Key Players To Watch In Illinois Vs. Maryland
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What better time than Halloween to make your head-coaching debut at a Power Four school in College Football?
For newly promoted interim head coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, the focus is on Illinois as his Maryland Terrapins return from the bye week to welcome the Fighting Illini at College Park on Saturday, beginning at 12 p.m.
It's been a roller coaster of a season so far for the Terrapins (2-5), who, as in recent seasons, began by dominating non-conference foes, only to falter in Big Ten play. Maryland has dropped five straight, which led to the departure of not only Mike Locksley but also former defensive coordinator Ted Monachino.
Come Saturday, the Terps will look to provide the scare to Illinois (4-3), who enter the contest fresh off two big wins: at Michigan State on Oct. 10th (W 38-37) and last weekend vs. Oregon (W 21-10).
The question on everyone's mind is: What will an Abudl-Rahim-led team look like, and can they improve their play in all three phases?
If the Terps are going to find the win column once again for the the first time since the second week of September, they're going to need some big performances from key players.
Let's find out who those players will be....
1. Malik Washington
This may sound cliché, but Washington hasn't had the season it envisioned as it enters year two at College Park. But a new season begins, in a way, under a coach he knows, and he navigates a new dynamic. Washington has to see the field and not allow the uncomfortable to disrupt his rhythm and timing in the pocket. Protecting the ball is priority No. 1, but also putting the ball in the hands of your weapons moves the ball.
2. Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding
After a fast start through the first three weeks of the season, wideout Na'eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding has gone missing on the offense. Take a look at his splits from weeks 1 to 3 versus Week 4 and onward....
Week 1-3 | Week 4 -present |
|---|---|
Receptions: 17 | Receptions: 3 |
Yards: 239 Receiving yards | Yards: 3 receiving yards |
Yards per contest: 79.6 | Yards per contest: 1 |
Touchdowns: 2 | Touchdowns: 0 |
A tale of two halves, not to mention that he missed the last game against Rutgers due to injury. With the attention on Chris Durr Jr., the Terps need another wideout who can create separation and make big plays through the air. Gladding has to be that guy for the offense.
3. Edge Zion Elee
The five-star recruit has made an impact in a limited number of snaps this season. Elee currently has 12 tackles, four-and-a-half tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 11 pressures, and three forced fumbles this year. Talk about making an impact in a limited role.
With head coach Abdul-Rahim taking the helm, I expect the snap count to increase substantially starting Saturday. Illinois sports a balanced run-and-air attack, ranking 68th in the country in total offense and averaging 392.4 yards per contest.
Elee needs more reps, especially in third-down situations when the Terps' defense wants to get off the field, because he can generate pressure and force turnovers. Pressure benefits the coverage unit and takes stress off them.
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Jaden's sports journalism career began at the College of Southern Maryland from 2022-2023, where he was brought in to cover baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, and volleyball at CSM. In late 2023, he began interning at the University of Maryland Athletics Department as a contributing writer to help develop feature stories and game recaps. He also creates his own sports media content on professional Washington teams with LegacyMaker Sports Network.