Maryland is well on its way to making a bowl game for the second straight year. At 5-2, they currently sit at third in the East division of the Big Ten, coming off of a big conference win over Iowa last week.
A solid game from redshirt senior quarterback C.J. Brown put the Terrapins ahead 38-21 in the fourth quarter, and they held on for the win. He didn’t have the best day passing, throwing for only 120 yards and two interceptions, but rushed for 99 yards.
This came off of a bye week that followed a demoralizing loss to Ohio State early this month. They allowed 52 points to the Buckeyes while only scoring 24 themselves. Maryland’s other loss came against West Virginia, where it lost on a last-second field goal.
Passing has been one of the biggest issues so far for the team. They’ve alternated between Brown, junior Caleb Rowe and redshirt sophomore Perry Hills under center this season. Rowe tore his ACL prior to the Iowa game, opening up playing time for Hills.
Rowe looked ready to take the helm before his injury, but now Maryland will be forced to continue with Brown, who draws comparisons to Tanner McEvoy with a sub-60 percent completion percentage, and Hills, who has only 10 attempts on the year.
Brown leads the team in rushing, although starting junior running back Brandon Ross averages 4.8 yards per carry. He and backup Wes Brown, a sophomore, each average around only 35 yards per game.
On the other side of the ball, the Terrapins have a strong pass rush from senior defensive lineman Andre Monroe. Monroe is only listed at 5 feet 11 inches, but he has 5.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss on the season, two of which came last week against Iowa.
Behind him, sophomore linebacker Yannick Ngakoue has been a force as well. He leads the team with 9.5 tackles for loss along with four sacks. He and senior linebacker Cole Farrand, who leads the team in tackles, have wreaked havoc on opponents’ offenses in 2014.
Sophomore cornerback William Likely leads UM’s secondary with four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. As a whole, the Terrapins’ secondary has been fairly mediocre, giving up over 250 yards per game.
Maryland has improved its win total each year under head coach Randy Edsall, who is in his fourth season with the Terrapins.
Edsall, who is 18-26 with Maryland, previously spent 12 seasons at helm at UConn. He went 74-70 with the Huskies, winning two Big East titles and earning a berth in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl.
The Terrapins have playmakers on both sides of the ball, but they have been unable to put it all together in a couple games this season. Upsetting Wisconsin on the road would be huge for them as they look to reach bowl eligibility.
