Mike Locksley on Indiana football: ‘Need to be ready to take their best shot’

The Indiana football program heads on the road for the first time in 2023 as it travels to Maryland for the first Big Ten game since week one.

The Terrapins head into the matchup at 4-0, looking to go 5-0 for the first time since 2001. The Hoosiers, sitting at 2-2, look to win back-to-back games this season.

Indiana is coming off of a 29-27 win in four overtimes against Akron. Maryland is coming into the matchup after a 31-9 win over Michigan State last weekend.

The opening spread for the week five matchup opened at 14.5-points in favor of Maryland.

Maryland head coach Mike Locksley spoke with the media on Wednesday afternoon, giving his take on Indiana and head coach Tom Allen.

Here’s what he had to say:

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

On history of the series:

“We played one-score games against them each of the last few years. This has always been a tough game for us. You think about last year’s matchup where Taulia left the game injured, we were down, and Billy Edwards was able to come in and lead us to victory. Ever since I’ve been in this league in 2014, I was here when we joined this league, this has always been one of those games that’s been a tough, tough game for the Terps, and I expect it to be the same here this week as Tom Allen is one of the better coaches, in my opinion, in this league. It’s the Big Ten home opener, so we need to be ready to take their best shot.”

On Indiana football offense:

“On the offensive side, obviously, Walt Bell. They’ve got a tremendous playmaker in No. 12 (Jaylin Lucas), who they try to find ways to get him touches. The quarterback (Tayven Jackson), the transfer from Tennessee, throws the deep ball as well as we’ll see a deep ball, so we’ve got to do a great job this week of preparing our team for the ball being thrown vertically.”

On Indiana football defense:

“When you turn the page to Indiana, they’re led by a really strong defense. I think their linebacking core is probably one of the better linebacker cores that we’ve faced thus far. Forty-four (Aaron Casey) is one of those guys that, he makes a lot of plays for those guys. They’ve got some transfers over there. Their D-coordinator Chad Wilt we know a lot about, he was a D-line coach here in one of my earlier stints here, and they’re top five in the Big Ten in pass defense, interceptions and then third-down stops, and so really do a good job on that side of the ball.

On key focus heading into matchup:

“If I were to say what our objectives were for our defense this week, it’s to find a way to minimize No. 12’s impact on the game, number one. Number two, obviously, is to be able to stop the run, and they offer, they’re very diverse in their offensive systems. They have the ability to spread you out, play with tempo, they even have elements of triple option that they use where No. 12 becomes the extra run guy. So playing really disciplined fundamentally, in terms of when they do get you into option football, is going to be really important. And then also really important for us to be really sound in those option responsibilities when they do offer that.”