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Maryland Football: Penn State on the Horizon

By Herbert Seward III

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 30: Head coach Michael Locksley of the Maryland Terrapins watches the game in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 30, 2021 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 30: Head coach Michael Locksley of the Maryland Terrapins watches the game in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 30, 2021 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Maryland Football escaped the Hoosiers 38-35 last Saturday
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 30: Peyton Hendershot #86 of the Indiana Hoosiers is tackled in the first half by Jordan Mosley #18 of the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 30, 2021, in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /

Maryland Football will need to do the following to keep the Penn State offense in check on Saturday:

Pressure the Quarterback:

The Terrapin pass rush has disappeared at the worst of times during this last 3-game stretch, with unpleasant results. Getting pressure on Penn State QB Sean Clifford will be at a premium if the Terp’s defense wants to stifle what the Nittany Lions do offensively. The Penn State rushing attack has been inconsistent (at best) all season, so they’ve relied on the arm of the often-injured Clifford and a bevy of talented receivers, headlined by one of the Big Ten’s best in Jahan Dotson. If the Terrapins can get in the backfield and make life uncomfortable for Clifford, they have a chance of really disrupting this offense.

Stopping The Run:

Unfortunately, the Maryland Defense has taken some lumps stopping rushing attacks during the aforementioned three-game losing streak. It will be imperative to NOT let one of the more anemic running games in the conference get going this week. If they can keep the game one-dimensional, the terps will have more chances to pin their ears back and get to the quarterback. Penn State has had to rely on the arm of Sean Clifford the majority of the season and the Penn State offense has proven that they can be effective offensively in games without running the ball, but that’s also resulted in Clifford receiving a LOT of punishment during the course of the season. If the trend continues and the Nittany Lions offense remains predictable, there’s a good chance to expose Clifford to the aforementioned punishment via pressure. The Indiana offense had a banner day running the ball last week. The Terps can’t afford a repeat of that feat from the Nittany Lions.

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