Maryland’s first game against Towson went according to plan, as the Terps won 38-6, and they got the passing game off to the right start. They also rotated players throughout the game early and often with nearly 80 players seeing the field as the staff maximizes the four-game redshirt rule. Maryland will now shift their attention toward Charlotte and first-year head coach Biff Poggi
However, it wasn’t a perfect game, as there is still work to be done. This week’s matchup against Charlotte allows Maryland a chance to move one step closer to where they want to be this year. Here are a few things to keep an eye on Saturday.
Against Towson, the Terps rotated the offensive line early and often to mixed results. The offensive line only gave up one sack all game, giving Taulia enough time to throw for three touchdowns and rush for another. However, Lia still took some big hits, and the running game looked to be a work in progress.
Head coach Mike Locksley hasn’t been shy that his veteran starter has opportunities to grow heading into week two.
“I’m working really hard with Lia to continue to develop him to understand it is okay to throw it away. It’s okay. If things come awry and all of a sudden somebody comes free, get yourself out of trouble, throw it away and play the next down,” Locksley said on Thursday. “And so, to minimize the amount of hits he takes, especially, when he’s outside of the pocket, one of the other things we’ve got to do is really do a better job of pushing up into the interior part instead of floating outside the pocket.”
One week after rolling out 13 different linemen, Maryland will look to tighten the rotation on Saturday night as they look for Gottlieb Ayedze to make his season debut at right tackle. Ayedze was practicing with the second team upon returning, while week one starter Conor Fagen stayed on the first team. Will Ayedze get his first start as a Terp against Charlotte, or will the coaching staff be safe with him and rotate him and Fagan? That remains to be seen, and while the trenches may not see the depth over a 60-minute stretch that compares to the Big Ten, the trenches will face a stiffer test than a week prior.
Maryland’s tackles will be tested by Charlotte defensive ends and former blue-chip prospects Eyabi Okie-Anoma and Demon Clowney, who combined for 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss in the 49ers’ 24-3 win over South Carolina State. The interior of the defense is led by defensive tackles Jalar Holley and Dez Morgan, while former Terp Austin Fontaine is another one to keep an eye on. If Maryland has problems blocking the defensive linemen, it will allow linebackers Prince Bemah, Demetrius Knight, and Nikhai Hill-Green to come through untouched. That’ll prove to be a test for an offensive line that struggled in run protection last weekend. Locksley has talked about the week one to two jump following the Towson win, and this is a clear area for improvement. With a better look at the first-team offensive line this week, fans should get a better idea of what to expect come conference play.
That talent along the Charlotte front seven leads us to what Maryland needs to do: win the ground game.
With the exception of Taulia’s rushing touchdown and late-game rushing to end the game, Maryland’s rushing attack was a non-factor against Towson. Besides that run, Maryland did not have a rush go over 20 yards, and only one went over 15. Roman Hemby led the team in rushing with a touchdown and 58 yards on 12 carries, his longest rush being 14 yards. Antwain Littleton was the other back to have at least 10 carries and rushed for 37 yards with a long of eight. At times, it looked like he had problems going through the holes. Colby McDonald had the longest rush by a Terp running back, with 16 of his 18 rushing yards coming on one carry. He could see more carries come his way this week. Sure, Maryland’s seven drops a week ago were also room for concern as the receivers look to capitalize on big play opportunities Hemby is an explosive play waiting to happen who can dominate a game at any time. None more so than against Northwestern last year when he rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns, the last one being a 75-yarder that ended up being the game-winner.
Then you look at the other side and while Charlotte may have kept their offense vanilla in the week one win, the method of success was clear: run the football. That has always been Poggi’s DNA. Three players finished with at least ten carries last week with true freshman Durell Robinson tallying 71 yards and a touchdown in his first career game. Jalon Jones completed nearly 70% of his passes in the win, but also nearly averaged five yards on his ten carries as he poses the read-option threat.
Maryland’s front seven showed flashes last week, led by a defensive line rotating through its two-deep and a linebacker unit that flashes athleticism. Efficiency in their blitz packages will help keep Charlotte one-dimensional as Kellan Wyatt looks to make an impact while transfer Donnell Brown gets a chance to flash his quickness once more. If Maryland can find success in the box and at the line of scrimmage, Saturday night could ruin Biff’s homecoming. Speaking of homecoming between Maryland and Charlotte…
Charlotte head coach Biff Poggi was busy adding players from the DMV this offseason as he overhauled the roster, which now includes 28 players from St. Frances. This includes starting quarterback Jalon Jones, running backs Durell Robinson and Joachim Bangda, defensive ends Eyabi Okie-Anoma and Demon Clowney, linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green, and defensive back CJ Burton among several others. Six former Terps are also on the team in tight end Joseph Bearns, linebacker TJ Butler, defensive back Isaiah Hazel, defensive linemen Austin Fontaine and Zion Shockley, and offensive lineman Ja’Khi Green while Bearns, Butler, Green, and Shockley were also at St. Frances. One storyline going into this game is with all the familiarity between the two teams, how will that affect the play on the field? There’s little doubt that Charlotte enters Saturday night confident after an offseason filled with chatter.
On the other end, Maryland’s message has been they’re ready to begin competing for conference championships with the locker room development serving as its catalyst. The unsportsmanlike, undisciplined penalties were things fans saw more of in years past and Saturday will undoubtedly test that. Whether Maryland can avoid the unforced errors against Charlotte in hopes of winning its second straight remains to be seen.
Kickoff between Maryland and Charlotte is set for 7:30 PM on Peacock.
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