Maryland Looks to Bounce Back Against Undefeated Nebraska
By Brian Hradsky
The Maryland Terrapins head to Lincoln looking for a response.
Maryland will face the undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in one of the Terrapins’ toughest tests of the young season. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern on FS1, with Maryland entering at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten while Nebraska sits at 4-0 and 1-0 in conference play.
For Maryland, this game comes at a critical point. The Terrapins started the season 2-0 with victories over Hampton and UConn before dropping consecutive home games against Virginia Tech and UCLA. The latest loss was particularly damaging, as UCLA overwhelmed Maryland 54-3 in the Terrapins’ Big Ten opener.
Maryland now has to put that performance behind it quickly. Nebraska has been one of the Big Ten’s early surprises and will have the advantage of playing its Homecoming game in Lincoln.
Terps Need a Major Response
There were not many positives for Maryland to take from the UCLA game.
The Terrapins actually played a competitive first quarter and kept the game scoreless through the opening 15 minutes. Everything changed from there. UCLA scored three rushing touchdowns during the second quarter and eventually accumulated 266 rushing yards.
Turnovers made matters significantly worse. UCLA scored 24 points off Maryland turnovers, turning what could have remained a competitive game into a blowout. Malik Washington finished with 142 passing yards, while Chris Durr Jr. caught seven passes for 56 yards.
Maryland cannot afford anything resembling that performance against Nebraska.
The biggest priority is taking care of the football. Nebraska’s defense showed exactly how dangerous it can be when given opportunities in its 31-13 victory over Michigan State. The Cornhuskers forced three turnovers and recorded six sacks while holding Michigan State to just 39 rushing yards.
That creates a difficult matchup for a Maryland offense coming off a turnover-heavy performance.
Nebraska Off to a 4-0 Start
Nebraska has taken care of business through the opening month.
The Cornhuskers defeated Ohio 49-21, Bowling Green 56-7 and North Dakota 34-7 before opening Big Ten play with the 31-13 road victory over Michigan State. Nebraska’s 4-0 start is its best since opening the 2016 season with seven consecutive victories.
Nebraska has also been remarkably balanced offensively. The Cornhuskers enter the Maryland matchup averaging 236.5 rushing yards and 246.3 passing yards per game while scoring 42.5 points per contest.
Quarterback Anthony Colandrea gives Maryland another problem because of his ability to make plays with both his arm and legs. Against Michigan State, Colandrea completed 15 of 27 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns while adding 66 rushing yards.
Maryland struggled badly against UCLA’s rushing attack, so defending Nebraska’s combination of traditional rushing production and quarterback mobility will be one of the biggest challenges Saturday.
Maryland Must Stop the Run
This is where the game could be decided.
UCLA rushed for 266 yards against Maryland, including three rushing touchdowns during the second quarter. Nebraska enters Saturday averaging more than 230 rushing yards per game.
Maryland simply cannot allow Nebraska to consistently gain five or six yards on early downs. If the Cornhuskers establish the run, Colandrea becomes considerably more dangerous because Nebraska can use play action and keep Maryland guessing.
The Terps need their defensive front to play its best game of the season.
Zion Elee provided one encouraging moment against UCLA when he recorded a fourth-down sack. Carlton Smith finished with a season-high nine tackles, while Daniel Wingate forced a fumble that Lavain Scruggs recovered. Maryland forced two fumbles overall despite the lopsided final score.
Those types of disruptive plays need to become consistent Saturday.
Malik Washington Faces a Big Test
Washington’s response will also be important.
Maryland does not necessarily need its quarterback to throw for 350 yards to have an opportunity in Lincoln. It needs him to manage the offense, avoid giving Nebraska short fields and generate enough explosive plays to prevent the Cornhuskers from crowding the line of scrimmage.
Chris Durr Jr. should remain one of Washington’s primary targets. Durr has 312 receiving yards through four games and led Maryland with seven receptions against UCLA.
Nebraska will almost certainly try to make Washington uncomfortable. The Cornhuskers’ six sacks against Michigan State demonstrated their ability to create pressure, and Nebraska defensive coordinator Rob Aurich has a defense that has increasingly generated disruptive plays.
Maryland’s offensive line therefore has to give Washington enough time to operate. Getting the ball out quickly with screens, short passes and high-percentage throws could help neutralize some of Nebraska’s pressure.
Maryland Has Won in Lincoln Before
There is at least some recent history Maryland can use for confidence.
The Terrapins’ last trip to Memorial Stadium ended with a 13-10 Maryland victory on Nov. 11, 2023. Jack Howes kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired, while Maryland’s defense forced five Nebraska turnovers.
Nebraska got revenge last season.
The Cornhuskers came to College Park and defeated Maryland 34-31, giving Nebraska a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. Interestingly, the visiting team has won each of the past three meetings, and the previous two games were decided by three points apiece.
Maryland would certainly welcome another close game after what happened against UCLA.
Keys for Maryland
Protect the football: Nothing is more important. Maryland cannot give an undefeated Nebraska team additional possessions and short fields. The Cornhuskers just forced three turnovers against Michigan State, while Maryland’s turnovers directly contributed to 24 UCLA points.
Slow Nebraska’s rushing attack: Maryland’s run defense has to be significantly better than it was against UCLA. Allowing Nebraska to control the game on the ground would make an already difficult road matchup considerably harder.
Get Washington comfortable early: Maryland needs completions and first downs early in the game. A few successful opening drives could settle Washington and prevent the Nebraska crowd from completely taking over.
Create explosive plays: Long scoring drives will be difficult against Nebraska’s defense. Maryland needs Durr and its other playmakers to turn a handful of opportunities into chunk gains.
Start fast: Nebraska has outscored opponents convincingly during its 4-0 start. Maryland cannot allow another game to get away from it during the first half. Staying within one possession into the second half would dramatically change the pressure of the game.
A Difficult Stretch Begins
Saturday also begins a particularly challenging portion of Maryland’s schedule.
After Nebraska, the Terrapins travel to Columbus to face No. 5 Ohio State on Oct. 10 before returning home against Rutgers. Maryland will later face Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, USC and Penn State during Big Ten play.
That makes the Nebraska game important beyond one result. Maryland needs to show that the UCLA performance was an aberration rather than the beginning of a prolonged slide.
A competitive performance in Lincoln would be a start. A victory would completely change the direction of Maryland’s season.
MSB Take
Maryland could not have played much worse against UCLA, and now the Terrapins have to walk into Memorial Stadium and face an undefeated Nebraska team playing with confidence.
This matchup starts with turnovers and run defense. Maryland gave UCLA far too many opportunities and then allowed the Bruins to dominate on the ground. Nebraska has the personnel and offensive balance to exploit those same problems if Maryland has not corrected them.
The Terps have shown before that they can win in Lincoln. They did it in 2023 by forcing five turnovers and playing disciplined football for four quarters. Maryland probably needs a similar formula Saturday: protect the ball, force Nebraska into mistakes, keep the game close and give Washington an opportunity to make plays in the fourth quarter.
More than anything, Maryland needs to show some fight after the 54-3 loss. This is an opportunity for the Terrapins to demonstrate that one terrible Saturday will not define their season.
