Wisconsin Badgers vs. Maryland Terrapins Matchup With Terrapin Station

The Wisconsin Badgers head to College Park this weekend for a Big Ten matchup with the Maryland Terrapins. The Badgers are seeking a fifth Big ten victory as they try to keep pace with Iowa in the Big Ten West division.

Once again we turned to our friends over at Terrapin Station to gain some insight on the matchup. We asked Chris Bengel, the editor over at Terrapin Station, Fansided’s Maryland website, a few questions specific to the Badgers-Terrapins matchup.

Be sure to check out Terrapin Station and give them a follow on Twitter. Now, onto our questions.

BOH: Wisconsin’s run game had a resurgence last week with Corey Clement back in the lineup. How do you see Maryland faring against the Badgers ground attack?

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TS: Over the course of the season, Maryland has struggled against the run. In fact, the Terrapins are second-to-last in the Big Ten in rush defense and are yielding 167.4 yards-per-game on the ground. As bad as that looks, Maryland has looked better in recent weeks. The Terps completely shut down Saquon Barkley and Penn State, limiting the Nittany Lions to just 48 yards and 1.5 yards-per-carry. The momentum carried over to last week’s contest against Iowa. While they allowed three rushing touchdowns, Iowa’s running backs only averaged 2.5 ypg.

This is a young defense that really hangs their hat on their front seven. They really get after the quarterback as well as any team in the Big Ten. Corey Clement is one of the more talented backs that the Terps have seen, but given their recent success, Maryland may be able to hold their own, Much like Ezekiel Elliott, Clement will get his. This is one of the more talented running backs I’ve seen in quite some time. I actually had the pleasure of covering both Clement and Paul James of Rutgers during an internship in South Jersey back in 2010. Even then, it was clear that Clement was a powerful back that do damage against just about any team. Maryland’s recent performances are encouraging, but Clement is in an elite class.

BOH: How can Maryland break through the top scoring defense in the country?

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TS: Maryland’s offense has been more successful since Perry Hills took over under center. Interim coach Mike Locksley has catered the offense to Hills’ skillset, which is a run-first type of offense. The Terps are going to need to establish the ground game early on and stay committed to it throughout the game. When Maryland gets behind, they tend to throw the ball a ton and that’s where the interceptions come in. Hills has 10 in five games and doesn’t scream prolific passer. If Maryland is forced to throw very early on, it could be a long day.

BOH: What injuries is Maryland dealing with and how do you expect them to impact Saturday’s game?

TS: Maryland is relatively healthy, aside from a few season-ending injuries in the front seven. The big injury to keep an eye on is wide receiver Levern Jacobs. Jacobs is suffering from a sprained knee, which caused him to miss last Saturday’s game against Iowa.

BOH: Does the Badgers passing attack scare the Terps or is Maryland hoping to catch a few from Joel Stave?

TS: Maryland’s secondary has been the definition of inconsistent this season. This is a unit that is allowing 257.9 passing yards per game and has also given up the second-most touchdowns (17) in the conference. Ironically, Maryland’s secondary was supposed to be one of the most prolific units in the Big Ten.

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However, cornerback Sean Davis has had his fair share of struggles in pass coverage, but continues to be one of Maryland’s most sound tacklers. Will Likely has been the steady calm of the unit. Starting safeties A.J. Hendy and Anthony Nixon have also got caught out of position more often than originally thought. Joel Stave did a solid job of picking apart the Terps in last season’s game when he tossed a pair of touchdown passes. Wisconsin is a run-first team and if the Badgers get Corey Clement and company going early on, it makes Stave’s job that much easier.

BOH: Prediction time. How does Saturday play out?

TS: When the West Division comes up, most analysts only mention Iowa. However, Wisconsin’s only losses are to the Hawkeyes and Alabama in the season opener. This is a very talented football team that can hang with just anybody in the Big Ten. Due to Maryland’s inability to take care of the football, I think Wisconsin wins pretty convincingly. I’ll say Corey Clement tops the century mark and the Badgers win 38-21.

Next: 5 Reasons Wisconsin's Defense is No. 1

Stay tuned to Badger of Honor for more coverage throughout Maryland week.