Preview: Illinois Football vs. Maryland in Week 12

• Who: Illinois Fighting Illini (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) vs. Maryland Terrapins (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten)
• What: Week 12 Big Ten matchup
• When: Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2:30 a.m. CT
• Where: Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois
• Promotion: Military Appreciation Game
• TV/streaming: FS1
• TV announcers: Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst)
• Radio/audio: Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (Champaign: WDWS 93.9 FM or 1400 AM); Fighting Illini Productions; Varsity Network App
• Radio announcers: Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), and Michael Martin (sideline)
• Last week: Illinois is coming off its final bye week after it won 35-13 against Rutgers at home in Week 10. Maryland, on a five-game losing streak, lost three games by four points or less before the wheels came off against Indiana (55-10) in Week 11 and at Rutgers (35-20) last week.
• Series history: Illinois is 1-2 in the short series history with Maryland, but the Illini recorded their first football win over the Terps in their most recent meeting – 27-24 in College Park on October 14, 2023.

What to know about Rutgers

Any conversation about the 2025 Terrapins starts and ends with Malik Washington, the freshman phenom quarterback who is piling up big numbers and may be the only thing standing between Maryland football and bleak non-competitiveness. Washington is only the third true freshman from a Power Conference program since 2000 to post 200-plus yards in each of his first six career games – and then he went and did it another two weeks in a row for good measure. He only broke the streak against Rutgers last week because he was too busy galloping for 164 rushing yards.

Sadly for Washington, Maryland tends to give it all back – and then some – on the defensive side. The Terps D has had trouble getting off the field all season, struggling to stop both the run and pass. (No team in the Big Ten has played more defensive snaps in 2025 than Maryland.)

One caveat: The Terps lead the conference in takeaways (including nearly two picks per game), and turnovers have been Illinois' kryptonite. Quarterback Luke Altmyer is one of the nation's most efficient and error-averse quarterbacks, but things break bad for Illinois when opposing defenses get to him. Don't be shocked if Bielema and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. try to avoid Terps cornerback La'Khi Roland altogether and give Aidan Laughery, Kaden Feagin and the run game every opportunity to carry the water Saturday,