Week 8 brings the Maryland Terrapins into town to play Homecoming date against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Minnesota will be coming off their first bye of the season, and it was much needed to get some defensive players back from injury.
Maryland currently sits at 4-3, but is coming off of their biggest win of the season against USC. These two teams are similar in a lot of ways. They both lean on their passing attacks pretty heavily, but have had inconsistencies on the O-Line. Defense is where things flip around between the two, as Maryland is strong against the run and susceptible to the pass. For Minnesota, it has been the run game that has given them fits all season long. Across the past few years, this matchup has produced many chaotic finishes. Therefore keeping the chaos to a minimum and playing the P.J. Fleck brand of football will be necessary. This game could be critical in getting Minnesota to a bowl game, so taking care of business on Homecoming could put them one big step closer to achieving that.
DO’s
- Operate a balanced offensive attack
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- Maryland owns one of the top rated rush defenses in the BIG10, while being near the bottom in defending the pass. I understand it seems counterintuitive to try and establish a running game, especially for Minnesota who has struggled to run, but it will be necessary. Minnesota was unable to efficiently move the ball against UCLA, mainly due to their rushing attack struggling throughout the game. Therefore after coming off the bye, Brian Callahan will have had ample time to get his group ready to go.
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- Minnesota has been one of the better teams in the nation at forcing turnovers. This trend will need to continue and they will have plenty of opportunities to do so. Billy Edwards Jr. and this Terrapin offense will be throwing the ball 40+ times, as they have done so consistently over their last 3 games. Not only stopping their receivers from getting chunk plays, but getting a red hot Edwards off track with interceptions will be key.
DON’Ts
- Allow the Yearly Homecoming Scare
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- Fleck and Homecomings have gone together like oil and water over the past few years. Could be the reason for this Homecoming being later in the year or could be Fleck wanting it to be closer to Halloween, so that the upset scare will at least be in season. Regardless, Minnesota needs to come out to their packed stadium, start fast, and play a complete game against an opponent that they are favored against.
- Let the Edwards and Felton Connection get into Rhythm
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- Tai Felton has been the guy that Edwards has looked to when he needs a big play, therefore keeping him under wraps will be a priority. The good news is Felton plays on the outside, where he will be matched up with either Justin Walley or Ethan Robinson throughout the game. If he is able to be locked down, the next guy up to try and keep in front of them will be Kaden Prather, Maryland’s WR2.
Score Prediction
Minnesota 33 – Maryland 24
