Terps Football: 5 Thoughts Before Maryland/Penn State

Opponent: #12 Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten Conference)
Location: Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium (51,802)
Date: Friday, September 27, 2019
Time: 8:00 PM ET
TV/Radio Broadcasts: Fox Sports 1, Maryland Sports Radio Network
Series Record: 39-2-1 Penn State

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Coming off of a bye week following their disappointing loss to Temple, the Maryland Terrapins begin their conference schedule on Friday night in College Park against one of the best teams in the country. The 12th-ranked Nittany Lions come to town boasting a 3-0 record after victories over Idaho, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. Like Maryland, they didn’t play last week. In what’s set to be the biggest football game on campus in many years, head coach Michael Locksley and his team will need to play much better than they did two weeks ago if they hope to pull the upset and add another headstone to the football team’s graveyard.

1. Which Maryland Team Shows Up?

After averaging 72.5 points in their first two games against Howard and Syracuse, the Terrapins’ offense fell flat and scored just 17 points in Philadelphia two weeks ago. Nothing went right from the beginning, as the team failed to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities. If they hope to upset Penn State on Friday night, they’ll need to look much more like the team we saw during the first two weeks of the season than the one that fell flat against Temple. Last time the Nittany Lions traveled to College Park, they put a 66-3 shellacking on the Terrapins. With more hype surrounding this game than any in recent memory, the team has no excuse but to play with relentless energy for 60 minutes.

2. How Good Is Penn State?

So far this season the Nittany Lions haven’t been truly tested, and their #12 ranking is primarily due to their #15 ranking in the preseason. Idaho and Buffalo presented no real challenges, and they squeaked out a 17-10 win two weeks ago at home against Pittsburgh. Their offense has been good and balanced, but not great. Defensively, their run defense has been excellent but they’ve struggled against the pass. It’s tough to know what to make of head coach James Franklin’s squad, but how they perform in this game will likely be an indicator of what’s to come in 2019.

3. Josh Jackson Must Lead The Way

In order to upset a team like Penn State, you have to have excellent play from your quarterback. When the Terrapins nearly knocked off Ohio State at home last season they were led by Tyrrell Pigrome, who made some spectacular plays in the waning minutes to put the team in a position to win. Jackson was nearly perfect through the first two weeks of 2019, but struggled mightily against Temple. He’ll need to make much better reads on Locksley’s run-pass options (RPOs), and will almost certainly be called upon to make some big throws down the field. On third downs, he’ll have to keep the chains moving with his arm. Against a pass defense that has struggled so far this season, completing those tough mid-range and deep passes will be one of the biggest keys to Maryland pulling off an upset on Friday night.

4. Make Sean Clifford Beat You

After Trace McSorley graduated after last season, it was assumed by most people that Tommy Stevens would take over the reins as Penn State’s starting quarterback. But he followed former offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead to Mississippi State, leaving Franklin with Clifford as his signal-caller in 2019. He’s a 6’2” 216-pound redshirt sophomore from the state of Ohio, and hasn’t been asked to do much so far this season. He’s completing just under 59% of his passes and has accounted for 6 touchdowns and no turnovers. Against Pittsburgh two weeks ago, he was just 14-for-30 passing for 222 yards and no touchdowns. He also added just 5 yards on the ground on 7 carries.

The key to slowing down this Penn State offense seems to be to put the ball in Clifford’s hands and make him beat you with his arm. While their rushing offense hasn’t been great so far, running backs Journey Brown and Devyn Ford are explosive and can break off some big runs. Keying on stopping the run has to be a priority for defensive coordinator Jon Hoke. Fortunately for the Terrapins, their run defense has been very good thus far in 2019.

5. Clear Eyes, Full Hearts

CAN’T LOSE.

Dillon vs. Laribee; Maryland vs. Penn State.
Coach Taylor vs. Coach Dickies; Coach Locksley vs. Coach Franklin.

It’s a big test for the Terrapins in their first Friday Night Lights game since joining the Big Ten Conference. All classes on campus after noon are cancelled, and 1,000 temporary student seats were added in the form of bleachers on the concourse in the closed end of the stadium. The Terrapins have beaten the Nittany Lions just twice since 1917. They’re hoping to make it 3 on Friday night.

“Opportunity does not knock. It presents itself when you beat down the door.” -Coach Eric Taylor, (Friday Night Lights, NBC)