Maryland heads to Nebraska carrying a lot more than a two-game losing streak.
Last weekend’s 54-3 loss to UCLA put the Terps under a harsh spotlight, and the questions haven’t stopped since. Athletic director Jim Smith has been pressed all week about Mike Locksley’s job security, while Locksley has faced repeated questions about his own future and Maryland’s inability to put together consistent winning seasons during his long run with the program.
All of that noise follows the Terps to Lincoln, where they face a Nebraska team that has looked sharp from the start. The Cornhuskers are 4-0 and handled their first Big Ten game with ease, beating Michigan State 31-13.
For Maryland, the path to an upset starts with the quarterback.
It’s hard to escape the obvious: the Terps need a better day from their signal-caller. Washington’s last outing was rough across the board.
He finished with fewer than 200 passing yards, no touchdowns, four interceptions, two sacks, and even put the ball on the ground without losing it. The problems weren’t limited to one bad throw here or there.
His accuracy and decision-making were both shaky, and that’s been an issue at times this season.
Maryland needs to open the game with cleaner, easier throws to help him settle in. Quick passes, screens, and dump-offs are the kinds of plays that can get Washington into rhythm early instead of asking him to force things from the jump.
Nebraska has its own answer under center, and Colandrea has been a major reason the Cornhuskers are unbeaten. He has a 10:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and is completing 65% of his passes. That kind of efficiency is exactly why Nebraska has looked like a team with real momentum.
The other side of the ball is where Maryland has to find some life, too.
The Terps’ run game has been a problem all season, and Clint Trickett hasn’t been able to turn it into a dependable weapon. DeJuan Williams has missed the last three games, and last week Maryland had only two officially available running backs, including converted baseball player Liam Wilson.
The offensive line hasn’t helped much. The run blocking has been poor, lanes have been scarce, and defenders have been meeting runners at or behind the line.
That leaves Maryland in a tough spot offensively, because the run game has to do more than just exist. It needs to support Washington and create chances for bigger plays through the air.
There may be some opportunity for the Terps if Nebraska is short-handed in its backfield. Top running back Jamal Rule, who has 333 rushing yards and five touchdowns, is doubtful.
Mekhi Nelson, Nebraska’s second-leading rusher, is also questionable. If both are unavailable, Maryland can at least point to a rushing defense ranked 51st in the country.
But the Terps have their own injury concerns up front. They are missing three defensive linemen - Bryce Jenkins, Delmar White, and Lavon Johnson - and Armon Parker is questionable.
Third down could also swing this game.
Nebraska has been excellent at getting off the field, allowing just 12 conversions on 47 third-down attempts. The most it has given up in a game was 6-for-15 against Ohio in Week 1. Maryland, by contrast, comes in after a disastrous performance on third down against UCLA, converting just 1 of 16 tries and punting eight times.
That kind of offensive output is a killer, especially for a team already struggling to stay on schedule. Maryland has been piling up penalties on early downs, and with no consistent run game, it keeps finding itself in long-yardage situations. Last week, the Terps averaged nine yards needed on third down, and that’s no way to build drives.
If Maryland wants a real shot in Lincoln, it has to do the simple things better: avoid the self-inflicted mistakes, move the chains, and stay on the field long enough to score points.
In Other News...
Joe Smiths Maryland Legacy Just Took On New Meaning
Joe Smiths place in Maryland basketball history is already secure, but it is about to get another layer. The former Terrapins star and No. 1 pick in the 1995 NBA Draft will be inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 16, with the announcement coming during a Maryland Athletics Celebration in New York City. For a program that has long leaned on its tradition, Smith remains one of the most recognizable names tied to it.
What makes the honor resonate beyond the resume is how connected Smith still is to the school. He remains actively involved with Maryland basketball and has spoken with pride about what he meant to the program and what the program meant to him. The Hall of Fame call is a formal recognition of a career that already carried weight, but it also reflects a relationship that has never really faded. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Faces A Bigger Question Than Nebraska This Week
Nebraskas trip to Michigan State was a reminder that the matchup ahead carries more than just another early-season data point. The Cornhuskers came out of East Lansing with a road win, Anthony Colandrea helped drive the offense with two touchdown passes and plenty of production on the ground, and a defense that generated six sacks and three turnovers made sure the result never tilted the other way. For Maryland, which now waits as the next test, the Nebraska result only sharpens the spotlight on where the Terrapins stand right now.
Maryland has talent back on the field and pieces that should keep the conversation about progress alive, but injuries and uneven play have made the bigger issue hard to ignore. The concern is not simply how the Terrapins match up with Nebraska this week, but whether the program is getting enough out of a roster that should be doing more. In that sense, the upcoming game is about more than one opponent on the schedule. It is another chance to see whether the issues around consistency and coaching can be papered over, or whether they are becoming the story in their own right. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Can Shake Up More Than Its Own Season This Weekend
Nebraskas trip to Maryland this weekend carries a little extra weight beyond the Big Ten standings, because the Terrapins are one of three teams whose result could ripple well past their own sideline. With No. 15 Oregon on a bye before facing No. 23 UCLA, the Ducks will be watching the scoreboard closely, and Maryland is suddenly part of a broader conference and national picture as the season begins to sort itself out.
For Maryland, it is a chance to make a statement against a Nebraska team that has already helped shape the season in another way, with quarterback Dylan Raiola having transferred from Lincoln to Oregon. For Oregon, the game is just one more piece of a week that also includes Ohio State against Iowa and Alabama against Mississippi State, the kind of Saturday that can nudge rankings, reshape expectations and alter how a future schedule looks before the Ducks even take the field again. [Read more 🡒]