Behind Enemy Lines: Indiana edition

John Gugs
5 days ago
4 min read

After their third consecutive one-score loss, Maryland football welcomes the second-ranked Indiana Hoosiers to College Park as the Terps look for their first top-five win since beating FSU in 2004. So what should Maryland fans expect as a three-touchdown underdog at home? We go behind enemy lines with Seth Tow of The Daily Hoosier to get some insight into this year’s Indiana team and see what to expect on Saturday.

IBG: Indiana’s offense does well taking care of the ball with just four interceptions in 2025. Maryland is second in the country in getting interceptions. What does Indiana need to do to play clean on Saturday?

Seth Tow: Fernando Mendoza does a really good job of keeping the ball out of harm's way. At least one or two of those interceptions came on tips or drops that weren't really his fault. He handles pressure really well, and Indiana's offensive line has done a great job of keeping him pretty clean this season, which helps avoid mistakes. And Mendoza is shifty enough to flee the pocket and pick up yards on the ground when he does start to feel pressure. So IU just needs to keep doing what it's been doing with all of that.

IBG: The Terps average 3.14 sacks per game which is ninth in the country. Indiana has only allowed six sacks so far this season. What has led to Indiana slowing down defenses’ pass rush all season and how do they continue to do so against the Terps front seven on Saturday?

ST: Indiana's offensive line has just played really well this year. Left tackle Carter Smith is one of the best tackles in the country, left guard Drew Evans has played at that level this year, and center Pat Coogan has been excellent. And Bob Bostad's group has faced strong pass rushes already this season in Iowa and Illinois, and Oregon's PFF pass rush grade is pretty similar to Maryland's, so this OL has been tested. Additionally, Indiana's offense runs a lot of RPO action, and those quicker throws can often neutralize opposing pass rush.

IBG: Like Maryland, Indiana is great at creating pressure with 29 sacks this season, second in the country. The Terps, like Indiana, have been great in pass pro this season only allowing two sacks this season. What has led to Indiana being a lethal pass rush unit and how do they continue to do so on Saturday?

ST: Indiana's defensive line has been so dominant this year. The Hoosiers just get consistent pressure on quarterbacks every week, and they control the trenches in the run game really well. Interestingly, they've done that despite Mikail Kamara having a quieter year than expected. Maryland transfer Kellan Wyatt (eight TFLs) was having a terrific season before he got hurt against Michigan State, but Stephen Daley (eight TFLs) stepped into that spot in the middle of a nice year of his own. And defensive tackles Tyrique Tucker (7.5 TFLs) and Mario Landino (4.5 TFLs) have been really productive all year. On top of that, linebacker Isaiah Jones has become a breakout star in the IU defense, with a Big Ten-leading 11 TFLs. Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines does a great job of scheming up blitzes and using stunts to create opportunities. UMD's pass pro has been strong this year, grading 4th in the nation in PFF, but Oregon and Iowa both grade even higher than the Terps, and Indiana's defense was productive in those games. This is also the strongest defensive front Maryland will see this season, so it's a big test for that OL.

IBG: Indiana has the third-best scoring defense (10.88 points per game), and the seventh best total defense (242.8 yards per game). What has led to their success all season long and how do they continue that success against a Terps offense averaging 28.2 points per game and 349.5 yards per game?

ST: The defensive line I wrote about in the last question has really been the catalyst for Indiana's strong defense this year. IU plays a lot of zone in the secondary, which has occasionally led to some breakdowns and communication errors. But those defensive backs are still good — D'Angelo Ponds is one of the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten, and safeties Amare Ferrell and Louis Moore have really good ball skills. And IU's dominant defensive line makes things easier for the secondary, forcing opposing QBs to make tough throws under duress and minimizing the amount of time they have to work with. Indiana's linebackers — Jones, Rolijah Hardy, and Aiden Fisher — have also played really well, and make plays all over the field. Malik Washington has played well for Maryland as a true freshman this year, but Indiana has seen several quarterbacks like him who are kind of dual-threats, including UCLA's Nico Iamaleava and Michigan State's Aidan Chiles the last two weeks.

IBG: What is your score prediction for Saturday and why?

ST: I fear this one could get ugly for Maryland. The Terps have come back to Earth after the big game at Wisconsin, which has played even worse since then. And this Indiana team is just so strong, without a clear weakness. I'm going Indiana 49, Maryland 10.

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