First Glance Preview: Hoosiers Host Maryland as 2018 Season Hit Final Quarter

Image: Sarah Miller Hoosier Huddle

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

After an open week November 3rd, the Hoosiers return to action on November 10th in Bloomington when they face the Maryland Terrapins. The Hoosiers have gone 2-2 against the Terps since they joined the Big Ten in 2014. Last year saw Maryland shock the Hoosiers 42-39 in a game that haunted IU when the season ended. The Hoosiers have been emphasizing the need to 'Finish' heading into 2018 and this game represents the start of the fourth quarter of the season. 

Week Eleven

Date & Time: Saturday, November 10th, TBA

Venue: Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN

TV: TBA

Terrapins at a Glance

Head Coach: D.J. Durkin (As of Publishing)

Entering his 3rd Season Overall and 3rd at Maryland

Overall Record: 11-15

At Maryland: 10-15

Maryland Last Season: 4-8 (2-7) Tied for 6th in the Big Ten East

Terrapin Returning Leaders

Passing: Max Bortenschlager (51.9 percent, 1,313 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs)

Rushing: Ty Johnson (137 att. 875 yards 6.4 YPC 6 Total TDs)

Receiving: Tavion Jacobs (47 rec. 553 yards 11.8 YPR 5 TDs)

Tackles: Nickel back Antoine Brooks (77 tackles 8.5 TFL, 1 Sack, 3 Pass Defensed)

Pre-Season Predictions

Athlon’s: 5h in the Big Ten East

Lindy’s: 5th in the Big Ten West

Street & Smith’s: 5th in the Big Ten East

Phil Steele: 5th in the Big Ten East

Impact Newcomers for Terrapins

1. Chicoziem Okonkwo, TE- Maryland tight ends were a non-factor last season no one listed at the position had a catch. Okonkwo is a true freshman who should change that and give the Terrapins a threat at the position. He’s a 6’2” 226-pound prospect who was rated as the eighth best tight end in high school by ESPN.

2. Jospeh Petrino, K- In order to get to a bowl game Maryland needs to find a reliable place kicker. Both place kickers from 2017 have graduated and Joseph Petirno, a big-time kicking prospect out of Georgia. He can kick with both legs and had elite leg strength. The job is his to lose.

3. Tre’ Watson, LB- Watson is a familiar face to Big Ten fans as he played three seasons at Illinois. He made 15 starts and recorded 188 tackles and 10 TFLs in his time in Champaign. He’s a plug-and-play guy.

4. Byron Cowert, DE- The former Auburn Tiger played one season in the SEC playing in 10 games and making six tackles. Cowert decided to transfer in 2017 to Hillsborough Community College before landing at Maryland. He’s a former five-star prospect with a lot to prove. At 6’4” 293 pounds, Cowert could be a force on the edge.

Offensive Preview

Ty Johnson image: Getty Images

Maryland will have a new offensive coordinator this season as D.J. Durkin has brought in former Hoosier OC Matt Canada to spruce up the offense, however Maryland’s identity will likely be run-first.

Maryland has two very good running backs in Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison that they’ll build their offense around. Johnson, now a senior, has 2,129 career rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns. He’s an explosive runner who is extremely dangerous on the outside. Johnson 235 career yards against IU in three games. Harrison, a junior, is just 5’8” but is a pain in the butt to tackle as he gets lost behind his blockers. He has 1,255 career yards and eight touchdowns, including 85 against the Hoosiers a year ago.

Maryland’s quarterback situation was a mess last season as they lost their top two quarterbacks before the quarter pole. While the Terrapin quarterbacks do run a lot, Maryland will have to pass the ball in order to take the pressure off the run game.

Junior Tyrell Pigrome won the job out of camp in 2017 and helped lead the Terps to a win at Texas, a game in which he was lost for the year. Pigrome completed nine-of-12 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns in that game. He played in 11 games as a true freshman and completed just 52.1 percent of his passes for 322 yards, two scores and two picks. Pigrome also ran 11 times for 64 yards and a score. He needs to improve his consistency as a passer if he wants to win the starting job again.

The second quarterback Maryland lost last year, this time in game three, was Kasim Hill. As a true freshman in 2017, Hill completed 18-of-21 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for another 60 yards and a touchdown. He has a higher ceiling than Pigrome, but has only parts of three games of experience. Max Bortenschlager, the emergency option last season, is back after a valient effort in 2017.

Who the quarterbacks throw to is a big question as the Terrapins lose All-Big Ten wide out D.J. Moore. Tavion Jacobs is back after hauling in 47 pitches for 553 yards and five touchdowns. He’s not big at just 5’11” 170 pounds but is quick and can make guys miss. Maryland really doesn’t have a deep threat and their offense isn’t geared to throw it over the top in the passing game anyway. The other wide receivers in the rotation (D.J. Turner, Rayshad Lewis, Jahrvis Davenport and Jeshaun Jones) only combined for 18 catches and 155 yards in 2017.

The Maryland offensive line returns all five starters from 2017, but depth will be an issue as there is a lot youth there and Jordan McNair, who was listed as a rotation player, tragically passed away from heat stroke after an off-season workout on June 13th. The starting five of Damian Prince at right tackle, Derwin Gray at left tackle, Brendan Moore at center and Sean Christe and Terrance Davis at the guard positions is a veteran laden group that finished 69th in rushing a season ago. With a healthy Hill or Pigrome at QB, those numbers should go up. However, the depth just isn’t there.

We briefly talked about the Terps tight end situation above and there is a job to be taken there. Senior Avery Edwards is listed as the starter, but true freshman Chig Okonkwo will be nipping at his heels all fall. Maryland got zero production from that position last year, that will have to change.

Defensive Preview

Maryland finished 87th in total defense a season ago and allowed a whopping 37.1 points per game (120th). This was a bad defense last season and it will lose its best player, Jermaine Carter. However, Maryland does return five of their top seven tacklers from a season ago.

The defensive line will be headlined by rush-end Byron Cowert who is a former five-star recruit that transferred in from junior college. He brings size and talent to a unit that needs to bother the quarterback. Around Cowert will be nose tackle Adam McLean who made 11 tackles in 2017 and defensive tackle Mbi Tanyi (20 tackles, 2 TFLs). Hybrid linebacker/defensive end Jesse Aniebonam is back after missing all but one game in 2017. He led the Terrapins in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (9) in 2016. If Aniebonam can return to form, the Maryland defense just became that much better.

The linebacking corps will get a boost from Tre’ Watson, a grad transfer from Illinois, who is a proven Big Ten commodity and will start at the weak-side linebacker spot. In the middle will be Isaiah Davis who had just one start and 17 tackles last season.

Like the Hoosiers, the Terrapins deploy five defense backs as their base defense. The back five is headlined by Darnell Savage, who is a heck of a player. Savage enters his senior season with 130 tackles, 12 pass break ups and a pick. He is a little undersized but can lay down big hits. Sophomore Antwaine Richardson will man the free safety spot after posting 24 tackles in 2017. Antoine Brooks, a junior, will get the nod at nickel back. Brooks was the team’s second leading tackler in 2017 with 77 including 9.5 TFLs. He also picked off two passes.

Maryland will welcome another transfer in Marcus Lewis at corner back. Lewis started 15 games at Florida State before leaving. He is 6’1” and 190 pounds and can matchup with the bigger receivers in the league. At the other corner is Tino Ellis, another big corner at 6’1” 193 pounds. Ellis played in all 12 games last year making 27 tackles.

Special Teams Preview

Maryland returns punter Wade Lees who has to improve after a down season in 2017 where he averaged just 39 yards per punt. The Terrapins will have to turn to a true freshman for the place kicking duties in Joseph Petrino, who has shown a big leg and has earned the confidence of head coach D.J. Durkin.

Maryland has plenty of weapons in the kick return game as four players netted over 100 kick return yards in 2017. Ty Johnson is a home run threat and led the team with 27 returns for 657 yards and a touchdown.  Punt return is where Maryland will need to do some digging as D.J. Moore is playing on Sundays. Reserve players Jake Funk and Jahrvis Davenport will get the first shot at the job, both have good speed and can make people miss.