Maryland Begins Run Vs Top 25 Foes, Hosts No. 22 Penn State

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — The stakes for Maryland and manager Michael Locksley are a small higher erstwhile Penn State comes to town.

Geographically, the Terrapins inactive beryllium connected the periphery of the Big Ten. But compared to different league schools, the Nittany Lions are beauteous adjacent to College Park — adjacent capable to beryllium a menace some connected crippled time and during the recruiting season.

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“A large accidental to play a determination rivalry, a squad that’s close up the roadworthy from america that focuses a rather spot of their efforts successful recruiting present successful our location state,” Locksley said. “We’re hopeful that we get our fans successful the seats and not their fans.”

It’s a tenable roadworthy travel for Penn State fans, and though this has mostly been a one-sided rivalry — Maryland has conscionable 3 victories successful 44 meetings with the Nittany Lions — the Terps did triumph past season’s encounter. Saturday’s crippled against No. 22 Penn State is different accidental for Maryland to effort to measurement up against a ranked team, and an accidental for the Nittany Lions to rebound from a hard-fought nonaccomplishment to Ohio State.

Locksley and Penn State manager James Franklin were connected the aforesaid unit astatine Maryland 2 decades ago. Locksley coached moving backs and Franklin was a receivers coach.

“I had a large acquisition there,” Franklin said. “It was truly my archetypal big-time, full-time job.”

Maryland (5-3, 2-3) won its archetypal 4 games this play earlier stepping up successful people to look Iowa and Ohio State. The Terps were drubbed successful those 2 games by a combined people of 117-31. Now comes different pugnacious agelong connected their schedule. After facing Penn State, they conscionable Michigan State and Michigan.

The Nittany Lions (5-3, 2-3) mislaid 33-24 astatine Ohio State past weekend. Then they started prepping for the Terps aboriginal than they wanted to.

Their formation location had to beryllium diverted to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania aft fog astatine the determination State College airdrome prevented them from landing. Players and squad unit had to find busses to ferry them astir 90 miles location from the authorities capital.

“What we did is we pushed everything backmost that Sunday,” Franklin said. “Some radical were capable to get immoderate slumber connected the level oregon busses, and past we pushed everything backmost successful the greeting truthful radical could spell location and get a fewer hours of slumber arsenic a staff, and past the players evidently had astir of the time to sleep.”

LAST SEASON

Maryland won astatine Penn State 35-19 past season. Taulia Tagovailoa threw for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Terrapins. Penn State’s Sean Clifford threw for 340 yards and 3 TDs, but helium went conscionable 27 of 57 and was intercepted twice.

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In the 3 meetings anterior to 2020, Penn State bushed Maryland 66-3, 38-3 and 59-0.

NEW NO. 2?

If Penn State needs to crook to a backmost different than Clifford, freshman Christian Veilleux whitethorn get the nod.

Franklin confirmed Tuesday that Ta’Quan Roberson is dealing with an unspecified wounded and has been constricted successful practice. Veilleux worked with the 2nd squad earlier Penn State’s crippled against Ohio State.

POSTSEASON HOPES

Maryland hasn’t been successful the postseason since playing successful the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl. Another triumph would springiness the Terps a bully milestone successful Locksley’s 3rd play astatine the helm.

“Obviously, six is the magic fig to go vessel eligible. We each cognize it,” helium said. “Because we present person five, we tin speech astir six.”

BIG GAME

Tagovailoa helped drawback Maryland’s three-game losing streak successful a triumph implicit Indiana past weekend. He threw for 419 yards, the astir for a Terp since 1993.

Tagovailoa played astatine Alabama successful 2019 earlier transferring, truthful helium has acquisition astatine a schoolhouse wherever vessel eligibility is taken arsenic a given.

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“Postseason is ever good, but looking astatine our schedule, it’s not going to beryllium easy,” helium said.