Maryland will look to bounce back coming out of the bye week as they look to secure their second consecutive home win vs. Northwestern on Friday night with kickoff set for 8 PM on FOX. The line has shifted one point since the open with Maryland still a comfortable 10.5-point favorite against the Wildcats with both teams looking for their first Big Ten win of the season, and with both coming off a loss against Indiana, what gives this weekend? To learn more about the Terps’ next opponent, we go behind enemy lines to connect with Bryce Walker of Mostly Northwestern to delve deeper into the Wildcats.
IBG: On offense, what has been Northwestern's strength so far this season and biggest area of concern?
BW: It’s hard to talk about Northwestern’s offense without understanding what is happening at QB. After transfer Mike Wright started the first two games he was benched for sophomore Jack Lausch who will be playing in just his 4th college game as a starter. With that being said the biggest weakness of this offense has been consistency from the QB and WRs. From dropped balls, to Lausch taking too much time in the pocket or missing open receivers the group hasn’t quite clicked. They started to look a lot better in the second half vs Indiana but we’ll see if that carries over to this week. As far as strengths I’ll say the offensive line, they have been solid considering there was quite a bit of turnover. With that being said Lausch has still been slow to release as he gets more comfortable with the offense.
IBG: Who are two players Maryland fans should watch out for on the Northwestern defense on Saturday?
BW: Anto Saka (DE) and Xander Mueller (LB). Anto is just a redshirt sophomore but he’s currently leading the team in sacks and a leader on the defensive line. He tends to come out of the gate hot but being able to keep getting pressure throughout the game is something Northwestern’s defense will need. Xander Mueller on the other hand is redshirt senior and the clear leader of this defense playing the MIKE. Last year he had 110 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, and 3 INTs. He is the best player on this defense but hasn’t produced as many big plays this year but I’d say he’s due for a breakout game.
IBG: Northwestern's defense does a good job in their front seven with creating pressure and generating tackles for loss. With the Terps’ brand new offensive line still trying to find a rhythm, how do you see the battle of the trenches playing out on Saturday and why?
BW: The defensive line has shown flashes at creating pressure but hasn’t been able to bring it consistently. After missing the first 5 games with injury captain Carmine Bastone is making his return this week. I see that being a big lift for the group from an on field perspective but also the leadership/motivation he will provide. I see this being a big game for this group for that reason alone.
IBG: Northwestern has a very good rushing defense allowing just 93.2 rushing yards a game. The Terps offense is at its best when it is balanced and can run the ball. How do you think Northwestern will attack the Terps high powered offense?
BW: What I am hoping we see is Northwestern get more creative about bringing pressure and being aggressive trying to force turnovers. IU might actually be good so last week could be an anomaly but our secondary isn’t quite what we’re used to so I think the focus needs to shift on pressuring the quarterback and forcing him to make bad decisions. What we will actually see this week is hard to say, we have a defensive coordinator in his first year so it’s hard to have a great read on his approach. I think there is more of a fear of giving up big plays than creating big plays on defense but I we need to see that flip for the defense to find success.
IBG: Northwestern pulls off the road win if ___
BW: …the secondary is able to contain Maryland’s passing attack. Northwestern’s run defense is doing enough but we saw the secondary get exposed badly against Indiana and Washington. The offense is showing signs of progress but at the end of the day the defense is what needs to keep us in games.
IBG: Score prediction and why
BW: 34 - 28 Northwestern. Believe it or not even though we lost to Indiana by 17 I think that loss gave the team a lot of confidence after a demoralizing game at Husky stadium where the offense did little of anything. Against Indiana the offense was able to move the ball and with a young quarterback a little bit of confidence can go a long way. Both Maryland and Northwestern had similar games vs Indiana so I think this matchup will be closer than the ten-point spread indicates. It will come down to the 4th quarter but Northwestern will force a later turnover to secure the win.
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