Matchups To Watch In Maryland Football At. Nebraska

Saturday's matchup for the Maryland Terrapin football team will be interesting, to say the least. After an embarrassing 54-3 home defeat to the UCLA Bruins last weekend, more questions remain unanswered.

Maryland athletic director Jim Smith has been questioned all week about head coach Mike Locksley's job security. Locksley has been asked repeatedly about his job security and his inability to produce consistent winning results despite his long tenure with the program.

College Park has appeared in many headlines, and much of the coverage this week has been for the wrong reasons.

But despite all the fireworks, the Terps still have a football game to play against their second Big Ten opponent of the season.

Nebraska will host Maryland tomorrow, coming in with a hot 4-0 start to the season. The Cornhuskers won their first Big Ten matchup last weekend against Michigan State convincingly, 31-13.

Let's see where the Terps need big performances from and what matchups will be key to ending their two-game losing skid.

Malik Washington vs. Anthony Colandrea

It is never cliché to say your quarterback's performance can hinge on whether your team wins or loses a game. Nothing's truer for the Terps than when they hit the field at Lincoln, Nebraska, tomorrow.

Washington is coming off a terrible performance in which he threw for under 200 passing yards for no touchdowns, threw four interceptions, was sacked twice, and fumbled the ball but didn't lose it.

It's not all on Washington, but his decision-making and pass accuracy were very concerning last week against UCLA. I've noticed his accuracy hasn't been as consistent at times this season. The Terps offense has to come out of the gate aggressively; Washington needs to get into a rhythm, starting with quick throws, screen plays, and dump-offs.

Colandrea has been outstanding for the Cornhuskers thus far, carrying a td-to-int ratio of 10:1 and also completing 65% of his passes. Nebraska is off to a 4-0 start for a reason.

Maryland's Rushing Attack Vs. Nebraska's Rushing Attack

Maryland's offensive problem this year is that Clint Trickett hasn't succeeded in improving the run attack to give the Terps a dynamic style. DeJuan Williams has been out for the past three contests. Last weekend, only two running backs were officially available, one being converted baseball player Liam Wilson. The offensive line's run blocking has been atrocious this year, with no real lanes opening up for runners and opposing defensive players tackling runners at or behind the line.

Helping Washington out starts with a rushing attack that can open up the aerial attack and create big plays downfield.

For Nebraska, top running back Jamal Rule (333 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns) is doubtful for tomorrow's contest. Mekhi Nelson, the second-leading rusher, is also questionable for tomorrow. The good news for Maryland, if both backs are out, is that they have the 51st-best rushing defense in the country.

One problem, though, is that Maryland is down three of its defensive linemen: Bryce Jenkins, Delmar White, and Lavon Johnson. Armon Parker is also questionable.

Terps 3rd Down Offense vs. Cornhuskers 3rd Down Defense

Nebraska's defense has been a top unit at getting off the field on third downs (12-for-47 attempts converted), and the most they've allowed in a contest was 6-for-15 attempts in week one against Ohio.

Meanwhile, the Terps are coming off a contest in which they converted an abysmal 1-of-16 tries and punted eight times.

Maryland's offense commits many penalties on early downs, and its lack of a run game consistently puts it in long-down situations. Last weekend, it averaged nine yards per third down, which is not a recipe for success.

You want to score points, stay on the field, and get ahead of the chains to sustain longer drives.

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