Wisconsin Football: 10 Things to know about the Maryland Terrapins

Q: Maryland ranked 3rd worst in total defense in the Big Ten last season.  What was the biggest problem on that side of the ball?

A: One of the biggest culprits was Maryland’s run defense. The Terps allowed 4.8 yards-per-carry, which was the third-most in the Big Ten. Maryland’s pass defense was inconsistent throughout the season and yielded the most passing touchdowns (22) in the conference.

The Terps really missed cornerback Will Likely, who missed the second half of the season with a torn ACL. The unit should be improved since J.C. Jackson will have a year under his belt and Tino Ellis has shown a ton of potential.

Badger of Honor:

This is a category where numbers can look worse based on competition.  The Ohio State and Penn State have good offenses and can pile on points and yards in a hurry. But as Green Bay Packer fans know, getting hurt on the ground in run defense can be fatal to the entire defensive unit.

Until that’s fixed your defense is routinely behind the chains and its advantage offense as the playbook expands in more favorable downs and distance. The Terrapins need to get that fixed quick or they’ll be continually exposed in the air too.

Wisconsin certainly reaps the fruits of their labor on the ground throwing off of play action forcing teams to crowd the box and giving receivers opportunities against 1-on-1 coverage. This means the defensive coaches have to get creative in disguising run blitzes and more complex defensive play calls that aren’t easy to dissect and exploit for opposing passers.

Maryland can’t just line up in a base set and expect to win at the line of scrimmage.  That’s where scheme has to mask any talent gap up front.