Maryland Football at Rutgers Preview

The Terps (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) are back this Saturday, heading up to New Jersey to face Big Ten foe Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) at SHI Stadium.

This marks the beginning of three of the last four games of the season for the Terps, all on the road.

After a disappointing result against No. 2 Indiana last week, Maryland looks to turn the page by playing a complete game in all three phases to end their four-game skid and, most importantly, get back in the win column.

Head coach Mike Locksley remains adamant about the strides his team has made this season compared to last year, despite the recent tough stretch of games in October. Earlier this week, he stated; " A win this weekend against Rutgers will give us five wins. Five wins is one more than we had a year ago. That's called progress."

Maryland's Offense Continues to Struggle

Maryland needs to get its offense going after back-to-back tough outings, during which it has been missing the playmaking abilities it displayed early in the season. Freshman Malik Washington has not had his best showings through these two weeks; he is not looking as sharp helming the offense before the UCLA matchup. Last week, veered those struggles that young quarterbacks make, throwing two interceptions and fumbling the ball once. He wasn't able to hit on the deep throws down the field and even struggled at times making the underneath throws.

Despite that, it's not all on Washington. This offense has been lacking a proper run game for what feels like the entire season. They've eclipsed 100+ total rushing yards as a team in four out of eight contests. But, there has not been one running back on the roster who has eclipsed at least 70 rushing yards individually on the ground. That is a problem; teams do not fear the Terps' running game, allowing them to stack the box less and giving them the flexibility to have more people in coverage and even spy Washington due to his dual ability to use his legs.

It's made the offense go one-dimensional with its approach in games due to this issue. Rutgers' defense ranks 117th (184.4 yards) in the country against the run. The offensive line has been amazing at protecting their quarterback this season; they'll need to open up lanes for their tailbacks. This may be the week it gets going.

Game Details:

When: November 8, 2025

Where: SHI Stadium in  Piscataway, New Jersey

Game Start: 2:30 p.m.

How to Watch: FS1

History vs. Rutgers

Saturday's matchup will be the 21st meeting between the two programs, dating back to 1921. Maryland leads the overall head-to-head meetings with 12 wins and eight losses. The Terps dropped last year's meeting 31-17. However, Maryland has won three straight meetings in Piscataway.

Final Verdict:

The Terps need to lean on their defense a bit more in this game to come out on top. Rutgers' quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has been sacked 28 times this season. With a defense that ranks 13th in the country in sacks this year, pressuring the quarterback eliminates the dangerous air attack the Scarlet Knights have. Washington needs to utilize all his playmakers to settle himself into the game, and he must protect the ball to avoid putting the defense in short-yardage situations. Locksley and his staff need this victory to avoid souring the morale not only within the fanbase but also in the locker room.

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