Opponent: Michigan State (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten)
Location: Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium
Kickoff Time: Noon EST, Saturday, Nov. 3
Odds: Michigan State -2.5 (per SportsLine)
TV: ESPN2 – Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Ahmad Brooks (analyst), Roddy Jones (sideline)
Streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network (105.7FM Baltimore, 980 AM D.C, Sirius 119, XM 202) – Johnny Holliday (play-by-play), LaMont Jordan (analyst)
Last matchup: Nov. 18, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan – No. 15 Michigan State 17, Maryland 7
Last week: Maryland beat Illinois 63-33, Michigan State beat Purdue 23-13
Three things to watch for Maryland
1. Red zone offense
Through eight games, Maryland is one of three remaining teams in the nation to have scored on every trip to the red zong this season. The Terps are 17-for-17 in the red zone, with 14 touchdowns and three field goals. Those numbers are quite low, averaging just over two red zone trips per game, but Maryland has also relied on the big plays a lot this season. In 21 red zone trips, the Michigan State defense has allowed 10 touchdowns and seven field goals. The more they push the ball down the field, the better chance they will have against the 51st-best red zone defense in the country.
2. The running game
Maryland has the 11th best rushing offense in the country, averaging 246.3 yards per game. Sixty-five percent of Maryland’s total offense this season has come on the ground. Success starts with the running backs, specifically Ty Johnson, Anthony McFarland and Javon Leake after Saturday. When you compare wins to losses, the rushing numbers are polarizing as Maryland has rushed for 329.2 yards per game and in their losses they’ve rushed for 115.7 yards per game. Coming off of 431 rushing yards and 712 total yards of offense in their win against Illinois, Maryland is firing on all cylinders. The Terps need the running game to commands the offense on Saturday and rush for over 200 yards against the best rushing defense in the country if they want to win.
3. The secondary
Maryland is currently ranked 28th in the country in total defense. This is thanks in large part to the secondary, which has 14 interceptions, putting them tied for first in the country. Maryland’s total defense is better than Michigan State, who are currently ranked 40th in the country. Tre Watson and Darnell Savage Jr. have led the way with four interceptions each this year. If Maryland can cause turnovers and can create havoc in Michigan State’s passing game, they have a good chance of winning on Saturday.
Three things to watch for Michigan State
1. Rushing defense
As previously stated, the Spartans have the best rushing defense in the country, allowing just 77.4 rushing yards per game, over three yards less than the next school. Maryland encountered problems with their running game against Iowa and Michigan, both losses, and those two programs are also in the top 10 in rushing defense. They only allow 2.74 yards per carry and if they can limit Maryland’s deep group of backs to below-average performances on the ground, then the Michigan State will control the flow of the game, forcing Maryland to go to their passing game where starting quarterback Kasim Hill has a 52.6 completion percentage this season.
2. Time of possession
Michigan State is 14th in the country in time of possession, keeping the ball for an average of 33 minutes a game this season. On the other hand, Maryland is among the bottom of the list, holding the ball for 28 minutes a game this season. Michigan State is good at keeping possession, running the clock, and keeping defenses on the field. Despite Maryland’s defense this season, if the Spartans can run the clock down with several long drives that take up six or seven minutes of the clock, they will tire the Terps and that will work toward their advantage.
3. Scoring defense
Michigan State’s defense is clearly their strength this season. The Spartans are 27th in the country, allowing 21.0 points per game this season. They are also among the leaders in total defense, giving up 353.3 total yards per game, with the majority of those yards coming in the air. That works toward Michigan State’s advantage since Maryland is not among the leaders in passing offense. Michigan State needs to keep the game close and shut down the run. Maryland has yet to win a game this season when scoring 20 points or less so if it’s a low-scoring affair, that favors the Spartans.
