Indiana Football Game Preview: Maryland – key storylines, injury report, how to watch

Indiana football returns to action for week five of the college football season when they travel to SECU Stadium to face the undefeated Maryland Terrapins and resume Big Ten conference play. Although the Hoosiers won their last game vs Akron, it took them 4 overtimes to do it so they will looking to bounce back and have a much better performance.

The first true road game of the 2023 season for Indiana football. The Hoosiers are currently winless in Big Ten play having lost to Ohio State in week 1.

Although Maryland has won the last two games, Indiana holds an all-time lead on the series 7-4. Maryland has improved its record each year under head coach Mike Locksley.

Below is the full game preview of everything you need to know about Saturday’s matchup.

Key Storylines

First true road game of the season

After 4 weeks of Indiana football basically staying at home, the Hoosiers now go on the first road trip of the season traveling to College Park, Maryland. The only type of road environment the Hoosiers have faced so far this season was a neutral site contest vs Louisville in Indianapolis.

In the past two seasons, the Hoosiers have not faired very well on the road. In a total of 10 games on the road, Indiana football has only seen just 2 victories. With the way that Indiana is playing at the moment, there is not much confidence that the Hoosiers can get just their third road win in the previous three seasons.

Maryland at the point in time is also outscoring their opponents 118-40 at home so far this season.

This will be a tough first road game of the season for Indiana.

Big Ten play resumes, are the Hoosiers ready? 

From this point forward, it is strictly Big Ten conference play for Indiana for the remaining part of the season. It begs the question, however: Are the Hoosiers ready?

Through four weeks of the season thus far, Indiana has been a hard to really figure overall. They have shown great flashes of being a good team but also have shown what fans have seen the past two years and that is no progress. Going into conference play against a team like Maryland that is playing extremely well right now and the fact that Indiana still has many questions, the hopefulness of Indiana getting their first win in the Big Ten is not extremely high at the moment.

Maryland is a good team that the Hoosiers will have to play nearly perfect to beat on the road.

“Well, really good football team. Coach Locksley is doing a great job there. They’ve recruited a lot of good players,” said Tom Allen earlier this week. “Got a really good quarterback, one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 10, obviously, as a returning multi-year starter. They’re experienced.”

“So definitely a very, very important game for us, big week for us, as we get back into Big 10 play and playing a really, really good football team on the road.”

Offensive struggles, offensive struggles and more offensive struggles…

I think it is safe to say through four games this season, this Indiana football offense just ain’t it. Indiana State game aside because of the lack of challenge the Hoosiers faced, the only time this season you have seen Indiana’s offense look great was the second half of the Louisville game.

Indiana offensive coordinator Walt Bell’s play calling has been a ultra hot topic among the fanbase since week 1. With what Indiana showed in last week’s game slightly overcoming Akron, one they have handled easily, the fans have started to jump off the bus already this year.

“We did not score points offensively,” Tom Allen said when recapping the Akron game. “We did not take advantage of situations offensively. And you can look at different reasons for that. But the bottom line is at the end of the day, it’s the job of the offense to score.”

“…we’re not scoring the points we need to score, without question. So, to me, we’ve got to do a better job of that. That’s everything. It’s play calling. It’s technique. It’s the scheme adjustments. It’s everything we need to do to be able to maximize our guys and help us get the ball in the end zone. At the end of the day, we’re performance based assessment, and we’ve got to perform as players and as coaches. So the goal is to get the ball in the end zone offensively so we can win football games. So got to get better.”

The defense from Indiana has been the most consistent part of the program this year as they have bailed out and kept Indiana in games. If the offense does not start pulling their weight, the Hoosiers will likely not win a game the rest of the season.

Watch: Indiana football head coach Tom Allen recaps week four win, looks ahead to Maryland matchup

Last Matchup

In the all-time series, Indiana owns a 7-4 edge against Maryland. The Terrapins have won the last two meetings, after Indiana won seven of the first nine meetings. The last meeting saw Maryland top Indiana football last season 38-34.

The first two meetings between the two programs came in 1934 and 1935 and then 79 passed between meetings, as Maryland joined the Big Ten in 2014. Indiana won the initial meeting in Bloomington, 17-14, and then defeated Maryland, 13-6, in the second all-time meeting.

Indiana has scored at least 27 points in each of the last eight meetings and has topped the 30-point mark in seven of those games. For Maryland, the Terps have scored at least 28 points in eight of the last nine games (11; 2020) with six of those games featuring at least 30 points.

Related: Indiana Football vs Maryland: Key players, notes and opening spread

Injury Updates

Indiana

QB Dexter Williams II: Williams remains out and will not be available this game. He is still in the recovery process of his significant knee injury from Indiana football’s season finale last year. While he has not be a part of Indiana’s quarterback battle, he has been able to contribute on the field a little as well as be a leader for both Jackson and Sorsby.

OL Max Longman: Suffered a lower leg injury in Louisville game.

WR EJ Williams: Missed last week’s game due to a wrist/hand injury. It’s unknown the extent of his injury.

DB Jamier Johnson: Johnson did not play last week vs Akron. Johnson also left the Louisville game early with an undisclosed injury and did not return.

Maryland

Each of the following Maryland players are listed as questionable for Saturday’s matchup due to undisclosed injuries: Deandre Deuffus (OL), Dylan Good (LB), Neeo Avery (LB), Joshua Jennings (TE), Nolan Ray (RB), Josh Richards (WR), Ramon Brown (WR)

Related: Indiana football resumes Big Ten play as two-touchdown underdogs against Maryland

Quick Hitters

Who?: Indiana (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) at Maryland (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten)

When?: Saturday, Sept. 30 | 3:30 p.m. ET

Where?: SECU Stadium (College Park, Md.)

TV: BTN

Radio: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network

Spread: Maryland -14 via DraftKings Sportsbook

SEE ALSO: Tayven Jackson has Indiana football offense ‘locked in on the details’ as Big Ten play resumes

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