The average weight of a Villanova defensive lineman is 273 pounds. Maryland football’s starting offensive front five all weigh over 300 pounds.
That power difference was obvious on Saturday. The Terps’ offensive line dominated the Wildcats in a comfortable 38-20 home win to close their non-conference slate. Maryland won its 15th consecutive game over an out-of-conference opponent.
Maryland’s rushing game controlled the contest. The Terps have struggled to open consistent holes for their talented backfield this season; they’re averaging the sixth-fewest yards-per-game in the Big Ten — even against subpar rushing defenses like UConn and Virginia.
With left tackle Andre Roye Jr. inactive on Saturday due to an injury, the Terps were without a starter for an in-experienced front five. But the Maryland (3-1) offensive line played well.
Roman Hemby was the main benefactor despite entering the matchup with a sluggish start to the season. Off back-to-back honorable mention All-Big Ten campaigns, the redshirt junior only rushed for 134 yards and 3.7 yards per carry ahead of Saturday. He only carried it 36 times in the campaign’s first three games.
[Billy Edwards Jr.’s confidence gives him an edge as Maryland football’s quarterback]
Hemby dominated the Wildcats’ defense early, rushing for 48 yards in the first quarter alone. He ran hard, breaking multiple tackles and falling forward to gain extra yardage. His second touchdown of the season put Maryland ahead 7-0 in the opening minutes of the first quarter.
“I take a lot of pride in just being able to set the tone for the game,” Hemby said. “So the first drive, first two drives, I do the best that I can to really help lean on the defense and wear them down as much as I can.”
Nolan Ray complemented Hemby. The redshirt freshman reached the end zone for the second time this season with a 1-yard push to close the first half. His explosiveness and speed, paired with Hemby’s vision and down-to-down consistency, can form a strong backfield. The two combined for 92 yards on just 19 carries.
“I thought the running game was just okay,” coach Michael Locksley said. “When we needed to run the ball today a couple times in some situational football, we were able with backs to make the tough yardage.”
A better running game complemented Billy Edwards’ strong play. The redshirt junior completed 88 percent of his passes for 328 yards and a pair of scores.
Edwards continued to frequently connect with Tai Felton, which included a nine-yard third-quarter touchdown. Felton recorded 100 yards for the fourth consecutive week, the first time a Maryland receiver has achieved that feat since 1994.
[Explosive plays have been a staple for Maryland football under Michael Locksley]
Maryland’s offense thrived against a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent. With tougher opponents ahead on the schedule, the matchup against Villanova (3-1) let the Terps resolve miscues made in previous weeks. But they weren’t perfect.
“I just hate that we don’t play clean,” Locskley said.
Defensive coordinator Brian Williams’ unit played well for a second-consecutive week, securing a second-straight half-shutout. Williams used two freshman cornerbacks, Braydon Lee and Kevyn Humes, for a majority of the first half.
The Terps allowed only 156 passing yards overall. They avoided defensive breakdowns that plagued them in the loss to Michigan State and in the first half against Virginia.
Maryland now fully enters conference play. A critical game in Bloomington next week versus undefeated Indiana should reveal the Terps’ potential improvements since their home defeat to the Spartans two weeks ago.
