Badgers Scouting Report: How Can Wisconsin Shutdown the Maryland Offensive Attack?

Edwards Jr. is certainly out for a revenge game while also attempting to prove himself as a capable quarterback against Big Ten Conference competition once again. While pressure will be on the quarterback to perform, the group that needs to perform the most for the Badgers would be the defense after a difficult performance against a talented Alabama Crimson Tide offense.

Wisconsin Badgers Must Limit Opportunities for Malik Washington During Upcoming Game

Maryland might be a talented team with a variety of players who can do damage on offense in particular, but the man to key in on during the game will be starting quarterback Malik Washington.

The true freshman quarterback was the 54th overall recruit and fifth overall quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class. Washington is part of a growing trend involving the Terrapins keeping the top in-state talent close to home, landing third overall 2026 recruit Zion Elee and 2024 running back DeJuan Williams.

Washington is a bit of an anomaly, however, as the Terrapins felt from the jump that the quarterback would be the starting quarterback on offense. After losing Billy Edwards Jr. to the transfer portal, the Terrapins did not make any serious effort towards adding an accomplished quarterback despite having the resources to do so. The staff truly has a lot of trust in Washington, and so far on the field the quarterback has been able to prove why that is so.

On the field, Washington has already proven to be a capable leader of the offense and rarely shows any jitters in the backfield. The quarterback began his collegiate career against FAU and appeared confident on the field, but not quite ready to air the ball out consistently yet. Washington finished the game with 258 yards passing and three touchdowns while completing 62.8% of his passes.

Washington displayed improvement against both NIU and Townson, with big completions and significantly more chances being taken through the air. The quarterback threw his first interception last game against Towson which was the only real blemish on a rather great performance.

The freshman finished the game with 261 yards passing and a touchdown while adding another score on the ground, flashing his ability to move at 6-feet-5-inches tall. What will be interesting to watch is how Washington handles some of his mistakes, including the interception, that occurred last game heading into conference play.

For the Wisconsin Badgers, stopping Washington means limiting his passing lanes while also applying some sort of consistent pressure. Washington is savvy and has displayed some veteran talents at times, including his ability to create plays when given enough time to do so. If the Badgers can manage to slow down Washington and force the quarterback to get rid of the ball quickly, the Maryland offense should not be nearly as effective.