Maryland (6-5) comes into Saturday's game versus Rutgers (6-5) with a chance to close out the regular season on a positive note and get to seven regular season wins for a second straight season with a win over the Scarlet Knights.
The Terps came up just short versus Michigan last week and played one of their best games of the season despite the loss. Senior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa needs just 268 yards through the air to become the Big Ten's all-time leader in passing yards.
Rutgers, meanwhile, is looking to finish with their first winning record since head coach Greg Schiano returned to the Garden State in 2020.
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TSR went in depth with The Knight Report publisher Richie Schnyderite to get some perspective on the Scarlet Knights and his thoughts on Saturday's matchup between Maryland and Rutgers.
What is the vibe among Rutgers players and fans leading up to Saturday’s game? Do they look at Maryland as a rival? Do the fans want this game to be a rivalry? Should this be a trophy game? And if so, what should that trophy be?
I think the fans and team alike are pretty pumped and still riding that high of surpassing expectations this season. Remember they were only projected to have four wins this season and they now have six with a solid chance at seven and a few plays here or there and they might’ve been fighting for eight wins to end the season. Overall it’s been great to see some serious progress in the rebuild this year.
Do they want it to be a rivalry? I think some do but the majority don’t really care. However I personally think you should make it a trophy game, especially since the Big Ten is had already declared it a protected rivalry. Also let’s be honest the Big Ten is the king of weird trophy games so why not add another one.
Rutgers comes into Saturday’s game ranked 123rd nationally in total offense. What have been some reasons for their offensive struggles this season?
It’s a combination of things. Quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has been pretty inaccurate, especially whenever he gets pressured. He’s currently sitting under 50% on his completion percentage for the year. There’s also been issues with the offensive line at times, specifically the right side as starting RT Tyler Needham was injured early on in the year, replaced by Kamar Missouri who struggled and then was replaced a few games later by Reggie Sutton who almost medically retired this offseason after not playing a single snap in 738 days. Also the wide receiver room is pretty bare on talent and guys have struggled to get open at times, so you put it all together and you get a bad offense.
Who are some playmakers on offense that Maryland fans should keep an eye on?
I’d say the obvious one is running back Kyle Momangai who is the conference’s leading rusher and will likely eclipse the 1,000 yard mark this season. He’s changed his running style a bit and runs similar to Isiah Pacheco, bouncing off defenders left and right as he breaks tackles.
The other name to watch would be QB Gavin Wimsatt, as he had one of his better games last week against a tough Penn State defense but he’s also a big time weapon in the ground game. He’s capable of rushing for 100+ yards himself in a game as he ran for 140+ versus Indiana.
On the flip side, Rutgers comes into Saturday’s game ranked 11th nationally in total defense. What makes their defense so good?
They are just a talented group overall and all the credit in the world goes to DC Joe Harasymiak who’s great at making in game adjustments. On top of that they have a pretty talented defensive line that goes 10 deep, a very good group of linebackers even though their best one is out for the season now in Tyreem Powell and then I’m secondary is also a deep unit who’s one odd the better in the conference.
Who are some playmakers on defense that Maryland fans should keep an eye on look out for?
Defensive ends Aaron Lewis and Wesley Bailey are two to watch as the duo combine to make one of the better edge rusher groups in the Big Ten. Lewis lead all edge rushers in the country last year with QB hurries and Bailey led the team in sacks. Both of them have caused a but of havoc for opposing QBs this year. Also keep an eye on cornerback Robert Longerbeam, who’s been a legit lockdown corner this year as team’s have tested him but he’s won a lot of his battles this season.
What does Rutgers need to do in order to come away with a victory?
Rutgers needs to be able to establish the run game and hold onto the ball. They’ve struggled with turnovers and a lot of pre-snap penalties lately thus preventing them from getting anything going on offense. If they can get Monangai going early then they should be able to pull this one off, but if they can't, it could be an ugly one.
Who wins and why? Give your score prediction.
Expect a little bit of back and forth in this one as Maryland has the better offense and Rutgers has the better defense. However when it comes down to coaching, I give the advantage to the Scarlet Knights as I expect them to pull out the victory behind a solid home crowd on Saturday.
Rutgers - 24
Maryland - 21
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