GAME DAY PREVIEW
Thursday, October 24, 2019
2
GAME DAY
PREVIEW TABLE OF CONTENTS
Game Day Preview Fall 2019
An Independent Student Newspaper, Founded in 1900. 2221 University Ave. SE, Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone: (612) 627-4080 Fax: (612) 435-5865 Copyright Š 2019 The Minnesota Daily This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted. OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER
Cleo Krejci Editor-in-Chief ckrejci@mndaily.com (612)-227-5914 Kyle Stumpf Business Operations Officer kstumpf@mndaily.com (612)-435-5772 EDITORIAL STAFF Max Chao Managing Editor mchao@mndaily.com Desmond Kamas Managing Production Editor dkamas@mndaily.com Michelle Griffith Campus Activities Editor mgriffith@mndaily.com Katrina Pross Campus Administration Editor kpross@mndaily.com Madeline Deninger City Editor mdeninger@mndaily.com Audrey Kennedy Features & Freelance Editor akennedy@mndaily.com Paul Hodowanic Sports Editor phodowanic@mndaily.com Nick Jungheim Assistant Sports Editor njungheim@mndaily.com Liv Martin A&E Editor lmartin@mndaily.com Jack Rodgers Multimedia Editor jrodgers@mndaily.com Emily Martens Copy Desk Chief emartens@mndaily.com Cate Tynjala Assistant Copy Desk Chief ctynjala@mndaily.com Creston Halstead Chief Page Designer chalstead@mndaily.com Morgan La Casse Visuals Editor mlacasse@mndaily.com =
=
3 4-5 6 7 8
=
Quick Hitters: Minnesota firing on all cylinders as they prepare for Maryland
=
=
=
Depth charts for the Minnesota Gophers and Maryland Terrapins
Questions from the Other Side: The Diamondback reporter Andy Kostka
Last time between Minnesota and Maryland Daily Breakdown: Gophers significant favorites vs. Maryland
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
EDITORIAL BOARD
Ariana Wilson Editorials & Opinions Editor awilson@mndaily.com BUSINESS Kyle Stumpf Sales Manager kstumpf@mndaily.com David Keane Controller dkeane@mndaily.com =
=
3
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Quick Hitters
Minnesota firing on all cylinders as they prepare for Maryland The lack of mistakes bodes well for Minnesota as they head into the tougher part of their schedule. BY JOHN MILLER jmiller@mndaily.com
The Gophers are playing some of their best football in recent memory, and the program is riding high after getting off to a 7-0 (4-0 in conference) record to start the season. Last week, the Gophers dominated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, winning 42-7. On Sunday, the Gophers moved up from the No. 20 spot in the AP Poll to No. 17. Rodney Smith averaged 5.8 yards per carry on 19 rushing attempts for 111 yards. Smith has now eclipsed 100 yards rushing in four straight games. It was over when... The Gophers were up 28-0 and Rutgers redshirt freshman quarterback J o h n n y L a n g a n t h r ew a p a ss rig h t into the hands of Gophers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who intercepted the ball and took it back 33 yards for a touchdown to give Minnesota a 35-0 lead. Key Play: Up 21-0 over the Scarlet Knights, the Gophers knew that they needed to continue to put points on the board to put the game away. Minnesota was in the red zone at the six-yard line and facing a fourth-and-one situation. Instead of kicking a field goal, the Gophers went for it on fourth down, handing the ball off to running back Mohamed Ibrahim. He would not only pick up the first down, but he would find the end zone to give the Gophers a four-touchdown lead.
imposing his will on opposing defenses. In the last four games, Smith has been a machine, accruing 576 yards rushing yards and 6.93 yards per carry. He also has five touchdowns. Smith has provided stability to the Gophers backfield as they have dealt with injuries early on in the season. 3) Even when quarterback Tanner Morgan struggles, he perseveres. Morgan struggled against Rutgers. He missed open receivers on several occasions and finished the game completing only 53.6% of his passes. Only in two out of seven games this season has Morgan completed less than 60% of his passes. Despite the poor game, Morgan still finished strong with 245 yards passing and two touchdowns. 4) Minnesota’s of fense has not turned the ball over. Turnovers can kill a drive, a game — you name it. If you lose the turnover battle, you’re probably going to lose. Minnesota has turned the ball over eight times through seven games this season, No. 30 in the country. Morgan has only thrown three interceptions all year. Safe to say as long as Minnesota keeps the turnovers down, that will give them a chance to win every game. 5) Penalties? Not a problem. Minnesota is one of the least penalized teams in the nation. As the Gophers prepare to face Maryland, they have the fourth-fewest penalties in the country, averaging 4.28 penalties per game so far this season. The preparation and lack of mental mistakes allows the Gophers to avoid difficult situations on offense and defense.
Five Obser vations: 1) The Gophers’ defense is legit. After starting off the year giving up 29.75 points per game in their first four games, the defense has been knocking the socks off of opposing offenses. In the last three games against Big Ten foes Illinois, Nebraska and Rutgers, the defense has allowed a total of 17 points. Minnesota has now forced 12 turnovers on the season, 9 of which have been interceptions. The Gopher defense ranks seventh in the country in forced interceptions 2) Rodney Smith is dominating. Running back Rodney Smith is
Top, Head Coach P.J. Fleck leads the Gophers onto the field on Saturday, Oct. 20 at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska defeated the Gophers with a final score of 53-28. (Jack Rodgers / Minnesota Daily) Middle, Gopher fans cheer at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily) Bottom, running back Mohamed Ibrahim carries the ball for a big gain late in the fourth quarter at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12. ( Parker Johnson / Minnesota Daily)
Thursday, October 24, 2019
4
MINNESOTA’S DEPTH CHART MINNESOTA COACHES
OFFENSE
P.J. Fleck Kirk Ciarrocca
QB
Joseph Rossi Rob Wenger Kenni Burns Rod Chance Brian Callahan Joe Harasymiak Jim Panagos Clay Patterson Matt Simon
Head Coach Offensive Coordinator Quarterbacks Coach Defensive Coordinator Linebackers Coach Special Teams Coordinator Outside Linebackers Coach Assistant Head Coach Running Backs Coach Cornerbacks Coach Run Game Coordinator Offensive Line Coach Defensive Backs Coach Safeties Coach Defensive Line Coach Tight Ends Coach Passing Game Coordinator Wide Receivers Coach
SPECIAL TEAMS K P LS KR PR H
38 34 47 46 37 39 1 24 82 11 47 46 14
Michael Lantz (5-11, 180, Fr.) Brock Walker (5-10, 200, R-Fr.) Jacob Herbers (6-2, 215, R-Jr.) Alex Melvin (6-4, 200, Grad.) Brady Weeks (6-0, 215, Fr.) Michael Vojvodich (6-3, 220, R-Fr.) Rodney Smith (5-11, 210, R-Sr.) OR Mohamed Ibrahim (5-10, 210, R-So.) Demetrius Douglas (6-0, 190, R-Fr.) Antoine Winfield Jr. (5-10, 205, R-So.) Jacob Herbers (6-2, 215, R-Jr.) Alex Melvin (6-4, 205, R-Jr.) Casey O’Brien (6-1, 175, R-Fr.)
TB
TE
WR WR
WR LT LG C RG RT
2 14 15 1 24 4 21 3 80 42 85 88 13 17 7 82 83 6 18 73 79 77 67 64 60 51 65 78 74
Tanner Morgan (6-2, 210, R-So.) Cole Kramer (6-1, 195, Fr.) OR Jacob Clark (6-5, 220, Fr.) Rodney Smith (5-11, 210, R-Sr.) OR Mohamed Ibrahim (5-10, 210, R-So.) OR Shannon Brooks (6-0, 215, R-Sr.) Bryce Williams (6-0, 205, So.) OR Cam Wiley (6-2, 205, Fr.) Jake Paulson (6-4, 260, R-Fr.) Ko Kieft (6-4, 250, R-Fr.) OR Bryce Witham (6-4, 255, R-Jr.) OR Brevyn Spann-Ford (6-7, 270, R-Fr.) Rashod Bateman (6-2, 210, So.) Seth Green (6-4, 240, R-So.) Chris Autman-Bell (6-1, 215, R-So.) OR Demetrius Douglas (6-0, 195, R-So.) OR Harry Van Dyne (6-5, 215, R-So.) Tyler Johnson (6-2, 200, Jr.) Clay Geary (5-10, 200, R-Jr.) Sam Schlueter (6-6, 325, R-Jr.) Jason Dickson (6-6, 320, R-Jr.) Blaise Andries (6-6, 325, R-So.) OR Nate Umlor (6-5, 300, R-So.) Conner Olson (6-5, 305, R-Jr.) OR John Michael Schmitz (6-4, 300, R-Fr.) Chris Dunlap Jr. (6-5, 345, R-So.) Axel Ruschmeyer (6-4, 305, R-So.) Daniel Faalele (6-9, 400, Fr.) Kyle Sassack (6-7, 315, R-So.)
DEFENSE DE DT DT
DE
LB LB
DB
DB DB DB DB
46 9 90 19 18 52 91 45 12 34 41 55 21 8 14 16 4 7 25 31 6 26 11 1 23 27 22
Winston DeLattiboudere (6-3, 250, R-Jr.) Esezi Otomewo (6-6, 260, R-Fr.) Sam Renner (6-4, 270, R-Sr.) Keonte Schad (6-3, 295, Jr.) Micah Dew-Tredway (6-4, 315, Grad.) Jamaal Teague (6-3, 305, Fr.) OR Noah Hickox (6-4, 295, R-So.) Carter Coughlin (6-4, 245, Jr.) Tai’yon Devers (6-4, 245, Sr.) OR Boye Mafe (6-4, 260, R-So.) Thomas Barber (6-0, 240, Sr.) Mariano Sori-Marin (6-3, 240, So.) Kamal Martin (6-3, 245, Sr.) Thomas Rush (6-3, 230, Fr.) OR Braelen Oliver (6-0, 225, Fr.) Coney Durr (6-10, 190, R-Jr.) Terell Smith (6-1, 195, Fr.) OR Philip Howard (5-11, 195, R-Jr.) Benjamin St-Juste (6-3, 200, Grad.) OR Kiondre Thomas (6-0, 195, R-Jr.) Chris Williamson (6-0, 205, R-Sr.) Justus Harris (5-10, 185, Jr.) Antoine Winfield Jr. (5-10, 204, R-So.) Calvin Swenson (6-1, 210, R-So.) OR Jordan Howden (5-11, 185, Fr.) Tyler Nubin (6-2, 205, Fr.) OR Benny Sapp III (6-1, 205, So.)
5
Thursday, October 24, 2019
MARYLAND’S DEPTH CHART MARYLAND COACHES
OFFENSE
Michael Locksley Scottie Montgomery Jon Hoke
X
John Papuchis Joker Phillips John Reagan Delbert Cowsette Cory Robinson Brian Williams Elijah Brooks Mike Miller
Head Coach Offensive Coordinator Quarterbacks Coach Defensive Coordinator Safeties Coach Special Teams Coordinator Inside Linebackers Coach Co-Offensive Coordinator Wide Recievers Coach Offensive Line Coachr Defensive Line Coach Cornerbacks Coach Outside Linebackers Coach Running Backs Coachr Tight Ends Coach
Z
H Y T G C G
SPECIAL TEAMS K P LS KR
PR
H
27 38 98 99 47 80 20 13 5 13 5 29 41
Joseph Petrino 5-11 182 So.-1V Paul Inzerillo 5-7 181 Jr.-2V Anthony Pecorella 6-2 192 Fr.-HS Colton Spangler 6-1 169 Fr.-HS James Rosenberry5-11 209 So.-1V Noah Barnes 6-5 232 Jr.-2V Javon Leake 6-0 206 Jr.-2V Rayshad Lewis 5-10 177 Jr.-2V Anthony McFarland 5-8 193 So.-1V Rayshad Lewis 5-10 177 Jr.-2V Anthony McFarland 5-8 193 So.-1V Sean Savoy 5-9 184 Jr.-TR Mike Shinsky 5-9 174 Sr.-2V
T RB QB
21 83 7 82 85 15 29 81 9 71 54 70 55 73 55 68 55 72 54 5 20 17 3
Darryl Jones 6-2 192 So.-1V Carlos Carriere 6-5 196 So.-1V Dontay Demus Jr. 6-3 200 So.-1V Isaiah Hazel 6-1 203 Fr.-HS OR Sean Nelson 6-0 188 So.-1V Brian Cobbs 6-2 202 So.-1V Sean Savoy 5-9 184 Jr.-TR OR 1 Tyler Mabry 6-4 248 Gr.-TR Chigoziem Okonkwo 6-2 244 So.-1V Jaelyn Duncan 6-6 323 RFr.-RS Spencer Anderson 6-5 318 RFr.-RS Sean Christie 6-4 294 Gr.-3V Evan Gregory 6-4 308 RFr.-RS Johnny Jordan 6-1 305 Jr.-2V Austin Fontaine 6-3 320 RFr.-RS Ellis McKennie 6-3 310 Sr.-3V Austin Fontaine 6-3 320 RFr.-RS Marcus Minor 6-4 298 So.-1V Spencer Anderson 6-5 318 RFr.-RS Anthony McFarland 5-8 193 So.-1V Javon Leake 6-0 206 Jr.-2V Josh Jackson 6-2 218 JR.-TR Tyrrell Pigrome 5-10 209 JR.-2V
DEFENSE DE N DT JA CK MI KE WI LL SA M CB S S CB
96 95 52 98 59 97 5 27 44 22 16 23 4 5 33 12 3 18 25 14 8 37
Brett Kulka 6-4 258 Sr.-3V Lawtez Rogers 6-4 268 So.-1V Oluwaseun Oluwatimi 6-1 294 Sr.-2V Brandon Gaddy 6-3 311 So,-1V Keiron Howard 6-3 278 Sr.-3V Sam Okuayinonu 6-1 285 Jr.-2V Shaq Smith 6-2 251 Gr.-TR Bryce Brand 5-11 248 Jr.-2V Chance Campbell 6-3 225 So.-1V Isaiah Davis 6-2 234 Sr.-3V Ayinde Eley 6-3 226 So.-1V Fa’Najae Gotay 5-10 221 RFr.-RS Keandre Jones 6-3 220 Gr.-TR Shaq Smith 6-2 251 Gr.-TR Deonte Banks 6-1 192 Fr.-HS Vincent Flythe 5-11 179 RFr.-RS Nick Cross 6-1 212 Fr.-HS Jordan Mosley 6-1 210 So.-1V Antoine Brooks Jr. 5-11 215 Sr.-3V Deon Jones 6-0 197 So.-1V Marcus Lewis 6-1 197 Sr.-3V Lavonte Gater 5-10 168 Fr.-HS
Thursday, October 24, 2019
6
Maryland’s Andy Kostka from The Diamondback This week the Daily caught up with The Diamond reporter back to preview the Terrapins. BY JOHN MILLER jmiller@mndaily.com
Before every home game, The Minnesota Daily chats with a reporter who covers the opponent. This week, the Daily interviewed Andy Kostka from The Diamondback, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland. Maryland is 3-4 so far on the season, what’s the general vibe of the football team? Is that record indicative how the team really is? Are they worse or better than their record? Maryland football has a consistency problem, be it with its passing game or defense. In wins, its pass rush is imposing and offensive production explosive. But in those four losses, the Terps don’t bring the quarterback down, allow oodles of yards — they’ve surrendered more than 500 yards three times this season — while struggling to move the ball much on offense. So, 3-4 is a pretty fair place to be at the moment considering how Maryland’s played. And with the meat of its Big Ten schedule coming up, finding three wins for bowl eligibility will be quite a tough task. Against every Big Ten team this year besides Rutgers, the Maryland defense has given up 30-plus points. How can Maryland stop the potent offense of Minnesota? Or can they? I truly don’t believe Maryland can contend with Minnesota’s offense, particularly in the passing game against Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson. The Terps have allowed more than 300 passing yards to four opponents so far — Syracuse, Penn State, Purdue and Indiana — and quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Jack Plummer earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after torching Maryland’s secondary. The Terps have dealt with injuries in the secondary, with Tino Ellis out for the year and Marcus Lewis missing two games with a knee injury, forcing freshmen Lavonte Gater and Deonte Banks into larger roles. There’s been a learning curve. Maryland seemed to land a big fish last December when they lured away Nick Saban’s co-offensive coordinator Michael Locksley to be their head coach, and he was the 2018 Broyles Award winner — given to the top assistant coach. How are fans feeling about him in year one? Does he seem to be the right guy for the program? Despite holding a 3-31 lifetime head coaching record before taking over Maryland on a full-time basis this offseason, there was quite a lot of excitement around Mike Locksley’s hiring, particularly because of his success as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. Perhaps some
Running back Shannon Brooks carries the ball at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)
fans’ expectations were a touch too high entering the year, however. He had minimal time to recruit for this season and inherited much of the roster, so I’m not surprised by some of the issues this year. I’ll reserve more judgement on if Locksley is the right one to turn Maryland around until after his second season, when he’s had more time to imprint his style on things. What does Maryland need to do to upset the No.17 ranked Gophers? I think it comes down to pass rush and affecting the quarterback. It doesn’t necessarily need to include sacks, but if Tanner Morgan has time to sit back and watch Bateman and Johnson run routes, it’ll be a long day for Maryland’s defense. Of course, the Terps’ offense needs to put together more this week than it has recently, but the potential returns of running back Anthony McFarland Jr. and quarterback Josh Jackson could be a big boost. Speed Round: 1. Best Offensive Player: Anthony McFarland Jr. 2. Best Defensive Player: Antoine Brooks Jr. 3. Under-The-Radar Player: Chance Campbell 4. End of season record prediction: 4-8 5. Score Prediction: 42-17, Minnesota
Linebacker Thomas Barber tackles a Nebraska Cornhusker. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)
7
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Last time between Minnesota and Maryland The Golden Gophers have a 1-3 all-time record against the Maryland Terrapins. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
Final: Maryland 42, Minnesota 13 The Gophers’ second-ever visit to Maryland Stadium marked the start of what would become a four-game losing streak for the team as Minnesota dropped its first game of the season in blowout fashion. Maryland burned the Gophers’ defense for big gains throughout the afternoon, racking up 432 yards on 51 plays on the way to a 42-13 victory. Minnesota fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter and never cut that deficit to fewer than 11 points. The game was put out of reach for the Gophers when on the first drive of the second half Maryland linebacker Tre Watson intercepted quarterback Zack Annexstad and returned the pass for a touchdown, making the score 28-10. After allowing 27 points over the season’s first three games, the Minnesota defense struggled to contain the Terrapins’ offense. On the first drive of the game, the Gophers suffered a significant loss when redshirt sophomore Antoine Winfield Jr. left the game with a foot injury that sidelined him the rest of the 2018 season. Before the injury, Winfield had made his presence known as a vital contributor to the defense, recording 10 solo tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception. Without Winfield’s speed in the secondary, Minnesota was unable to limit explosive plays from the Terrapins. Immediately following Winfield’s departure, running back Anthony McFarland Jr. opened the scoring with a 26-yard touchdown run. Later in the first quarter, senior Ty Johnson added an 81-yard touchdown run. The Terrapins had three more long offensive touchdowns on the afternoon, on a 54-yard pass and runs of 64 and 21 yards. The game would foreshadow the struggles Minnesota’s defense would have over the next five weeks, particularly against the run. Maryland averaged 8.5 yards per rush attempt on the afternoon. Johnson led the way with 123 yards on 11 carries and McFarland added 112 yards on six attempts. In this year’s meeting, Maryland will not have the now-graduated Johnson. McFarland missed last week’s game against Indiana with an injury. In their absence, junior Javon Leake filled in at lead running back, amassing careerhighs in carries (23) and yards (158). Minnesota will have a full complement of running backs this season after redshirt seniors Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks missed last season’s meeting with injuries. Quarterback Tanner Morgan will get his first
look at Maryland after serving as Annexstad’s backup during last year’s meeting. On defense, Winfield is back and is having a productive 2019 campaign with a careerhigh four interceptions, five passes defended and two sacks. Senior linebacker Kamal Martin who had seven tackles in the teams’ 2018 meeting is a game-time decision this week after suffering an injury against Rutgers. Quotables from the game: • “I thought there was a lot of good and then a lot of bad,” head coach P.J. Fleck told reporters. “We were inconsistent in a lot of areas and when you are inconsistent on the road in the Big Ten, it’s going to be very difficult for you to win.” • “They have speed everywhere,” Fleck told reporters of Maryland’s offense. “They did a tremendous job of their game plan, executing it perfectly and we didn’t go a very good job with ours.” • “We knew it was going to be a tricky offense,” linebacker Thomas Barber told reporters. “Really that was just eyes and keys. If we mistook our keys just even for a split second as you saw, they could have some big runs.”
Above, running back Shannon Brooks carries the ball at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12. Left, Goldy is lifted into the air by Minnesota cheer leaders at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12. (Sydni Rose / Minnesota Daily)
Thursday, October 24, 2019
8
Gophers significant favorites vs. Maryland The Terrapins have dropped four of their last five games. BY NICK JUNGHEIM njungheim@mndaily.com
Since winning its first two games of the season by a combined score of 14220, Maryland (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten) has struggled, dropping four of its last five contests. Meanwhile, Minnesota (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) has extended its overall win streak to nine games dating back to 2018 and has outscored opponents 116-31 over the last three weeks. Although Minnesota has lost to Maryland the last two seasons, this year’s Gophers team is much improved and has a favorable matchup against the Terrapins. When Minnesota runs the ball: Unlike last season, Minnesota has a full compliment of healthy running backs. Last season, then-redshirt freshman Mohamed Ibrahim made his first career start against Maryland, but now the Gophers also have redshirt seniors Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks back, who were inactive for last year’s visit to College Park, Maryland. With those three players working in tandem and a steadily improving offensive line, Minnesota boasts a formidable rushing attack. Maryland’s rush defense ranks No. 8 in the Big Ten with opponents averaging 126.1 yards per game. One of the Terrapin’s most dynamic assets is senior Antoine Brooks Jr., a safety who likes to play near the line of scrimmage and has five tackles for loss in the last four games. When Brooks crowds the box, it will be important that Minnesota’s tight ends can block him to seal the edge. Matchup to watch: tight end Jake Paulson vs. safety Antoine Brooks Jr. Advantage: Minnesota When Mar yland runs the ball: Last season, the Terrapins rushed for 315 yards against Minnesota, leaning on the running back tandem of Ty Johnson and Anthony McFarland Jr. Now, Johnson has graduated and McFarland’s status is currently unknown for Saturday after he missed last week’s game with an injury. Filling in, junior Javon Leake rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns
against Indiana. Minnesota’s run defense has improved significantly since the teams met last season. Still, they rank just ahead of Maryland in the Big Ten, averaging 122.9 rush yards allowed per game. Last week against Rutgers, the Gophers’ leading tackler, senior Kamal Martin, left with a lower body injury and is a game-time decision for Saturday. This matchup could come down to which team is healthier come game day. Matchup to watch: running back Javon Leake vs. linebacker Thomas Barber Advantage: Maryland When Minnesota passes the ball: The Gophers’ passing game has consistently generated yards this season, ranking second in the Big Ten in pass efficiency. In that stat, quarterback Tanner Morgan, who was the backup to Zack Annexstad during last year’s game against Maryland, ranks No. 5 in the NCAA. Wide receivers Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman both rank top-five in the Big Ten in receiving yards and redshirt sophomore Chris Autman-Bell has provided depth, hauling in four touchdowns this season. Due to a secondary decimated by injuries, Maryland ranks last in the Big Ten in passing defense. Senior Tino Ellis will miss the remainder of the season with an injury. The Terrapins have been left to rely on inexperienced defensive backs Deonte Banks, Vincent Flythe, Lavonte Gater and Nick Cross. However, senior Marcus Lewis did return last week after missing two games with a knee injury. Matchup to watch: W ide receiver Rashod Bateman vs. cornerback Deonte Banks Advantage: Minnesota When Mar yland Passes the ball: Maryland’s starting quarterback Josh Jackson suffered a high-ankle sprain in the team’s Oct. 5 victory over Rutgers and has missed the past two games. In his place, the Terrapins have an experienced back-up in junior Tyrrell Pigrome who has amassed 2,106 yards of total offense in his career. At wide receiver, Maryland’s top producer is sophomore Dontay Demus Jr., who has 28 receptions for 466 yards on the season. In the secondary, Minnesota’s depth at
cornerback presents a tough challenge for opponents. Opponents are completing less than 55% of their passes against the Gophers who rank third in the Big Ten in pass defense efficiency. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who suffered season-ending injuries the last two seasons against Maryland, had two interceptions last week against Rutgers. Matchup to watch: wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr. vs. cornerback Kiondre Thomas. Advantage: Minnesota
be staying focused on the task at hand and not looking ahead to Penn State. With the current forecast calling for clear skies and mild temperatures, conditions should be ideal for Minnesota to throw the football. Morgan will need to play better than he did against Rutgers, but the Gophers’ receivers should be able to succeed against Maryland’s inexperienced cornerbacks.
Ever ything else you need to know:
Prediction:Minnesota 37, Maryland 24
•
Start time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
The Terrapins represent a step up in competition from last week for Minnesota, but ultimately the Gophers are healthier and have more talent on the roster. Their biggest key to victory may
•
Network: ESPN
•
Radio: KFAN 100.3
•
Line: Minnesota by 16