A big road test awaits the Huskies this Saturday. What sort of offense will await them in College Park when they face the Maryland Terrapins? Let’s dive in.
The Numbers
Points per game: 28.7
Passing yards per game: 262
Rushing yards per game: 86
Third down conversion rate: 30%
Key Players
True freshman QB Malik Washington has burst onto the scene this year for Maryland as they’ve enjoyed a 4-0 start. The 6-5, 231 pound pocket passer is a commanding presence in the pocket with a big arm. He’s thrown for 1,038 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception, completing 59% of his passes. He’s also only been sacked two times and shown good poise for a freshman. PFF charts seven big time throws for him this season (for comparison, Demond Williams has three), all of which are on throws twenty yards or more downfield. Like most quarterbacks, especially young ones, his numbers take a severe dip when he’s pressured. But when he’s kept clean, he’s a very accurate deep ball thrower. He hardly runs the ball, but his size has been an asset in the red zone, barreling into the end zone for two rushing scores this year.
Catching passes is the WR trio of Shaleak Knotts, Octavian Smith Jr., and Jalil Farooq. Farooq has some run after the catch skills, and mostly plays in the slot. He leads the team in catches (17). Knotts has five touchdowns and is a big target at 6-3. Smith is very fast and has had catches of 48 and 53 yards in his past two games, racking up 216 total receiving yards. He’ll be a player the Huskies have to ensure doesn’t get behind them.
Freshman RB DeJuan Williams is 5-11 and 215 pounds, and leads the Terrapins in carries (47) and yards (183), though the run game has struggled as a whole.
The Scheme
This is a pass first team, throwing it nearly 60% of the time (11th nationally). With the poor run game, this offense asks a lot from their young quarterback. Most of his passes are behind the line of the scrimmage or within 10 yards, but this offense will take it’s calculated shots deep, and so far Malik Washington has the shown the ability to complete those passes consistently.
Final Thoughts
There’s a bit of hype surrounding Maryland, their young quarterback, and their 4-0 start. However, when Wisconsin is their best win, it’s still an open question just how strong these Terrapins are. They have had success offensively by avoiding turnovers and negative plays, and being accurate on deep shots when they are available. However, they are horrific running the ball, and are poor on third downs. Even when hitting the vertical plays downfield, this offense isn’t always sharp. The key for Washington defensively will be to get pressure on (Malik) Washington so he can’t use his strong arm to make big plays downfield.