OTB Staff Picks: Rutgers vs Maryland

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After a two-week road trip, Rutgers will return home to face Maryland. Both teams will be looking to get back in the win column, as neither team has had that much success in the past few weeks. That game is set to kick off at 2:30.  As with every Scarlet Knights football game, the staff here at On The Banks will try to guess the score and provide context as to why they think that way.

Andrew Rice

This game is as must-win as it can get in terms of bowl eligibility. Rutgers must win this game to give itself a puncher’s chance. With that being said, the deflating performance the Knights had last week against Illinois does not inspire confidence for a win here.

The Terrapins are not a great team. Their offense struggles to run the ball, and quarterback Malik Washington has been making more rookie mistakes in their recent losing streak. Their rush defense leaves a lot to be desired as well. However, on the flip side, Rutgers’ defense has made most quarterbacks they faced this year look like an all-star. Defenders were seen running into each other in confusion twice last game, and the issue of leaving receivers wide open near the goal line has still not been resolved. Maryland’s offense has been potent through the air, and the Knights have not shown that they can stop anything of that caliber. I expect the Terrapins’ aerial assault to cut through Rutgers’ defense with ease.

Rutgers’ offense, which will make or break this team, will be pitted against a Maryland defense that has the second-most interceptions this season and a very good pass rush. If the Knights’ offensive line were less banged up, I would say that they should be able to run the ball, but with how they are now, that’s up in the air. Rutgers will need to have a near-perfect game from Kaliakmanis to pull off a win here. The Knights’ offense will find a way to score, but the Terrapins’ stout pass defense will prevent them from taking over the game as Maryland’s offense gets back on track to secure the win.

Maryland 38, Rutgers 28

Arnav Sarkar

This matchup comes at an interesting time, with both teams in a nosedive but needing a spark for bowl eligibility. After their strong starts to the season, Rutgers is 4-5, with their lone conference win coming against Purdue, while Maryland went from 4-0 to 4-4 and just suffered its worst loss of the season to Indiana by far. On the field, these teams will make for quite the stylistic contrast, with each side being much better in the pass than the run.

This game will come down to whether the Scarlet Knights’ offense can bounce back and win in a shootout. If they can withstand the pass rush and put up gaudy numbers in both the pass and run game, Rutgers should be able to pull off the victory. However, the offensive line is too banged up, and Maryland’s pass rush and elite secondary will be able to take advantage of rushed throws from Kaliakmanis just enough to keep them from going off.

On defense, Rutgers will have one less thing to worry about with Washington not being a huge run threat, but it will still struggle to get pressures and sacks. The run defense may perform well against a particularly poor Terrapins’ rushing attack, but in pass coverage, the miscommunications and breakdowns continue, and Malik Washington has a field day carving up the Knights’ porous secondary. The Terrapins win a high-scoring game and effectively end Rutgers’ faint bowl chances before the Scarlet Knights get a crack at a weakened Penn State.

Maryland 34, Rutgers 31

Gregory Hanchuk

This is the biggest “must win” situation of the season. I did some research and found out that Mike Locksley is 2-0 vs Rutgers when he visits New Jersey. That must come to an end, specifically this weekend. I do want Rutgers to make a bowl to reward the offense for being overachievers, and this would be the first step towards that goal. Which probably will land them in the cold South Bronx at Yankee Stadium in December vs a bottom-tier ACC team. If they win, we all know Schiano wants to win his 3rd Pinstripe Bowl. Both programs are coming off of getting smoked like a ham vs their previous opponent last week. They are talking about making this a trophy game in the conference, and why not? Both Schiano and Locksley wish they could get a redo on the season altogether. The Terps are on a four-game losing skid, and the last time they won was in Madison, Wisconsin, against a putrid Wisconsin Badgers team. The spread does favor Rutgers by a slim margin, which also can be interpreted as a pick’em at -1.5.

I definitely see this game being close at first, with Rutgers pulling away late. Both quarterbacks are having decent statistical years throwing the ball. The Rutgers defense should be able to contain the Terps. Just like the Scarlet Knights contained an equally awful opponent weeks prior at Purdue. Rutgers probably does have the advantage in the running game because the Terrapins allowed 367 yards on the ground last week to Indiana. So Ja’shon Benjamin and Antwan Raymond should have a field day on the ground, rushing the ball. Additionally, running the ball has been the “Schiano way” since the Ray Rice era. I think the Rex Ryan method of “ground and pound” should be the key for Rutgers to win this game. That all being said, the offensive line has to stay strong and not break like a cheap lawn chair. I am finally picking Rutgers to win. It’s a “miracle” I’m doing so, I know, but I do want meaningful football going into the final home game on November 29. The flickering bowl hopes gain a little bit of energy. The Scarlet Knights go into the second bye happy and hopeful.

Rutgers 34, Maryland 21

John Catapano

Boy, was I wrong last week, thinking the Rutgers offense would play an inspiring game in Champaign to pull off an upset. This week, Non-September Maryland visits, and as college football fans know, for reasons that defy scientific explanation, the Terrapins can’t find wins once the calendar flips to October. Head Coach Locksley’s Terrapin teams are 10-29 in October and November.

I’ve spent way too much time analyzing team stats the past few weeks. We all know about the Scarlet Knights’ startling inability to seal the edge and contain the run, but on Saturday, they meet their match against a Terrapins squad that gives up 155 yards rushing per game. Rutgers’ path to victory against a ball-hawking Maryland secondary is to run the damn ball, and run it again, and I don’t mean with Sam Brown in goal-line situations when the score is still close, as they did against Illinois last week. Ja’Shon Benjamin’s patient running, paired with Antwan Raymond’s physical style, should move the chains. If Kaliakmanis can get the aggressive Maryland DBs to bite and actually deliver the ball in a timely manner down the field this week, the dynamic duo of Duff and Strong will make plays.

The Rutgers defense will be a no-show once again, but Maryland is turnover-prone, with five interceptions and five fumbles lost on the season. The Knights win the turnover battle and notch a fifth victory, making the final home game against Penn State meaningful. 

Rutgers 34, Maryland 31

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