For the first time under coach David Braun, Northwestern has dropped two consecutive games. Having bounced back from every loss during the last two years, Braun’s squad will look to avoid making it three straight losses against Maryland.
The Wildcats’ (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) 41-24 defeat to then-No. 23 Indiana makes Friday night’s primetime outing in College Park all the more important. With a difficult conference schedule ahead, the ’Cats will have to seize the day.
On Sept. 28, the Terrapins (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) took on the Hoosiers and suffered a similar loss, falling 42-28. Coach Michael Locksley’s team is coming off a bye this week.
NU and Maryland have faced off four times previously, with the ’Cats prevailing in three of the outings — including last season’s victory at Ryan Field.
Here’s what to watch for as both teams hope to avoid falling to 0-3 in conference play.
Maryland’s passing offense
In his first year at the helm of the Terrapins’ offense, quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. ranks fourth in passing yards and is tied for fourth in passing touchdowns in the Big Ten. He has flourished under center, throwing for at least 250 yards and two touchdowns in each game this season.
It doesn’t get easier for NU. Wide receiver Tai Felton leads the Big Ten in both receptions and receiving yards with 46 and 642, respectively. Both figures rank in the top ten in the nation. Although Felton left his last game prematurely with injury, Locksley said he expects him to return to the lineup this week.
Through two conference games, the ’Cats have already faced off against some of the Big Ten’s top signal callers in Washington quarterback Will Rogers and Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke. Both threw for over 200 yards and two touchdowns against NU.
“We have to do a better job of forcing the quarterback to process post-snap,” Braun said. “From the conversations we’ve had over the last couple days, I’m confident that we’re going to get that cracking.”
Felton has exceeded 100 yards and a touchdown in four of his five games this season. Braun said the defense has to be aware of where he is lined up at all times.
Redshirt sophomore defensive back Theran Johnson is coming off a game where he had three pass breakups and was named to the Pro Football Focus Team of the Week. He presumably will be matched up with Felton.
Braun also noted that the team cannot “strictly just gameplan around trying to shut down one guy,” acknowledging the other playmakers that Maryland has at its disposal.
“Credit to Maryland and Indiana,” Braun said. “I think what makes these guys so difficult to defend is not only just the one primary receiver who maybe gets the most notoriety. There’s a ton of depth in that room at Maryland.”
Winning the turnover margin
The Terrapins’ turnover margin is tied for the NCAA-high with James Madison. Beyond Edwards Jr.’s ability to take care of the football — having thrown just two interceptions this season — Maryland forces turnovers more than almost any team in the country.
“We got to find a way on Friday night to flip that narrative,” Braun said. “It’s an impressive stat. It’s a credit to all three phases of their game in terms of protecting the football and finding ways to take it away.”
The Terrapin defense has picked off the opposing quarterback eight times, while recovering six fumbles. Just four players in the Big Ten have notched three interceptions this season, and Maryland has two of them in defensive backs Glendon Miller and Jalen Huskey.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch and the ’Cats played turnover-free football against Indiana, a vast improvement from his Big Ten debut against Washington on Sept. 21.
On the other side of the ball, however, the ’Cats failed to force the Hoosiers to blink as Rourke and company had zero turnovers and scored on seven consecutive drives to solidify a dominant 41-point showing.
“For us, the equation for winning football here at Northwestern is to win the turnover margin,” Braun said. “Against Indiana, there was some opportunities for takeaways that we didn’t capitalize on, and those potential takeaways could have played a critical role in a different outcome.”
NU’s defensive line
On Saturday, NU failed to record a sack for the first time this season. In each previous game in this year’s campaign, the defense downed the quarterback at least twice.
Rourke also threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns, the best performance by a quarterback against the ’Cats this season. Indiana’s 529 total yards marked the most that NU has faced under Braun’s tenure.
“We got to win first and second down to get third down situations, which we struggled with the last two weeks,” defensive line coach Christian Smith told The Daily on Tuesday.
Braun echoed a similar sentiment in his Monday press conference, specifically pointing to the juncture toward the start of the fourth quarter. With the score 27-24 in Indiana’s favor, the Hoosiers converted a third and nine that could have forced a three-and-out. They went on to score a touchdown on that drive.
In Maryland’s most recent outing — which also came against Indiana — they allowed five sacks.
Last year, the ’Cats recorded six sacks, a season-high, against Maryland in a victory. If the defensive line can bring similar production, NU could find itself in the win column in Big Ten play for the first time this season. Smith has already outlined the key to success Friday night.
“It’s being confident in ourselves, reading our keys and rushing together,” he said. “(Their) quarterback is mobile. He can run around a little bit, so I think it’s not only about just one guy. It’s about having great rush lanes and four guys working on a string.”
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