Maryland (4-0, 1-0 B1G) vs. #5 Iowa (4-0, 1-0 B1G)
When: Fri., Oct. 1 | 8:05 p.m. EST
Where: Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium
Watch: Fox Sports 1 - Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman
Listen: 1300 AM (Balt) / 980 AM (DC) - Johnny Holliday, Steve Suter
It’s finally gameday as Maryland welcomes fifth-ranked Iowa into College Park for the Terps’ first matchup against a ranked opponent this season. Maryland enters Friday night with all the buzz on the offensive side of the ball as quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is on pace to set the all-time Maryland record for passing yards in a season. Meanwhile, wide receiver duo Rakim Jarrett and Dontay Demus have combined for the second-most yards (446) among any pass catching duo across Power Five football this season. Maryland’s offensive line was also tabbed as the ‘offensive line of the week’ by Pro Football Focus after last weekend’s 37-16 win over Kent State.
But the offense will face an Iowa defense that statistically sits at the top of the Big Ten through the first four weeks. Iowa holds the best scoring defense (11 ppg) in the Big Ten and ninth nationally and leads the conference in interceptions (6), sits third in both total defense (271.5 ypg) and run defense (84.5 ypg), while sitting fourth in pass defense (187 ypg). Iowa’s defense has turned the nine forced turnovers into 51 points while Hawkeye linebacker Jack Campbell ranks third in the Big Ten with 43 tackles. So where can Maryland take advantage of Iowa? What are the biggest matchups to watch? We break it all down in our keys to victory.
Keys to victory
Efficiency out of Lia
It’s fair to say that Iowa’s nine forced turnovers through the first four weeks are a bit deceiving, but it’s also credit that this Hawkeyes defense puts themselves in position to capitalize on opposing offenses mistakes. Iowa forced four turnovers against Iowa State three weeks ago, three of which were interceptions by quarterback Brock Purdy as he was late on one throw and had another tipped at the line of scrimmage. But the Hawkeyes have the talent to make the Terps’ offense pay if misreads and drops continue as they’re led by senior corner Riley Moss in the secondary. The 6-foot-1 defensive back enters Friday with 19 career start and eight career interceptions, including a pair that were pick sixes in the 34-6 Week One win over Indiana, while cornerback Matt Hankins is another who came down with two of the three interceptions in the win over Iowa State.
Enter Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who has just one interception through his first four games this season. The lone miscue came in last week’s win over Kent State as Tagovailoa’s pass to WR Rakim Jarrett was slightly behind him, but proved to be the consequence for Maryland’s dropped passes through the first half. The miscue, however, has proven to be an outlier when analyzing Tagovailoa’s results thus far as the second-year starter has taken a noticeable step forward. Taulia’s decision-making, pocket presence while leaning on his mobility to extend plays has helped the Terps’ aerial attack, but how well he maintains that presence against the Hawkeyes might be the biggest key to victory. Maryland has done well with their route concepts to open up the field, but the wide receiver room has a chance to break into the second level behind the linebackers where the Hawkeyes are susceptible to the big play. It’s how receiver Dontay Demus scored the game’s first touchdown one week ago and those opportunities could reemerge for the Maryland offense on Friday night.
Control the line of scrimmage
But the passing attack would be nothing if Maryland can’t win the battles in the trenches. Maryland’s offensive line has played well through the first four weeks and are coming off being named the offensive line of the week in Week Four, but they’ll go against a Hawkeye front that features a combined 25 combined starts. Behind them is where Maryland’s offensive line can bend but not break as the Hawkeyes feature a trio of linebacker standouts led by Jack Campbell with Seth Benson and Jestin Jacobs alongside him. Campbell has made just five career starts but is coming off an 18-tackle performance where the tenacious linebacker has been a proven force in run support. Maryland’s offensive line has found themselves up against a pair of talented defensive lines thus far as they’ve faced off against both West Virginia and Illinois, but the physicality that the Hawkeyes bring might be the toughest test to-date. It helps that the line is riding the high of their Week Four performance against Kent State, but I suspect the tackle rotation might not be as frequent against the Hawkeyes as it was against the Golden Flashes.
On the flip side, the Hawkeyes will have a traditional Iowa offensive line that features a trio of 6-foot-6 studs, including preseason All-American center Tyler Linderbaum. He's started in all but one of his 26 career games at center and anchors a Hawkeyes offensive line that's largely been efficient, though have allowed one more sack than Maryland at this point in the season. They’ve proven to be strong in pass pro to allow veteran quarterback Spencer Petras to find time in the pocket. Maryland has leaned on Greg Rose and Anthony “Tank” Boooker in their rotation with starting linemen Ami Finau, Sam Okuyainonu, and Mosiah Nasili-Kite but this will be the first true traditional Big Ten line, proving a chance for the improved line to prove themselves against stiff competition.
Find the tight ends
I’ve talked a lot about the Maryland offense against the Iowa defense, mostly because I think if the Terps can find success with the ball against the Hawkeyes they have a good chance to pull out the victory. But on the other side of the ball, the Terps will have to battle through depth in the inside linebacker room with both Fa’Najae Gotay and Branden Jennings out for Friday night’s affair. That places a larger emphasis on veteran Ahmad McCullough, Gereme Spraggins, walk-on Kobi Thomas, and Osita Smith in the mix. With the nod likely going to McCullough and Spraggins sharing the load at the WILL alongside heat-seaking missle Ruben Hyppolite, the biggest worry about the Hawkeyes’ offense is at a position that at times has been an Achilles’ heel for Maryland’s defense: the tight end.
6-foot-4 junior tight end Sam LaPorta is a dynamic tight end that's proven to be a favorite for Petras as he averages roughly four catches for 50 yards a game. He leads Iowa in targets and receptions and is dynamic in the second level, an aspect that could stretch the Terps' defense given the linebacker depth. Hyppolite has shown he has the speed to cover downfield but safeties Nick Cross and Jordan Mosley will need to provide the help over the top. Petras has been proven to be efficient with just a pair of touchdowns and zero interceptions to-date, but the targets to LaPorta are inevitable. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Iowa look to grind out a gime by controlling the time of possession and giving running backs Tyler Goodson, who averages five yards per carry, and backup Ivory Kelly-Martin an opportunity to build a rushing attack. But LaPorta will be right there to attack through the air, testing the Terps’ linebackers.
Discipline
You’ve heard Maryland talk about playing to a standard in 2021, but even head coach Mike Locksley admitted one week ago that the Terps didn’t play up to it against Kent State. “You know I'm okay as I've said with...the in the middle of the play penalties, holding, pass interference, those things are hard to guard against but it’s the end of the play penalties and those pre-snap penalties that are really irritating for us as a coach and you know, at some point we got to get this thing fixed.” Friday would be a great time to fix it as the Terps enter Friday as the second-most penalized team in the Big Ten, while Iowa sits as the second-least penalized team in the Big Ten. Maryland averages three penalties and roughly 30 yards per game more than the Hawkeyes have accounted for thus far in 2021, and this is the type of game where the penalty yardage will make a difference. I’ve gone back and forth on a winner for Friday night but I predicted on the latest episode of Shell-N-Tell that Maryland will pull out a 24-20 win. I think Maryland is a mentally tougher team than in years past that can fight through an early or midgame deficit if the situation comes of it, but the pre-snap and post-play penalties will prove to be the biggest ‘X’-factor within the Terps’ control. Whether they play to that standard will be seen at 8 P.M. in ‘The Shell.’
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