Coming off of their first Big Ten win of the season in thrilling come-from-behind fashion over USC, the Terps will look to make it two in a row Saturday in Minnesota when they take on the Golden Gophers.
Minnesota, meanwhile, has won two straight games over the two Los Angeles schools, with their most recent home win also over the Trojans.
Below, TSR takes a look at three things to watch for Saturday when Maryland takes on Minnesota on FS1.
Does Billy Edwards Jr. remain scorching hot?
Maryland starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. is coming off perhaps the best performance of his college career, having thrown for 373 yards and a touchdown while completing 78 percent of his passes in last week's homecoming win over USC.
While Edwards wasn't perfect, he showed real mental toughness and made big play after big play down the stretch when his team really needed him.
Top wideouts Tai Felton and Kaden Prather both caught nine passes a week ago for a combined 195 yards and a score. But it was talented junior pass catcher Octavian Smith Jr. who broke out with eight catches for 84 yards and a score in the win. The emergence of Smith as a reliable third option for Edwards could take the Terps' offense to the next level down the final stretch of the season.
Minnesota's defense will present a stiff test for Edwards, as they come into Saturday's game with the No. 4-ranked pass defense in the country, allowing an average of just 139.6 yards per game through the air. They also rank second nationally and lead the Big Ten in interceptions with 13 total as a team with one returned for a touchdown.
Can the Terps' young secondary build on last week's performance?
While the Terps allowed USC quarterback Miller Moss to throw for 336 yards last week, a shorthanded secondary showed signs of improvement. Maryland finished the day with five total pass breakups, including four by defensive backs. Several of those pass breakups prevented an explosive pass play by the Trojans and likely helped keep them out of the end zone.
The Terps also got an interception from junior defensive back Lavain Scruggs, who had a 51-yard return which set up a Tai Felton touchdown on the ensuing play.
With the Golden Gophers coming into Saturday's game ranked 118th in rushing offense, the Maryland secondary is likely to get tested early and often.
Minnesota firth-year senior wideout Daniel Jackson comes into Saturday's game with 42 catches on the season, 20 more than the Golden Gophers' second-leading receiver Elijah Spencer, and will likely be the focus of Maryland's secondary.
Can the Terps get off to a hot start on the road?
In Maryland's two road games so far this season, the opponent has scored first, taking a one-score lead into the locker room at halftime. At Virginia, the Terps dominated the second half and came away with a win. At Indiana, the Hoosiers dominated the fourth quarter to pull away late.
With their first Big Ten win now under their belt, can the Terps come out on Saturday at Minnesota and play like a team with a purpose, execute and take an early lead on the road? The schedule doesn't get much easier from here, with road games at No. 1 Oregon and at No. 3 Penn State with home games versus Rutgers and Iowa in between. Maryland needs to win at least two more games to become bowl eligible and Saturday's game in Minneapolis might be one of their best opportunities to assure they are bowling at the end of the season.
An early lead at Minnesota could help quiet the crowd and give the Terps some early confidence in a crucial game which likely will have bowl implications.
