Terps Football Non-Conference Preview

The Terps are less than three weeks away from hitting the gridiron for their 2021 campaign. Reports out of fall camp have been mostly positive so far and, most importantly, this year’s Maryland team is as healthy as the Terps have been in years entering a season.

Mike Locksley’s team will get things started Sept. 4 in College Park against the visiting West Virginia Mountaineers. It will be an afternoon ESPN game and Maryland will have to bring its best to start the season off on the right foot.

West Virginia will be one of three non-conference games the Terps will play in 2021. Let’s take a look at these three matchups and what Maryland can expect.

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West Virginia Mountaineers – College Park, MD – September 4

The Mountaineers are a far cry from an easy first game. The Terps often play the likes of Howard, James Madison, and Richmond in season openers, but when Maryland has stepped in up in Week 1 competition, a la Texas, it has fared quite well in recent history.

Winning big games over the Longhorns to start the 2017 and 2018 seasons didn’t lead to the type of special years the Terps were looking for, but this year’s team has some serious potential and a win over West Virginia could be the catalyst it needs to springboard into a great year.

These two border-sharing rivals used to meet relatively regularly with WVU owning a 28-22-2 series lead. The Mountaineers won the last meeting in 2015 in a rout, 45-6. West Virginia is a 3 to 3.5 point favorite depending on where you look and this game should be as close as the line indicates.

If the Terps are going to win, they’re going to have to keep up with West Virginia’s high-powered offense led by quarterback Jarret Doege and running back Leddie Brown. Doege threw for 2,587 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Brown rushed for 1,010 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago.

West Virginia’s offense line is the foundation of its offense. It has a wealth of experience with three returning starters and two upperclassmen grad transfers expected to step in. If they’re able to keep Doege upright and open up holes for Brown as they’re expected to, the Mountaineers will have no problem putting up points this year.

The opposite side of the ball in Morgantown is nothing to turn your nose up at either. Although the Mountaineers lost a handful of productive defensive players from last year’s team, they return seven starters from last season and should be a formidle bunch in 2021.

Star nose tackle Darius Stills isn’t there anymore but his younger brother Dante is ready to lead a defensive line that should still be a strength of the team. The linebacking corps might be this unit’s biggest question mark but the secondary looks promising despite losing All-American Tykee Smith via transfer to Georgia.

In his third year as head coach at West Virginia, Neal Brown will certainly be bringing a well-rounded team into College Park and Locksley will need to have his men ready to fire on all cylinders to get a big win in front of the home crowd.

Howard Bison – College Park, MD – September 11

Over the last 15 seasons, the Howard Bison have only finished with a record of .500 or better twice. Playin in the MEAC, Howard has only won the conference title twice in its history and not since 1993.

This is the type of opponent Maryland is used to opening up its seasons against, but this year it could either serve as an easy chance to start 2-0 or a get-right game after a loss to WVU.

The Bisons’ strength appears to be in its defense where numerous starters return after gaining valuable experience as underclassmen. Some of the names to watch on this side of the ball for Howard are defensive linemen Elton-Jean Baptiste, Deion Harry, Christian White, Darrian Brokenburr, and Aaron Walker. Walker is the senior leader of the group.

Howard’s secondary also has some talent. With a defensive line that should be adept at stopping the run and rushing the quarterback, Maryland will have to be careful on offense. Not that the Terps should be at any real jeopardy of losing this game, but if a major upset like this were to happen it would certainly be because the favorite shot itself in the foot with turnovers and kept the inferior team hanging around and not because a team like Howard suddenly exploded for 40 points.

Still, Maryland has won its last two games against Howard by a combined score of 131-12, including a 79-0 beatdown in 2019. Expect more of the same.

Kent State Golden Flashes – College Park, MD – September 25

Coming to College Park at the end of September out of the gritty MAC, Kent State will be a not great team that the Terps can’t afford to sleep on. After all, this is a team that led the nation in total offense last year with 607 yards per game. The Golden Flashes also led the country with 50 points per game and were second in passing efficiency. Unlike Howard, Kent State is the type of underdog that could find itself in a shootout with the Terps if Maryland’s defense doesn’t show up that Saturday.

On defense, Kent State returns eight of its top nine tacklers, however, this is a group that let up almost as many points as the offense was scoring last year. The Golden Flashes couldn’t stop the run at all in 2020 and allowed 38 points per contest. Even though the big guys up front struggle stopping the run, they are solid at getting after the passer so that will be a key for Maryland to hone in on heading into this game.

Maryland fans can keep an eye out for a familiar face in this one as Kent State safety and former Terps defensive back Antwaine Richardson takes the field for the Golden Flashes.