Behind Enemy Lines: can Maryland football end B1G losing streak vs. Rutgers?

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Maryland football is set to host Rutgers tomorrow at SECU Stadium for homecoming weekend. Maryland and Rutgers will kickoff in College Park on Saturday, October 17th at 12:30 pm. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network. After traveling to Columbus last weekend to face Ohio State, this is yet another game that Maryland is playing for pride in especially with the homecoming festivities. The Terps enter this contest as 4.5-point favorites, per FanDuel. To learn more, I connected with Richie O’Leary from On3’s The Knight Report to dive into this matchup:

IBG: What did KJ Duff's decision to return to Rutgers last season tell everyone about the program and did it show local recruits that staying home can in fact be an option?

The Knight Report: For one, I think it showed that Rutgers is able to flex its NIL muscles when need be, especially focusing on retention. For the last few years, the Scarlet Knights have excelled at retaining their top talent, even looking back to earlier in the NIL era with players like Kyle Monangai sticking around. One thing Duff emphasized was building his legacy at Rutgers, and it was something emphasized by the coaching staff in their pitch to him. I think Duff staying and continuing to star on the field has given yet another example that you can both a) get paid, and b) build a legacy and become a college football star at Rutgers.

IBG: Despite the season being what it's been, do you feel like there is a silver lining for this program moving forward and what is it?

The Knight Report: If I had to pick one (there aren't many), I would say that the main pillars of retention have continued to take steps forward as individual stars, even if it hasn't translated to wins and losses. KJ Duff, Antwan Raymond, and Kobe Asamoah were the big three returning pieces from last year's team, and they've largely lived up to their billings and even improved at points. Another one I'd point to is that the development at wide receiver and running back continues to be strong behind Raymond and Duff. Other than that, not much else positive around Piscataway this season.

IBG: What will be required from Greg Schiano to continue to lead this football program?

The Knight Report: Winning, point blank, period. When we spoke with Athletic Director Keli Zinn before the season (actually the afternoon of the disastrous season-opening loss to UMass), she said: "I want what he wants, and he wants what I want. What that is, in its simplest form, is to improve what we saw from last year." Barring a truly unforeseen, miraculous turnaround, that improvement off a 5-7 2025 will not happen. Seems like Schiano's fate has already been sealed, but he'll likely get the rest of the season to turn this thing around. If he doesn't, one very big decision will have to be made, whether or not to fire the greatest coach in modern program history.

IBG: In the scenario that it's time for a coaching change, what qualities will Rutgers need to look for in a new coach? Are there any names you have in mind?

The Knight Report: If Rutgers were to make a coaching change this offseason, I think they'll need someone who can identify and optimize talent. The Scarlet Knights sit at around the middle of the pack, towards the lower end, in roster investment this season, so they can get players, but probably not some of the heavy hitters in the portal and high school. I do think they should lean towards someone with head-coaching experience, because Rutgers does provide unique challenges as a program and university for coaches to navigate, but I wouldn't consider it a dealbreaker. Ideally, they should also target someone with some kind of offensive background, mostly because that's the direction of the game now, but also it would be a change of pace from largely the last 25 years, save for a couple, with defensive-minded head coaches. As for names, obviously New Mexico's Jason Eck and Memphis' Charles Huff will be near the top of everyone's lists from the Group of 6 ranks, but I do wonder if Zinn and President William Tate use their LSU connections. The obvious connection would be Brian Kelly, but I'm not too keen on that idea for a few reasons. I'd also maybe look at one of his former coordinators, current Kentucky OC Joe Sloan, for that angle.

IBG: Score prediction?

The Knight Report: I think this game plays out very similar to how it has the last two years, where Maryland connects with a few punches in the first half and looks like it could pull away, but Rutgers eventually flips the script in the second half with its play in the trenches. The Scarlet Knights have also consistently played strong after bye weeks under Greg Schiano, and the Terps look like they're pretty beat up playing their seventh game in seven weeks.

I'll go Rutgers 31, Maryland 23

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