Game Information
Opponent: Illinois Fighting Illini (2-4, 0-3 Big Ten Conference)
Location: SECU Stadium (51,802)
Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023
Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: NBC, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 2-0 Maryland
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Following their first loss of the season to Ohio State last weekend, Maryland returns to College Park for their homecoming matchup against a struggling Illinois team. Despite winning eight games last season, head coach Bret Bielema’s squad has been unable to build off of that success in 2023. They’ve lost two straight games to Purdue and Nebraska, with their only victories coming against Toledo and Florida Atlantic.
1. Positive Signs in a Big Game
In their biggest test of the season thus far, Maryland competed with Ohio State for the majority of their game last week. While things fell apart a bit at the end, the two teams were tied at halftime and were only separated by one score until early in the fourth quarter. The most impressive performance came from the Terrapins’ defense, which held the Buckeyes to just 62 rushing yards and forced stops on nine of their 12 third down conversion attempts. They were consistently able to get quarterback Kyle McCord behind the chains, and he struggled in obvious passing situations. With games against Michigan and Penn State still on the schedule, this ought to give defensive coordinator Brian Williams’ unit plenty of confidence that they can compete with the conference’s best teams.
2. Tagovailoa’s Mistakes Loom Large
In order to beat a team like Ohio State, particularly on the road, you have to play mistake-free football. As a team, Maryland committed just 4 penalties, but three crucial errors by quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa were big factors in this game. His first interception came deep in his own end of the field while leading by two scores early in the second quarter, and it was returned for an interception. Late in the second quarter, the Terrapins had a chance to kick a field goal to go up 13-10 heading into halftime, but his costly check-down pass in-bounds with no timeouts left them empty-handed at the break. Finally, his second interception midway through the third quarter gave the Buckeyes all the momentum they needed to pull away for the victory.
Statistically, Tagovailoa will go down as one of the best quarterbacks in Maryland football history. But he’ll need to play better in big games to truly cement his legacy in College Park. He’ll have two more opportunities to flip the script this season before he graduates.
3. An Opportunity to Pound the Rock
On paper, Maryland’s game this week looks like the perfect opportunity to get their running game going. Illinois is allowing an average of 176 rushing yards per game, and they’ve allowed multiple rushing touchdowns in all but two games this season. While the Terrapins haven’t run the ball particularly well so far, they found some success in the first half of last week’s game. Building off of that, and continuing to execute the gap schemes which have worked well to this point, would be a very positive sign heading into their bye week. To compound all of that, the forecast calls for a good amount of rain during this game in College Park, making a strong rushing attack even more important.
4. A Test For Maryland’s Secondary
Illinois has struggled to run the ball so far this season, with most of their offensive success coming through the air. Quarterback Luke Altmyer transferred from Ole Miss during the offseason, and he has some solid skill players at his disposal when he drops back to pass. Isaiah Williams is his favorite target, a slot receiver and former quarterback who’s excellent with the ball in his hands. Pat Bryant is a 6’3” weapon on the outside, and combines speed with physicality in one-on-one situations. He leads the team with four touchdown receptions. The Fighting Illini also use two tight ends fairly often, with 6’5”, 270 pound Tip Reiman presenting the biggest mismatch over the middle.
Maryland’s secondary was fully tested last week against Ohio State’s speedy stable of wide receivers. With the exception of some big plays allowed in the fourth quarter, they held their own and tackled well in space. Illinois’ bigger receivers present a different challenge, as they’ll need to match their physicality while avoiding penalties on deep shots down the field and back-shoulder throws.
5. Bowl Eligibility Before the Bye?
It’s a credit to how far this program has come under head coach Michael Locksley that not much is being made of Maryland’s opportunity to win their sixth game this weekend. In the past, bowl eligibility was the pinnacle of expectations. What was once the team’s ceiling has become its floor, and they’ll be looking for much more this season. On paper, the remaining schedule sets up well for them to reach the nine-win mark for the first time since 2010. It all starts this week though, and Illinois isn’t a team you can allow to hang around longer than you should and still come away with a victory.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.