Three keys to watch as Maryland football travels to face Nebraska

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Maryland football is in the midst of the low point of the Mike Locksley era as they look to avoid dropping below .500 for the third consecutive season. In order to do that, they will have to hand Nebraska their first loss of the season after outscoring their first four opponents by an average of 30 points with three of the four wins in 2026 materializing at home. We take a look at the three storylines to watch ahead of Saturday's kickoff:

State of Run Defense

RB Jamal Rule remains doubtful, per Thursday's updated injury report, which would pose a question for Nebraska to answer on Saturday. After beginning his college career named the Big Ten Player of the Week, Rule enters week five ranked sixth in the conference and leading all freshmen running back averaging 83.3 yards per game.

The bad news is he's one of two primary options for the Huskers to turn to with junior running back Mekhi Nelson averaging nearly 57 yards per game, in addition to 106 receiving yards and one touchdown on five catches. Sophomore Isaiah Mozee is another key piece of the rushing attack after serving as the lone one averaging under five yards per carry, but the trio have combined for eight touchdowns in four games. That doesn't include Colandrea, who already has over 1,000 yards of total offense with 12 total touchdowns, including two on the ground.

Maryland's run defense struggled mightily in each of the last two weeks, combining to allow over 5.2 yards per carry and six touchdowns. Maybe that would've been an understandable stat for a defensive line that was young and thin one season ago -- not in 2026 after adding multiple veteran pieces to provide the unit with arguably the best depth on paper in over one decade. Now is the time to show it.

Familiar Face in the Gameplan

In addition to Maryland OC Clint Trickett reconnecting with Nebraska OC Dana Holgerson once again, the first time the two have shared the field since Trickett served as WVU's quarterback in 2014. But that isn't the important one to highlight.

There will be a familiar face that fans will get a chance to watch go against Maryland for the third time QB Anthony Colandrea has faced Maryland after falling by six touchdowns across two losses in 2023 then 2024 as the dual threat completed 57.9% of his passes and tossing one touchdown, running for another touchdown to go with five interceptions.

Now, Colandrea has filled in nicely as Rylan Raiola's replacement after completing over 65% of his attempts, throwing for just over 900 yards with ten touchdowns to just one interception. His dual threat ability adds another layer to the Huskers' offense where he ranks fourth on the team with 141 rushing yards in addition to tied with Mekhi Nelson for two rushing TDs.

For a quarterback that already entered the season as one of two FBS QBs to account for 4,000 total yards in 2025, Colandrea adds a challenge for Maryland's defense with the defensive staff looking to replicate Brian Williams' success against the Virginia product. Colandrea has also accounted for at least 250 yards of total offense in all but one game this season with the exception materializing in a limited performance in a blowout win over North Dakota. Though his threat on the ground poses another layer of challenges for a Maryland run defense that has struggled over the last two weeks, Colandrea enters Saturday ranked eighth among FBS quarterbacks with 8,446 career passing yards.

Does a Different Maryland Team Show Up?

The on-field product over last two weeks were undeniably the low points of the Mike Locksley after being humbled by Virginia Tech, then embarassed by UCLA. To add to it, both losses came at home as Maryland soaked in boos from the student section then general public, leading to only more noise surrounding head coach Mike Locksley's status.

It's a matter of when, not if, Maryland ultimately makes a move with all eyes on AD Jim Smith in October as pressure and criticism -- nationally, not just locally anymore -- continues to grow. It's a deflating reality for a program that worked hard to change the direction of the program, watching more players work with each other during the offseason or after practices to get additional work during the height of the Locksley era. Now, Maryland finds itself far removed from the success that fans saw during the three consecutive bowl seasons. But after two consecutive losses at home, does a change of scenary make any difference?

Maryland's lone win against Nebraska came in the last meeting in Lincoln after Jack Howes drilled the game-winning field goal as time expired to clinch bowl eligibility in 2023. Whether Maryland is able to replicate any level of success similar to that day is the question, but so is Maryland's response. With all the noise, after committing to drowning out the outside skepticism, can a Maryland team that has prided itself on chemistry and retention now turn that into production in the first hostile atmosphere on the road?

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