lineup. That’s a lot of shuffling for a position that requires chemistry and communication, but this feels like it could be the best combination of talent Maryland has there.