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Gophers Game Preview: Minnesota Travels to Maryland Looking for First B1G Win
By Grant Erickson and Travis Erickson
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/708965?referrer_id=331171
Minnesota (3-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) at Maryland (4-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten)
When: Saturday, 11:00 a.m. CT – College Park, Md.
Stadium: Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium (54,000)
TV/Radio: ESPNU, KFAN 100.3 FM
Coach: DJ Durkin (1st season)
Spread: Maryland -6½, o/u: 49
INSIDE THE GAME
Terps at a Glance
Maryland has been tenaciously getting after the quarterback this year. The Terps have 17 sacks in five games, which ranks second in the conference.
Defensive lineman Jesse Aniebonam is a key reason Maryland is averaging 3.4 sacks per game. The junior is tied for fifth nationally with 5½ sacks.
Keep an eye on All-American returner William Likely. The explosive senior from Belle Glade, Fla. has six career return touchdowns, including three last season. In 2015, Likely averaged a whopping 18.2 yards per punt return.
Minnesota and Maryland have played only once, back in the 1977, when the Terps beat the Golden Gophers, 17-7.
Coach Speak
“He's a good football player, you know, and he has control of the offense. Whatever parts of the game plan they feel like they need to do, we're going to do what he does best. It's going to take us a couple days in practice and everything else. It's no different than the NFL. Backup quarterbacks don't get very many reps during the week as well. But he's more than capable and we'll find things that he does well.”– Tracy Claeys on new starting QB Conor Rhoda
"It's a great learning experience for us. A team is going to hit you in the mouth every now and again, and what you have to do is come together, get tighter and trust in your teammates. I'm looking forward to our guys bouncing back from a loss.”– DJ Durkin on his team’s response after a loss to PSU
STORYLINE CENTRAL
Callie Caplan of The Diamondback writes what Gopher fans likely already know: the Terps will try and rattle Conor Rhoda. The former walk-on is set to make his first start, and Maryland is looking to pressure the new signal-caller.
Don Markus with the Baltimore Sun notes how the Terps are looking to bounce back on defense after giving up 524 yards to Penn State, 372 of which came on the ground. The Gophers have the backs to replicate that effort, but some injuries on the OL and a new quarterback will make things interesting.
Maryland has been piecing together their offensive line all year to varied results. Thomas Kendziora takes an in-depth look at the Terps’ line combos and how it’s worked thus far.
Chris Bengel of Terrapin Station MD wrote about slowing down Rodney Smith. That’s hard enough by itself, but just wait until the Maryland fans see Shannon Brooks in the backfield, too.
WHO WINS?
The Terps Win If…
They shut down Minnesota’s ground game: plain and simple. The Terps’ run defense is middle of the pack in the conference (169 YPG), but a thrashing by Penn State’s average rushing attack has left questions for Maryland fans. Coming off the Iowa loss, where Brooks and Smith combined for just 22 carries, we can expect to see a heavy dose of that two-headed monster. If Maryland can stop the run, they have a good chance of slowing down a Gopher offense run by a first-time starter.
The Gophers Win If…
Same as Maryland, shut down the rushing attack. The Gophers defense has an entirely different set of challenges facing a Terps squad that has an athletic quarterback who is dangerous in space. QBs Perry Hills and Tyrrell Pigrome have combined for 247 rushing yards and five scores on the year. It’s up to the defense to tackle in space, contain the quarterback, and shut down a rushing offense that’s putting up 274 yards per game.
“If you don't tackle well, they're going to put a lot of points on the board, you know,” said Tracy Claeys. “So we'll definitely have to tackle well and account for that quarterback running game."
By Grant Erickson and Travis Erickson
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/708965?referrer_id=331171
Minnesota (3-2 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) at Maryland (4-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten)
When: Saturday, 11:00 a.m. CT – College Park, Md.
Stadium: Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium (54,000)
TV/Radio: ESPNU, KFAN 100.3 FM
Coach: DJ Durkin (1st season)
Spread: Maryland -6½, o/u: 49
INSIDE THE GAME
Terps at a Glance
Maryland has been tenaciously getting after the quarterback this year. The Terps have 17 sacks in five games, which ranks second in the conference.
Defensive lineman Jesse Aniebonam is a key reason Maryland is averaging 3.4 sacks per game. The junior is tied for fifth nationally with 5½ sacks.
Keep an eye on All-American returner William Likely. The explosive senior from Belle Glade, Fla. has six career return touchdowns, including three last season. In 2015, Likely averaged a whopping 18.2 yards per punt return.
Minnesota and Maryland have played only once, back in the 1977, when the Terps beat the Golden Gophers, 17-7.
Coach Speak
“He's a good football player, you know, and he has control of the offense. Whatever parts of the game plan they feel like they need to do, we're going to do what he does best. It's going to take us a couple days in practice and everything else. It's no different than the NFL. Backup quarterbacks don't get very many reps during the week as well. But he's more than capable and we'll find things that he does well.”– Tracy Claeys on new starting QB Conor Rhoda
"It's a great learning experience for us. A team is going to hit you in the mouth every now and again, and what you have to do is come together, get tighter and trust in your teammates. I'm looking forward to our guys bouncing back from a loss.”– DJ Durkin on his team’s response after a loss to PSU
STORYLINE CENTRAL
Callie Caplan of The Diamondback writes what Gopher fans likely already know: the Terps will try and rattle Conor Rhoda. The former walk-on is set to make his first start, and Maryland is looking to pressure the new signal-caller.
Don Markus with the Baltimore Sun notes how the Terps are looking to bounce back on defense after giving up 524 yards to Penn State, 372 of which came on the ground. The Gophers have the backs to replicate that effort, but some injuries on the OL and a new quarterback will make things interesting.
Maryland has been piecing together their offensive line all year to varied results. Thomas Kendziora takes an in-depth look at the Terps’ line combos and how it’s worked thus far.
Chris Bengel of Terrapin Station MD wrote about slowing down Rodney Smith. That’s hard enough by itself, but just wait until the Maryland fans see Shannon Brooks in the backfield, too.
WHO WINS?
The Terps Win If…
They shut down Minnesota’s ground game: plain and simple. The Terps’ run defense is middle of the pack in the conference (169 YPG), but a thrashing by Penn State’s average rushing attack has left questions for Maryland fans. Coming off the Iowa loss, where Brooks and Smith combined for just 22 carries, we can expect to see a heavy dose of that two-headed monster. If Maryland can stop the run, they have a good chance of slowing down a Gopher offense run by a first-time starter.
The Gophers Win If…
Same as Maryland, shut down the rushing attack. The Gophers defense has an entirely different set of challenges facing a Terps squad that has an athletic quarterback who is dangerous in space. QBs Perry Hills and Tyrrell Pigrome have combined for 247 rushing yards and five scores on the year. It’s up to the defense to tackle in space, contain the quarterback, and shut down a rushing offense that’s putting up 274 yards per game.
“If you don't tackle well, they're going to put a lot of points on the board, you know,” said Tracy Claeys. “So we'll definitely have to tackle well and account for that quarterback running game."