What now feels like a common rivalry between the two schools, Penn State and Maryland will have their 43rd matchup against each other under the Friday night lights in College Park, MD.
Penn State currently holds a four-game win streak in which the Nittany Lions have outscored the Terps 173-50. The last time Maryland beat Penn State was back in 2014 when the Terps joined the BIG 10.
Tonight’s sold-out game between the two has been labeled the “game of the decade” for Maryland. After losing to Temple, many Terps fans are looking at this game as one that could define the rest of their season. Meanwhile, Penn State looks to continue their winning ways against Maryland for their first road game of the season.
With both teams coming off a bye week, I can’t even begin to imagine the preparation that has gone into this game.
Maryland’s Offense vs. Penn State’s Defense
Maryland’s 10th-ranked offense will go up against a 37th-ranked Penn State defense that hasn’t faced a true offense this season. Maryland’s offense was shut down by a 19th-ranked Temple defense so it’s probably smart to take Penn State’s defense just as serious, if not more given the matchup history.
The main problem Penn State will have to deal with is a Maryland backfield that has four different runningbacks with 100+ yards on the season. Not to mention, they have at least one touchdown each.
Their star running back Anthony McFarland Jr., who currently has 225 yards (4.9 avg) and five touchdowns (t-5th), will be a huge factor in tonight’s game for the Terps. But don’t count out junior running backs Javon Leake and Jake Funk, who are both averaging over 10 yards per carry this season.
If Penn State’s sophomore linebacker Micah Parsons is able to help contain Maryland’s run game, then it’ll end up giving Penn State plenty of opportunities on offense.
Penn State’s star defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos might have himself a field day against a Maryland offensive line that let up four sacks against Temple. Gross-Matos currently has 3.5 sacks through Penn State’s three games. If he gets to Maryland quarterback Josh Jackson early, who has been taking a beating this season, it would give Penn State’s offense plenty of opportunities.
But, some could argue that these two squads are equal in talent and that it could all just come down to who makes fewer mistakes.
Penn State’s Offense vs. Maryland’s Defense
If Penn State intends to beat Maryland with their offense, it’s going to be through the air.
Penn State’s 48th-ranked rushing offense doesn’t stack up well against Maryland’s 10th-ranked run defense. While the Nittany Lions have three rushers that have over 100+ yards on the season, one of them is quarterback Sean Clifford. So, if they do intend to run, then they should take a page out of Temple’s offensive playbook seeing as how they put up 168 rushing yards on Maryland’s defense.
Clifford is still going to be the guy who decides the outcome of this game for Penn State. The sophomore quarterback currently has 781 yards and six touchdowns this season with a stellar passing rating of 172.5. What’s more important is that Clifford has yet to throw an interception this season behind a very questionable offensive line.
But with a Maryland defense that has at least one interception in the past two games, Clifford could throw his first of the season tonight. Also, Maryland’s defense held Temple to just 20 points, which is the lowest they’ve scored all season.
It’s hard to say who has the advantage in this matchup. But one thing that we have to take into account here is that Maryland has a sold-out crowd behind them, which is a rarity at Capital One Field these days. So, the noise could possibly cause some problems.
Prediction:
Let’s have some fun for once and not chalk the picks like every other analyst is doing for tonight’s game. Tonight could be a turning point for Maryland, not just this season, but a program as a whole… And they know it, too.
A win against Penn State in a primetime setting will show the nation that Maryland has been going through one of the most magnificent turnarounds in college sports today. But this won’t come easy. In fact, I think it comes down to a field goal.
Maryland wins a close one at the end, 33-30.