Maryland football vs. Nebraska preview
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Maryland football – and, to a greater extent, head coach Mike Locksley – was once again thrust into the national spotlight after suffering one of its worst losses in program history.
Saturday’s 54-3 loss to UCLA brought many new issues to light while aggravating old ones as the Terps struggled to stay on the same page across all 60 minutes of the game. Star quarterback Malik Washington threw a career-high four interceptions while gaping holes in Maryland’s defense allowed the Bruins to score on half of their drives.
With many critics calling for Locksley’s firing, the eighth-year head coach asserted in his Tuesday press conference that his position in the program has not come under fire from athletic director Jim Smith internally.
“There was no need for assurances. Our Monday meeting went just as usual,” Locksley said. “[We] talked about the things that we didn’t do well, talked about some things that we need to do well, and we went from there.”
After consecutive losses, Maryland looks to redirect itself to its first conference road test at Nebraska Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. The Terps will be under the bright lights once more at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, and under national scrutiny while airing on FS1.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten)
2025 Record: 7-6, 4-5 Big Ten
The Cornhuskers followed up a mediocre 2025 campaign by losing quarterback Dylan Raiola for a backup role at Oregon. This season, however, head coach Matt Rhule was able to maintain the bulk of his production in efforts to remain competitive with the rest of the Big Ten.
Nebraska’s 69% returning production ranks third in the nation behind the Terps and Notre Dame. A bulk of that returning production rests in its offensive line and running backs, which has translated to the Cornhuskers’ rushing attack sitting second-best in the Big Ten — they have 946 rushing yards through four games.
Rhule’s position appears to be secure after two consecutive bowl game appearances. But with Nebraska sitting on the brink of being ranked, a win against a struggling Maryland squad will put them well on their way to meaningful program advancement.
Players to watch
Anthony Colandrea, senior quarterback, No. 10 – Despite limited portal moves, Rhule made it a point last offseason to bring in Colandrea to fill the gaping hole Raiola left behind. The senior has provided steady production following seasons at Virginia and UNLV, completing over 65% of his 104 passing attempts and averaging 226 passing yards per game. The Cornhuskers will likely utilize his dual-threat ability after Nico Iamaleava’s strong performance Saturday.
Jamal Rule, freshman running back, No. 25 – In a college football landscape featuring very few true freshman rushers, Rule is a unique find. The former three-star recruit has posted impressive stats despite splitting carries; Rule ranks seventh in the country in yards per carry (7.9) and 12th in rushing touchdowns (5). However, his status is in the air for Saturday after leaving the Michigan State game early with an apparent high-ankle injury.
Donovan Jones, junior defensive back, No. 8 – It’s very difficult to find a better example of a defensive Swiss army knife than Nebraska’s primary nickel. Recruited primarily as a safety, Jones has proven his skill in all defensive aspects, ranking top-five on the team in sacks (2), tackles for loss (3), pass breakups (3) and solo tackles (10).
Strength
Defensive efficiency. While most of the attention sits on the Cornhuskers’ rushing attack, their defense is among the best in the conference. Nebraska has allowed a Big Ten-low 233.5 yards per game and 12 points per game, while already logging 15 sacks. Its eight takeaways through four games should help the Cornhuskers flip the field multiple times against a struggling Maryland offense.
Weakness
Virtually untested. Nebraska’s statistics tend to speak for themselves, but they have come against multiple low-prestige programs. The three FBS opponents the Cornhuskers have faced thus far rank 77th, 110th and 136th, respectively in CBS’ college football rankings, whereas the Terps have taken on three FBS teams in the top 100.
Three things to know
1. Can the Terps uncross their wires? Malik Washington appeared to be reading an entirely different playbook from his receivers against UCLA, a factor that contributed heavily to his quartet of picks. Locksley partially chalked up these steps to a coaching issue.
“Some of the miscommunication will get fixed with how we communicate the plays into our guys so that we don’t find ourselves in that situation,” Locksley said. “But I also think when you look at the amount of option concepts … The timing just wasn’t where it needed to be, and we weren’t on the same page.”
2. The trenches. Maryland’s defensive line and Nebraska’s defensive line both received critical acclaim heading into this season, most of which has been backed up on the field. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in this clash of the titans.
3. Will the offensive game plan change? After two games of stagnant offensive production, the Terps are in desperate need of a spark. While Maryland’s one-dimensional nature has been exacerbated by a lack of healthy running backs, it will need to improve quickly to compete against one of the nation’s top defenses. For more on Maryland’s offensive struggles, read Dylan Schmidt’s breakdown.
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