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Maryland Football: Terps look to bounce back against Northwestern

By Chris Bengel

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 30: Max Bortenschlager #18 of the Maryland Terrapins passes the ball while Thomas Barber #41 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers applies pressure in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 30: Max Bortenschlager #18 of the Maryland Terrapins passes the ball while Thomas Barber #41 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers applies pressure in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /
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The Maryland football team is looking to put last week’s 62-14 loss against Ohio Sate behind them.

The first step begins on Saturday when the Terrapins welcome Northwestern to College Park.

Maryland enters the contest fresh off of one of their worst offensive performances in recent years. The Terps accumulated just 66 yards of total offense and quarterback Max Bortenschlager only threw for 16 yards throughout the entire game.

Bortenschlager and the Terps were absolutely dominated by Ohio State’s defense. The running game didn’t perform much better as they only racked up just 50 yards on the ground.

Meanwhile, Maryland’s defense surrendered 584 yards of total offense to Ohio State. Ty Johnson’s 100-yard kickoff return touchdown kept the Terps in the game in the first quarter, but things spiraled out of control after that.

Storylines to watch

  • Get in Clayton Thorson’s face – It’s been well-documented that Maryland’s front seven has struggled in recent weeks. The Terps haven’t had a sack in the past three games, which is definitely a concerning statistic. Thorson has thrown as many touchdowns as interceptions, so he is certainly prone to mistakes. If Maryland can get in Thorson’s face and make him uncomfortable, the Terps could come up with a few turnovers on Saturday.
  • Pound the rock – The offensive formula has been pretty simple for Maryland this season. If they run the ball effectively, good results have followed for the Terps this season. In their two losses, this is a team that is averaging just 1.2 yards-per-carry and that’s obviously not going to get it done in the Big Ten. Johnson and Harrison are going to need to establish some consistency early. It’s also not going to be a huge surprise if the Terps elect to come out running the football a ton.
  • Get the ball to D.J. Moore – Maryland’s star wide receiver registered just two receptions for 11 yards last week. Obviously, that’s an anomaly that isn’t going to happen very often for a player as talented as Moore. It was evident that Bortenschlager enjoyed the connection he had with Moore against Minnesota because Moore caught eight passes on the afternoon. This is a player that is too good not to be involved in the team’s offense. Aside from last week’s game, Moore had at least seven receptions and 83 yards in Maryland’s four other games this season. If Bortenschlager establishes that connection once again, it could mean a Maryland victory.

Projected starting lineups

Maryland:
Offense
QB: Max Bortenschlager (So.)
RB: Ty Johnson (Jr.) or Lorenzo Harrison III (So.)
WR: D.J. Moore (Jr.)
WR: Taivon Jacobs (Sr.) or DJ Turner (So.)
WR: Jacquille Veii (Sr.)
TE: Derrick Hayward (Sr.)
T: Derwin Gray (Jr.)
G: Sean Christie (Jr.)
C: Brendan Moore (Jr.)
G: Terrance Davis (So.)
T: Damian Prince (Jr.)
Defense
DE: Chandler Burkett (Sr.)
NT: Kingsley Opara (Sr.)
DT: Cavon Walker (Sr.)
BUCK: Chandler Burkett (Sr.) or Melvin Keihn (Jr.) or Bryce Brand (Fr.)
SAM: Jalen Brooks (Sr.)
NICKEL: Antoine Brooks Jr. (So.)
WILL: Shane Cockerille (Sr.)
MIKE: Jermaine Carter Jr. (Sr.)
CB: JC Jackson (Jr.)
S: Darnell Savage Jr. (Jr.)
S: Qwuantrezz Knight (So.)
CB: Tino Ellis (So.) or Antwaine Richardson (So.)
Special Teams
K: Adam Greene (Sr.)
P: Wade Lees (So.)
Northwestern
Offense
QB: Clayton Thorson (Jr.)
RB: Justin Jackson (Sr.)
SB: Garrett Dickerson (Sr.)
WR: Macan Wilson (Sr.)
WR: Flynn Nagel (Jr.)
WR: Bennett Skowronek (So.)
LT: Blake Hance (Jr.)
LG: J.B. Butler (Jr.)
C: Brad North (Sr.)
RG: Tommy Doles (Jr.)
RT: Rashawn Slater (Fr.)
Defense
DE: Joe Gaziano (So.)
DT: Jordan Thompson (Jr.)
DT: Tyler Lancaster (Sr.)
DE: Samdup Miller (Fr.)
LB: Brett Walsh (Sr.)
LB: Nathan Fox (So.)
LB: Nate Hall (Jr.)
CB: Montre Hartage (Jr.)
S: JR Pace (Fr.)
S: Kyle Queiro (Sr.)
CB: Trae Williams (So.)
Special Teams
K: Charlie Kuhbander (Fr.)
P: Hunter Niswander (Sr.)

Prediction

Maryland needs this win plain and simple. It’s almost similar to the Minnesota game, which followed the horrific loss at the hands of Central Florida. In order to keep the program’s momentum going on the recruiting trail, they’re going to have to find a way to get to a bowl game.

Next: Five things to watch for Maryland/Northwestern

This is a game that the Terps can definitely win. Northwestern definitely has some talented pieces on both sides of the ball, but Maryland would likely be the superior team if not for the quarterback situation. Maryland still wins this one 30-24.

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