The Terps come into Saturday's homecoming game versus Illinois having lost their first game of the season last week at Ohio State.

The Terps were able to build an early 10-0 lead versus the Buckeyes, but Ohio State reeled off the final 27 points of the game to defeat Maryland by a final score of 37-17.

Illinois comes into Saturday's game in College Park having lost two straight and four of their last five.

A victory over the Illini would have the Terps bowl eligible for a third straight year and at the earliest point in the season since 2001 as they head into their bye week.

Below, TSR takes a look at three things to watch for Saturday when the Terps take on the Illini at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.

RELATED: Behind Enemy Lines: Illinois | Looking back at Maryland and Illinois starters as recruits

Can the Terps win the turnover battle?

Last weekend's loss to Ohio State marked the first time all season the Terps have lost the turnover battle. Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa threw two interceptions, while the Terps' defense failed to register a takeaway.

But beyond just turning the ball over, the Terps handed Ohio State easy points with those turnovers, including an early pick-six by Tagovailoa that gave the Buckeyes their first points of the game while trailing by double digits. That play led to a big momentum shift at a time in the first half where Maryland could have possibly extended the lead.

In all, Tagovailoa's two interceptions led to 10 points for the Buckeyes. In Maryland's previous three games leading up to Ohio State, the Terps defense had forced their opponents into 10 turnovers and scored 42 points off of those turnovers.

The good news for Maryland this week is that Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has thrown eight interceptions this season, second-most among FBS quarterbacks. And as a team, Illinois has a -5 turnover margin this season, ranking near the bottom at 115th nationally.

Can the Terps get the ground game going?

To date, the Terps have not been as effective on the ground this season as they were last year.

That begins with starting running back Roman Hemby, who rushed for just shy of 1,000 yards a season ago but has just 344 yards through six games so far this season.

Hemby has seemed to struggle a bit in finding and hitting holes. And that might not be completely his fault, as he has an entirely new offensive line in front of him that hasn't looked good at times with their run blocking.

But diving a little deeper, it isn't just Hemby who has struggled. Antwain Littleton II has gone from averaging 5.0 yards per carry last season to just 4.2 yards per carry this year. Hemby has also seen his per carry average dip this season, from 5.3 to 4.8 yards.

Again, the good news for the Terps is that despite struggling some with the run game, they still have three backs that they regularly hand the ball off to that are all averaging four-plus yards per carry when you include Colby McDonald.

The Illini defense currently ranks 108th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game with opposing backs averaging 4.3 yards per carry. They have also given up 10 touchdowns on the ground so far this season.

While you certainly have to factor in that Illinois has faced four of the top-25 rushing offenses (two in the top 10) so far this season, it would seem that this matchup presents the Maryland run game a chance to get back on track after falling below their average rushing yards per game in each of the past four contests.

Will the weather play a factor?

With the forecast calling for light rain throughout the day in College Park, the wet weather could certainly play a role in Saturday's outcome.

For Maryland on offense, it likely means trying to establish the ground game early and often, something they have struggled to do this season.

On defense, a wet ball could lead to additional chances for takeaways for the Terps.

But as is often the case with the college game, the biggest area where the weather could play a factor is in special teams. A muffed punt or kickoff, a kicker slipping while attempting a field goal or PAT could all play a factor in the final outcome.

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