Michigan State Opponent Preview: Maryland Defense
The Michigan State Spartans are looking to win their second game of the season as they travel to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins.
Maryland took care of business in their opening game against the Connecticut Huskies, 50-7, while Michigan State narrowly escaped Florida Atlantic at home, 16-10.
For that reason, the Terrapins open as an eight-point favorite against the Spartans.
As Michigan State and Head Coach Jonathan Smith look to improve the offense, they face a tough test against a Terrapins team that has made strides on that side of the ball in the last couple of seasons.
Let’s break down Maryland’s defense and see how the Spartans can attack them.
Maryland’s defensive coordinator is Brian Williams. He has been with the Terrapins since 2019, starting as the outside linebackers coach. He worked his way up to DC and has held that position full-time since 2022.
Williams runs a 4-3 defense and has had some of the top defensive backs in the country in recent years, including first-round pick Deonte Banks of the New York Giants and Jakorian Bennett of the Las Vegas Raiders.
In 2023, the Terrapins ranked eighth in total defense in the Big Ten, sixth in run defense and eighth in passing defense.
Williams and the Terrapins have a lot of production to replace in 2024. Leading tackler Beau Brade is now a member of the Baltimore Ravens, while their interception leader, Tarheeb Still, is also gone.
They return the next two tackle leaders, Ruben Hyppolite II and Dante Trader Jr., to lead the way for the Terrapins. They also brought in Jalen Huskey from Bowling Green out of the transfer portal.
Maryland got a good performance out of defensive back Glendon Miller, who could be a major contributor and the next great Terrapin defensive back.
Aidan Chiles and the Michigan State offense turned the ball over a lot in their game against FAU, something they cannot do against Maryland if they want to win. The Terrapins will take advantage of those turnovers; the Spartans will not be as lucky as they were last week.
The Spartans will face a tougher test against Maryland than their previous game. Chiles and the Spartans must take better care of the football and find a way to get by their good defensive backs.
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CARTER LANDIS