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There’s never any love lost between the Big Ten’s 2014 inductees—Maryland and Rutgers. As the conference’s East Coast schools take the field against each other for the sixth straight year, each will be looking to show the strides their program has made after several down years.

Head coach Chris Ash is at the helm for the Scarlet Knights for the fourth year as he and his team seek their first bowl appearance since 2014. Last year was a debacle for Rutgers football, as the program dealt with the suspension or dismissal of nine players while starting a true freshman at quarterback. The Scarlet Knights plodded their way to a 1-11 finish—their worst since 2002.

Ash now finds himself squarely on the hot seat entering the 2019 season. Much of his and the Scarlet Knights’ success this fall will rest on the shoulders of sophomore quarterback Artur Sitkowski, who had one of the lowest quarterback efficiency ratings in college football last year (76.4).

Sitkowski threw a nation-worst 18 interceptions last season and will have to drastically cut back on the turnovers if Rutgers wants to be competitive this fall. The Scarlet Knights would also love to see him improve upon his 49.1 completion percentage from a year ago.

Having finished 127th, 121st, and 130th in the nation in scoring offense during Ash’s first three seasons, Rutgers hopes a second season under offensive coordinator John McNulty and the familiarity associated there will help right the ship. If Sitkowski doesn’t show growth or doesn’t click with McNulty’s offense, the Scarlet Knights could eventually turn to Texas Tech graduate transfer McLane Carter as a more experienced option under center.

But Rutgers’ best chance on offense will be to temper what is asked of its quarterback and keep the ball on the ground as much as possible. The Scarlet Knights will lean heavily on junior running back Raheem Blackshear (586 rushing yards in 2018) as well as sophomore Isaih Pacheco (551 rushing yards in 2018). The passing game is a work in progress, but Rutgers does have the advantage of returning four of its top five pass catchers from last year.

Maryland fans will be familiar with Rutgers’ defense this fall, as the Scarlet Knights usher out former Terps defensive coordinator Andy Buh to call plays for them on that side of the ball in 2019. Ash and Buh previously worked together on the coaching staff at Wisconsin, and together they hope to improve a unit that finished 89th nationally in points allowed (31.4) last season.

Rutgers’ defensive strength is in its secondary, where it returns senior Damon Hayes and sophomore Avery Young, who both played well last season. Hayes started 12 games at safety last year but will return to his natural cornerback position this fall. However, there has been plenty of attrition on that side of the ball in Piscataway, as five of Rutgers’ top seven tacklers from last year are no longer with the team and six starters have to be replaced.

Bottom line: In a game between two teams and head coaches with something to prove, this early October matchup is likely to be fought out tooth and nail. The game being played in Piscataway favors Rutgers, but the Terps will be viewing this as a “must-win” game if they want to be a team on the rise like they claim. If Maryland can stop the Scarlet Knights run game early and force Sitkowski to take the game into his own hands, the Terps could capitalize and stymie an offense that often time fails to get going. Conversely, if the Terps can take care of the ball themselves and pound the rock on a suspect defensive front seven, Maryland should escape the Garden State with a win.

Series: 8-6, Maryland

Last Maryland win: 2018, 34-7 at Maryland

Last Rutgers win: 2017, 31-24 at Rutgers