The Terps are coming off of an impressive win at Indiana in which backup quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. finished the game after starter Taulia Tagovailoa was carted off the field with an injury, leading Maryland on a pair of 4th quarter scoring drives. They will look to make it two wins in a row Saturday when they host a reeling Northwestern team for Homecoming. A win for the Terps would also make them bowl eligible for the second consecutive season and would be the earliest date they have been bowl eligible in a season since 2001 when they won the ACC championship.
Below we take a look at three things to watch for when the Terps host the Wildcats on Saturday.
Will Taulia Tagovailoa play this week?
This has been the biggest question surrounding the Terps all week and remains such leading right up to kickoff. Many fans were left fearing the worst when Tagovailoa was carted off the field in the 4th quarter of the Terps' win over Indiana. The Terps dodged a bullet, however, as Tagovailoa appears to have only re-aggravated an earlier MCL sprain and was spotted practicing throughout the week leading up to Saturday's game versus Northwestern.
But even with Tagovailoa able to play Saturday, it might make the most sense to sit him. Northwestern enters their matchup with the Terps having lost five straight and the Wildcats' defense has particularly struggled against the run. Backup Billy Edwards Jr. has looked strong in the RPO game when his number has been called this season, including leading the Terps on a pair of 4th quarter scoring drives in last week's win over the Hoosiers. Edwards rushed for 53 yards on five carries versus Indiana, which really seemed to open things up for starting running back Roman Hemby, who rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown in two 4th-quarter scoring drives with Edwards under center.
Given that Tagovailoa is banged up, Edwards looked good last week in the run game and the fact Northwestern really struggles to stop the run, this could be the perfect week to start Edwards. Tagovailoa would get to sit out this week's game and would then have two weeks to rest up as the Terps have a bye week ahead of their game at Wisconsin. Maryland still has a realistic shot at winning 8 or 9 games this season and it would make sense for Locksley to take the long approach with Tagovailoa with a lot of football still left to play.
Can the Terps limit Northwestern RB Evan Hull?
Northwestern starting running back Evan Hull enters Saturday's game versus Maryland as the Wildcats' leading rusher and receiver. He is coming off of a 1,000-yard rushing season a year ago and had over 150 yards from scrimmage in each of Northwestern's first three games of the season.
But it has been tough sledding for Hull of late, with 152 yards from scrimmage total in the Wildcats' last two games versus Penn State and Wisconsin. The Maryland defense will likely look to stop the run first and foremost Saturday, forcing the Wildcats to become one-dimensional on offense. If the Terps can shut down Hull and the running game, they can likely force quarterback Ryan Hilinski into turning the ball over, as he has thrown three interceptions in the past two games. Creating takeaways and turning them into points should allow Maryland to come away victorious.
How many yards does Roman Hemby rush for?
Redshirt freshman running back Roman Hemby has quietly had one of the most productive seasons to-date of any freshman running back in America. He's gone over 100 yards rushing three times this season with minimal carries, as he enters Satuday's game averaging an eye-popping 6.2 yards per carry.
Given the numbers Hemby put up on the final two scoring drives last weekend versus Indiana and given the fact the Terps' offense could be very run-heavy if Billy Edwards is to get the start, Maryland fans could possibly see a heavy dose of Hemby versus Northwestern. It would not be shocking at all to see him get the most carries he has had all season if he can get it going early in the game. In two of the three games this season in which he has had 16 or more carries, he's gone for over 100 yards rushing. Don't be surprised if this is one of his most productive games of the season with a chance to go over 200 total yards from scrimmage for the first time this season.
