GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Saturday, noon ET
SITE: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
TV: ESPN2
SERIES: Tied at 1. Iowa won the last meeting 31-15 in Iowa City in 2015.
RANKINGS: Iowa No. 19
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Terrapins
–QB Kasim Hill has thrown for less than 122 yards in each of the last five contests. And though he had just 76 yards (on 8-of-17 passing) against Rutgers, he tossed a career-high three touchdowns, two on plays moving out of the pocket and creating opportunities downfield. Look for Maryland coaches to give him some quick, easy reads and short passes early to get him comfortable, but the Terrapins’ hopes for success may rely on him making big plays down the field.
–RB/KR Ty Johnson is fourth all-time at Maryland in all-purpose yards (4,096) and in career rushing yards (2,564), and he bounced back from one of his poorest rushing efforts ever (three yards at Michigan) to rush for 132 yards and a 65-yard touchdown that opened the scoring last week against Rutgers. Johnson is just the fourth Terrapin in school history to record over 4,000 all-purpose yards, joining Torrey Smith, LaMont Jordan and Stefon Diggs.
–DE Byron Cowart, a transfer from Auburn, had his best game as a Terrapin on Saturday against Rutgers. He registered two tackles for loss, including a sack, and picked up a big interception on a deflected pass. He would have had another sack but was flagged for a horse-collar tackle on the play.
Hawkeyes
–QB Nate Stanley reaped the rewards of a six-touchdown game last week against Indiana. The junior second-year starter was named the Walter Camp Player of the Week and the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week. In the last four games, he has thrown for 14 touchdowns. Stanley has exceeded 300 yards passing in three of his last four games, and his 15 touchdown passes are the second highest total in the Big Ten behind Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins.
–WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette is leading the nation in kickoff returns with a 37.4-yard average and is second in the Big Ten with a 19.2-yard average per reception. The sophomore had a 60-yard kickoff return last week in the 42-16 win at Indiana. He’s an athlete on the outside who’s a threat to break a big play that Iowa has lacked the past few years.
–S Jake Gervase had a nice game last week against Indiana. His eight tackles tied for the team lead with LB Kristian Welch and he added an interception, his first of the season, on the final defensive play of the game for Iowa, and one pass breakup. With injuries forcing Iowa to play young and inexperienced cornerbacks, Gervase has steadied the back end of the defense.
KEYS
TO THE GAME
Back in late September, Iowa was disappointed but not demoralized after losing its Big Ten opener at home to Wisconsin.
The Hawkeyes knew there was plenty of football left to play.
Since then, the Hawkeyes won back-to-back games on the road the past two weeks that put them right back in the Big Ten West Division mix and into the Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 19.
On Saturday, Iowa plays (5-1, 2-1) host to Maryland (4-2, 2-1) in a homecoming game at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes are one of four teams with one loss in the division and now have a chance to be a contender.
“The best thing that our team has done going forward is one week at a time,” Iowa center Keegan Render said. “The only way it’s going to happen is us winning. It doesn’t matter what other things happen outside of us. As long as we win, we know there’s going to be a chance at the end, no matter what else happens in our division.”
Iowa’s offense appears to have found a groove. Iowa quarterback Nate Stanley threw six touchdown passes last week in a 42-16 win at Indiana. He has exceeded 300 yards passing in each of the past two games.
Tight ends Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson have combined with 45 receptions, 692 yards and nine touchdowns this season. Each had more than 100 yards receiving last week.
The Iowa offensive line has given up a conference-low six sacks.
“We knew it was just a matter of time and us going out there and doing it,” Render said. “Obviously, we’ve done it for a couple of weeks. Now it’s keep doing it. We can’t go back. Keep pushing. We know things are going to get stickier and stickier as the games go on.”
Iowa’s level of performance on defense is right there with the offense. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 3 nationally in rushing defense (81.5 yards per game), fifth in total defense (282.0 ypg) and 13th in points allowed (16.5 per game).
“We’re going to get tested the next six weeks,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We’re only halfway through the season. There are going to be more bumps in the road, more adversity to face, those types of things. We’ll find out more about the team.”
Maryland has won two of its last three games, with the loss coming at Michigan on Oct. 6. The Terrapins opened the season with an upset of Texas.
“We can take away that we played hard and I have to coach better,” Maryland interim coach Matt Canada said. “You have to go play and beat those teams. The Michigan game, we didn’t do that.”
No one quite knew what to expect from Maryland this season. Coach DJ Durkin was placed on administrative leave in August after offensive lineman Jordan McNair died of heatstroke following a summer workout.
“The way they’re playing, you have to give everybody credit,” Ferentz said.
“It starts with (Canada). He’s certainly been the one that pulled them all together, kept everybody going in the right direction. When you watch film, you would never know there was any turbulence there. That’s impressive.”
Under Canada, who was beginning his first year as offensive coordinator when he was thrust into the job as interim head coach, Maryland has matched last season’s win total with six games remaining.
“We are very proud of our players for the way they are doing it, and the way they’re playing hard,” Canada said. “It’s never going to be whatever we all want it to be, but it is going to be the best we can make it today. Do the best you can with what you’ve got and where you are.”
Two of the key factors to Maryland’s success can be traced to turnovers and its running game.
The Terrapins lead the Big Ten in turnover margin at plus-9 and they also have the most interceptions in the conference with 12. Five of those interceptions came last week in a 34-7 win over Rutgers.
“We’re trying to be around the ball,” Canada said. “We’re trying to get takeaways. We’re trying to strip the ball. We’re trying to be ball-hawks when the ball is in the air and act like it’s our ball and not theirs.”
Maryland ranks third in the conference in rushing offense at 245.2 yards per game. Running back Ty Johnson is 19th nationally in all-purpose yards (132.33 per game) and has rushed for 435 yards and three touchdowns on 54 carries.
“They’re run heavy, under center,” Iowa defensive end Parker Hesse said. “They try to do a lot of stuff pre-snap to get you out of position.”
