Matchups To Watch In Maryland Football At. UConn
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The Maryland Terrapins football team is halfway through its week of preparation for its road matchup against the UConn Huskies on Saturday afternoon. The two programs have met three times before this fourth meeting, with Maryland leading 2-1 after a dominant 50-7 win in 2024 at College Park.
Maryland and UConn both enter Saturday afternoon's contest as week-one winners, and both teams won convincingly, with their opponents scoring a combined seven points.
For Mike Locksley's group, the run game, defense, and special teams all played dominantly, leading to a 62-point win and holding Hampton scoreless.
Locksley emphasized how sophomore quarterback Malik Washington began the game by forcing things, which led to his mechanics not being as sharp, which was reflected in rushed decision-making and throws being off target.
Knowing that, let's take a look at which matchups will help the Terps win their 20th straight non-conference matchup.
Terps Run Game Vs. Huskies Run Game
Both attacks had excellent weeks, receiving production from multiple backers and allowing the offense to control the flow of the game. In UConn's opener, they had five running backs who finished with at least 30+yards gained on the ground on at least four carries.
Maryland running back DeJuan Williams finished with 116 rushing yards and a score, while Iverson Howard finished with 66 rushing yards and a score, and Harry Dalton III had 39 yards and two scores.
Backup quarterback Cardell Williams displayed his dual ability as Washington does with an effeicent 49 rushing yards on five carries.
The key question is which team can get the push from its offensive line to allow its rushing attack to get between the chains and break free for explosive runs.
UConn Wide Receiver Javon Brown vs. Maryland Defensive Back Jamare Glasker
Brown transferred from Toledo to UConn with head coach Jason Candle, seeking an expanded role in the offense and further development under Candle after redshirting his freshman season in 2024.
Brown finished his debut with six catches, for 92 receiving yards and a touchdown reception.
Glasker will need to slow down and neutralize the 6-foot-4 receiver to minimize his impact.
Maryland's Red Zone Attack vs. UConn's Red Zone Attack
The Terps had 10 trips to the red zone against Hampton and converted on nine of them. Seven of those 10 total trips ended in touchdowns scored by the Maryland offense.
Meanwhile, UConn scored a touchdown on all five red zone trips against Lafayette.
Whichever team can finish on their drives and score six instead of settling for field goals can gain an advantage over the other.
I expect UConn to be aggressive in short-yardage situations, especially when it comes down to fourth down. The Huskies went 2-for-3 on their 4th-down attempts in their victory.
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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.