Previewing Michigan Vs. Maryland With A Terrapins Insider

By Clayton Sayfie

TheWolverine.com caught up with Maryland beat writer and podcaster George Gerbo of The Washington Times to preview the Terrapins’ matchup with Michigan Wolverines football Saturday in College Park. Gerbo broke down Maryland and offered a final score prediction. We begin with a projection of the Terrapins’ starters:

Maryland projected starters on offense

• #3 – Redshirt senior QB Taulia Tagovailoa (5-11, 208) — The 2022 second-team All-Big Ten honoree has played in 39 career games over four seasons at Maryland, after transferring from Alabama, including two against Michigan. He’s completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 2,769 yards and a Big Ten-best 22 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. He ranks 98th among FBS quarterbacks with 100 or more pass attempts with an 8.2-yard average throw depth.

• #24 – Redshirt sophomore RB Roman Hemby (6-2, 202) — It’s been running back by committee for the Terrapins, but Hemby has started every game. He’s rushed 109 times for 515 yards and 4 touchdowns. He averages 3.78 yards after contact per rush.

• #10 – Junior WR Tai Felton (6-2, 185) — Second on the team with 542 receiving yards on 38 catches, with 5 touchdown receptions (tied atop the team).

• #6 – Graduate WR Jeshaun Jones (6-1, 188) — Leads the team with 45 receptions and 607 receiving yards, scoring 4 touchdowns. He leads the team’s wide receivers with 6.9 yards after the catch per reception.

• #1 – Junior WR Kaden Prather (6-4, 212) — Hauled in 37 catches for 523 yards and 5 touchdowns. He’s seen 10 of his catches come beyond 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, including 5 of 20-plus.

• #2 – Redshirt junior TE Corey Dyches (6-2, 215) — The 2022 honorable mention All-Big Ten selection has grabbed 42 passes for 401 yards and a score this season. His 46.5 PFF run-blocking rating is considered poor.

• #74 – Redshirt junior LT Delmar Glaze (6-5, 328) — The 2022 honorable mention All-Big Ten standout has started 29 career games. His 73.5 overall PFF grade ranks fourth among Big Ten tackles, and his 84.6 pass-blocking rating checks in second. He’s allowed 10 pressures and a sack on the year.

• #70 – Redshirt senior LG Amelio Morán (6-5, 311) — The first-year starter has opened seven contests this season. He has a 57.1 overall PFF grade with 9 pressures and no sacks allowed.

• #66 – Senior C Aric Harris (6-3, 295) — Made 17 career starts. He ranks third on the starting offensive line with a 73.6 overall PFF rating. He has a 70.6 mark in run blocking and 74.6 in pass protection. He’s allowed 6 pressures and no sacks.

• #51 – Senior RG Corey Bullock (6-4, 331) — The North Carolina Central transfer has started all nine games this season. He has an 81.2 PFF pass-protection rating, with a 73.9 overall mark and a 73.6 run-blocking grade. He’s given up 8 pressures and no sacks.

• #70 – Senior RT Gottlieb Ayedze (6-5, 320) — The Frostburg State (D-II) transfer has started seven outings in his first year with Maryland. He has a 70.4 overall PFF grade with a 74.7 pass-blocking rating. He’s yielded 12 pressures.

Maryland projected starters on defense

• #8 – Redshirt freshman DT Jordan Phillips (6-3, 311) — The Tennessee transfer is in his second season with Maryland. He’s totaled 22 tackles, including 1 behind the line of scrimmage, and. 1 quarterback hurry with 8 pressures.

• #93 – Graduate DT Tre Colbert (6-3, 333) — Registered 22 tackles, including 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

• #5 – Redshirt junior DE Quashon Fuller (6-3, 266) — Posted 17 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 5 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. His 21 pressures are tied atop the Maryland defense.

• #19 – Junior OLB Donnell Brown (6-3, 254) — Tallied 24 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 quarterback hurries and 1 fumble recovery with 21 pressures. His 85.6 overall PFF grade ranks first on the defense.

• #45 – Sophomore OLB Kellan Wyatt (6-3, 262) — Leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks to go along with 17 pressures and 33 total stops with 3 quarterback hurries and 1 fumble recovery.

• #1 – Sophomore LB Jaishawn Barham (6-4, 233) — The 2022 honorable mention All-Big Ten selection has recorded 30 tackles, including 3 sacks, 1 pass breakup and 2 quarterback hurries. His 76.8 PFF run-defense rating ranks second on the team.

• #11 – Senior LB Ruben Hyppolite II (6-0, 230) — Second on the team with 47 tackles, including 1.5 behind the line of scrimmage.

• #3 – Senior CB Ja’Quan Sheppard (6-2, 202) — Made 22 tackles, including 2 for loss, and 6 pass breakups on the season. Per PFF, he’s allowed 19 receptions for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns on 41 targets in coverage.

• #4 – Senior CB Tarheeb Still (6-1, 196) — Played in eight games and racked up 33 tackles, including 2 for loss, and 5 interceptions to lead the Big Ten. He’s given up 23 catches for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns on 36 targets.

• #2 – Senior S Beau Brade (6-1, 210) — The team’s leading tackler (55) has made 2.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 1 interception, 5 pass breakups and a forced fumble. In coverage, he’s yielded 18 catches for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns on 30 targets.

• #12 – Junior S Dante Trader Jr. (5-11, 200) — Third on Maryland with 34 tackles, adding 2 picks and 5 pass breakups. he’s given up 13 catches for 218 yards and no touchdowns in coverage.

Maryland specialists

• #91 – Redshirt sophomore K Jack Howes (6-1, 202) — Made 11 of his 17 field goal attempts this season and is 4-of-9 from 40-plus yards. His longest made kick was from 48 yards. He’s had 1 kick blocked.

• #99 – Senior P Colton Spangler (6-0, 192) — Averages 43.3 yards per punt with a 54-yard long. He’s pinned the opponent inside its own 20-yard line 17 times and has 7 boots of 50-plus yards.

• #6 – Graduate PR Jeshaun Jones (6-1, 188) — The wide receiver has brought back 7 punts with an 11.7-yard average and 26-yard long.

• #19 – Freshman KR Braeden Wisloski (5-10, 185) — Returned 12 kicks with a 25.4-yard average and a 98-yard touchdown in the first quarter against Virginia.

Taulia Tagovailoa, a struggling offensive line and key mistakes

Tagovailoa has loads of experience and been productive throughout his career at Maryland, but he hasn’t quite progressed the way those in College Park hoped he could after his first couple seasons. He took a step back last season (8.1 yards per attempt in 2021 to 7.7) and is down to 7.4 yards per pass this year. He leads the Big Ten with 2,769 yards and 22 touchdowns but has already thrown 8 interceptions.

“They put the graphic on the screen during the Nebraska game and it was like, ‘Maryland and its Big Ten-leading offense.’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ Honest to God, I hadn’t looked at the quarterback stats in a few weeks — it made me look at them after. They’re like, ‘He’s got the most touchdowns, most passing yards.’ And it’s like, it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it,” Gerbo said.

“He has done things better this season in certain aspects, and there are things that still nag him that he’s been unable to shake. He is better in the pocket. His eyes, his reads are better.”

Tagovailoa has been pressured on 28.4 percent of his dropbacks, per PFF, and has thrown half of his picks when facing pressure. The inexperienced Maryland offensive line has forced him to get on the move and try to make tough throws.

“He’s playing behind, essentially, an entirely new offensive line,” Gerbo explained. “When they went into camp, we were like, ‘They’re going to live and die by this offensive line,’ and generally, if you had to boil it down to one thing, that’s generally been the case, both in the running game and passing game.

“The sacks are one thing, but probably a key for Michigan, if you can get him flushed, to his detriment, he will not let the play die.

“There are sometimes where it’s like, he has made this mistake now for three, four years, and he can’t shake it. He gets to the edge, he wants to continue the play.”

Run game has slipped

Maryland ranks 11th in the Big Ten with 115.5 rushing yards per game, despite churning out 141.3 yards per contest on the ground a season ago. Under first-year coordinator Josh Gattis, Michigan’s former coordinator and wide receivers coach, the rushing attack just hasn’t gotten going with a similar level of effectiveness.

“The biggest weakness offensively is running the football — or the lack thereof,” Gerbo said. “Roman Hemby is a redshirt sophomore now, he’s still a protected future and could be one of the better backs in this conference. I thought he could be this season, with the likes of [Wisconsin’s] Braelon Allen, [Michigan’s] Blake Corum, Nick Singleton at Penn State, with his season last year.

“Specifically running backs these last three games, only 80 yards at Northwestern, negative-6 yards at Penn State, 80 yards at Nebraska. Overall in this league, you’ve gotta be able to run for 150-plus as a team, and they’re not doing it. You can blame the scheme, you can blame the offensive line — again, experienced — but I just think they abandon it too soon.

“[Maryland head coach Michael] Locksley has talked about for two-plus seasons now, ‘We need to get ourselves into third and manageable.’ And more often than not, first down is either a handoff or a screen pass. Second down is some type of shot downfield or over the middle, because it’s an offense that is predicated on big plays but has, in recent weeks, found those hard to come by. After those two plays, you’re in something like third-and-7 or potentially longer, and it’s either a sack, an offensive line breakdown or another screen pass, where you pick up 6 yards and punt. That’s what the offense has looked like in the last couple weeks.”

Strong defensive front

Maryland is averaging 5.5 tackles for loss per game, including 2.8 sacks. The Terrapins’ 28 sacks rank tied for third in the Big Ten. Opposing ball-carriers are averaging only 3.4 yards per carry.

“The front is the biggest strength [of the Maryland defense],” Gerbo said. “That’s greatly improved. Their sack numbers are up, and that’s legitimate.

“That’s been a strength that Maryland has been able to get a rush and get a push, even if they’re not consistently getting sacks. And they’ve done pretty well in that department. They’ve been getting push and hurries on the quarterbacks.

“Behind those guys, you’ve got a couple of talented linebackers. They’re able to get up the field if the defensive line can get that push. The front has been the high point. And they’ve been able to — they’re athletic enough to be ballhawks when they need to be in that front, too, so they’re doing more than just getting in the backfield.”

Maryland secondary has failed to meet expectations

Illinois, Virginia and others have come in with different personnel groupings or formations than Maryland saw on film, and it took the Terrapins a while to adjust, Gerbo explained.

“The defense has struggled to adapt to things they’re not familiar with,” he said.

The secondary came in as the expected strength of the Maryland defense, but it has struggled this season. The Terrapins are 54th in the country with 218.2 passing yards allowed per contest. Penn State (246 yards and 4 touchdowns), Ohio State (320 yards and 2 scores) and several others have had success through the air.

“Just being undisciplined,” Gerbo said. “An incredible amount of just arm tackling, just fundamental stuff. Guys get to the second level, and it’s, we’re gonna throw a shoulder in or an arm out there — and the tackling’s not proper. Specifically in the middle of that rut against Illinois and Northwestern — just fundamentally undisciplined. And tagging along with that, penalties.

“This is a secondary which has good talent on the whole. The talent is good. They’ve done a much better job of getting interceptions — regardless of who they’re against and how easy they were.”

Gerbo’s final score prediction

“Last year, it was only a one-score game, but I think you had a couple of things going for it, with it being the first Big Ten game of the year for both teams up in Ann Arbor, so Maryland deployed some things we hadn’t seen previously and were in it a little bit into the fourth quarter. This Maryland team doesn’t look anything like that.

“Penn State ran up 51 [on Maryland]. [Head coach] James Franklin has a lot of animosity toward Maryland. I don’t see Michigan in a run-up-the-score mode like that, but I do think the Wolverines will put up points.”

Prediction: Michigan 41, Maryland 24

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