Maryland’s second road trip of the season sends the Terps to Lincoln for their first Big Ten road game, and they’ll walk into Memorial Stadium as heavy underdogs after a 54-3 home loss to UCLA. Nebraska and Maryland kick off Saturday, October 3rd at 4:00 pm, with the game set for FS1. FanDuel lists Maryland as a 14.5-point underdog.
To get a better read on what the Terps are facing, I connected with Bobby Schnieder of On3’s Huskers Online for a closer look at Nebraska’s offense, its defensive surge, and what Matt Rhule’s program is supposed to be building.
Anthony Colandrea has changed the feel of Nebraska’s offense. Schnieder pointed to the quarterback’s mobility as the spark behind Dana Holgorsen’s tenure in Lincoln, saying the dual-threat element showed up clearly last week against Michigan State.
He noted that the Huskers have improved up front, but still put Colandrea at the center of the turnaround, saying Nebraska is averaging nearly 250 yards per game on the ground and through the air because of him. He contrasted that with Dylan Raiola, who he said has elite potential but does not fit the Nebraska quarterback mold, adding that pocket passers have not traditionally thrived in Lincoln and that Colandrea’s unpredictability has made the offense exciting.
That same connection has carried over to Kwazi Gilmer, who has quickly become a major piece of the passing game. Schnieder said the Colandrea-Gilmer chemistry is easy to spot, and the UCLA transfer leads Nebraska receivers with 26 targets, 18 catches, 240 yards and four touchdowns. He described Gilmer as a complete WR1 type with speed, deep-ball ability and sharp route-running, and said Nebraska’s receivers are one of the team’s biggest strengths.
The offense, though, is not just about one receiver. Schnieder said Nebraska’s success has come from Colandrea’s off-schedule playmaking, which opens up explosive inside and outside zone runs before the Huskers hit a play-action shot downfield.
He added that the offensive line has held up better than in previous seasons and that Nebraska is finishing drives at a 94.1% clip in the red zone. The concern, in his view, is self-inflicted damage: penalties have repeatedly hurt the Huskers and still need to be cleaned up if they want to stay in the mix over the next two months.
Nebraska’s defense has also taken a noticeable step forward. Schnieder said Rob Aurich has been a WOW so far in Lincoln, with the biggest surprise coming from the defensive line.
What was a weakness a year ago has become a strength, as the front seven is stuffing the run and the pass rush has started to pop. He singled out former five-star+ EDGE Williams Nwaneri, who had two of Nebraska’s six sacks at Michigan State, and said the entire rush has been eye-opening.
Even with that progress, Maryland may have one avenue to stress the Huskers. Schnieder said Nebraska can struggle against tempo, pointing to Michigan State’s 79-yard drive that came when the Spartans sped things up. That makes Malik Washington and Maryland’s up-tempo offense a real concern for him.
The conversation also turned to the bigger picture under Matt Rhule, especially after Trae Taylor’s commitment gave Husker fans something to latch onto. Schnieder said the pledge has helped “shine a light at the end of the tunnel,” but stressed that Rhule is still in win-now mode.
He pointed to the current college football climate and said excuses do not go far anymore, citing Curt Cignetti’s work at Indiana as proof. He also said Nebraska has the facilities and fan base to win, noting that basketball, baseball, volleyball and wrestling are all thriving.
Even so, he said Year 4 under Rhule only looks promising for now, and that November will tell the real story. Rhule is 2-10 in that month since taking the Husker job.
In Other News...
Mike Locksleys Future Just Became Marylands Biggest Story
Marylands football season has drifted into an uncomfortable place, with recent losses only sharpening the scrutiny around Mike Locksley and the direction of the program. The Terps have had trouble on both sides of the ball, especially with the rushing attack and defensive performance, and the frustration around the team has turned the bye week into a natural checkpoint for a major decision.
Athletic director Jim Smith appears to be waiting for the right moment to act, if that is where this goes, with an eye toward making any transition as smooth as possible. If Maryland does make a move, the early names floating around for an interim role include Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, Matt Barnes and Kyle Schmitt, which only underscores how much of the programs immediate future is now hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Washington Suddenly Faces A Bigger Maryland Concern
Malik Washingtons latest outing against UCLA was the kind that can reshape how a quarterback is viewed, even when the bigger body of work still looks encouraging. After a poor performance that included no touchdowns and four interceptions, CBS Sports dropped the Maryland signal-caller to No. 31 in its latest Quarterback Power Rankings, a sharp reminder of how quickly things can change when the numbers turn sour.
Even so, Washingtons season has not been defined by one rough afternoon. He has already topped 1,000 passing yards, thrown six touchdowns and completed 65.6 percent of his passes, signs that his development is still moving in the right direction. Maryland also has reason to value him beyond the box score, given the national recognition he has received for leadership and community involvement, but the bigger concern now is whether the recent slide becomes a pattern. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Just Got A New Wrinkle In Nebraskas Offensive Outlook
Nebraskas Week 5 injury report has added a little more uncertainty to the matchup Maryland is preparing for, and the biggest name on it may be freshman running back Jamal Rule. The Cornhuskers also listed junior wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. as questionable and junior offensive lineman Brendan Black as probable, giving the Terps a better sense of which parts of the offense might be adjusted by kickoff.
The more significant development is at tight end, where junior Carter Nelson is out and expected to miss an extended period. For Maryland, the practical question is how much Nebraska can lean on the rest of its offense if those personnel notes hold, and whether the Terps will see a different-looking attack than the one they spent the week studying. [Read more 🡒]