Five things to watch for: No. 17 Minnesota

More than two-touchdown underdogs, the Terps travels to No. 17 Minnesota Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at TCF Bank Stadium. Coming off of two consecutive losses, Maryland is hoping a win on the road against a ranked opponent can help salvage its season.

At the same time, the Golden Gophers are steamrolling teams with their size and momentum and will look to keep their winning streak going in front of their home crowd on Saturday. Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is in his third year at the helm in Minneapolis, and he has built a solid program that loves to play defense and run the ball.

Here are five things to watch when Maryland and Minnesota take the field on Saturday.

1. Who starts under center for the Terps?

Josh Jackson has missed the last two-and-half games with a high ankle sprain but was back at practice this week splitting first-team reps with Tyrrell Pigrome, who filled in during Jackson’s injury. Head coach Mike Locksley wouldn’t name a starter this week but said he expects both Jackson and Pigrome to be ready to go on Saturday. With a decision on a starter likely not coming until Saturday morning, Terps fans will have to wait and see who starts under center for them on the road against an undefeated, ranked opponent. The sense is that the reins will be turned back over to Jackson, who completed 9-of-16 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns against Rutgers before exiting with an injury. In Jackson’s absence, Pigrome completed 51-of-84 (60.7 percent) for 539 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.

2. Brooks in the box

Antoine Brooks has been Maryland’s biggest playmaker on the defensive side of the ball this season, and it hasn’t even been close. The senior safety plays all over the field for the Terps, including spending plenty of time in the box, where he is masterful at stopping the run at times. Look for Brooks to be used in the box even more than usual against the Golden Gophers on Saturday because of Minnesota’s propensity for running the ball. Fleck runs the ball twice as much as he throws it, and Brooks will be a key piece for the Terps when it comes to stopping what Minnesota wants to do on offense. The Golden Gophers’ offensive front is huge, but Brooks can perhaps use his speed and athleticism to get around some blockers to make plays.

3. A healthy Maryland offensive line

Maryland’s offensive line has had its fair share of injuries this season. Senior right guard Terrance Davis has missed the last four games with a knee sprain, and junior center Johnny Jordan as well as sophomore right tackle Marcus Minor have each been sidelined at times this year due to injury. Senior Ellis McKennie and redshirt freshmen Austin Fontaine and Spencer Anderson have all been asked to fill in on Maryland’s offensive line this year, but it appears against Minnesota the Terps offensive front will be at full strength for the first time in over a month. Davis returned to practice this week and has been taking first-team reps. He’ll likely return to a starting offensive line that also includes Minor, Jordan, Jaelyn Duncan, and Sean Christie.

4. An up-tempo attack by the Terps

Maryland will be giving up plenty of size in the trenches to Minnesota. It will be a challenge for the Terps on both sides of the ball, but one way Locksley believes his team can help close that gap on offense is by implementing an up-tempo game plan. Maryland will have to use its speed and athleticism to stun the Golden Gophers in Minny, and keeping a fast pace in order to tire out the defensive front might be the Terps best bet. However, Terps sophomore tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo said earlier this week that Minnesota plays most of its defense out of its base set, meaning the Golden Gophers don’t rely heavily on making substitutions on that side of the ball. That means Fleck and his staff might not be too thrown off by a no-huddle game plan from the Terps.

5. Improvement in Maryland’s young secondary

It’s no secret that Maryland’s secondary has been one of the Terps’ biggest weaknesses so far this year. With a starting safety and starting cornerback out for the season, defensive coordinator Jon Hoke has had to put together a patchwork defense with many young defensive backs playing a lot of minutes. Locksley said earlier this week that although Maryland’s young defensive backs are clearly having struggles, it is the hope of the coaching staff that these reps will help them improve each and every week and have them more prepared to play some of the Terps’ stiffest competition at the end of the season. Minnesota is the best opponent some of these defensive backs have played so far and this weekend will be a true test of how much they have improved to this point. The bar is set pretty low for Maryland’s secondary right now, but freshman safety Nick Cross continues to show he can make plays, senior cornerback Marcus Lewis returned from an injury last week, and Brooks continues to be a mainstay.