Hoosier Huddle's Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers vs Maryland Terrapins
/
Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
What: Indiana Hoosiers (4-0) vs. Maryland Terrapins (3-1)
When: Saturday, September 28 at Noon
Where: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN
How to Watch
The game will be broadcast on BTN and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.
Pregame Festivities
Breakfast Club at Upstairs Pub pres. by Hooptea
Doors Open at 7am (First 200 people get a free t-shirt and breakfast)
Uplands Gameday Lager just $4 for every IUFB game this year
New state of the art room (fully functioning ticker, (5) 100" HDTVs, the old IU scoreboard from Assembly Hall
Series History
After playing new opponents for the past few weeks, IU fans are well-acquainted with this week’s matchup. The Maryland Terrapins have been an annual foe since 2014 when Randy Edsall brought the Terps to Bloomington and won 37-15. The two have played each of the past 12 seasons with Indiana winning seven of those matchups. The tide in this series has turned with Maryland responding to an IU three-game winning streak with three victories of their own. Last season’s 44-17 triumph for the Terps was the largest in the series for either team and the way that game played out was one of the final nails in the coffin of the Tom Allen era in Bloomington.
What’s at Stake:
The Indiana Hoosiers are attempting to improve to 5-0 for the first time since the 1967 Rose Bowl season. A win over Maryland would accomplish multiple things: IU would move to within one game of bowl eligibility, be 2-0 in the Big Ten, would grab their second win in a key “swing game”, very likely be ranked in the next edition of the AP and Coaches Polls. Maryland is 3-1 but they lost a tight one to Michigan State and need to avoid going 0-2 in the league, particularly with contests against USC, Oregon and Penn State remaining.
A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR
1. Star Receiver Tai Felton Vs. IU’s Secondary
D’Angelo Ponds has gotten plenty of well-deserved hype for his play during his young collegiate career. The Freshman All-American followed Curt Cignetti to IU from James Madison and he has been stellar as the top cornerback in Indiana’s defense. This is the biggest test for Indiana’s defense so far and Tai Felton is one of the best wide receivers the Hoosiers will see all season. It is possible to claim he’s the best opposing wide receiver outside of Columbus that Indiana will play in 2024. Felton was Preseason All-Big Ten and he has exceeded the hype with 41 receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns through four games. He has at least 117 yards in all four games and three games with more than 150 yards plus he has scored at least one touchdown in each contest. Kaden Prather is the secondary target and he has 21 catches. Billy Edwards Jr. relies heavily on Felton and there is not a lot of balance for the Terrapins. Ponds is significantly smaller than Felton and he will be an absolute handful for the IU secondary to contain.
2. Red Zone and Third Down
The Indiana Hoosiers are second nationally in red zone opportunities and they are converting a prolific percentage of those scoring chances. Maryland has done quite well themselves, reaching the red zone on 18 occasions and scoring 17 times. If either team can limit red zone conversions to field goals or no points at all, they will have a massive leg up in this contest. The other key stat to follow will be third-down conversions. IU has converted 58.54% of third downs and has limited opponents to just 29.17%. That gives the Hoosiers a plus-29 percentage point edge through four games. Maryland is converting 51.61% and allowing 35.09% (a plus-16 percentage point advantage). On the whole, Indiana has been elite on third down (particularly with Kurtis Rourke in the game) while Maryland has been pretty good. One team dominating on third down would be a good barometer for which direction this game goes.
3. Weather Concerns
Weather is somewhat predictable but as of now, a tropical storm is going to make landfall in Florida and make its way north towards Indiana as a tropical cyclone. The remnants of that storm could arrive in Bloomington late on Friday or early on Saturday. There could be 35+ mph wind gusts and heavy rain fall prior to the game and there is a chance it lingers past kickoff. It’s easy to look at this situation and chuckle: Indiana is 4-0 with a massive home game and a chance to “Pack the Rock” so the football gods say, “have a hurricane”! This is a new program and Curt Cignetti will accept no “woe is me” attitude from players, fans or coaches. Regardless of the weather conditions, this coaching staff will have the team ready. Which team does high wind and rain favor? In truth, it is probably not a situation either team wants. Maryland has a pair of really good wideouts and probably feel their best chance on offense is through them. IU has Kurtis Rourke and a deep cast of playmakers and the Terrapins secondary has been suspect against Michigan State and Virginia. The Hoosiers run the ball better than Maryland has but both teams want to be balanced and utilize the passing game. Here’s to hoping for a clean weather game because this could be a very fun clash.