The No. 2 Hoosiers (8-0, 5-0) hit the road to start the month of November as they take on the Maryland Terrapins (4-3, 1-3) at SECU Stadium. As the weather gets colder the race for the Big Ten title and the College Football Playoff are heating up for the Hoosiers. Here is what the Hoosiers have to do to raise the Victory Flag (assuming it has been fixed).
1. Take Care of the Football
Maryland enters Saturday second in the nation in turnover margin at plus-11. They have created 16 turnovers (14 interceptions, 2 fumbles) while giving away the ball just five times. Their secondary has 13 of their 14 interceptions and is part of our matchup to watch this week.
“You’ve got to win the turnover ratio. Turnover ratio equals points.” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said on Monday.
Indiana has scored 48 points off of opponents turnovers this season, including 14 last week against UCLA. Maryland has scored four touchdowns off interceptions alone and 55 points off of opponent turnovers.
2. Win the First Quarter
Both the Hoosiers and Terrapins have been excellent in the first quarter of games. Maryland has a 44-14 advantage while the Hoosiers have outscored their opponents 94-27 in the opening act. Maryland has held fourth quarter leads in all of their games, but have lost three in a row. While winning the first quarter will not guarantee either team a win, the Hoosiers have shut the door on opponents in the fourth quarter much better than Maryland. IU has outscored the opposition 65-22 in the closing quarter while Maryland has limped to the finish line by being outscored 61-24.
3. Win the Lines of Scrimmage
This key to the game could be a permanent fixture in this series. Indiana has dominated both lines of scrimmage for most of the season which has fueled their 8-0 record. Maryland’s defense has 22 sacks and 42 tackles for loss to their name, while Indiana’s offense has surrendered just six sacks and 26 tackles for loss. IU does a great job of getting the ball out of Mendoza’s hand quickly and the ball carriers usually fall forward. Maryland’s offensive line has only allowed two sacks this season, but 31 tackles for loss. Their offensive line has not gone up a defensive line like the Hoosiers this year.
4. Play to the Standard
Many of the comments on this series have jokingly said if IU just shows up they will win. While it’s very simplistic, there is some truth to it. Curt Cignetti has set the standard for this program and if the Hoosiers just show up and play to that standard, they should win.
“So, we’ve done a really good job of protecting the football. We haven’t turned it over hardly at all. We’ve been getting takeaways. I just expect us to practice up to the standard and stack meetings and days, have a great week of preparation, and put it on the field, play 1 to 150.” Cignetti said Monday.
In every game in 2025, the Hoosiers have played to the standard. Whether the play is a success or a failure, the Hoosiers have responded the way that a top-ranked team who is hunting for a national title should.
IU and Maryland kickoff at 3:30pm on CBS on Saturday, November 1st.