Illinois looks at Maryland as the start to a strong finish
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The Illini face the Maryland Terrapins this Saturday in Champaign at Geis Memorial Stadium. This Saturday at 2:30 p.m., the game will be broadcast on FS1.
The Turtles come in with a 4-5 record, 1-5 in the Big Ten, and have lost their last five games. They average 25.3 points per game, and their defense allows just over 23 points. The Illini, by contrast, are 6-3, 3-3 in conference play, coming off a bye week. Illinois is averaging just over 33 points per game and allowing 25.8 points per game
The Illini will yet again face another dual-threat quarterback in true freshman Malik Washington. Earlier this year, Washington became only the third true freshman to throw for 200 yards in his first six games. His accuracy is so-so at 58% (191/327) for 2,056 yards and 13 TDs, with four interceptions. Running the ball, he has 35 carries for 263 yards and a team-leading four rushing TDs. The defense will have to be on their toes and keep him contained and harassed.
Washington is only a part of the Maryland running game. Backs DeJuan Williams 102 carries, 366 Yards, two TDs, and Nolan Ray, 59 carries, 278 yards, and two TDs help balance a running attack that averages over 116 yards per contest. Williams is a good receiver out of the backfield with 28 catches for 280 yards and a TD. The Illini allow over 127 yards rushing per game.
Maryland’s receiving corps is centered around Shaleak Knotts, with 28 catches for 434 yards (15.5 yards per catch) and five TDs. The Terps average 232 yards of passing offense. They have four receivers with 28 catches or more, accounting for over 1,400 yards and eight TDs. At the same time, the Illini allow almost 250 passing yards.
Defensively, the Maryland secondary is scary good with 17 interceptions (1.9 per game) on the season, and FOUR of those have been returned for touchdowns. They have three DBs with three picks each: Jalen Huskey, Jamir Glasker, and La’Khi Roland. (Glasker and Roland each have a pick-six) They can also get to the quarterback with 24 sacks and 51 TFLs (As a comparison, the Illini have 17 sacks and 42 TFLs). Defensive linemen Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis are the main disruptors that the Illini O-Line will have to keep out. Stewart has six sacks and 8.5 TFLs, and Mathis has 4.5 sacks and six TFLs. This will put a huge task on the Illini O-Line.
I rarely talk about kicking, but Maryland place kicker Sean O’Haire is 17 of 19 on field goals. He hasn’t made one from beyond 50 yards, but he is very accurate, missing only one field goal in nine attempts from 30-50 yards and going 9-9 from 20-30 yards.
Two weeks ago, the Illini notched a win vs. Rutgers on Nov. 1 at Memorial Stadium, where they put together one of their best games of the year, winning 35 – 13. Illini QB Luke Altmyer was involved in every scoring play, completing 19-31 passes for 235 yards with four TDs. He added another 88 yards on the ground and another TD. Hudson Clement had his BEST day as an Illini with five catches for 85 yards and a score.
The O-Line did a great job of giving him time and opening up running lanes. They will need that effort again and more. The Terps can be run on, allowing over 130 yards per game. For Altmyer and Illinois to be successful in the passing game, the O-Line will have to be a WALL to enable Luke to time. With ball hawks like Maryland has he can’t be running for his life or be forced into hasty throws.
Gabe Jacas reappeared after being MIA defensively since the start of the B1G season, getting into the Scarlet Knights’ backfield for two sacks and 2.5 TFLs. He didn’t get a lot of help, though, as he registered the only sacks, and only three other players registered just 2.5 TFLs. The secondary was disruptive, breaking up five passes but not recording any interceptions. With Maryland having a diverse offense, the Defense will have to step up and can’t afford a letdown. I think Aaron Henry got a reprieve against an inferior Rutgers team. Now he has to show that wasn’t a fluke.
The Illini come into the game as a 14.5-point favorite, and they should cover that IF the offense does what it has been doing all year, and the Defense builds on the Rutgers game. A strong game vs. Maryland will set them up for a good finish to the season. But don’t think that they are looking past this Saturday, as Coach Bielema has stated ad nauseam, “every week we are 0-0”. As we saw this past weekend, there were upsets like Wisconsin over Washington, and both Indiana and Oregon barely escaped upsets. If you are not ready, you will go home a loser. All in all, Illinois covers the spread barely 36-21.
Thanks for reading and GO ILLINI!
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