This weekend the Indiana Hoosiers (2-2) travel to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins (4-0).
The season has been a trying one for Indiana so far. The Hoosiers went from shutting Louisville out in the second half and almost tying with them, to going toe-to-toe for four overtimes with Akron.
Maryland will be another challenge for Indiana. Maryland is gritty, tough and will take advantage of any opportunity. The Terps received 20 votes in the AP poll this week, and ahead of Ohio State next week, they are looking to tack on another win to boost morale and confidence.
So, what does Indiana need to do to win? Here are my three keys to the game.
Take down Tagovailoa
Indiana has to figure out how to contain Taulia Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa is a huge factor in the No. 2 offense in the Big Ten. He is now in his fifth year of college football and knows a thing or two because he has seen a thing or two. Being a dual threat quarterback makes him incredibly dangerous, especially when given too much time.
Last week Indiana struggled with Akron dual threat quarterback DJ Irons. Indiana is in for trouble if they once again struggle with this factor. Tagovailoa is much more meticulous than Irons and has a much more sophisticated presence. So far Tagovailoa has a completion rate of 64.4%, over 1,000 passing yards and is averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
The defensive line is crucial in this game. Ensuring that Tagovailoa does not have time to fully analyze all of his targets nor has a place to run could be the difference between a close game and Maryland running away with it.
Protect the quarterback
Especially when you have a young quarterback such as Tayven Jackson, who is still getting used to the offensive scheme, making time for him is crucial. Against Akron, Indiana only had 282 yards of total offense. That will not cut it for a win against Maryland.
After being the only team in the Big Ten to not have allowed a sack, Indiana gave up three against Akron. Indiana was missing running back Josh Henderson to injury, who has been an important part of integrating the young Jackson into the offense by pass blocking to provide an extra layer of protection. Specifics have not been released on whether he will be available against Maryland.
Regardless, Indiana needs to find a way to protect the quarterback. Maryland leads the Big Ten in turnovers with seven interceptions and four forced fumbles, and if IU can’t make time for Jackson, he could be more likely to turn it over.
Play all four quarters
Indiana has yet to play an entire game to its full capacity. Whether that be the first half, second half or just waiting until overtime, there have not been four consecutive quarters of good football.
Maryland is relatively similar. The Terps have had a few slow starts, allowing 14 points and scoring zero in the first quarter to Virginia, and were down 14-9 at half with Charlotte. Capitalizing on a slow start would put Indiana at a big advantage — the only issue would be maintaining it.
The past two meetings between these teams ended in Maryland wins, 38-33 and 38-35. Both were hard-fought battles until the end. It would not be surprising if this game went the same way. Indiana is going to need every ounce of fight and energy to play out these four quarters and head home with a win.
Prediction
I think Indiana will have its hands full with this Maryland team. However, the past few weeks have consisted of mediocre play-calling, too much inconsistency and lack of focus from the program. Those all take time to fix — time that the team does not have in between Akron and Maryland. My prediction for the final score is 28-17 Maryland.
