Meet The Opponent: Indiana Hosts Maryland As Big Ten Play Resumes

The Terrapins have won three straight over the Hoosiers, but new-look Indiana could end that losing streak.

Maryland Terrapins defensive back Jalen Huskey (22) celebrates while running off the field after the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Like every coach, Maryland football coach Mike Locksley pours his heart and soul into his craft.

Unlike many football coaches, Locksley can be refreshingly honest about where his Terrapins stand.

This honesty was prompted by Maryland’s game against Indiana at noon ET on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Terrapins are the first Big Ten team to come to Bloomington this season, and Locksley shares some branches in his coaching tree with Indiana coach Curt Cignetti . He and Cignetti both worked under Nick Saban at Alabama, and he knows what he’s in for with Cignetti’s Hoosiers.

“The thing that jumps out to me is they're not going to give us this game. They're going to make us beat them. For us, that has been the challenge,” Locksley said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

Maryland is 3-1, but its performance has been inconsistent. The Terrapins dominated UConn 50-7 in their opener, then lost at home to Michigan State, 27-24.

After that, Maryland went to Virginia – an old Atlantic Coast Conference rival – and defeated the Cavaliers, 27-13. After that came a 38-20 victory over FCS Villanova.

“We're a team that kind of makes some mistakes, but we also have shown the propensity to score points if things are going well and also shown the ability to be explosive,” Locksley said.

However, Locksley thinks it’s going to take more than Maryland’s established stars to make that happen.

“This game is going to come down to (Indiana will) figure out who to take away from us and our complimentary players on offense, somebody's going to have to step up and play big for us in this game.”

Here's what to know about the Terrapins:

Key Offensive Players

Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Tai Felton (10) celebrates with quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) after scoring a touchdown against the Villanova Wildcats during the third quarter at SECU Stadium. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

• Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. doesn’t just lead the Big Ten with 1,155 passing yards – he’s getting rave reviews from the scouting-minded observers, too.

Pro Football Focus, which also extensively covers the college game, has Edwards rated seventh-best nationally in its quarterback performance rankings. He’s the highest-rated Big Ten quarterback by their scoring method as he’s graded out to a 90.8 score. Anything above 90 is considered excellent.

Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke ranks 11th nationally with a score of 90.5.

To maintain an even keel, Edwards said he rarely looks at the scoreboard. He doesn’t want the game situation to determine his discipline in the pocket.

“I think what I try to do on the sideline regardless of the scoreboard is to treat every drive like it’s the first of the game. I want to be in the middle ground mentally,” Edwards said.

Edwards, who knows Cignetti from when Cignetti tried to recruit him to James Madison, has a lot of respect for the Hoosiers’ defense.

“They’re forming an identity. They’re playing full, complimentary football on both sides of the ball. They’re playing to their strengths, and they’re playing at a really high level,” Edwards said.

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Tai Felton (10) cuts in front of Michigan State Spartans defensive back Nikai Martinez (1) during the first half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

• Wide receiver Tai Felton is off to a remarkable start for the Terrapins.

He has 41 receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns. He’s second in the nation in catches, third in yards and tied for fourth in touchdown catches.

He’s the first Maryland receiver in school history to start a season with four 100-yard receiving games. Felton broke a record set by tight end Frank Wycheck for the most catches in four games. Wycheck had 38 in the first four games of the 1991 season.

Locksley said Felton reflects the developmental program he’s trying to establish at Maryland.

“Tai Felton is one of my favorite players because of seeing how he’s developed in our program. It’s a reflection that what we talk about being a growth mindset, a developmental program. Tai embodies that,” Locksley said.

Locksley went on to say Felton was “a by-product of his work ethic.”

The Maryland coach also thinks Indiana will try to keep Felton under wraps. It will be interesting to see whether Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds or Jamier Johnson will have coverage responsibility.

“If you think Tai Felton, they’re not going to do things to take Tai Felton out of the game? I know the family he comes from as a coach. They’re not going to let our best players win,” Locksley said.

• A name that might be familiar to Indiana fans, one that will certainly be to Purdue fans, is starting center Josh Kaltenberger. He transferred to Maryland from Purdue after the 2023 season.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound graduate transfer was a frequent presence in the Purdue offensive line in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Kaltenberger started the final three games of the 2022 season at center when starter Gus Hartwig was injured. Kaltenberger spelled Hartwig again for three games in 2023.

Maryland’s offensive line has been a mixed bag. Edwards has only been sacked four times in four games. However, the Maryland running game is ranked 11th in the Big Ten at 155.2 yards per game.

“As an offensive line, we’re just trying to get better every single day,” Kaltenberger said. “I think pass protection has come together well. We’re working on different aspects of the run game. We’re getting better on third-and-short, and we’re working on getting better at that.”

Key Defensive Players

Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Anthony Colandrea (10) passes the ball as Maryland Terrapins defensive lineman Tommy Akingbesote (7) chases during the second half at Scott Stadium. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

• As Cignetti noted during his Monday press conference, Maryland has a massive defensive line. Defensive tackles Tommy Akingbesote and Jordan Phillips both weigh in at 320 pounds.

Of the pair, Akingbesote has been the clear standout.

The 6-foot-4 senior has 15 tackles, including two for a loss and one sack. He was particularly fearsome in a 27-13 Maryland win at Virginia on Sept. 14, when he had a career-best eight tackles.

The scouting services like him, too. Akingbesote ranked fourth-best among Big Ten interior defenders on PFF.com. He’s scored an 80.1 rating, only trailing Penn State’s Zane Durant, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon and Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams.

• The most opportunistic player on Maryland’s defense has been linebacker Kellan Wyatt.

The junior has 11 tackles, but 2.5 have been for a loss, best on the team. Wyatt has also forced two fumbles and has one sack.

Wyatt is one of 57 Maryland natives on the roster. Locksley, who was born in nearby Washington, and who played at Towson in suburban Baltimore, puts a high value on having hometown players on his team.

• One of the most experienced Maryland defenders is linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II.

Hyppolite is on the Butkus Award Watch List and was preseason Second Team All-Big Ten for both Athlon and Phil Steele. He has 38 career starts for the Terrapins and has been playing regularly since 2020.

He’s off to a good start in the extra senior season he received due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hyppolite has 17 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, and an interception.

Locksley said he respects Hyppolite in part because he also plays special teams. He helps with punt coverage.

Maryland Notes

Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley smiles while on the field before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at SECU Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

• Turnovers or big plays? Like any coach, Locksley wants to force turnovers. Maryland has done a solid job of that with a plus-7 turnover differential, but Locksley also understands there’s other things that influence the outcome of a game.

“We did not generate the turnovers. We actually lost the turnover battle,” said Locksley, referring to Maryland’s 38-20 victory over Villanova.

“I think to some of you long-in-the-tooth, old-school football guys, the turnover battle is always a big thing. I think I’ve educated you guys the turnover battle is still really important, but there’s other elements, like the big play battle,” Locksley said. “For the first time in the last couple of games, we got back on the right side of the ledger winning the big play battle. Our goal is to have 12 big plays in a game.”

• Terps have a number they like against the Hoosiers: Indiana has lost three in a row to Maryland. In each of the losses, the Terrapins have been able to score seemingly at will.

In each of the victories, Maryland scored at least 38 points, including a 44-17 victory at SECU Stadium in 2023.

Maryland will be hoping to tie a school record if it can score 38 against Indiana again. Maryland scored 38 or more in four straight meetings against Duke from 1982-85.

• Kind words for Horton: One of the Indiana players Locksley singled out for praise was tight end Zach Horton.

“They’re the best offense we’ll face. They’re sound in the RPO game. They have a set of backs that are really talented. Their tight end is the guy that makes them go,” Locksley said.

Locksley stressed that Horton is influential beyond his pass receiving. Horton has 7 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown catch.

“If you look at them on a stat sheet maybe he doesn’t have a bunch of stats, but he is the glue for them. He’s talented (blocking) in the run game. That tight end is the heart and soul of it,” Locksley said.

Related stories on Indiana football

• CIGNETTI FAMILIAR WITH MARYLAND QB: Curt Cignetti tried to recruit Billy Edwards Jr. when he was head coach at James Madison. Now Cignetti has to find a way to stop the Big Ten’s leading passer. CLICK HERE

• FERRELL GAINING PROMINENCE: Amare Ferrell has grown into his new starting role as a rover with the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE.

• DONAVEN MCCULLEY UPDATE: Donaven McCulley’s production through four games has been limited after a Week 1 injury, but Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said Monday that the 6-foot-5 receiver is getting closer. CLICK HERE

• KICKERS INJURED: With Derek McCormick and Alejandro Quintero suffering early season injuries, true freshman Quinn Warren has taken on a larger role for Indiana’s special teams unit. CLICK HERE

• OPENING LINE: Indiana will face Big Ten opponents the rest of the way, and it has opened as a favorite against Maryland. CLICK HERE

• INDIANA CLOSES IN ON TOP 25: Indiana isn't there yet, but the Hoosiers are within close range of the Top 25. CLICK HERE.