Maryland football is in quite the hole. In what has been a largely disappointing season marred with injuries and underperformance, the Terps have left themselves needing to capture their last two games
in order to become bowl game eligible.
Unfortunately for Maryland, one of those two opponents comes in the form of No. 18 Michigan.
The Wolverines have had a relatively undaunting slate, but fell in two crucial, high-stakes matchups: at now-No. 8 Oklahoma by 11 points, and at now-No. 15 USC by 18 points. Michigan’s two best wins on the season are against currently unranked programs Nebraska and Washington — the Terps lost to both in late-game scenarios.
Saturday’s contest will begin at 4 p.m. and air on Big Ten Network.
No. 18 Michigan Wolverines (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten)
2024 record: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten
Head coach Sherrone Moore took over for program legend and current Los Angeles Chargers head coach, Jim Harbaugh, in 2024. He was the team’s offensive coordinator for their three consecutive conference championships and 2023 national title. As an offensive coordinator, his teams dominated on the ground, with three straight 1,000-yard seasons split between Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum — Donovan Edwards almost joined the mix. That philosophy has remained this year.
Moore saw a dip in success last season as a first-year head coach, but his program capped off the season with an impressive 13-10 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State, who went on to win the national title. And while Moore’s team has improved record-wise, he’s also had quite a few close calls against lesser Big Ten competition, including a 24-22 win against Northwestern and a 21-16 win over Purdue.
Players to watch
Bryce Underwood, freshman quarterback, No. 19 — Originally committed to LSU, the five-star quarterback ultimately flipped his commitment to the Wolverines and has shown flashes of his all-around skillset. The 6-foot-4 signal caller has thrown just seven touchdown passes this year, but he’s rushed for five more. He’s 10th in the Big Ten in passing yards (1,951) and in quarterback rating (131.7). Nonetheless, he’ll look to be a factor in multiple phases Saturday, which could give the Terps some defensive trouble.
Jordan Marshall, sophomore running back, No. 23 — The tandem of Marshall and Justice Haynes, who led the Big Ten in rushing yards before his foot injury that has kept him sidelined, was almost unstoppable. Now it’s just Marshall, who has tallied 871 yards and 10 touchdowns on a whopping 6.1 yards per attempt. He’ll remain a key asset for Moore this weekend.
Derrick Moore, senior edge rusher, No. 8 — Moore is second in the Big Ten in sacks with 8.5, and is coming off a two-sack, two-tackle for loss performance against Purdue just a few games ago. He’s also a two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention, and has appeared in a staggering 51 games for the Wolverines, bringing championship experience to the locker room.
Ernest Hausmann, senior linebacker, No. 15 — The Uganda product also brings championship experience after transferring to Ann Arbor from Nebraska prior to the team’s title season. Hausmann leads the Wolverines in tackles with 68, and he has a sack and 5.5 tackles for loss to boot.
Strength
Passing defense. It’s obvious that the run game is Michigan’s bread-and-butter, so this section is better spent highlighting the team’s supreme secondary. Headlined by the likes of Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill, the Wolverines are second in the Big Ten with 37 passes defended and third in interceptions with 11.
Weakness
Red zone conversion. The Wolverines are actually worse than the Terps in red zone conversion percentage at just 78.9%, fourth-worst in the Big Ten. In the red zone, Michigan has been extremely one-sided with its attack, with just three passing touchdowns but 20 rushing touchdowns.
Three things to watch
1. Stopping the run. Indiana, Rutgers and Illinois have eviscerated Maryland on the ground over the past few weeks. Save for maybe the Hoosiers, Michigan has been more dominant than each of those teams running the ball. The Terps’ biggest focus will likely come with handicaps, however, given the sheer number of injuries that they’ve suffered.
2. Freshman vs. freshman. Both Underwood and Malik Washington were highly touted quarterbacks in the 2025 recruiting cycle, and will likely be jousting with one another for draft position in a few years’ time. It will be exciting to see the two field generals go head-to-head, and start the first chapter in what could eventually turn into a rivalry — even at the next level.
3. Bowl game attitude? The Terps have nothing to lose at this point: it’s a bowl game or bust. On Senior Day, and the team’s final home game, it will be interesting to see not only if Maryland has a different energy in the contest, but also if Pep Hamilton or Ted Monachino’s play calling becomes substantially more aggressive.
