No. 14 Penn State prepares for a test from Taulia Tagovailoa and Maryland
The Terrapins are 6-3 under fourth-year head coach Mike Locksley. They have not done well stopping the running game, though.
After a disappointing loss to No. 2 Ohio State nearly two weeks ago, the 14th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions had questions about how they would come out against a struggling Indiana team. By halftime, the game was all but over after monster performances from freshman running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton.
Now, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) turn their attention to a much-improved Maryland team (6-3, 3-3) under fourth-year head coach Mike Locksley.
This game, set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Beaver Stadium (Fox 29) is more than just a battle between Big Ten East foes. Maryland and Pennsylvania are battlegrounds for recruiting, making this matchup important for that reason as well.
Keys to victory
Penn State needs to run the ball until Maryland proves it can stop it. Against conference opponents that heavily depend on the running game, the Terrapins gave up 278 yards on the ground against Wisconsin last week, 215 yards to Northwestern three weeks ago, and 243 yards to No. 3 Michigan in their Big Ten opener. Allen and Singleton already have tied Penn State’s record for rushing touchdowns by a freshman with eight each.
Meanwhile, the Maryland offense is led by starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who has 17 total touchdowns this season and more than 2,000 passing yards, with weapons on the outside in Rakim Jarrett (who lit up the Nittany Lions two years ago) and Florida transfer Jacob Copeland. Containing the passing attack will be key in securing a victory over the Terrapins.
» READ MORE: Penn State has dominated Maryland historically. That trend should continue Saturday
Keep an eye on …
A big-time matchup between Maryland left tackle Jaelyn Duncan and Penn State defensive end Chop Robinson, who transferred from Maryland, is brewing in the trenches. The Nittany Lions overwhelmed the Hoosiers offensive line last week with six sacks and 16 tackles for loss, with Robinson collecting a sack and two tackles for loss.
Duncan is a projected top-100 NFL draft pick, and his stock is on the line against one of the more disruptive units in the Big Ten.
These two have a history
Penn State is 41-3-1 in the series with Maryland, which dates to 1917. The last go-around was a 31-14 Nittany Lions win in College Park, Md., last season.
They said it
“He’s always been an athletic guy, being able to create and extend plays, can really make all the throws, [his] accuracy gotten better, his touchdown to interception ratio has gotten better. ... They’ve done a great job putting him in situations to be successful and also recruiting well around him; he’s got a bunch of weapons around him. ... He continues to get better with experience.”
— James Franklin on Maryland QB Taulia Tagovailoa
» READ MORE: Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton lead Penn State in rout of Indiana