Fans celebrate a touchdown during Maryland’s 50-21 win over the Richmond Spiders at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium on Sept. 5, 2015.
Game 2: Bowling Green
Stadium: Byrd Stadium, College Park, Maryland
Kickoff: Noon
Terps fashion: Red uniforms, white pants, hand-painted helmets
Broadcast: Big Ten Network
Noon weather forecast: Partly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms, 76 degrees, 60 percent of precipitation
Captains: Brandon Ross (offense), Anthony Nixon (defense), Jermaine Carter Jr. (special teams)
Flags Bearers: Right tackle Ryan Doyle (USA), Running back Wes Brown (Md.)
Momentum: The Terps hope to build on last week’s season-opening win, a 50-21 victory against Richmond. While Bowling Green’s offense gained notoriety last week in a loss to Tennessee, the Terps are still favorites.
Three Terps to Watch:
Cornerback Will Likely turned heads last week with a record-setting 233 punt-return yards against Richmond, but the Falcons probably won’t give the junior as many opportunities. The Terps will also rely on Likely to contain Bowling Green’s spread offense.
Quarterback Perry Hills struggled finding his receivers in his first start in nearly three years last week. Edsall maintains the Terps will continue to run the offense through Hills and try to stretch the field, though.
Cornerback Sean Davis will be tested by Bowling Green’s passing offense. Davis transitioned from safety to cornerback this offseason. While he performed admirably in last week’s opener against Richmond, an FCS team, the the Falcons are a bigger challenge.
Three Falcons to Watch:
Quarterback Matt Johnson will orchestrate Bowling Green’s fast-paced offense under center. He attempted 49 passes against Tennessee a week ago, and he figures to get plenty more opportunities in College Park. In 2013, Johnson had 25 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Wide receiver Gehrig Dieter is coming off a season opener in which he caught a team-high seven passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. The 6-foot-3 redshirt sophomore will be a key component of the Falcons’ spread offense
Punter Joseph Davidson will be tasked with trying to keep the ball out of Likely’s hands. He had a strong performance against Tennessee, averaging 48.7 yards on six attempts.
For updates: Follow beat writers Joshua Needelman (@JoshNeedelman), Phillip Suitts (@PhillipSuitts), columnist Ryan Baillargeon (@RyanBaillargeon) and DBK Sports (@DBKSports) on Twitter for in-game news and commentary.
Related readings:
[ READ MORE: Mike Minter evolves from walk-on to starting offensive lineman for Maryland ][ READ MORE: BAILLARGEON: Maryland will need to lean on rushing game for success ][ READ MORE: Maryland RBs see improvement after film sessions with offensive lineman ][ READ MORE: Bowling Green’s up-tempo offense will provide test for Maryland defense ][ READ MORE: Notebook: Maryland looks to avoid settling for field goals in red zone ]
