Day and Time: Saturday October 22 at 7:30pm
The Opponent: Michigan State (2-4, 0-3 in conference play)
Head Coach: Mark Dantonio, tenth season at Michigan State (89-37 record as Spartan head coach, only finished below .500 once)
Last Week: Maryland lost to Minnesota 31-10, Michigan State lost to Northwestern 54-40.
Television: Big Ten Network, broadcast by Eric Collins and Glen Mason
Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network Baltimore 105.7 WJZ-FM and ESPN980 AM-broadcasted by Johnny Holliday, Tim Strachan and Scott McBrien
Student Radio: WMUC Sports (online)-broadcasted by Megan Smedley and Jake Eisenberg
Prior Meetings: Michigan State holds a commanding 6-1 lead in the series. Maryland’s lone win came in 1950, earning a 34-7 victory, in case your memory is foggy.
Things to Watch on the Maryland side
Who will start at quarterback: Signs point to Tyrell Pigrome getting the nod as injury updates about Perry Hills’ shoulder remain limited. Pigrome struggled staying in the pocket against Minnesota and tried to use his legs to gain yards more than his arm.
Getting the run game going: Last week Maryland fell behind early and abandoned the strength in their offense: running the ball frequently with many different backs. Last week Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison only stacked up a combined nine carries on the stat sheet, granted they both had runs that were called back on holding penalties. The offense needs to be generated more through the Terps talented running back corps.
Michigan State Players to Watch
Defensive lineman Malik McDowell: Todd McShay has him ranked as the fifth best NFL Draft prospect in the nation. Last week against Northwestern, he showed why he is worth the hype. Despite the losing effort, McDowell had 11 tackles and .5 sacks in a breakout performance for the junior lineman. McDowell started the season at defensive tackle, but has since shifted to defensive end.
Wide receiver R.J. Shelton: McDowell was not the only one to have a great performance in the Spartans’ loss last week. Shelton caught seven passes for 190 yards, finding the back of the end zone twice. Michigan State has struggled to run the ball in their current losing streak, forcing them to pass the ball often. Shelton is the top target that Maryland will have to match up against.