Maryland football is set to travel to Iowa for the first time ever on Saturday, so here’s all the information you need to know about the game and a primer:
The Terrapins are coming off their first game under interim coach Mike Locksley. Maryland put up a very valiant effort against a talented Penn State team in Baltimore, but ended up dropping a heartbreaker 31-30.
The main story of the contest proved to be which team could turn the football over the least amount of times. Quarterback Perry Hills tossed three interceptions, including one on Maryland’s final possession to seal his team’s fate.
However, Hills did have another phenomenal performance on the ground as he rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown. The threat of the run with Hills is definitely opening things up for the Maryland offense.
As for this week’s game, Iowa is coming in with an impressive 7-0 record. This is a very different team than the one that Maryland defeated in College Park last October. Behind a strong rushing attack and smart quarterback play from C.J. Beathard, the Hawkeyes are almost a lock to represent the West Division in the Big Ten title game.
Iowa has the Big Ten’s second-best ground attack as they average 214.4 yards-per-game. With Jordan Canzeri and Leshun Daniels Jr. on the shelf, sophomore Akrum Wadley rushed for 204 yards and four touchdowns against a stout Northwestern defense on Oct. 17.
Maryland’s run defense showed significant improvement last week when they held freshman Saquon Barkley to just 65 yards on the ground. The Terps also managed to allow just 1.5 yards-per-carry to Nittany Lions running backs as a unit.
It’s certainly going to be an uphill battle, but Maryland is a team that Iowa can’t afford to take lightly.
Location: Iowa City, Ia.
Stadium: Kinnick Stadium
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV Channel: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Commentators: Adam Amin & Kelly Stouffer
Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network
Live Stats: UMTerps.com