FootballSaturday, October 5, 2018
6B

Breakdown: Michigan vs. Maryland

By MAX MARCOVITCH 

Daily Sports Editor

There is quite a bit of noise 
swirling 
around 
Maryland 
football right now. This preview 
will choose to focus on the field, 
aimed at the team that will be 
traveling to Ann Arbor to play 
Michigan on Saturday. But there 
is plenty to read about the rest, 
most of which is not good.
The Terrapins come into the 
game a confounding 3-1 team. 
They notched a statement 34-29 
win at Texas in week two, 
before losing by 21 points the 
next week against Temple. They 
then responded with a 42-13 
trampling of Minnesota, and are 
on the fringe of the AP Top 25, 
receiving 10 votes in this week’s 
poll.
Maryland will be the most 
complete team the Wolverines 
have faced since Notre Dame, 
and thus an adequate tune-
up ahead of the daunting four 
weeks that loom on the horizon. 
The Daily breaks down what to 
expect in this week’s Big Ten 
bout:

Maryland passing game vs. 
Michigan defense

The first thing you’ll notice 
about Maryland’s offense is 
the regular motion. On nearly 
every play, a player comes 
across the formation, whether 
the quarterback is under center 
or in the shotgun. Sometimes 
this 
is 
designed 
to 
cause 
misdirection, in the form of a 
jet sweep or another creative 
run. Often, it’s just used to get 
the linebackers moving and the 
defense scrambling.
It allows several different 
options off those looks. The 
Terrapins like to get their 
quarterbacks on the move as 
often as possible. Notice the 
plural. 
Redshirt 
freshman 
Kasim Hill will start and play 
most of the game. He’s the 
better passer, and a far more 
well-rounded 
quarterback. 
He’s also shown a solid ability 
to navigate the pocket. Tyrrell 
Pigrome might also get some 
time under center. Pigrome is 
the dual-threat option, as he’s 
only thrown eight passes on the 
season and completed just four. 
More often than not, when he’s 
in the game, it’s a running play 
in some form. Both Pigrome 

and Hill suffered season-ending 
ACL injuries last season that 
decimated Maryland’s season. 
Hill will get the majority of the 
snaps, but don’t be surprised 
to see Pigrome play for a few 
series’.
It’s not the most prolific 
passing game the Wolverines 
will face this season — but it’s 
formidable and poses a test, 
nonetheless. In the Terrapins’ 
loss to Temple this season, 
Pigrome and Hill combined 
to complete just eight of their 
21 passes for 63 yards and two 
interceptions. On the flip side, 
in their win over Texas, the 
duo was a combined 20-for-33 
for 244 yards and a touchdown. 
If Maryland can establish the 
run early and keep Michigan’s 
pass-rushers off balance, its 

passing game can pick its spots 
effectively. The Terrapins’ best 
shot is in a close, low-scoring 
game.
If not? Well, ask Adrian 
Martinez what can happen to 
a freshman quarterback on the 
road in a spread offense playing 
against the top-ranked defense 
in the country.

Maryland running game vs. 
Michigan defense

Again, it all starts with the 
motion. The Terrapins will run 
jet sweeps, counters off those jet 
sweeps, then play action off that. 
Whether it’s the best approach 
against the Wolverines’ defense 
— with one of the most athletic 
linebacking corps in the country 
— remains to be seen. But it is 

the look Maryland will come out 
with.
For that reason, it’s a rushing 
attack predicated on balance. 
The Terrapins’ leading rusher, 
Ty Johnson, has just 40 carries 
on the season. Michigan senior 
running back Karan Higdon 
tallied 30 carries last week 
alone. For Maryland, 13 players 
have registered at least one 
carry this season; five have a per 
carry average over seven yards, 
and the same five have rushed 
for at least one touchdown 
over 20 yards. That’s where the 
majority of the big plays in this 
offense will come from. 
Michigan allows just 86 yards 
per game on the ground, good 
for seventh in the nation. But the 
Terrapins’ running game might 
pose the most well-rounded test 

yet. 

Michigan passing game vs. 
Maryland pass defense

Lost a bit in the flair of 
junior 
quarterback 
Shea 
Patterson’s 
comeback 
last 
week 
against 
Northwestern: 
Michigan’s passing game is far 
from clicking on all cylinders. 
Patterson missed open receivers 
on numerous occasions, despite 
having arguably the best pass 
protection of the season. 

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Senior running back Karan Higdon notched 30 carries in a single game, helping the Wolverines to a 20-17 comeback win last week at Northwestern.

For in-game updates
Follow @MikeDPersak, @ethanewolfe, 
@Max_Marcovitch and 
@MWCalcagno on Twitter during
Saturday’s game.

