Maryland Planning to Exploit NU's Run Defense, Slow Down Raiola

Every time you scout a team, the top objective is to identify both what they do well and what they struggle with. Through the midway point of the week, it appears Maryland's set in both of those departments.

"They are a team that gives up a little bit of stuff in the run game," Maryland football coach Mike Locksley said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. "(Then there's) the other side of it. They’re a great pass defense. I would say that based on what we are scouting of these guys, (Matt Rhule) is a good coach."

#21 Michigan put out the blueprint on how to beat Nebraska in 2025, and the recipe calls for a lot of "ground and pound" football. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Thanks to Nebraska's loss to Michigan, the blueprint to getting the better of the Huskers is out there. However, executing it is another thing — just ask Michigan State. The Spartans entered last weekend with a mobile quarterback and a 3-1 record to match Nebraska, and through the middle quarters of the game, MSU was controlling just about everything.

However, Nebraska flipped a switch and found another gear to earn the 38-27 win over the Spartans to improve to 4-1. Now, it's another tough test against another one-loss Big Ten team in Maryland. The Terrapins are reeling off their first loss of the season after Washington came back to stun the Terps just last week.

Nonetheless, we're now halfway through yet another week of game prep for the Nebraska football team, and as important as it is to keep up with NU's plans for their first true road game of the season, it's equally important to know how the Terps view their upcoming clash with the Huskers.

Of course, as with any coach press conference, first comes the heaping of compliments.

Maryland coach Michael Locksley is more than impressed with what Matt Rhule has been able to do in such a short time at Nebraska. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

"Look at the job Matt Rhule has done," Locksley said. "He’s flipped that roster, turned around their program. A lot more athletic team, a lot more length than they maybe have had there in the last couple years. They’ve got a big-time quarterback and do a really good job in all three phases."

After getting the pleasantries out of the way, Locksley and his players didn't shy away from what they saw on film when scouting Nebraska, including where the Huskers are falling short.

"The things they don’t do well, we’ve got to do a better job ourselves of running the football," Locksley said of Nebraska's inability to slow down the run through five games. "We’ve got some talented, skilled guys on the outside. Our guys have to make plays that are there to be made, and I expect us to do that. This week, I think we’re a team that matches up evenly with this Nebraska team. They’re super talented."

Maryland knows the key to beating Nebraska will be to establish a ground game early, and it's a match-up they think they can exploit on Saturday. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

While Nebraska's rushing defense has come under attack from much more than just opposing teams, the criticism is also somewhat of a testament to Nebraska's pass defense. The Huskers currently lead the nation, allowing just 75.8 yards through the air per game. Not only is the yardage down, but Michigan State became the first team to even record a passing touchdown against Nebraska all season.

It's safe to say that level of dominance shows up in the film room as well.

"They’re just a real athletic team," Maryland senior offensive lineman Isaiah Wright said. "They have a lot of disciplined guys, so I think we’ve just got to stick to our game plan and stick to our standard and the way we approach practice every day. I think we’re going to be fine."

To actually be fine, the Terrapins will not only show they can run against NU, but they'll need to hold off a Husker defensive front that wreaked havoc on Michigan State this past Saturday. In total, the Huskers sacked MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles, while also forcing him into two interceptions in the game.

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles had little room to operate against Nebraska, getting sacked four times while throwing two interceptions in the 38-27 loss to the Huskers. | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

It's recent tape that Maryland got to sit down and watch this week, and that includes yet another true freshman quarterback that has to face that Husker front. This week, it's Maryland's Malik Washington, who has been no slouch through five games this season.

Through five games, Washington has thrown for more than 1,200 yards passing with just two interceptions to his name so far. During the team's weekly press conference on Tuesday, he tipped his cap to Nebraska's defensive front. However, he also said as long as he's given time, he doesn't have much concern when it comes to throwing it against Nebraska's secondary.

"I think it’s their front," Washington said about what makes Nebraska's defense so good. "Their front gets after the quarterback a decent amount, and I think that makes it harder for teams to pass on them. As long as we hold up in protection, our receivers will get downfield and make plays."

Maryland quarterback Malik Washington says he's not worried about finding success against Nebraska's secondary as long as he has time to throw. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Maryland will also need to keep up with Nebraska's offense, which seems to be gaining confidence by the day under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. The Huskers have certainly had moments of lull, including the middle two quarters of their win against Michigan State last week, but the Terrapins know NU can click at any time thanks to having Dylan Raiola under center.

"They got a lot of pride in their quarterback," senior defensive lineman Cam Rice said. "The offense kind of runs through him, so pass rush is going to be really important in affecting him, get him off his game and stopping the run whenever they run the ball."

"Their quarterback is a guy that we’ve to do a really good job of trying to affect," Locksley added. "They’ve got great skill in the backfield as they’ve always had."

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is far from a secret at this point, and Maryland knows the offense runs through the sophomore signal caller. | Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

Just like when taking a test, both Maryland and Nebraska will be putting their pencils down come Saturday. After that, it's to see if they can walk the walk after talking the talk. For only one of the teams, a win on Saturday will put them just one win away from bowl eligibility for 2025.

For the other, it'll knock them down to 4-2, and looking for answers on how to right the ship and position themselves for a strong finish down the stretch. The Huskers and Terrapins kick off at 2:30 p.m. CDT in College Park, MD, and the game will be broadcast nationally on the Big Ten Network.

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